Systems, methods, and computer readable media for diameter routing with number portability correction

• US 8,391,833 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Agarwal, Devesh
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/205,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20120034900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-409, 455/445, 379/114.27, 379/115.01, 379/115.03, 370/401, 370352-356
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1425 involving dedicated fields in the data packet for billing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for DIAMETER routing with portability correction are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing number portability correction for DIAMETER signaling involving a subscriber of a communications network. The method includes receiving a DIAMETER signaling message directed to an Online Charging System (OCS) and accessing a number portability database using the called party identifier in the signaling message, to identify if the called party has a ported number. The method further includes, in response to determining the called party has a ported number, modifying the signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database, and routing the modified message to the OCS.

Claims

1. A method for providing number portability correction for DIAMETER signaling involving a subscriber of a communications network, the method comprising:

at a DIAMETER routing agent;

receiving a DIAMETER signaling message from a network node providing a network service to the subscriber and directed to an Online Charging System (OCS), wherein the DIAMETER signaling message includes a called party identifier;

accessing a number portability database to determine whether the called party identifier has been ported;

in response to determining that the called party identifier has been ported, modifying the DIAMETER signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database, wherein modifying the DIAMETER signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database includes translating a routing number obtained in the access to the number portability database into a destination realm identifier and inserting the destination realm identifier in the DIAMETER signaling message; and

routing the modified DIAMETER signaling message to the OCS.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a DIAMETER signaling message includes receiving a DIAMETER credit control request (CCR) message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the DIAMETER routing agent comprises at least one of a DIAMETER signaling router, a DIAMETER redirect agent, a DIAMETER proxy agent, and a DIAMETER translation agent.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the number portability database is located on the same computing platform as the DIAMETER routing agent.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the number portability database is located on a computing platform that is separate from a computing platform on which the DIAMETER routing agent is located.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the DIAMETER signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database includes inserting the routing number (RN) identifying a ported-to network in the DIAMETER signaling message.

7. A method for providing number portability correction to in-network communications involving a subscriber of a communications network, the method comprising:

at a DIAMETER routing agent;

receiving a DIAMETER signaling message from a network node providing a network service to the subscriber and directed to an Online Charging System (OCS), wherein the DIAMETER signaling message includes a called party identifier and a calling party identifier;

in response to receiving the DIAMETER signaling message, accessing a number portability database to determine whether the called party identifier has been ported;

determining whether the called party and the calling party are subscribers of the same communications network; and

in response to determining that the called party and the calling party are subscribers of the same communications network, responding to the network node to continue providing service to the subscriber.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving a DIAMETER signaling message includes receiving a DIAMETER credit control request (CCR) message.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the DIAMETER routing agent comprises at least one of a DIAMETER signaling router, a DIAMETER redirect agent, a DIAMETER proxy agent, and a DIAMETER translation agent.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the number portability database is located on the same computing platform as the DIAMETER routing agent.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the number portability database is located on a computing platform that is separate from a computing platform on which the DIAMETER routing agent is located.

12. A system for providing number portability correction to communications involving a subscriber of a communications network, the system comprising:

a DIAMETER routing agent comprising;

a DIAMETER routing module, configured for receiving a DIAMETER signaling message from a network node providing a network service to the subscriber and directed to an Online Charging System (OCS), wherein the DIAMETER signaling message includes a called party identifier and for routing DIAMETER signaling messages; and

a number portability correction module, configured for;

accessing a number portability database to determine whether the called party identifier has been ported; and

in response to determining that the called party identifier has been ported, modifying the DIAMETER signaling message to include information from or derived from the accessing of the number portability database, wherein modifying the DIAMETER signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database includes translating a routing number obtained in the access to the number portability database into a destination realm identifier and inserting the destination realm identifier in the DIAMETER signaling message.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the DIAMETER signaling message comprises a DIAMETER credit control request (CCR) message.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the DIAMETER routing agent comprises at least one of a DIAMETER signaling router, a DIAMETER redirect agent, a DIAMETER proxy agent, and a DIAMETER translation agent.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the number portability database is located on the same computing platform as the DIAMETER routing agent.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the number portability database is located on a computing platform that is separate from a computing platform on which the DIAMETER routing agent is located.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein modifying the DIAMETER signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database includes inserting the routing number (RN) identifying a ported-to network in the DIAMETER signaling message.

18. A system for providing number portability correction to communications involving a subscriber of a communications network, the system comprising:

a DIAMETER routing agent comprising;

a DIAMETER routing module configured for receiving a DIAMETER signaling message from a network node providing a network service to the subscriber and directed to an Online Charging System (OCS), wherein the DIAMETER signaling message includes a called party identifier and a calling party identifier and routing DIAMETER signaling messages; and

a number portability correction module, configured for;

in response to receiving the DIAMETER signaling message, accessing a number portability database to determine whether the called party identifier has been ported; and

a subscriber comparison module, configured for;

determining whether the called party and the calling party are subscribers of the same communications network; and

in response to determining that the called party and the calling party are subscribers of the same communications network, responding to the network node to continue providing service to the subscriber.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein receiving a DIAMETER signaling message includes receiving a DIAMETER credit control request (CCR) message.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the DIAMETER routing agent comprises at least one of a DIAMETER signaling router, a DIAMETER redirect agent, a DIAMETER proxy agent, and a DIAMETER translation agent.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the number portability database is located on the same computing platform as the DIAMETER routing agent.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the number portability database is located on a computing platform that is separate from a computing platform on which the DIAMETER routing agent is located.

23. A system for using DIAMETER messaging to trigger a number portability lookup, the system comprising:

a DIAMETER routing agent comprising;

a DIAMETER routing module configured to receive a DIAMETER request message and trigger a number portability lookup in response to receiving the DIAMETER signaling message; and

a number portability correction module configured to perform the number portability lookup in response to receiving the DIAMETER signaling message and to return number portability information, wherein the DIAMETER routing module formulates a DIAMETER answer message in response to the DIAMETER request message, includes the number portability information or information derived from the number portability information in the DIAMETER answer message, and forwards the DIAMETER answer message.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the DIAMETER request message comprises a credit control request message and wherein the DIAMETER answer message comprises a credit control answer message.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the number portability correction module is configured to insert the number portability information in the DIAMETER answer message.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the number portability correction module is configured to insert information derived from the number portability information in the DIAMETER answer message.

27. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

at a DIAMETER routing agent;

receiving a DIAMETER signaling message from a network node providing a network service to a subscriber and directed to an Online Charging System (OCS), wherein the DIAMETER signaling message includes a called party identifier;

accessing a number portability database to determine whether the called party identifier has been ported;

in response to determining that the called party identifier has been ported, modifying the DIAMETER signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database, wherein modifying the DIAMETER signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database includes translating a routing number obtained in the access to the number portability database into a destination realm identifier and inserting the destination realm identifier in the DIAMETER signaling message; and

routing the modified DIAMETER signaling message to the OCS.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

at a DIAMETER routing agent;

receiving a DIAMETER signaling message from a network node providing a network service to a subscriber and directed to an Online Charging System (OCS), wherein the DIAMETER signaling message includes a called party identifier and a calling party identifier;

in response to receiving the DIAMETER signaling message, accessing a number portability database to determine whether the called party identifier has been ported;

determining whether the called party and the calling party are subscribers of the same communications network; and

in response to determining that the called party and the calling party are subscribers of the same communications network, responding to the network node to continue providing service to the subscriber.