System and method of automatic roaming analysis (ARA) for dialing abbreviated numbers in a wireless intelligent network

• US 6,490,449 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Conte, Giuseppe, Gelibet, Charles, Thibert, Myriam, Gantous, Paul, Gauthier, Lysanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/303,026
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452, 455/435, 455/565, 455/461, 455/433, 455/436, 455/414, 455/422, 379/212.01, 379/216.01
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A system and method of providing an intelligent automatic roaming analysis (ARA) that enables a roaming mobile subscriber to use abbreviated dialing regardless of the location of the subscriber in a radio telecommunications network. The radio telecommunications network includes a home network which comprises a Home Location Register (HLR) and a Service Control Point (SCP). The visited exchanges of the network are categorized by a type indicator if located outside the home service area. Subscription data and operator service data are provided as a database in the SCP, wherein applicable telephone codes are available for the home network and the visited exchanges. Based on the type of the visited exchange, an abbreviated number is rebuilt into an appropriate called party number (B-number) by utilizing one or more services provided in the SCP.

Claims

1. A radio telecommunications network system covering a geographic area comprised of a plurality of service areas each of which is served by a mobile switching center (MSC) having an identification indicator (MSCID), the system including:

(A) a Service Control Point (SCP) which comprises;

(A1) a customer service data set associated with a mobile subscriber, the customer service data set including a first plurality of telephone number code portions associated with an MSC serving a home service area of the mobile subscriber, the code portions comprising at least one code portion selected from a group consisting of;

a mobile switching center (MSC) name portion, home mobile switching center identification indicator (MSCID) name portion, Intenational Access Code (IAC) portion, National Access Code (NAC) portion, Country Code (CCD) portion and an Area Code (ACD) portion;

(A2) an operator service data including a second plurality of telephone code portions associated with a visited MSC serving a visited service area, and a type portion for designating a type parameter for the visited MSC; and

(A3) roaming detecting means for detecting whether the mobile subscriber is located in the visited service area;

(B) means available to the mobile subscriber for entering a short digital number associated with a called party'"'"'s telephone number; and

(C) means for generating a call treatment instruction in response to a service query from the visited MSC,

wherein the SCP executes a service portion in response to the call treatment instruction provided, when the mobile subscriber is located in the visited service area and enters the short dial number for the called party, the service portion returning an indication with respect to the called party.

2. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the service portion is based on the type parameter of the visited MSC and the indication comprises the called party'"'"'s telephone number for call routing.

3. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the type parameter of the visited MSC comprises a national MSC type and the visited service area is a national visited service area.

4. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the type parameter of the visited MSC comprises a regional MSC type and the visited service area is a regional visited service area.

5. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the type parameter of the visited MSC comprises an international MSC type and the visited service area is an international visited service area.

6. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the type parameter of the visited MSC comprises a local MSC type and the visited service area is a local visited service area.

7. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 1, further including means in the SCP for translating the short digit dial number entered by the mobile subscriber.

8. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second plurality of telephone number code portions comprises at least one code portion selected from the group consisting of an International Area Code (IAC) portion, a National Area Code (NAC) portion, a Country Code (CCD) portion and an Area Code (ACD) portion.

9. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the indication comprises a code for generating an announcement.

10. A radio telecommunications network system that enables a mobile subscriber roaming in a visited exchange to originate a call by entering an abbreviated number, said network having one or more visited exchanges in a home service area that is served by a Service Control Point (SCP) and a Home Location Register (HLR), and one or more visited exchanges in a visited service area that the mobile subscriber is likely to visit, each of the exchanges having an identity indicator and the visited exchanges in the visited service area having a type parameter in addition thereto, the network system including:

first data set means for maintaining the mobile subscriber'"'"'s subscription information data and a first plurality of digit portions, at least one of which digit portions is selectively prepended for a call originated by the mobile subscriber from an exchange in the home service area by entering an abbreviated number for a called party;

second data set means for maintaining a list of the identity indicators, type parameters and a second plurality of digit portions for the visited exchanges in the visited service area, at least one of which digit portions is selectively prepended for a call originated by the mobile subscriber from an exchange in the visited service area by entering an abbreviated number for the called party;

detecting means in the SCP for detecting if the mobile subscriber is located in a visited service area;

responsive to the detecting means, Automatic Roaming Analysis (ARA) means in the SCP for converting the abbreviated number entered by the mobile subscriber for originating a call when located in the visited exchange of the visited service area, the conversion being based at least in part upon the visited exchange'"'"'s type and resulting into a called party'"'"'s number; and

means in the SCP for transmitting the called party'"'"'s number to the visited exchange for routing the mobile subscriber'"'"'s call to the called party.

11. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a translator for translating the abbreviated number entered by the mobile subscriber when located in the visited exchange of the visited service area into a translated number, wherein the type parameter comprises a local exchange type and the translated number is provided to the ARA means.

12. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a translator for translating the abbreviated number entered by the mobile subscriber when located in the visited exchange of the visited service area into a translated number, wherein the type parameter comprises a national exchange type and the translated number is provided to the ARA means.

13. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a translator for translating the abbreviated number entered by the mobile subscriber when located in the visited exchange of the visited service area into a translated number, wherein the type parameter comprises a regional exchange type and the translated number is provided to the ARA means.

14. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a translator for translating the abbreviated number entered by the mobile subscriber when located in the visited exchange of the visited service area into a translated number, wherein the type parameter comprises an international exchange type and the translated number is provided to the ARA means.

15. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first plurality of digit portions comprises at least one code portion selected from the group consisting of an International Area Code (IAC) portion, a National Area Code (NAC) portion, a Country Code (CCD) portion and an Area Code (ACD) portion.

16. The radio telecommunications network system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the corresponding second plurality of digit portions comprises at least one code portion selected from the group consisting of an International Area Code (IAC) portion, a National Area Code (NAC) portion, a Country Code (CCD) portion and an Area Code (ACD) portion.

17. A method of supporting a short digit dialing service for a roaming mobile subscriber in a radio telecommunications system of the type which includes a plurality of visited exchanges, each with a type designation and an identity indicator (MSCID), and a home network comprising at least a visited exchange, a Home Location Register (HLR) and a Service Control Point (SCP) associated therewith, the SCP including a subscriber data set and an operator service data set, and a service execution portion relating to the short digit dialing service, the method comprising the steps of:

populating the subscriber data set with at least an International Access Code (IAC), a National Access Code (NAC), a Country Code (CCD), an Area Code (ACD) and the MSCID for the home network'"'"'s visited exchange;

populating the operator service data set at least with a visited exchange'"'"'s type parameter and MSCID, and an International Access Code (IAC), a National Access Code (NAC), a Country Code (CCD) and an Area Code (ACD) for a visited service area'"'"'s visited exchange;

receiving a call origination in a visited exchange from a mobile subscriber who enters an abbreviated number for a called party;

receiving, in the SCP, a call treatment instruction from one of the HLR and the visited exchange, the call treatment instruction including at least the MSCID with respect to the location of the mobile subscriber;

determining, in the SCP, the type of the visited service area'"'"'s visited exchange;

detecting in the SCP whether the mobile subscriber is roaming;

performing, by the SCP, a translation process on the abbreviated number to generate a translated number (TN), responsive to the detecting step;

based on the type of the visited service area'"'"'s visited exchange, selectively rebuilding, in the SCP, a called party number (B-number) using the TN; and

selectively terminating the call originated by the mobile subscriber using the B-number.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the step of:

if the visited exchange is a local visited exchange and if the ACD of the home network equals the ACD associated with the visited exchange, then treating the TN as equal to the B-number.

19. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is a local visited exchange and if home network'"'"'s ACD does not equal the visited exchange'"'"'s ACD, determining whether the TN includes an IAC; and

if so, treating the TN as equal to the B-number.

20. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is a national visited exchange, determining whether the TN includes an IAC; and

if so, treating the TN as equal to the B-number.

21. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is a national visited exchange and if the TN does not include an IAC, determining whether the TN includes an NAC;

if not, updating the TN by adding the home network'"'"'s NAC and ACD; and

equating the updated TN with the B-number.

22. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is a national visited exchange and the TN does not include an IAC but includes an NAC, determining whether an ACD of the TN equals the visited exchange'"'"'s ACD; and

if not, treating the TN as equal to the B-number.

23. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is a national visited exchange and the TN does not include an IAC but includes an NAC, determining whether an ACD of the TN equals the visited exchange'"'"'s ACD;

if so, updating the TN by keeping only a local number part of the TN and deleting other portions; and

treating the updated TN as the B-number.

24. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is an international visited exchange and the TN includes an IAC, determining whether a CCD of the TN is not equal to the visited exchange'"'"'s CCD;

if so, updating the TN by replacing an IAC of the TN with the visited exchange'"'"'s IAC; and

treating the updated TN as the B-number.

25. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is an international visited exchange and the TN includes an IAC, and if a CCD of the TN equals the visited exchange'"'"'s CCD, determining whether an ACD of the TN equals the visited exchange'"'"'s ACD;

if so, updating the TN by keeping only a local number part of the TN and deleting other portions; and

treating the updated TN as the B-number.

26. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is an international visited exchange and the TN includes an IAC, and if a CCD of the TN does not equal the visited exchange'"'"'s CCD, determining whether an ACD of the TN equals the visited exchange'"'"'s ACD;

if not, updating the TN by replacing the TN'"'"'s IAC and CCD with the visited exchange'"'"'s NAC; and

treating the updated TN as the B-number.

27. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is an international visited exchange and the TN does not include an IAC, determining whether the TN includes an NAC;

if not, updating the TN by adding the visited exchange'"'"'s IAC, home network'"'"'s CCD and ACD; and

treating the updated TN as the B-number.

28. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of selectively rebuilding the called party number further comprises the steps of:

if the visited exchange is an international visited exchange and the TN does not include an IAC, determining whether the TN includes an NAC;

if so, updating the TN by replacing the TN'"'"'s NAC by the visited exchange'"'"'s IAC and home network'"'"'s CCD; and

treating the updated TN as the B-number.