Generalized arrangement for routing telecommunications calls

• US 6,539,090 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1998
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Frey, Alan Eugene, Tripp, Susan Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Bing
• Application Number:
  US09/167,617
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207.02, 379/207.11, 379/207.12, 379/207.14, 379/211.02, 379/213.01, 379/220.01, 379/230, 379/93.23, 379/221.13, 379/221.14, 379/232, 379/242, 379/245, 379/246
• US Class Current: 379/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

Apparatus and a method for controlling the establishment of telecommunications calls. In response to a service request from a calling party, a switch serving the calling party transmits a query identifying the called party to a shared database. The database provides information identifying the switch for accessing the called party, and information for identifying port(s) for accessing the called party from that switch. When a customer moves from one location to another, the database is updated to reflect the switch and port identification associated with the new location of the customer. If the called customer is a mobile customer, the database maintains information concerning the current location of that customer so that calls can be immediately switched to that customer. Advantageously, a single database for storing information about the location and class of service of all customers served by a network greatly simplifies the process of routing calls, allows for great flexibility in numbering plans, and greatly simplifies the process of providing service to a customer who has moved.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a telecommunications connection between a calling party, and a called party, comprising the steps of:

the calling party providing to a first switch, signals specifying an access identification of the called party;

the first switch providing the identifying information to a database shared by a plurality of switches of a telecommunications network;

if the called party is served by said telecommunications network, the database providing the identity of a terminating switch, and of a port or port group accessible by the terminating switch for accessing the called party; and

transmitting to the terminating switch, a signaling message comprising the identity of said port or port group; and

attempting to complete the call using the information provided by said database;

wherein changes of assignment of telephone number or other access identifiers to Customer Premises Equipment require the updating of only a single database;

wherein the terminating switch does not supply a telephone number or other access identifier to port identification translation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if said called party is served by another carrier, said database providing an identity of a switch for accessing the carrier serving said called party, and a port group on said switch for accessing the carrier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said database maintains a busy/idle status of ports on one or more switches for accessing said other carrier, and wherein, said database provides an identity of a selected access switch and a selected port on said access switch for accessing said another carrier;

wherein said database controls traffic to different ones of said access switches.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing data in said database for associating a port serving a street address with an access identifier of a customer whose service is being activated at said address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said database provides switch and port information for routing a call to a specific port for accessing a customer accessed via a special access code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said database maintains a record of the most recent location in which a mobile telecommunications station was registered, further comprising the step of:

providing an identification of a mobile switching center for routing calls to said mobile telecommunication station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said signals specifying an access identifier comprise signals for specifying a handle different from a telephone number of a called party.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said handle is a character string.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said database provides calling party originating class translation information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said database provides calling party billing information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said database provides called party terminating class translation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said database is a distributed database comprising a plurality of segments further comprising the step of:

storing data for a discrete subset of customers served by said database in each segment of said database.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said database is a distributed database.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said distributed database has entries for a discrete subset of customers of said telecommunications network in each segment of said distributed database, wherein each segment stores data for a different non-overlapping group of customers.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attempting to complete the call comprises the steps of:

transmitting the provided information to the first switch;

the first switch extending the call toward the terminating switch, and providing in call set-up messages, an identity of the terminating switch and a port of the terminating switch used for accessing the called party.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attempting to complete the call further comprises the step of:

sending a message from the database to the terminating switch, the message comprising an identity of a port or port group in the terminating switch for accessing the called party, and an identity of said first switch.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the database maintains a busy/idle status of one or more ports for accessing the called party.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of attempting to complete the call is aborted if the busy/idle status of the called party is “

busy”

.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of attempting to complete the call further comprises the step of:

said terminating switch attempting to initiate establishment of a connection toward the first switch from said port for accessing said called party.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attempting to complete the call comprises:

transmitting the provided information to the first switch;

the first switch transmitting a message to the terminating switch, the message comprising an identity of the port in the terminating switch for accessing the called party, and an identity of said first switch.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of attempting to complete the call comprises the step of:

said terminating switch attempting to initiate establishment of a connection toward the first switch from said port for accessing said called party.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said port or port group comprises any of a line port connected to a customer line, a trunk port connected to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX), a group of ports to a PBX or multiline hunt group, and a line port connected to a subscriber loop carrier served by said terminating switch.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said terminating switch is a mobile switching center and said identity of a port is an identification for controlling paging of a wireless station.

