Granted Patent B2

US 7,860,231 · App. 10/768,409 · Granted Dec 28, 2010

Abstract

Claims (76)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more provisioning components that run on a hardware component, the one or more provisioning components being operable to:

initiate requests to port a directory number for a duration of time, wherein a value for the duration of time consists of a period of time, a permanent status, and a date in the future;

receive updates for one or more directory numbers ported from a first service provider to a second service provider, and notify a subscriber database of the directory number to port for the duration of time; and

a portability component that runs on a hardware component automatically updates the one or more provisioning components to port the directory number for the duration of time;

wherein the portability component communicates with a management component through employment of one or more protocols to update one or more local number portability databases, at least one of the one or more protocols being a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP);

wherein the portability component communicates with the management component to initiate one or more notifications of an expiration of the duration of time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein upon initiation of a request to port the directory number, the portability component receives one or more identifiers associated with the one or more provisioning components; and

wherein the portability component employs the one or more identifiers to notify the one or more provisioning components of the request to port the directory number for the duration of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the request to port the directory number comprises an association between the directory number and a location routing number, and

wherein upon initiation of the request to port the directory number, the portability component provides the association to the management component; and

wherein the management component provides the association to the one or more local number portability databases associated with the one or more provisioning components; and

wherein one or more network components associated with the one or more provisioning components and the one or more local number portability databases cooperate to provide and/or terminate service for the directory number for the duration of time based on the association.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more provisioning components comprise a ported-from provisioning component and a ported-to provisioning component, and wherein the one or more identifiers associated with the one or more provisioning components comprise a first identifier associated with the ported-from provisioning component and a second identifier associated with the ported-to provisioning component; and

wherein the directory number is associated with a telephony device, and wherein the portability component communicates with the ported-from provisioning component through employment of the first identifier to terminate service for the telephony device for the duration of time; and

wherein the portability component communicates with the ported-to provisioning component through employment of the second identifier to provide service for the telephony device for the duration of time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the ported-from provisioning component is associated with a first service provider, and wherein the ported-to provisioning component is associated with a second service provider; and

wherein the portability component cooperates with the ported-from provisioning component and the ported-to provisioning component to port the directory number from the first service provider to the second service provider for the duration of time.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the ported-from provisioning component provides a first set of services to the telephony device, and wherein the ported-to provisioning component provides a second set of services to the telephony device; and

wherein the portability component cooperates with the ported-from provisioning component to terminate access to the first set of services by the telephony device for the duration of time; and

wherein the portability component cooperates with the ported to provisioning component to provide access to the second set of services by the telephony device for the duration of time.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein upon expiration of the duration of time, the portability component in combination with the one or more provisioning components port the directory number back to an initial state.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the one or more provisioning components comprise a ported-from provisioning component and a ported-to provisioning component; and

wherein the ported-to provisioning component initiates a request to the portability component to port the directory number for the duration of time; and

wherein upon receipt of the request to port the directory number, the portability component notifies the ported-from provisioning component of the request to port the directory number.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

a subscriber database that comprises a subscriber entry for the directory number,

wherein the portability component and the ported-from provisioning component cooperate to change the subscriber entry in the subscriber database from the initial state to a ported state; and

wherein the subscriber database and a switch component cooperate to terminate service at the network for a telephony device associated with the directory number.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein upon expiration of the duration of time, the portability component and the ported-from provisioning component cooperate to change the subscriber entry in the subscriber database from the ported state to the initial state; and

wherein the subscriber database and the switch component cooperate to restart the service at the network for the telephony device associated with the directory number.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the subscriber database and the switch component cooperate to notify one or more callers to the directory number of the expiration of the duration of time to port the directory number.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the subscriber database and the switch component cooperate to notify a user of the telephony device associated with the directory number of a period of time remaining until the expiration of the duration of time to port the directory number.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more provisioning components initiates a request to port the directory number for the duration of time, and wherein the request comprises a value for the duration of time, the apparatus further comprising:

a timer component that determines an expiration of the duration of time to port the directory number based on the value for the duration of time;

