Method for the routing of communications to a voice over internet protocol terminal in a mobile communication system

• US 7,400,881 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kallio, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour; Naghmeh
• Application Number:
  US11/105,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20060142011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/435.1, 455/338, 455/403, 455/434, 455/416, 455/432.1, 455/406, 455/422, 455/453
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The invention relates to a method a method for routing calls and messages in a communication system. In the method a mobile station registers to a call control node using a logical name. The logical name is mapped in a directory to an international mobile subscriber identity. The call control node performs a location update to a home location register using the international mobile subscriber identity. The mobile station is reached using a called party number. As a terminating call or message is received to a core network, a roaming number is allocated for the mobile station, and the call or message is routed to the call control entity currently serving the mobile station. The call control node translates the called party number to the logical name using the directory.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first call control node, a registration message from a mobile station, said registration message comprising a logical name referring to said mobile station;

sending a request to map said logical name to an International Mobile Subscriber Identity referring to said mobile station in a directory;

sending a request to update a location of said mobile station to a home location register said request of said first call control node comprising said International Mobile Subscriber Identity;

receiving a request to allocate a roaming number from said home location register based on an inquiry message from a second call control node, said inquiry message comprising at least a called party number;

forwarding an inquiry response message to said home location register for further transmission to said second call control node comprising at least said roaming number;

receiving a call set-up request message comprising at least the called party number from said second call control node in said first call control node; and

mapping said called party number to said logical name referring to said mobile station in said directory at a second request of said first call control node, thereby

routing calls in a communication system comprising at least one mobile station, the first call control node, the second call control node, the directory and the home location register.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining in said first call control node whether said calling party number obtained from said second call control node comprises a prefix indicating that said calling party number may be translated to a second logical name; and

mapping said calling party number to the second logical name referring to a calling party in said directory at a third request of said first call control node.

3. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining an availability of a Wireless Local Area Network at said mobile station;

establishing a connection from said mobile station to an access router connected to said wireless local area network; and

obtaining an identity of said first call control node via said access router.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communication system comprises a Wireless Local Area Network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system comprises at least one of a Global System of Mobile Communications network and a Universal Mobile Telephone System network.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said first and said second call control nodes are Mobile Service Switching center Servers.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile station comprises a Session Initiation Protocol user agent.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said registration message is a Session Initiation Protocol registration message.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said call set-up request message is an Integrated Services Digital Network User Part call set-up request message.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said directory is a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol directory.

11. A system, comprising:

a mobility entity in a first call control node configured to receive a registration message from a mobile station, said registration message comprising a logical name referring to said mobile station, to request a mapping of said logical name to an International Mobile Subscriber Identity referring to said mobile station from a directory, and to request updating of a location of said mobile station from a home location register by specifying said International Mobile Subscriber Identity;

a call control entity in a second call control node configured to receive a call set-up request message, said call set-up request message comprising at least a called party number, to send an inquiry message from said second call control node to said home location register, said inquiry message comprising at least said called party number, to receive an inquiry response message from said home location register comprising at least a roaming number, and to send a call set-up request message to said first call control node; and

a call control entity in said first call control node configured to request a mapping of said called party number to said logical name referring to said mobile station from said directory, wherein

the system comprises at least one mobile station, the first call control node, the second call control node, the directory and the home location register.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the call control entity in said first call control node is configured to determine whether a calling party number comprises a prefix indicating that said calling party number may be translated to a second logical name, and to request the mapping of said calling party number to the second logical name referring to a calling party from said directory.

13. The system according to claim 11, the system further comprising:

a communication entity in said mobile station configured to determine the availability of a Wireless Local Area Network, to establish a connection from said mobile station to an access router connected to said wireless local area network, and to obtain an identity of said first call control node via access router.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said system comprises a Wireless Local Area Network.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said system comprises at least one of a Global System of Mobile Communications network and a Universal Mobile Telephone System network.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said first call control node and said second call control node are Mobile Service Switching center Servers.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said mobile station comprises a Session Initiation Protocol user agent.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said registration message is a Session Initiation Protocol registration message.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said call set-up request message is an ISDN User Part call set-up request message.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said directory is a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol directory.

21. A call control node comprising:

a mobility entity configured to receive a registration message from a mobile station, said registration message comprising a logical name referring to said mobile station, to request a mapping of said logical name to an International Mobile Subscriber Identity referring to said mobile station from a directory, and to request updating of a location of said mobile station from a home location register by specifying said International Mobile Subscriber Identity; and

a call control entity configured to receive a call set-up request message, said call set-up request message comprising at least a called party number, to send an inquiry message to said home location register, said inquiry message comprising at least said called party number, to receive an inquiry response message from said home location register comprising at least a roaming number, to send a call set-up request message to a second call control node, and to request a mapping of said called party number to said logical name referring to said mobile station from said directory.

22. A computer program embodied within a computer readable medium, the computer program being configured to perform:

receiving, at a first call control node, a registration message from a mobile station, said registration message comprising a logical name referring to said mobile station;

requesting a mapping of said logical name to an International Mobile Subscriber Identity referring to said mobile station from a directory;

requesting an update of a location of said mobile station from a home location register, said request comprising said International Mobile Subscriber Identity;

receiving an inquiry response message from said home location register comprising at least a roaming number, said inquiry response message being based on an inquiry message from a second call control node, said inquiry message comprising at least a called party number;

forwarding an inquiry response message to the home location register for further transmission to the second call control node, the inquiry response message comprising at least the roaming number;

receiving the call set-up request message from another call control node; and

requesting a mapping of said called party number to said logical name referring to said mobile station from said directory.

23. The computer program according to claim 22, wherein said computer readable medium is a removable memory card.

24. The computer program according to claim 22, wherein said computer readable medium is a magnetic or an optical disk.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving, at a first call control node a registration message from a mobile station, said registration message comprising a logical name referring to said mobile station;

sending means for sending a request to map said logical name to an International Mobile Subscriber Identity referring to said mobile station in a directory;

sending means for sending a request to update a location of said mobile station to a home location register, said update request of said first call control node comprising said International Mobile Subscriber Identity;

receiving means for receiving a request to allocate a roaming number from said home location register, said allocating request being based on an inquiry message from a second call control node, said inquiry message comprising at least a called party number;

forwarding means for forwarding an inquiry response message to said home location register for further transmission to said second call control node, said inquiry response message comprising at least said roaming number;

receiving means for receiving a call set-up request message comprising at least the called party number from said second call control node to said first call control node; and

mapping means for mapping said called party number to said logical name referring to said mobile station in said directory at a second request of said first call control node.

26. A call control node, comprising:

a mobility entity configured to receive a registration message from a mobile station, said registration message comprising a logical name referring to said mobile station, to request a mapping of said logical name to an International Mobile Subscriber Identity referring to said mobile station in a directory, and to request updating of a location of said mobile station to a home location register by specifying said International Mobile Subscriber Identity; and

a call control entity configured to receive a request to allocate a roaming number from said home location register based on an inquiry message from a second call control node, said inquiry message comprising at least a called party number, to forward an inquiry response message to said home location register for further transmission to said second call control node comprising at least said roaming number, to receive a call set-up request message comprising at least the called party number from said second call control node and to map said called party number to said logical name referring to said mobile station in said directory at a second request of said call control node.