24. In a telecommunication network, apparatus for establishing a telecommunications connection between a calling party, and a called party, comprising:

a first switch;

means for providing to a first switch, signals from a calling party specifying an access identifier of the called party;

means for providing the identifying information from said first switch to a database shared by a plurality of switches of said telecommunications network;

if the called party is served by said telecommunications network, means for receiving from the database the identity of a terminating switch, and of a port, or port group accessible by the terminating switch for accessing the called party; and

transmitting to the terminating switch, a signaling messages comprising the identity of said port or port group; and

in said first switch, means for attempting to complete the call using the information provided by said database;

wherein changes of assignment of telephone number or other access identifiers to Customer Premises Equipment require the updating of only a single database;

wherein the terminating switch does not supply a telephone number or other access identifier to port identification translation.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein if said called party is served by another carrier, further comprising means for receiving from said database an identity of a switch for accessing the carrier serving said called party, and a port group on said switch for accessing the carrier.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said database maintains a busy/idle status of ports on one or more switches for accessing said other carrier, and further comprising means for receiving from said database an identity of a selected access switch and a selected port on said access switch for accessing said another carrier;

wherein said database controls traffic to different ones of said access switches.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for receiving data from said database for associating a port serving a street address with an access identifier of a customer whose service is being activated at said address.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for receiving from said database switch and port information for routing a call to a specific port for accessing a customer accessed via a special access code.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for receiving from said database a record of the most recent location in which a mobile telecommunications station was registered, and for receiving an identification of a mobile switching center for routing calls to said mobile telecommunication station.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said signals specifying an access identifier comprise signals for specifying a handle different from a telephone number of a called party.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said handle is a character string.

32. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said database provides calling party originating class translation information.

33. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said database provides calling party billing information.

34. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said database provides called party terminating class translation.

35. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said database is a distributed database comprising a plurality of segments and data for a discrete subset of customers served by said database, and is stored in each segment of said database.

36. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said database is a distributed database.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said distributed database has entries for a discrete subset of customers of said telecommunications network in each segment of said distributed database, wherein each segment stores data for a different non-overlapping group of customers.

38. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the means for attempting to complete the call comprises:

means for transmitting the provided information from said database to the first switch; and

means for extending the call from said first switch toward the terminating switch, and providing in call set-up messages, an identity of the terminating switch and a port of the terminating switch used for accessing the called party.

39. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for attempting to complete the call further comprises:

means for sending a message from the database to the terminating switch, the message comprising an identity of a port or port group in the terminating switch for accessing the called party, and an identity of said first switch.

40. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the database maintains a busy/idle status of one or more ports for accessing the called party.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the means for attempting to complete the call will abort the attempt if the busy/idle status of the called party is “

busy”

.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprises:

means in said terminating switch for attempting to initiate establishment of a connection toward the first switch from said port for accessing said called party.

43. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the means for attempting to complete the call comprises:

means for transmitting the provided information to the first switch; and

means for transmitting a message to the terminating switch, the message comprising an identity of the port in the terminating switch for accessing the called party, and an identity of said first switch.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising:

means in said terminating switch for attempting to initiate establishment of a connection toward the first switch from said port for accessing said called party.

45. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said port or port group comprises any of a line port connected to a customer line, a trunk port connected to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX), a group of ports to a PBX or multiline hunt group, and a line port connected to a subscriber loop carrier served by said terminating switch.

46. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said terminating switch is a mobile switching center and said identity of a port is an identification for controlling paging of a wireless station.