System and method for determining tariffs for real-time calls involving ported directory numbers

A method of determining a tariff for a real-time wireless service provided for a wireless call made to or from a ported telephone number, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving by real-time service scripts, a call setup message containing a called party number, said call setup message being formatted in a first signaling protocol;
• sending the called party number to a protocol converter;
• converting in the protocol converter, the first signaling protocol to a second signaling protocol compatible with a Local Number Portability (LNP) database;
• sending a query containing the called party number from the protocol converter to the LNP database;
• receiving a query result from the LNP database, said result containing a routing number if the called party number has been ported;
• determining by the service scripts whether the routing number points to a particular network;
• and
• rating the call with a first tariff if the routing number points to the particular network.

A system in a radio telecommunications network for determining a tariff for a real-time wireless service provided for a wireless telephone call, said system comprising:

• means for accessing a Local Number Portability (LNP) database during call setup to determine whether the call is made to or from a ported telephone number;
• means for determining whether the ported telephone number points to a particular network, in response to a determination that the call is made to or from a ported telephone number;
• and
• means for assigning a tariff to the call in response to a determination that the call is made to or from a ported telephone number, and in response to a determination that the ported telephone number points to a particular network.

A Service Control Point (SCP) in a telecommunications network comprising:

• service scripts that implement a real-time service, said scripts including:
• means for receiving a call setup message containing a called party number;
• and
• means for sending rated events to a Service Data Point (SDP) for assigning a tariff to a call;
• and
• an interface that receives the called party number from the service scripts and sends a query message containing the called party number to a Local Number Portability (LNP) database, said interface receiving a query result from the LNP database containing a routing number if the called party number is ported, and passing the routing number to the service scripts;
• wherein the means for sending rated events to the SDP sends an indication to the SDP of whether the called party number is ported-in or ported-out of a particular network.