System and method for providing calling name services with local number portability

• US 6,714,639 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilmartin, Neil, Bedingfield, J. Carl, Heiker, Charles L., Grier, George H., Scott, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/610,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.1, 379/221.11, 379/229, 379/230, 379/219, 379/221.12, 379/221.13, 379/142.01, 379/142.1
• US Class Current: 379/221.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42297 with number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0091 Congestion or overload control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

LNP databases are made locally accessible to one or more CNAM SCP to avoid network traffic associated with LNP routing determinations required with the advent of providers local number portability. All CNAM service queries are routed to the one or more CNAM SCPs for processing. Service routing is determined from the local accessible LNP databases without additional network traffic associated with such routing determinations in conventional systems. Four classes of service provider are defined. Queries for telephone services are routed in accordance with the class of service provider.

Claims

1. A system for reducing traffic in a telephone network while providing caller name identification (CNAM) service, comprising:

a signaling transfer point (STP) to receive a CNAM query from a switch on which a called party is homed, wherein the CNAM query contains a calling party telephone number;

a CNAM SCP to receive the CNAM query from the STP and to return CNAM information to the switch;

a CNAM SCP coupled to the CNAM SCP; and

a duplicate local number portability signal control point (LNP SCP) database accessible to the CNAM SCP, the CNAM SCP database containing a plurality of CNAM records, wherein each CNAM record, comprises;

a telephone number; and

a directory name corresponding to the telephone number, and

wherein the duplicate LNP SCP database contains a plurality of global translation title (GTT) records, each GTT record, comprising;

a telephone number; and

a service routing corresponding to a network element that provides the CNAM service.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the STP causes every CNAM query to be routed to the CNAM SCP owned by a first telephone company for processing, and wherein the CNAM information includes the calling party telephone number and a directory name corresponding to the calling party telephone number.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the CNAM SCP causes the CNAM query to be routed to another telephone company for processing, and wherein the CNAM information includes the calling party telephone number and a directory name corresponding to the calling party telephone number.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the CNAM information includes city and state information.

5. A method for providing caller name identification (CNAM) service comprising the steps of:

receiving a CNAM query from a switch on which a called party is homed through an STP, wherein the CNAM query contains a calling party telephone number;

creating a duplicate LNP database containing a plurality of LNP routing records;

routing the query directly to a CNAM LNP SCP, which is coupled to the duplicate LNP database and a CNAM database;

accessing the LNP database obtaining routing information for processing the CNAM query; and

routing the CNAM query in accordance with the obtained routing information for processing to obtain CNAM information in response to the CNAM query.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the CNAM information comprises the calling party telephone number and a directory name corresponding to the calling party number.

7. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the CNAM information comprises city and state information on the caller ID display device.

8. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising the step of determining whether the CNAM query is to be processed by another telephone company, and if not, accessing a CNAM database using the calling party name as an index to obtain a directory name corresponding to the calling party telephone number.

9. A system for reducing network traffic in a telephone network providing caller name identification (CNAM) service comprising:

a signaling transfer point (STP) to receive a CNAM query from a switch on which a called party is homed, wherein the CNAM query contains a calling party telephone number;

a CNAM service control point (CNAM SCP) to receive the CNAM query from the STP and return CNAM information to the switch; and

a CNAM LNP database accessible to the CNAM SCP that contains a plurality of LNP routing records that duplicate an existing LNP database, each LNP routing record, comprising;

a telephone number; and

a service routing corresponding to a network element that provides the CNAM service.

10. The system recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a CNAM database coupled to the CNAM SCP that contains a plurality of CNAM records, each CNAM record, comprising;

a telephone number; and

a directory name corresponding to the telephone number,

wherein the CNAM information comprises the calling party telephone number and a directory name corresponding to the calling party telephone number.

11. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the CNAM SCP causes the CNAM query to be routed to another telephone company for processing, and wherein the CNAM information comprises the calling party telephone number and a directory name corresponding to the calling party telephone number.

12. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the CNAM information includes city and state information.

13. The system recited in claim 9, further comprising a CNAM caller ID display device on which the CNAM information is displayed.

14. A method for providing caller name identification (CNAM) service comprising the steps of:

receiving a CNAM query from a switch on which a called party is homed, wherein the CNAM query contains a calling party telephone number;

accessing a duplicate CNAM LNP database coupled to a CNAM SCP, containing a plurality of LNP routing records, obtaining routing information for processing the CNAM query; and

routing the CNAM query in accordance with the obtained routing information.

15. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of displaying the calling party telephone number and a directory name corresponding to the calling party number on a caller ID display device.

16. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of displaying city and state information on a caller ID display device.

17. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of determining whether the CNAM query is to be processed by another telephone company, and if not, accessing the CNAM database using the calling party name as an index to obtain a directory name corresponding to the calling party telephone number.

18. A system for providing a telephone service, comprising:

a signaling transfer point for receiving a service request requesting the telephone service to be provided from a switch on which a called party is homed;

a service SCP for receiving the service request from the signaling transfer point;

a duplicate LNP database coupled to the service SCP for providing routing information based on identification information in the service request; and

means for routing the service request to a network element that provides the telephone service in accordance with the routing information.

19. The system recited in claim 18, wherein the SCP sends the query across a telephone network to another telephone company for processing.

20. The system recited in claim 18, wherein the telephone service is a calling name identification service, and wherein the service SCP is an CNAM SCP and the duplicate LNP database contains a plurality of global translation table records, further comprising a CNAM database containing at least one record having a telephone number and a directory name corresponding to the telephone number.

21. The system recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a first switch through which a calling party places a telephone call to a called party; and

a second switch on which the called party'"'"'s telephone number is homed that receives the telephone call and initiates the service request to the signaling transfer point for processing.

22. A method for providing CNAM service, comprising the steps of:

receiving a CNAM service request from a switch on which a called party is homed;

obtaining routing information to route the CNAM service request to a network element responsible for providing the CNAM service from a duplicate LNP database coupled to a CNAM SCP;

routing the CNAM service request to the network element to obtain CNAM information; and

sending the CNAM information to a caller ID display device to be displayed.

23. The method recited in claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining an LNP routing record corresponding to a telephone number carried in the CNAM service request; and

using the telephone number in the CNAM service request as an index into the duplicate LNP database to obtain the routing information.

24. The method recited in claim 22, wherein the CNAM information includes city and state information.

25. The method recited in claim 22, wherein the CNAM information includes calling party directory name and telephone number.

26. The method recited in claim 22, wherein said obtaining step, comprises the steps of:

determining a case of CNAM service to apply;

for CNAM service of a first or second case;

performing a database query of a CNAM database to obtain directory name information corresponding to a telephone number in the CNAM service request;

for CNAM service of a third case;

routing the CNAM service request to an appropriate network element for processing; and

returning city and state information in response to the CNAM service request if the CNAM service is not of the first, second or third case.