Number portability service in a telecommunication system
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a method and a network element in a telecommunications system. The telecommunications system comprises at least two telecommunications networks and means for providing number portability service between the networks and also supplementary telecommunications services. The method comprises the steps of initiating a set-up procedure for communications between two stations, sending an enquiry to the number portability service, determining if the called station is a ported station, and informing the supplementary telecommunications service of the results of said determination before initiating an use of said supplementary telecommunications service.
1. A method in a telecommunication system comprising:
initiating a set-up procedure for a communication between a first station and a second station;
determining, based at least in part on a number associated with the second station, whether the second station is ported;
sending a request to a number portability service to port the second station from a first telecommunications network to a second telecommunications network so that the number associated with the second station is not changed; and
providing, based at least in part on the determining, an indication of whether the second station is a ported station to a supplementary telecommunications service system, wherein the indication is provided prior to initiating provision of a supplementary telecommunication service to the second station.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication is initiated by the first station.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is provided before the set-up procedure for the communication is complete.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is provided to the supplementary telecommunications service system only if it is determined that the second station is ported.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number comprises a telephone number or an address.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining and the providing are both performed by a node that is configured to control a number portability service system and the supplementary telecommunications service system.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the node includes a service control point and a number portability register of the number portability service system.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplementary telecommunications service is based on an intelligent network application part protocol suite.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises at least in part sending a service routing register inquiry at an initial detection point of an intelligent network application part or a customized application for mobile network enhanced logic protocol.
10. A telecommunications system comprising:
a communication setup device configured to initiate a set-up procedure for a communication between a first station and a second station;
a number portability service system configured to port the second station from a first telecommunications network to a second telecommunications network so that the number associated with the second station is not changed; and
at least one node configured to:
determine, based at least in part on a number associated with the second station, whether the second station is ported; and
provide, based at least in part on the determining, an indication that the second station is a ported station to a supplementary telecommunications service system, wherein the indication is provided prior to initiating provision of a supplementary telecommunication service to the second station.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one node is configured to control the supplementary telecommunications service system and a number portability service system.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one node comprises at least one of a network controller, a home location register, a routing information register, or a service control point.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the supplementary telecommunication service comprises a number portability service.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second station is ported from a first mobile network to a second mobile network, and wherein the at least one node is associated with at least the second mobile network.
15. A telecommunications system comprising:
means for initiating a set-up procedure for a communication between a first station and a second station;
means for determining, based at least in part on a number associated with the second station, whether the second station is ported;
means for porting the second station from a first telecommunications network to a second telecommunications network so that the number associated with the second station is not changed; and
means for providing, based at least in part on the determining, an indication that the second station is a ported station to a supplementary telecommunications service system, wherein the indication is provided prior to initiating provision of a supplementary telecommunication service to the second station.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the means for providing provides the indication before the set-up procedure for the communication is complete.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the means for determining is configured to control a number portability service system and the supplementary telecommunications service system.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the number comprises a telephone number or an address.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the supplementary telecommunication service comprises a number portability service.