Method and service switching point for requesting information during incoming calls to a subscriber in a communications network

• US 6,545,987 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Becher, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US09/677,405
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/385, 370/352-356, 370/310, 370/329, 370/341, 370/431, 455/422, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/428
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/04 Interfaces between hierarchically different network devices

Abstract

The method for information transmission sends trigger information from the subscriber database to the service switching point that is currently responsible for the subscriber, and a trigger event is then stored with it in the service switching point. When the trigger event is present, the information is requested directly from a service control point by the service switching point. In this way, information can be called from the service control point both while connection is being set up and during an already existing connection, and can be made available to the subscriber or to his communications terminal. The direct request for information via a trigger event that can be predetermined is possible at any time by means of the invention, and is not limited to a single check before setting up a connection.

Claims

1. A method for requesting connection information during incoming calls, during and after the setting up of a connection, to a subscriber in a communications network, which comprises:

providing communications terminals connected to further devices, the communications terminals granting access to subscribers;

networked switching devices connected to the communications terminals, said networked switching device handing over subscribers to a further network;

a subscriber database for storing data relating to the subscribers registered in the communications network; and

a service switching point and a service control point for administering services;

sending information-request trigger information from the subscriber database during a connection setting-up procedure to the service switching point that is currently responsible for the subscriber while simultaneously storing an information-request trigger event in the service switching point; and

requesting the information directly from a service control point by the service switching point when the information-request trigger event is present.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

transmitting data and parameters from the service control point via the service switching point to the communications terminal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data and parameters are passed on transparently from the service switching point to the communications terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service control point has an address stored with the information-request trigger information in the service switching point.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

sending the information-request trigger information from the subscriber database to the service switching point in a message used for updating the location of the subscriber.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

using the correlation information in the service control point and the service switching point; and

associating the information requested directly from the service control point with the respective call.

4. A method for requesting connection information during incoming calls, during and after the setting up of a connection, to a subscriber in a communications network, which comprises:

providing communications terminals connected to further devices, the communications terminals granting access to subscribers;

networked switching devices connected to the communications terminals, said networked switching device handing over subscribers to a further network;

a subscriber database for storing data relating to the subscribers registered in the communications network; and

a service switching point and a service control point for administering services;

sending information-request trigger information from the subscriber database during a connection setting-up procedure to the service switching point that is currently responsible for the subscriber;

storing an information-request trigger event in the service switching point;

requesting the information directly from a service control point by the service switching point when the information-request trigger event is present;

transmitting data and parameters from the service control point via the service switching point to the communications terminal;

processing the data and parameters with the service switching point; and

passing the processed data and parameters to the communications terminal.

6. A method for requesting connection information during incoming calls, during and after the setting up of a connection, to a subscriber in a communications network, which comprises:

providing communications terminals connected to further devices, the communications terminals granting access to subscribers;

networked switching devices connected to the communications terminals, said networked switching device handing over subscribers to a further network;

a subscriber database for storing data relating to the subscribers registered in the communications network; and

a service switching point and a service control point for administering services;

sending information-request trigger information from the subscriber database during a connection setting-up procedure to the service switching point that is currently responsible for the subscriber;

storing an information-request trigger event in the service switching point;

requesting the information directly from a service control point by the service switching point when the information-request trigger event is present;

sending the information-request trigger information from the subscriber database upon receipt of a request from the switching device, which receives an incoming call;

requesting an indicator for the information directly from the service control point on the basis of an initiating message from the switching device; and

sending the information-request trigger information together with the indicator from the switching device via the subscriber database to the service switching point, in a request for transmission of a mobile subscriber roaming number, the mobile subscriber roaming number identifying the location of the subscriber.

9. A method for requesting connection information during incoming calls, during and after the setting up of a connection, to a subscriber in a communications network, which comprises:

providing communications terminals connected to further devices, the communications terminals granting access to subscribers;

networked switching devices connected to the communications terminals, said networked switching device handing over subscribers to a further network;

a subscriber database for storing data relating to the subscribers registered in the communications network; and

a service switching point and a service control point for administering services;

sending information-request trigger information from the subscriber database during a connection setting-up procedure to the service switching point that is currently responsible for the subscribers;

storing an information-request trigger event in the service switching point;

requesting the information directly from a service control point by the service switching point when the information-request trigger event is present;

transmitting data and parameters from the service control point via the service switching point to the communications terminal;

sending a set of a plurality of parameters from the service control point;

calculating a call charge from a first of the plurality of parameters before any tariff switching determined by the service switching point; and

calculating a call charge from a second of the plurality of parameters after the tariff switching.

10. The method according to claim 9, which further comprises:

sending further parameters from the service control point after any tariff switching determined by the service control point, and

then calculating the call charge.

11. The method according to claim 9, which further comprises:

after an information-request trigger event is satisfied, requesting, receiving, and sending to the communications terminal information from an Internet service unit with the service switching point.

12. The method according to claim 11, which further comprises:

sending correlation information from the service switching point to the service control point by which the Internet service unit requests the correlation information and associates the correlation information with the respective call.

13. A service switching point assembly for requesting information during incoming calls to a subscriber in a communications network comprising:

communications terminals accessed by subscribers;

networked switching devices connected to said communications terminals, said networked switching device accessed by subscribers with said communication terminals and connected via further devices and handing over said communications terminals to a further network;

a subscriber database for storing data relating to said subscribers registered in said communications network; and

a service switching point and a service control point for administering services, said service switching point having a memory device for storing an information-request trigger event based on said information-request trigger information sent from said subscriber database, and a control device for producing a message which is sent directly to said service control point when said information-request trigger event for requesting information is present.

15. The service switching point according to claim 13, wherein said memory device stores an address of said service control point, from which said information can be requested with said information-request trigger information.

17. The service switching point according to claim 13, wherein said control device receives said information-request trigger information from said subscriber database in a message that is provided for updating said location of said subscriber.

14. A service switching point assembly for requesting information during incoming calls to a subscriber in a communications network comprising:

communications terminals accessed by subscribers;

networked switching devices connected to said communications terminals, said networked switching device accessed by subscribers with said communication terminals and connected via further devices and handing over said communications terminals to a further network;

a subscriber database for storing data relating to said subscribers registered in said communications network; and

a service switching point and a service control point for administering services, said service switching point having a memory device for storing an information-request trigger event, said information-request trigger information sent from said subscriber database, and a control device for producing a message which is sent directly to said service control point when said information-request trigger event for requesting information is present;

said memory device storing data and parameters transmitted from said service control point, and said control device initiating said sending of the data and parameters to said communications terminal.

16. A service switching point for requesting information during incoming calls to a subscriber in a communications network comprising:

communications terminals accessed by subscribers;

networked switching devices connected to said communications terminals, said networked switching device accessed by subscribers with said communication terminals and connected via further devices and handing over said communications terminals to a further network;

a subscriber database for storing data relating to said subscribers registered in said communications network; and

a service switching point and a service control point for administering services, said service switching point having a memory device for storing an information-request trigger event, said information-request trigger information sent from said subscriber database, and a control device for producing a message which is sent directly to said service control point when said information-request trigger event for requesting information is present;

said control device receiving said information-request trigger information together with an indicator for the information which can be directly requested, in a request to transmit a mobile subscriber roaming number, which identifies the location of said subscriber, and having said memory device store said information-request trigger information together with said indicator.