System and method of providing local number portability

• US 8,908,852 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoefelmeyer, Ralph S., Leung, Harry C., May, Anna Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoque, Nafiz E
• Application Number:
  US12/509,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20110019811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.08, 379/221.11, 379/221.13, 379/221.14, 370352-356
• US Class Current: 379/221.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42297 with number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator

Abstract

A system for and method of providing local number portability is presented. A request may be received to establish a session between an origination user agent and a destination user agent. The request may comprise a destination user agent identifier. It may be determined whether the destination user agent identifier was ported from one service provider to another. If so, routing information may be provided for establishing the session through the second service provider rather than through the first service provider. The session may be established over one or more Internet protocol networks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an indication that a destination user agent identifier was ported from a first service provider to a second service provider, wherein the indication is from the first service provider, wherein the indication results from querying the first service provider for a previous session and receiving the indication from the first service provider in response to the querying;

receiving a request to establish a session between an origination user agent and a destination user agent, the request comprising the destination user agent identifier, wherein the origination user agent is associated with at least one Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) network and the destination user agent is associated with at least one non-IPv6 network;

using one or more computer processors, determining that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider based on the indication from the first service provider; and

providing routing information for establishing the session from the origination user agent to the destination user agent through the second service provider rather than through the first service provider, wherein the session is established over one or more Internet protocol networks.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving the request, verifying with the first service provider that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is stored in a cache for a fixed period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider comprises querying the first service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the session is established as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session using a Network Server/Redirect Server (NS/RS).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the session based on the routing information.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code to perform the steps of the methods of claim 1.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more internet protocol networks is an IPv6 network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-IPv6 network is an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-IPv6 network is a public switch telephone network (PSTN).

11. The method of The method of claim 1, wherein the routing information includes instructions for routing the call between an IPv6 network and a non-IPv6 network.

12. A computer-based system, comprising:

a communication processor configured to receive an indication that a destination user agent identifier was ported from a first service provider to a second service provider, wherein the indication is from the first service provider, the communication processor further configured to receive a request to establish a session between an origination user agent and a destination user agent, the request comprising the destination user agent identifier, wherein the indication results from querying the first service provider for a previous session and receiving the indication from the first service provider in response to the querying, wherein the origination user agent is associated with at least one Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) network and the destination user agent is associated with at least one non-IPv6 network;

a determination processor configured to determine that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider based on the indication from the first service provider; and

a routing processor configured to provide routing information for establishing the session from the origination user agent to the destination user agent through the second service provider rather than through the first service provider, wherein the session is established over one or more Internet protocol networks.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication processor is further configured to, prior to receiving the request, verify with the first service provider that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication is stored in a cache for a fixed period of time.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein determining that the destination user agent identifier was ported from the first service provider to the second service provider comprises querying the first service provider.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the session is established as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session using a Network Server/Redirect Server (NS/RS).

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the routing processor is further configured to establish the session based on the routing information.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the communication processor, determination processor, and routing processor is configured as a Domain Name System (DNS) server.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one non-IPv6 network is one of an IPv4 network and a PSTN network.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the routing information includes instructions for routing the call between an IPv6 network and a non-IPv6 network.