Routing call to UMA-capable terminals using a geographic number

• US 8,611,880 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Noldus, Rogier
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US12/668,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20100297989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/432.1, 455/426.1, 455/456.1, 455/436, 455/435.1, 455/67.11, 455/161.1, 455/166.1, 455/411, 455/410, 370/338, 370/328, 370/331, 370/332, 370/395.31, 370/407, 370/432, 370/492, 370/465, 370/437, 370/395.2, 370/356, 711/144, 711/119, 711/141, 711/148, 711/145, 709/215, 709/213, 709/216, 726/2, 726/8, 719/313
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of routing a call made to a fixed telephone number of a UMA-subscriber in a mobile telecommunications network comprising a first and a second switching node and a location server. Location information of said UMA-subscriber is acquired wherein said location information comprises a location area code or a combination of location area code and cell identifier associated with a serving BSC or a serving GANC. The call is connected to the UMA-subscriber when the location area code or combination of location area code and cell identifier is associated with one of a group of GANCs, or connected to an alternative destination, such as a voicemail service, if the location area code or combination of location area code and cell identifier is not associated with said one of a group of GANCs. The methods described in the present invention disclosure allow for very efficient offering of UMA in combination with geographic numbers.

Claims

1. A method of routing a call made to a fixed telephone number of a UMA-subscriber having at least one of a GSM/UMA subscription and a UMTS/UMA subscription, in a mobile telecommunications network comprising a first switching node and a service control entity, said method comprising:

associating a Location Area Code (LAC) or a combination of a LAC and cell identifier (CI) with each Generic Access Network Controller (GANC) of a group of GANCs;

receiving, by said service control entity, a trigger message sent by said first switching node, said trigger message including said fixed number of said UMA-subscriber;

upon receiving a trigger message, acquiring location information of said UMA-subscriber either by said service control entity or by said first switching node, said location information comprising at least one of a LAC, and a combination of LAC and cell identifier (LAC+CI) associated with a serving BSC or one of said GANCs serving said UMA-subscriber; and

sending a connect message from the service control entity to the first switching node to connect the call to said UMA-subscriber when said LAC or said combination LAC+CI is associated with one of said group of GANCs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile telecommunications network further comprises a location server, and said service control entity is connectable to said first switching node and to said location server, said method further comprising:

receiving said location information from said location server;

sending a connect message to said first switching node in order to connect the call to said UMA-subscriber when said LAC or said combination LAC+CI is associated with said one of said group of GANCs.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing a list comprising an MSISDN and a related fixed number for said UMA-subscriber;

finding a specific MSISDN associated with said fixed number using said list;

sends a query message to said location server, said query message comprising said specific MSISDN; and

receiving a response message from said location server, said response message comprising said location information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said location information from said first switching node in said trigger message when said location information is acquired by said first switching node; and

sending a connect message to said first switching node in order to connect the call to said UMA-subscriber when said LAC or said combination LAC+CI is associated with said one of said group of GANCs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile telecommunications network further comprises a location server, said method further comprising:

receiving an ISUP IAM message, said ISUP IAM message comprising a called party number comprising said fixed telephone number and a routing prefix;

sending a MAP SRI message from said first switching node to said location server;

receiving subscription information and location information at said first switching node from said location server; and

sending a trigger message to said service control entity, using said received subscription information, said trigger message comprising said location information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said telecommunications network further comprising a Signaling Relay Function, said method further comprising:

storing, by said Signaling Relay Function, a list comprising a said fixed number and an associated location server for said UMA-subscriber;

receiving a MAP SRI message at said Signaling Relay Function from said first switching node, said MAP SRI message comprising said fixed telephone number;

forwarding the MAP SRI message from Signaling Relay Function to said location server associated with said fixed telephone number using said list;

receiving a MAP SRI result message from said location server, said MAP SRI result message containing subscription information and location information of said subscriber; and

forwarding said subscription information and location information to said first switching node.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said service control entity:

runs an Intelligent Network (IN)-service;

receives location information of a UMA-subscriber in an Intelligent Network trigger message; and

uses the location information for its service logic processing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, if the subscriber is found to be under UMA access served by one of said group of GANCs, a home zone indicator is placed in a Call Detail Record, wherein said home zone indicator indicates to a billing system that the rate of the call must be adapted.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said IN-service is a prepaid service or a VPN service.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said service control entity is a Service Control Point and said first switching node is a Gateway MSC.

