Calling name information caching

• US 6,823,048 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gillespie, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/813,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20020137497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/415, 379/88-9-, 379/207.14, 379/207.15, 379/207.02, 379/201.01, 379/142.01, 379/142.06
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• 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

Abstract

Calling name presentation services are provided by maintaining a local cache of requested information. When a called destination is determined to subscribe to calling name presentation, the local cache is queried to determine if the calling number is in the local cache. If the calling number is in the local cache, information corresponding to the calling number is retrieved from the local cache. If the calling number is not in the local cache, a remote database is queried for the information. The information retrieved from the remote database is stored in the local cache. In either case, the name information is sent to the call destination. A Signaling System 7 architecture may be used to implement local caching.

Claims

1. A system for providing name information of a calling telecommunications device to a wireless called telecommunications device subscribing to a calling name presentation service, the system comprising:

at least one line information database, each line information database associating each of a plurality of calling numbers with name information;

a local cache containing a plurality of entries, each entry associating a calling number with name information;

a signal transfer point in communication with the at least one line information database, the signal transfer point operative to determine which of the at least one line information database contains name information associated with the calling telecommunications device and to obtain the associated name information from the determined line information database;

a mobile switching center in communication with the called telecommunications device and the calling communications device, the mobile switching center servicing the wireless called telecommunications device; and

a home location register in communication with the mobile switching center, the local cache and the signal transfer point, the home location register operative to

(a) query the local cache to determine if the calling telecommunications device calling number is in the local cache,

(b) if the calling number is in the local cache, retrieve calling name information corresponding to the calling number from the local cache,

(c) if the calling number is not in the local cache, obtain name information associated with the calling telecommunications device from the signal transfer point, and

(d) send the name information to the mobile switching center,

(e) determine that name information stored in the local cache is stale, and delete the stale name information from the local cache.

2. A system for providing name information of a calling telecommunications device to a called telecommunications device subscribing to a calling name presentation service, the system comprising:

at least one line information database, each line information database associating each of a plurality of calling numbers with name information;

a local cache containing a plurality of entries, each entry associating a calling number with name information;

a signal transfer point in communication with the at least one line information database, the signal transfer point operative to determine which of the at least one line information database contains name information associated with the calling telecommunications device and to obtain the associated name information from the determined line information database; and

a switching point in communication with the called telecommunications device, the calling communications device, the local cache and the signal transfer point, the switching point operative to

(a) query the local cache to determine if the calling telecommunications device calling number is in the local cache,

(b) if the calling number is in the local cache, retrieve calling name information corresponding to the calling number from the local cache,

(c) if the calling number is not in the local cache, obtain name information associated with the calling telecommunications device from the signal transfer point, and

(d) send the name information to the called telecommunications device,

(e) implement a replacement policy for determining one or more entries to remove from the local cache when the local cache is full.

3. A system for providing name information as in claim 2 wherein the switching point is a signal switching point.

4. A system for providing name information as in claim 2 wherein the switching point is a mobile switching center.

5. A system for providing name information as in claim 2 wherein the local cache is associated with the switching point.

6. A system for providing name information as in claim 2 wherein the local cache is associated with the signal transfer point.

7. A system for providing name information as in claim 2 further comprising a service control point, wherein the local cache is associated with the service control point.

8. A system for providing name information as in claim 2 further comprising a home location register servicing wireless subscribers, wherein the local cache is associated with the home location register.

9. A method for providing calling name information in a telecommunications network comprising:

determining that a called destination, generated from a telecommunications device having a calling number, subscribes to calling name presentation;

querying a local cache to determine if the calling number is in the local cache;

if the calling number is in the local cache, retrieving calling name information corresponding to the calling number from the local cache;

if the calling number is not in the local cache, querying a remote database for calling name information and storing the calling name information received from the remote database associated with the calling number in the local cache;

sending the name information to the called destination;

determining the local cache is full; and

implementing a deletion policy for deleting one or more entries from the local cache when the local cache is full.

10. A method for providing calling name information in a telecommunications network comprising:

determining that a called destination, generated from a telecommunications device having a calling number, subscribes to calling name presentation;

querying a local cache to determine if the calling number is in the local cache;

if the calling number is in the local cache, retrieving calling name information corresponding to the calling number from the local cache;

if the calling number is not in the local cache, querying a remote database for calling name information and storing the calling name information received from the remote database associated with the calling number in the local cache;

sending the name information to the called destination;

determining that name information stored in the local cache is stale; and

deleting the stale name information from the local cache.

11. A method for providing calling name information as in claim 10 further comprising incrementing a reference count associated with the calling number when the calling number is determined to be in the local cache.

12. A method for providing calling name information as in claim 10, comprising recording in the local cache a retrieval time that name information is stored in the local cache.

13. A method for providing calling name information as in claim 10 further comprising determining that name information stored in the local cache is stale if the local cache is full.

14. A method for providing calling name information as in claim 10 further comprising determining which of a plurality of remote databases has name information associated with the calling number before querying the determined remote database for calling name information.

15. A system for providing name information of a calling telecommunications device to a called telecommunications device subscribing to a calling name presentation service, the system comprising:

at least one remote database, each remote database associating each of a plurality of calling numbers with name information; and

a telecommunications network in communication with the calling telecommunications device, the called telecommunications device, and the at least one remote database, the telecommunications network comprising a local cache operative to associate calling numbers with name information, the telecommunications network operative to

(a) query the local cache to determine if the calling telecommunications device calling number is in the local cache,

(b) if the calling number is in the local cache, retrieve calling name information corresponding to the calling number from the local cache,

(c) if the calling number is not in the local cache, determine which of the at least one remote database contains name information associated with the calling telecommunications device,

(d) query the determined remote database for calling name information and store the corresponding calling name information received from the remote database in the local cache, and

(e) send the name information to the called telecommunications device,

(f) determine that name information stored in the local cache is stale, and delete the stale name information from the local cache.

16. A system for providing name information as in claim 15 wherein the telecommunications network is further operative to increment a reference count associated with the calling number when the calling number is determined to be in the local cache.

17. A system for providing name information as in claim 15 wherein the telecommunications network is further operative to record in the local cache a retrieval time that name information is stored in the local cache.

18. A system for providing name information as in claim 15 wherein the telecommunications network is further operative to record the time name information is retrieved from the local cache in the local cache.

19. A system for providing name information as in claim 15 wherein the telecommunications network is further operative to determine that name information stored in the local cache is stale if the local cache is full.