Methods, systems, and computer program products for using a location routing number based query and response mechanism to effect subscriber cutover

• US 20080198999A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Bantukul, Apirux, Marsico, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/221.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for using an LRN based query and response mechanism (e.g., a switching office number portability processing mechanism) to effect subscriber cutover are disclosed. According to one method, an LRN based response message including a communications service subscriber identifier is received. A cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier may be determined. The cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier may be inserted into the LRN based response message and routing the message.

Claims

1. A method for using a location routing number (LRN) based query and response mechanism to effect subscriber cutover, the method comprising:

(a) receiving an LRN based response message including a communications service subscriber identifier;

(b) determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(c) inserting the cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier into the LRN based response message and routing the message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the number portability response message includes intercepting the number portability response message at a routing node located between a switching office and a number portability database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier includes searching a database for an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein the entry includes the cutover switch LRN.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier includes:

(a) determining whether an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is located in a first database comprising entries including a plurality of communications service subscriber identifiers and a plurality of associated cutover switch LRNs, wherein the first database includes communications service subscriber identifier exceptions to ranges of communications service subscriber identifiers in a second database; and

(b) in response to determining that an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is not located in the first database, searching the second database for an entry including a range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein entry including the range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier includes the cutover switch LRN.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein inserting the cutover switch LRN includes replacing an LRN in the number portability response message with the cutover switch LRN.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein steps (a)-(c) are performed at a routing node located between a switching office and a number portability database.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein routing the message includes routing the message to an originator of a number portability query message associated with the number portability response message.

9. The method of claim 2 comprising determining whether an LRN in the number portability response message is associated with an in-network node, and wherein determining a cutover switch LRN includes determining the cutover switch LRN in response to determining that the LRN in the number portability response message is associated with an in-network node.

10. A method for using a location routing number (LRN) based query and response mechanism to effect subscriber cutover, the method comprising:

(a) receiving an LRN based query message including a communications service subscriber identifier;

(b) determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(c) in response to determining the cutover switch LRN, generating an LRN based response message associated with the LRN based query message and including the cutover switch LRN.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message and the LRN based query message comprises a number portability query message.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the number portability query message includes intercepting the number portability query message at a routing node located between a switching office and a number portability database.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier includes searching a database for an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein the entry includes the cutover switch LRN.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier includes:

(a) determining whether an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is located in a first database comprising entries including a plurality of communications service subscriber identifiers and a plurality of associated cutover switch LRNs, wherein the first database includes communications service subscriber identifier exceptions to ranges of communications service subscriber identifiers in a second database; and

(b) in response to determining that an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is not located in the first database, searching the second database for an entry including a range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein entry including the range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier includes the cutover switch LRN.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein steps (a)-(c) are performed at a routing node.

16. The method of claim 11 comprising routing the generated number portability response message.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein routing the generated number portability response message includes routing the message to the originator of number portability query message associated with the number portability response message.

18. The method of claim 11 comprising:

(a) failing to determine a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(b) in response to failing to determine a cutover switch LRN, forwarding the number portability query message to a number portability translation system.

19. A method for using a location routing number (LRN) based query and response mechanism to effect subscriber cutover, the method comprising:

(a) receiving an LRN based query message including transaction identification information and a communications service subscriber identifier;

(b) associating an LRN based response message with the LRN based query message based on the transaction identification information;

(c) determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(d) inserting the cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier into the LRN based response message and routing the message.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message and the LRN based query message comprises a number portability query message.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein receiving the number portability response message includes intercepting the number portability response message at a routing node located between a switching office and a number portability database.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein associating the number portability response message with the number portability query message includes comparing the transaction identification information of the number portability query message transaction identification information of the number portability response message.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier includes searching a database for an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein the entry includes the cutover switch LRN.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier includes:

(a) determining whether an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is located in a first database comprising entries including a plurality of communications service subscriber identifiers and a plurality of associated cutover switch LRNs, wherein the first database includes communications service subscriber identifier exceptions to ranges of communications service subscriber identifiers in a second database; and

(b) in response to determining that an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is not located in the first database, searching the second database for an entry including a range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein entry including the range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier includes the cutover switch LRN.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein inserting the cutover switch LRN includes replacing an LRN in the number portability response message with the cutover switch LRN.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed at a routing node located between a switching office and a number portability database.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein routing the message includes routing the message to the originator of the number portability query message associated with the number portability response message.

28. The method of claim 19 comprising temporarily storing the transaction identification information and the communications service subscriber identifier.