7. A method of routing a call made to a fixed telephone number of a UMA-subscriber having a GSM/UMA subscription or a UMTS/UMA subscription, in a mobile telecommunications network comprising a first switching node, a second switching node and a location server, said method comprising:

associating a Location Area Code (LAC) or a combination of a LAC and cell identifier (Cl) with each Generic Access Network Controller (GANC) of a group of GANCs;

receiving, at said location server, a MAP SRI message from said first switching node, said MAP-SRI message containing said fixed number of said UMA-subscriber;

sending responsive to said MAP-SRI message a MAP PRN message from said location server to said second switching node;

sending a UMA-specific LSA setting from said location server to said second switching node, said LSA setting indicating that the call to the UMA-subscriber is restricted to UMA access;

receiving a MAP PRN response message at said location server from said second switching entity responsive to said request message; and

sending a MAP-SRI response message to said first switching node to connect the call to said UMA-subscriber using a roaming number provided in said MAP PRN response message when said LAC or said combination LAC+CI is associated with one of said group of GANCs.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing location information indicating a current location of said UMA-subscriber in a location database;

receiving said MAP PRN message from said location server, said MAP PRN message including said UMA-specific LSA setting indicating that the call is restricted to UMA access; and

sending a Mobile Station Routing Number (MSRN) to said location server if said location information indicates that said UMA-subscriber is currently under UMA access and is served by one of said GANCs in said group of GANCs.

9. The method of claim 8, said method further comprising:

receiving at said location server a MAP Location Update (LU) message or a MAP Restore Data (RD) message from said second switching node; and

sending a MAP ISD message to said second switching node responsive to said MAP-LU message or said MAP-RD message, said MAP ISD message including said UMA-specific LSA subscription information.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said mobile telecommunications network further comprises a second switching node and a location server, said method further comprising:

receiving a MAP ISD message at said second switching node from said location server, said MAP ISD message including said UMA-specific LSA subscription information; and

sending a Mobile Station Routing Number (MSRN) to said location server if said location information indicates that said UMA-subscriber is currently under UMA access and is served by one of said GANCs in said group of GANCs.

15. The method of claim 7, said method further comprising

receiving at said location server a MAP-SRI message from said first switching node, said MAP-SRI message including said fixed number of said UMA-subscriber.

16. A service control entity for providing intelligent network services to users of a mobile telecommunications network, said mobile telecommunications network comprising a first switching node, a second switching node, a location server and a group of Generic Access Network Controllers, GANCs, each having its associated Location Area Code (LAC), said service control entity comprising:

a processing unit;

an input unit connected to the processing unit; and

an output unit connected to the processing unit;

wherein said service control entity being connectable to said first switching node and to said location server, and wherein said processing unit is arranged to;

associating a Location Area Code (LAC) or a combination of a LAC and cell identifier (CI) with each Generic Access Network Controller (GANC) of a group of GANCs;

receive a trigger message from said first switching node via said input unit, said trigger message including said fixed number of said UMA-subscriber;

receive location information of a UMA-subscriber via said input unit, said location information comprising at least one of a location area code (LAC) and a combination of location area code and cell identifier (LAC+CI) associated with a serving BSC or a serving GANC; and

send, via said output unit, a connect message to said first switching node in order to connect the call to said UMA-subscriber when said LAC or said combination LAC+CI is associated with said one of a group of GANCs.

20. The service control entity according to claim 16, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

store a list comprising an MSISDN and a related fixed number for said UMA-subscriber;

receive a trigger message from said switching node, said trigger message comprising said fixed number;

find a specific MSISDN associated with said fixed number using said list;

send a query message to said location server, said query message comprising said specific MSISDN; and

receive a response message from said location server, said response message comprising said location information.

