System for providing subscriber features within a telecommunications network

• US 7,039,431 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonktiebolaget L.M. Ericsson
• Inventors: Mukherjee, Subrata
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres, Marcos L.
• Application Number:
  US09/971,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4143, 455/550.1, 455418-419, 455/461, 455/432.3, 455/445, 4554321-4322, 455/426.1, 455/403, 455/433, 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/464, 455/554.1, 455/560, 455/555
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A mobile subscriber registered with a private enterprise network and a public mobile network is provided with subscriber profile data triggering a serving switch associated with the public mobile network to forward an outgoing call connection request by that mobile subscriber over to the private enterprise network. Subscriber features and services available within the private enterprise network can then be utilized by the mobile subscriber currently roaming within the public mobile network while making outgoing call connections. Such subscriber profile data may be downloaded into the serving switch from a centralized database during its initial registration process.

Claims

1. A method for providing a mobile communication service to a mobile station wherein said mobile station has subscription with a first telecommunications network and a second communications network and said mobile station has subscription to access one or more subscriber features associated with said second telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for call control instruction within said second telecommunications network from said first telecommunications network, wherein said first telecommunications network is currently providing radio access to said mobile station and said request for call control instruction is associated with a request for outgoing call connection from said mobile station towards a particular called party number;

instructing said first telecommunications network to forward said received request for outgoing call connection to said second telecommunications network wherein said step of instructing further includes a particular internal routing number associated with the second telecommunications network and to be used by said first telecommunication network in forwarding said outgoing call connection;

receiving said requested outgoing call connection from said first telecommunication network, said outgoing call connection including said particular internal routing number and said called party number;

processing said requested outgoing call connection towards said particular called party by stripping said internal routing number from said called party number and generating said original called party number, said original called party number being the called party number as requested by said particular mobile station and thereby establishing a call connection between said mobile station and said called party through said second telecommunication network; and

further providing said one or more subscriber features associated with said second telecommunications network to said mobile station traveling within geographic area covered by said first telecommunications network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the initial steps of:

storing a particular subscriber profile data within a centralized database associated with said mobile station within said first telecommunications network; and

downloading said stored subscriber profile data to a particular switch within said first telecommunications network, wherein said downloaded subscriber profile data instructs said switch to request call handling instruction from said second telecommunications network in response to receiving a request for outgoing call connection from said mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of storing comprises the step of storing said subscriber profile data within a home location register (HLR) serving said mobile station.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of downloading said stored subscriber profile data is performed when said mobile station roams into said first telecommunications network and performs a location update.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said subscriber profile data is stored as an Originating Intelligent Network Trigger (OICK).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of processing said requested outgoing call connection comprises the step of originating an initial address message (IAM) signal towards said called number within said second telecommunications network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first telecommunications network comprises a private radio communication network and said second telecommunications network comprises a public land mobile network (PLMN).

8. A private telecommunications system serving a plurality of mobile stations and connected to a public telecommunications system wherein said plurality of mobile stations are further capable of communicating with said public telecommunications system, comprising:

a gateway module for receiving an incoming call connection from said public telecommunications system wherein said incoming call connection is requested by one of said plurality of mobile stations traveling within said public telecommunications system and further comprises a called party number;

an access module associated with said gateway module for determining whether said called party number comprises a particular internal routing number wherein said internal routing number was previously provided by said gateway module to said public telecommunications system in response to receiving a call connection control request associated with said mobile station;

said access module, in response to an affirmative determination, stripping said internal routing number from said received called party number and generating an original called party number, said original called party number being the called party number as requested by a particular mobile station; and

call connection module for processing a call connection using said original called party number as the destination address wherein said call connection module is associated with a plurality of subscriber features to be accessed by said mobile station requesting an outgoing call connection and providing associated subscriber features and functions over said call connection.

9. The private telecommunications system of claim 8 wherein said original called party number represents a called party outside of said private telecommunications system and said call connection module originating an outgoing call connection using said original called party number as the destination address.

10. The private telecommunications system of claim 9 wherein said access module provides a routing number in response to a request for call handling from said public telecommunications system, wherein said routing number further comprises said internal routing number appended to said original called party number.

11. The private telecommunications system of claim 8 wherein said call connection module comprises a Gatekeeper within a private radio network system.

12. The private telecommunications system of claim 8 wherein said public telecommunications system further comprises:

a call handling switch for receiving a request to originate an outgoing call connection from said one of said plurality of mobile stations; and

a subscriber profile record containing data indicating that said call handling switch needs to request call handling instruction from said gateway module within said private telecommunications system.

13. A method for providing outgoing call connection and telecommunications services to a mobile station, wherein said mobile station is communicable with a first telecommunications network and a second telecommunications network and wherein said second telecommunications network is associated with a plurality of subscriber services, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to establish an outgoing call connection from said mobile station by a call handling device within first telecommunications network, said request comprising a particular called party number;

determining that a request for call handling instructions need to be provided to said second telecommunications network;

requesting said call handling instruction from said call handling device to said second telecommunications network in response to said determination;

instructing said call handling device to forward said outgoing call connection request to said second telecommunications network wherein said step of instructing further includes a particular internal routing number associated with the second telecommunications network and to be used by said first telecommunication network in forward said outgoing call connection;

receiving said requested outgoing call connection from said first telecommunication network, said outgoing call connection including said particular internal routing number and said called party number;

processing said requested outgoing call connection towards said particular called party by stripping said internal routing number from said called party number and generating said original called party number, said original called party number being the called party number as requested by said particular mobile station;

establishing an outgoing call connection towards said original called party number from said second telecommunications network; and

allowing said mobile station to access one or more of said plurality of subscriber services associated with said second telecommunications network.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the initial steps of:

determining the presence of said mobile station within said first telecommunications network;

retrieving subscriber profile data from a central database associated with said mobile station; and

storing said retrieved subscriber profile data within said call handling device within said first telecommunications network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said subscriber profile data comprises originating intelligent network trigger (OICK) value.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of determining that said request for call handling instruction need to be provided to said second telecommunications network comprises the step of evaluating said subscriber profile data associated with said mobile station.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of instructing said call handling device to forward said outgoing call connection request comprises the step of providing the call handling device with a modified B-number from said second telecommunications network, wherein said modified B-number represents a particular device within said second telecommunications network as the calling party.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of establishing said outgoing call connection towards said particular called party number comprises the step of transmitting an initial Address Message (IAM) signal from said second telecommunications network.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said first telecommunications network is a public land mobile network (PLMN) and said second telecommunications network is a private radio network.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of instructing said call handling device to forward said outgoing call connection is performed within a gateway node within said second telecommunications network.