Method and system for international roaming and call bridging

• US 8,655,353 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Redknee Inc.
• Original Assignee: Redknee Inc.
• Inventors: Zabawskyj, Bohdan K., Skoczkowski, Lucas, Rahim, Rubens
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US13/736,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20130122915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/433, 455/558, 455/406, 379/114.05, 379/114.06
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

Disclosed is an enhanced system and method for bridging calls across telecommunications networks, including an illustrative application of the invention as it relates to international roaming among prepaid wireless subscribers. For instance, whenever wireless subscribers roam internationally they may invoke the system by keying in an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) short code followed by the number to be dialed. Said subscriber'"'"'s prepaid account is then decremented in real-time (until such account is fully depleted). A key feature of the disclosure generally is the bridging of the call legs between the wireless subscriber initiating the telephone communication and that of the receiving party through a series of general purpose databases and computers without requiring modifications to existing core network or handset infrastructure.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions executable by a processor of a call bridging server for implementing a method comprising:

receiving a request from a first mobile station at the call bridging server, the request for initiating a voice call to a second mobile station, wherein the request is formed using one of Short Message Service (SMS), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), a web browser, and a voice-based call;

initiating a first call leg from the bridging server to the first mobile station;

initiating a second call leg from the bridging server to the second mobile station; and

,

joining the first call leg with the second call leg at the bridging server to complete the voice call.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining whether an account balance associated with one of the first mobile station and the subscriber is greater than a predesignated threshold.

3. A call bridging server, comprising:

a communications interface; and

a processor interconnected with the communications interface, the processor configured to;

receive a request, via the communications interface, from a first mobile station, the request for initiating a voice call to a second mobile station, wherein the request is formed using one of Short Message Service (SMS), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), a web browser, and a voice-based call;

initiate a first call leg to the first mobile station;

initiate a second call leg to the second mobile station; and

,

join the first call leg with the second call leg to complete the voice call.

4. The call bridging server of claim 3, the processor further configured to:

determine whether an account balance associated with one of the first mobile station and the subscriber is greater than a predesignated threshold.