Mobility management

• US 7,245,912 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2000
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Clapton, Alan J, Lyle, John A, Fenton, Christopher J
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Creighton
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHEE, MD S
• Application Number:
  US09/936,178
• Time in Patent Office: 2,688 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/433, 455/445, 455/428, 455/435, 455/432, 455/436, 455/439, 455/417, 455/419, 455/432.3
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres

Abstract

A user is registered to use telecommunications services provided by a home service provider in a wired home network. When the user travels, the user may be provided with telecommunications services by another service provider operating in a wired visited fixed network. The user “attaches” himself/herself to the visited fixed network which includes nominating a telephone to which calls made to a user'"'"'s personal number may be forwarded. The user is also assigned a prefix number which enables him/her to make calls from any phone in the visited fixed network.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user of a home network with use of a visited fixed network, the method comprising:

registering the user with the visited fixed network, including supplying a visitor node which is located in the visited fixed network with the identity of a user-selected fixed termination and with a first identification number, the first identification number identifying the user and a home node which is located in the home network;

registering the visitor node as a proxy with the home node so as to allow routing by the home node of a call intended for the user to the user-selected fixed termination; and

supplying the user with a second identification number for enabling the user to use the visited fixed network and for enabling the visitor node to record the user of the visited fixed network by the user;

wherein in order to enable the user to use the visited fixed network the user dials the second identification number and a destination terminal number for making a call to the destination terminal.

2. A method to claim 1 wherein the visitor node comprises a visitor switching device and a visitor location database.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the user-selected fixed termination is assigned a temporary routing number.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a further user of the home network with use of the visited fixed network, wherein a call intended for the further user is routed to the user-selected fixed termination.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the visited fixed network is a public switched telephone network and the identity of the user-selected fixed termination comprises providing the telephone number of a terminal attached to the public switched telephone network.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the recorded use of the visited fixed network is supplied to the home node for the purposes of billing.

7. A method of claim 1 wherein the user registers with the visited fixed network without a need for any terminal equipment to be brought by the user to a region in which the visited fixed network operates.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the home fixed network and the visited fixed network are public switched telephone networks.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the home network is a home fixed telephone network and the visited fixed network is a visited fixed telephone network.

10. An apparatus for providing a user of a home network with use of a visited fixed network, the apparatus comprising:

the visited fixed network and a home network, a user-selected fixed termination connected to the visited fixed network;

means for registering the user with the visited fixed network;

a visitor node located in the visited fixed network;

means for supplying the visitor node with the identity of the user-selected fixed termination and a first identification number for identifying the user;

a home node located in the home network;

means for registering the visitor node as a proxy with the home node so as to allow routing by the home node of a call intended for the user to the user-selected fixed termination;

means for supplying the user with a second identification number for enabling the user to use the visited fixed network, and means for enabling the visitor node to record the use of the visited fixed network by the user; and

means to enable a user to use the visited fixed network;

comprising means for receiving dialed data indicative of the second identification number and the destination terminal number.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the visitor node comprises a visitor switching means and a visitor location database.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the visited fixed network is a public switched telephone network and the means for supplying the visitor node with the identity of a user-selected fixed termination provides the telephone number of a terminal attached to the public switched telephone network.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for assigning the user-selected fixed termination is assigned a temporary routing number.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for providing a further user of the home fixed network with use of the visited fixed network, and means for allowing calls intended for the further user is routed to the user-selected fixed termination.

15. An apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for transmitting recorded use of the visited fixed network to the home node from the visited node for the purposes of billing.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the means for registering the user with the visited fixed network enables the user to register with the visited fixed network without a need for any terminal equipment to be brought by the user to a region in which the visited fixed network operates.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the home fixed network and the visited fixed network are public switched telephone networks.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the home network is a home fixed telephone network and the visited fixed network is a visited fixed telephone network.