29. A system for using a location routing number (LRN) based query and response mechanism to effect subscriber cutover, the system comprising:

(a) a communications module configured to receive an LRN based response message including a communications service subscriber identifier; and

(b) a subscriber cutover function configured to determine a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier, configured to insert the cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier into the LRN based response message, and configured to route the message.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the communications module is adapted to intercept the number portability response message at a routing node located between a switching office and a number portability database.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to search a database for an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein the entry includes the cutover switch LRN.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to:

(a) determine whether an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is located in a first database comprising entries including a plurality of communications service subscriber identifiers and a plurality of associated cutover switch LRNs, wherein the first database includes communications service subscriber identifier exceptions to ranges of communications service subscriber identifiers in a second database; and

(b) search the second database, in response to determining that an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is not located in the first database, for an entry including a range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein entry including the range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier includes the cutover switch LRN.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to replace an LRN in the number portability response message with the cutover switch LRN.

35. The system of claim 30 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to route the message to an originator of a number portability query message associated with the number portability response message.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to determine whether an LRN in the number portability response message is associated with an in-network node, and wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to determine the cutover switch LRN in response to determining that the LRN in the number portability response message is associated with an in-network node.

37. A system for using a location routing number (LRN) based query and response mechanism to effect subscriber cutover, the system comprising:

(a) a communications module configured to receive an LRN based query message including a communications service subscriber identifier; and

(b) a subscriber cutover function configured to;

(i) determine a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(ii) generate an LRN based response message associated with the LRN based query message and including the cutover switch LRN in response to determining the cutover switch LRN.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message and the LRN based query message comprises a number portability query message.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the communications module is adapted to intercept the number portability response message at a routing node located between a switching office and a number portability database.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to search a database for an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein the entry includes the cutover switch LRN.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to:

(a) determine whether an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is located in a first database comprising entries including a plurality of communications service subscriber identifiers and a plurality of associated cutover switch LRNs, wherein the first database includes communications service subscriber identifier exceptions to ranges of communications service subscriber identifiers in a second database; and

(b) in response to determining that an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is not located in the first database, search the second database for an entry including a range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein entry including the range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier includes the cutover switch LRN.

42. The system of claim 38 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to route the generated number portability response message.

43. The system of claim 38 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to route the message to an originator of the number portability query message associated with the number portability response message.

44. The system of claim 38 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to:

(a) fail to determine a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(b) in response to failing to determine a cutover switch LRN, forward an LRN based query message to a number portability translation system.

45. A system for a location routing number (LRN) based query and response mechanism to effect subscriber cutover, the system comprising:

(a) a communications module configured to receive an LRN based query message including transaction identification information and a communications service subscriber identifier; and

(b) a subscriber cutover function configured to;

(i) associate an LRN based response message with the LRN based query message based on the transaction identification information;

(ii) determine a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(ii) insert the cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier into the LRN based response message and route the message.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message and the LRN based query message comprises a number portability query message.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the communications module is configured to intercept the number portability response message at a routing node located between a switching office and a number portability database.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to compare the transaction identification information of the number portability query message transaction identification information of the number portability response message.

49. The system of claim 45 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to search a database for an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein the entry includes the cutover switch LRN.

50. The system of claim 45 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to:

(a) determine whether an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is located in a first database comprising entries including a plurality of communications service subscriber identifiers and a plurality of associated cutover switch LRNs, wherein the first database includes communications service subscriber identifier exceptions to ranges of communications service subscriber identifiers in a second database; and

(b) in response to determining that an entry including the communications service subscriber identifier is not located in the first database, search the second database for an entry including a range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier, wherein entry including the range of communications service subscriber identifiers with the communications service subscriber identifier includes the cutover switch LRN.

51. The system of claim 46 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to replace an LRN in the number portability response message with the cutover switch LRN.

52. The system of claim 46 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to route the message to an originator of the number portability query message associated with the number portability response message.

53. The system of claim 45 wherein the subscriber cutover function is configured to temporarily store the transaction identification information and the communications service subscriber identifier.

54. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving a location routing number (LRN) based response message including a communications service subscriber identifier;

(b) determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(c) inserting the cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier into the LRN based response message and routing the message.

55. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message.

56. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving a location routing number (LRN) based query message including a communications service subscriber identifier;

(b) determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(c) in response to determining the cutover switch LRN, generating a LRN based response message associated with the LRN based query message and including the cutover switch LRN.

57. The computer program product of claim 56, wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message and the LRN based query message comprises a number portability query message.

58. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving a location routing number (LRN) based query message including transaction identification information and a communications service subscriber identifier;

(b) associating an LRN based response message with the LRN based query message based on the transaction identification information;

(c) determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier; and

(d) inserting the cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier into the LRN based response message and routing the message.

59. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the LRN based response message comprises a number portability response message and the LRN based query message comprises a number portability query message.