wherein upon the expiration of the duration of time to port the directory number, the portability component and the timer component cooperate to port the directory number back to an initial state.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein upon the expiration of the duration of time to port the directory number, the timer component sends to the portability component a notification of the expiration of the duration of time and the directory number, and

wherein upon receipt of the notification from the timer component, the portability component employs the directory number to notify the one or more provisioning components of the expiration of the duration of time associated with the directory number, and

wherein the one or more provisioning components port the directory number back to the initial state.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the value for the duration of time comprises a first value for the duration of time; and

wherein upon receipt of a request to reset the value for the duration of time, the portability component provides a second value for the duration of time to the timer component; and

wherein the timer component employs the second value for the duration of time to determine the expiration of the duration of time.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portability component comprises one or more interfaces with the one or more provisioning components, and wherein the portability component employs the one or more interfaces to receive one or more identifiers associated with the one or more provisioning components and a value for the duration of time from the one or more provisioning components.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portability component stores an association between the directory number and one or more location routing numbers, and wherein a telephony device associated with the directory number receives service associated with the location routing number; and

wherein upon an expiration of the duration of time, the portability component removes the association between the directory number and the location routing number, and wherein the telephony device receives service associated with the directory number and/or one of the one or more location routing numbers.

18. A method, comprising the steps of:

automatically updating, via a portability component that runs on a hardware component, one or more provisioning components to port a directory number;

wherein the one or more provisioning components initiate requests to port the directory number for a duration of time, wherein a value for the duration of time consists of a period of time, a permanent status, and a date in the future;

receive updates for one or more directory numbers ported from a first service provider to a second service provider, and notifies a subscriber database of the directory number to port for the duration of time; and

communicating with a management component through employment of one or more protocols to update one or more local number portability databases, at least one of the one or more protocols being a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP);

wherein the portability component communicates with the management component to initiate one or more notifications of an expiration of the duration of time.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of automatically updating, via a portability component that runs on a hardware component, the one or more provisioning components to port the directory number for the duration of time comprises the steps of:

receiving a request to port the directory number, wherein the request comprises one or more identifiers associated with the one or more provisioning components, a value for the duration of time, and an association between the directory number and a location routing number;

providing the association to one or more of the one or more provisioning components through employment of one or more of the one or more identifiers upon receipt of the request;

setting a ported-out flag associated with the directory number;

determining an expiration of the duration of time through employment of the value for the duration of time;

notifying one or more of the one or more provisioning components through employment of one or more of the one or more identifiers upon the expiration of the duration of time; and

clearing the ported-out flag associated with the directory number upon the expiration of the duration of time.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein a first provisioning component of the one or more provisioning components is associated with a first service provider, and wherein a second provisioning component of the one or more provisioning components is associated with a second service provider, and wherein the step of clearing the ported-out flag associated with the directory number upon the expiration of the duration of time, the method further comprising the steps of:

porting the directory number from a network of the first service provider to a network of the second service provider;

terminating service for a telephony device associated with the directory number on the network of the first service provider;

providing service for the telephony device on the network of the second service provider;

receiving a notification of the expiration of the duration of time;

porting the directory number from the network of the first service provider to the network of the second service provider;

terminating service for the telephony device associated with the directory number with the second service provider; and

providing a message indicating the expiration of the duration of time to a user of the telephony device associated with the directory number.

21. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions that can be executed by a computer for performing steps, comprising:

means in the computer-readable storage medium for automatically updating one or more provisioning components to port a directory number;

wherein the one or more provisioning components initiate requests to port the directory number for a duration of time, wherein a value for the duration of time consists of a period of time, a permanent status, and a date in the future;

receive updates for one or more directory numbers ported from a first service provider to a second service provider, and notifies a subscriber database of the directory number to port for the duration of time; and

means in the computer-readable storage medium for communicating with a management component through employment of one or more protocols to update one or more local number portability databases, at least one of the one or more protocols being a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP);

wherein the portability component communicates with the management component to initiate one or more notifications of an expiration of the duration of time.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portability component and one or more networks communicate through employment of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), an Internet Standard-41 (IS-41), or an Advanced Intelligence Network (AIN).

23. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the telephony device is a personal computer.

24. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the telephony device is a wired telephone.

25. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the telephony device is a wireless telephone.

Assignments (8)