Wireless mobile call location and delivery for non-geographic numbers using a wireline SSP+SCP/wireless HLR interface

• US 7,996,006 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• 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:
  US11/931,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20080057965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/435.1, 455/439, 455/432, 455/1, 379/220, 379/207
• 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, by a signaling module or an input terminal of a home node, a request from a signaling node, the signaling node having been identified based upon a first number associated with a wireless device, where receiving the request comprises receiving a second number associated with the wireless device;

requesting, by the signaling module or an output terminal of the home node, and in response to the received request, a route to the wireless device from a visiting node with which the wireless device was last registered;

receiving, by the signaling module or the input terminal of the home node, a temporary number from the visiting node, where the temporary number is associated with a visited wireless switch serving the wireless device; and

sending, by the signaling module or the output terminal of the home node, the temporary number to the signaling node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the first number at an originating switching node;

sending a routing request to the signaling node, the routing request including the first number;

receiving the temporary number from the home node; and

establishing a communication between the originating switching node and the wireless device via the visited wireless switch using the temporary number.

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

4. The method of claim 2 where sending the routing request includes invoking a trigger at the originating switching node indexed as a function of the first number.

5. The method of claim 1, where requesting the route includes accessing a database at the home node to identify the visiting node with which the wireless device was last registered.

6. The method of claim 1, where the temporary number allows the wireless device to be contacted without contacting a home switching node associated with the wireless device.

7. A system comprising:

a home node to;

receive a request from a signaling node, the signaling node having been identified by a first number associated with a wireless device, where receiving the request comprises receiving a second number associated with the wireless device;

request a route to the wireless device from a visiting node with which the wireless device was last registered;

receive, from the visiting node, a temporary number associated with a visited wireless switch serving the wireless device; and

send the temporary number to the signaling node.

8. The system of claim 7, where when requesting the route, the home node is further to access a database to identify the visiting node with which the wireless device was last registered.

9. The system of claim 7, where the temporary number allows the wireless device to be contacted without contacting a home switching node associated with the wireless device.

10. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a request that includes a first number associated with a wireless device from a signaling node, the signaling node having been identified by a second number associated with the wireless device;

request a route to the wireless device from a visiting node with which the wireless device was last registered;

receive, from the visiting node, a temporary number associated with a visited wireless switch serving the wireless device; and

send the temporary number to the signaling node.

11. The device of claim 10, where the memory further contains instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

when requesting the route, access a database to identify the visiting node with which the wireless device was last registered.

12. The device of claim 10, where the temporary number allows the wireless device to be contacted without contacting a home switching node associated with the wireless device.