Method and system for international roaming and call bridging
View Patent ↗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.
1. An apparatus for bridging calls across telecommunications networks, said apparatus comprising:
a call bridging server for receiving and handling a request, wherein said request is formed using at least one of Short Message Service (SMS), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), Internet browser, or a voice-based call using Dual-Tone-Multi-Frequency (DTMF) Interactive Voice Response, and
wherein said request is receivable from a first mobile station respective to a subscriber to initiate a voice call to a called number at a second mobile station via one of a plurality of interfaces from one of a further plurality of messaging gateways, and
wherein said call bridging server is configured to perform a requisite syntax and validity check to determine if said request is well formed and to determine said subscriber's location in a Home Location Register (HLR);
said call bridging server being further configured to normalize the called number;
said call bridging server being further configured to initiate a first call leg from said call bridging server to said first mobile station and to initiate a second call leg from said call bridging server to said second mobile station; and
said call bridging server being further configured to complete said voice call by joining said first call leg with said second call leg.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said request is formed using Short Message Service (SMS).
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said request is formed using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said request is formed using an Internet browser.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said request is formed using a voice-based call using Dual-Tone-Multi-Frequency (DTMF) Interactive Voice Response.