Method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls in a radio telecomminications network in which number portability is implemented

• US 6,424,832 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Bugnon, Jacques, Britt, Margaret
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US09/302,089
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/432-434, 455/435, 455/422, 455/423, 455/456, 455/461, 455/436-439, 455/440, 455/466, 455/412, 455/560, 379/220, 379/207, 379/230, 379/219, 379/221, 379/229, 379/231, 379/201, 379/111, 379/112, 379/115
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

A method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls in a radio telecommunications network in which Number Portability (NP) is implemented, the network having a plurality of mobile switching centers (MSCs) and home location registers (HLRs). The network includes a roamer port MSC having a roamer port which is shared with at least one neighboring MSC. A number portability database (NPDB) associates a location routing number (LRN) with each distinct MSC/HLR pair in the network. When a roamer port call, which includes the mobile directory number (MDN) of the called mobile station, is received in the roamer port MSC, the roamer port MSC determines whether the MDN falls within a ported range. If so, a request is sent to the NPDB to retrieve a LRN for the called mobile station. From the LRN, a HLR associated with the mobile station is identified. The roamer port MSC then sends a location request to the identified HLR which returns a routing number for the called mobile station, or indicates that a call-diversion type service is active. If no call-diversion type service is active, the roamer port MSC determines whether the called mobile station is located in a neighboring MSC to which the roamer port MSC allows routing of calls. If so, the call is routed locally to the neighboring MSC.

Claims

1. A method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls delivered locally or after a location query to a Home Location Register (HLR) in a radio telecommunications network in which Number Portability (NP) is implemented, said network having a plurality of mobile switching centers (MSCs), said method comprising the steps of:

storing in each MSC, a MIN-MDN pair, said MIN-MDN pair being an association between a mobile identification number (MIN) and a mobile directory number (MDN) obtained from registration information for each served mobile station;

receiving a roamer port call in a roamer port MSC for a mobile station, wherein the roamer port MSC includes a roamer port which is shared with at least one neighboring MSC which neighbors the roamer port MSC, said roamer port call including the MDN of the called mobile station;

identifying in the roamer port MSC, the MIN of the called mobile station utilizing the stored MIN-MDN pair, and the step of identifying the MIN of the called mobile station including;

determining in the roamer port MSC whether a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station is stored in the roamer port MSC;

upon determining that a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station is not stored in the roamer port MSC, sending a message from the roamer port MSC to the neighboring MSC, said message inquiring whether the neighboring MSC has stored a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station; and

upon determining that the neighboring MSC has stored a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station, sending the MIN from the neighboring MSC to the roamer port MSC;

determining whether the called mobile station is operating in the roamer port MSC utilizing its identified MIN; and

delivering by the roamer port MSC, the roamer port call to the called mobile station upon determining that the called mobile station is operating in the roamer port MSC.

2. The method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls of claim 1 further comprising utilizing the identified MIN to route a location request message from the roamer port MSC to the identified HLR for call delivery or to invoke any active call-diversion type services, as determined by the HLR.

3. The method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

sending an indication of a trunk resource from the neighboring MSC to the roamer port MSC; and

routing the call to the neighboring MSC.

4. The method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls of claim 3 further comprising utilizing the identified MIN to route a location request message from the neighboring MSC to the identified HLR for call delivery or to invoke any active call-diversion type services, as determined by the HLR.

5. The method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls of claim 1 wherein the step of sending a message from the roamer port MSC to the neighboring MSC inquiring whether the neighboring MSC has stored a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station also includes sending a message which requests the neighboring MSC to page the called mobile station.

6. The method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls of claim 5 wherein the step of sending a message which requests the neighboring MSC to page the called mobile station includes sending an ANSI-41 Intersystem Page message.

7. A method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls in a radio telecommunications network in which Number Portability (NP) is implemented, said network having a plurality of mobile switching centers (MSCs), said method comprising the steps of:

storing in each MSC, a MIN-MDN pair, said MIN-MDN pair being an association between a mobile identification number (MIN) and a mobile directory number (MDN) for each served mobile station;

receiving a roamer port call in a roamer port MSC for a mobile station, the roamer port MSC including a roamer port which is shared with at least one neighboring MSC which neighbors the roamer port MSC, and said roamer port call including the MDN of the called mobile station;

determining in the roamer port MSC whether a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station is stored in the roamer port MSC;

upon determining that a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station is not stored in the roamer port MSC, sending a message from the roamer port MSC to the neighboring MSC, said message -inquiring whether the neighboring MSC has stored a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station;

upon determining that the neighboring MSC has stored a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station, sending the MIN and an indication of a trunk resource from the neighboring MSC to the roamer port MSC;

identifying the home location register (HLR) of the called mobile station utilizing the identified MIN;

utilizing the identified MIN to route a location request message to the identified HLR to determine whether any call-diversion type services are active;

invoking call-diversion type services that are active; and

routing the call to the neighboring MSC upon determining that no call-diversion type services are active.

8. The method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls of claim 7 wherein the step of sending a message from the roamer port MSC to the neighboring MSC inquiring whether the neighboring MSC has stored a MIN-MDN pair for the called mobile station also includes sending a message which requests the neighboring MSC to page the called mobile station.

9. The method of supporting functionality for roamer port calls of claim 8 wherein the step of sending a message which requests the neighboring MSC to page the called mobile station includes sending an ANSI-41 Intersystem Page message.

10. A method of supporting a roamer port call to a called mobile station in a radio telecommunications network in which Number Portability (NP) is implemented, said network having a plurality of mobile switching centers (MSCs) and home location registers (HLRs), said method comprising the steps of:

modifying a number portability database (NPDB) to associate with a dialed mobile directory number (MDN), an indication of an HLR where a subscriber record is maintained for the called mobile station;

receiving a roamer port call in a roamer port MSC for a mobile station, the roamer port MSC including a roamer port which is shared with at least one neighboring MSC which neighbors the roamer port MSC, and said roamer port call including the MDN for the called mobile station;

determining in the roamer port MSC that the MDN for the called mobile station falls within a portable range;

sending a request from the roamer port MSC to the NPDB for the indication of the called mobile station'"'"'s HLR, said request including the MDN for the called mobile station;

sending the indication of the called mobile station'"'"'s HLR from the NPDB to the roamer port MSC;

sending a location request from the roamer port MSC to the identified HLR;

sending a routing number for the called mobile station from the HLR to the roamer port MSC;

determining whether the called mobile station is located in a neighboring MSC to which the roamer port MSC allows routing of calls; and

routing the call locally to the neighboring MSC upon determining that the called mobile station is located in a neighboring MSC to which the roamer port MSC allows routing of calls.

11. The method of supporting a roamer port call to a called mobile station of claim 10 wherein the step of modifying the NPDB to associate a dialed MDN with an indication of an HLR includes associating the MDN with a HLR pointer.

12. The method of supporting a roamer port call to a called mobile station of claim 10 wherein the step of modifying the NPDB to associate a dialed MDN with an indication of an HLR includes associating the MDN with the MIN for the called mobile station.