21. The service control entity according to claim 16, wherein the processing unit is further configured to receive said location information from said first switching node is said trigger message.

17. A switching node for use in a mobile telecommunications network, said mobile telecommunications network further comprising a service control entity, a location server, and a group of Generic Access Network Controllers (GANCs), each having an associated Location Area Code (LAC), said switching node comprising:

a processing unit;

an input unit connected to the processing unit; and

an output unit connected to the processing unit;

wherein said switching node being connectable to said service control entity and to said location server, and wherein the processing unit is arranged to;

receive an ISUP IAM message via said input unit, said ISUP IAM message comprising a called party number comprising a fixed telephone number of a UMA-subscriber and a routing prefix;

send a MAP SRI message to said location server via said output unit;

receive subscription information and location information from said location server via said input unit, said location information comprising a LAC or a combination of a LAC and cell identifier (LAC+CI) associated with a serving BSC or a serving Generic Access Network Controller (GANC);

send a trigger message to said service control entity via said output unit, using said received subscription information, said trigger message comprising said location information.

22. The switching node according to claim 17 wherein said mobile telecommunications network further comprises a Signaling Relay Function and wherein said processing unit is further configured to send said MAP SRI message to said Signaling Relay Function for relaying to said location server.

18. A location server for use in a mobile telecommunications network, said mobile telecommunications network further comprising a first switching node, a second switching node, and a group of Generic Access Network Controllers (GANCs) each having an associated Location Area Code (LAC), said location server comprising:

a processing unit;

an input unit connected to the processing unit; and

an output unit connected to the processing unit;

wherein said location server is being connectable to said first switching node and to said second switching node, and wherein the processing unit is arranged to;

receive a MAP SRI message containing a fixed number of a UMA subscriber from said first switching node via said input unit;

determine a UMA-specific LSA restriction for the UMA-subscriber based on said fixed number; and

send a MAP PRN message to said second switching node via said output unit, and send a UMA-specific LSA setting to said second switching node, said UMA-specific LSA setting indicating that the call is restricted to UMA access and is served by one of said GANCs in said group of GANCs.

23. The location server according to claim 18 wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

store a list comprising the fixed number for said UMA-subscriber and a related MSISDN; and

use said list to determine said MSISDN number for the UMA-subscriber.

24. The location server according to claim 18 wherein the processing unit is further configured to send the LSA setting to the second switching node in said MAP PRN message.

25. The location server according to claim 18 wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

receive a MAP Location Update (LU) message or a MAP Restore Data (RD) message from said second switching node; and

send a MAP ISD message to said second switching node responsive to said MAP-LU message or said MAP-RD message including said UMA-specific LSA setting.

19. A switching node for use in a mobile telecommunications network, said mobile telecommunications network further comprising a first switching node, a location server, and a group of Generic Access Network Controllers (GANCs), each having an associated Location Area Code (LAC), said switching node comprising:

a processing unit;

an input unit connected to the processing unit; and

an output unit connected to the processing unit;

wherein said switching node being connectable to said first switching node and to said location server, and wherein the processing unit is arranged to;

receive a MAP PRN message from said location server via said input unit; and

receive a UMA-specific LSA setting from said location server, said LSA setting indicating to said switching node that said call to said UMA-subscriber is restricted to UMA access;

determining how to route said call to said UMA-subscriber by determining a Mobile Station Routing Number (MSRN) based on the UMA-specific LSA setting if said location information indicates that said UMA-subscriber is currently under UMA access and is served by one of said GANCs in said group of GANCs; and

send the Mobile Station Routing Number (MSRN) to said location server.

26. The switching node according to claim 19 wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

send a MAP Location Update (LU) message or a MAP Restore Data (RD) message to said location server; and

receive a MAP ISD message responsive to said MAP LU message of MAP RD message from said location server, said MAP-LU message or said MAP-RD message including said UMA-specific LSA setting.

27. The switching node according to claim 19 wherein the processing unit is further configured to receive said UMA-specific LSA setting in said MAP PRN message.