Wireless mobile call location and delivery for non-geographic numbers

• US 7,353,022 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GTE Wireless Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GTE Wireless Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Howe, Walter Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly; Nghi H.
• Application Number:
  US11/141,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20050221863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/207, 455/220, 379/220, 379/207, 379/93.23, 379/207.15, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/432.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A system and method is provided for establishing a call to a wireless directory number (982) which is either a non-geographic directory number or a non-dialable directory number. A call is initiated from a wireline telephone (155) to a geographic-based local access directory number (994, 996). An originating switching node (810) recognizes the local access directory number (994, 996) as an AIN trigger, and thereafter identifies a signaling node (820) that is associated with the dialed local access DN (994, 996). The signaling node (820) sends a location request that includes the local access DN (994, 996) to an HLR (130). The HLR (130) obtains the wireless DN (982) from an internal database (990) in which the wireless DN (982) is associated with the local access DN (994, 996). The HLR (130) utilizes the wireless DN (982) to receive a temporary local directory number (TLDN) from visitor location register (140). The HLR (130) associates the TLDN with the local access DN (994, 996) and subsequently forwards the TLDN to the signaling node (820), which in turn relays the TLDN to the originating switching node (810). The call connection is thereafter established directly from the originating switching node in the end office to a visited cellular switch using the TLDN.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first number at an originating switching node from a caller attempting to establish a connection with a wireless device, the first number compliant with the North American Numbering Plan (NANP);

identifying a signaling node associated with said first number;

obtaining a second number from the caller attempting to establish the connection with the wireless device, the second number being associated with the wireless device, the second number not compliant with the NANP;

sending the second number, via the signaling node associated with said first number, to a home node associated with the wireless device;

receiving from the home node a route to the wireless device, the route including a visiting switching node serving the wireless device; and

establishing the connection to said wireless device via said route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said originating switching node includes an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)-capable Service Switching Point (SSP), the signaling node comprises an AIN-capable Service Control Point (SCP), and the home node comprises a home location register (HLR).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the signaling node includes invoking a trigger at said originating switching node indexed as a function of said first number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the route is a temporary number, different than the first number and the second number, and associated with the visiting switching node and the wireless device.

5. A processor-readable memory medium storing instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the method of claim 1 when executed by the processor.

6. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions readable by the processor;

wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the home node the second number;

determining the route based on the second number; and

sending the route to the signaling node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the route includes accessing a database at the home node to obtain the route.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the route includes requesting the route from a visiting node with which said wireless device was last registered, and receiving a temporary number from the visiting node, the temporary number associated with the visiting switching node and the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the route excludes a home switching node associated with the wireless device.