Method and apparatus for verification of a telephone number

A method for verification of a mobile telephone number in order to determine whether a messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communications system should be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a verification apparatus, a request to register a mobile telephone number;
• registering, by the verification apparatus in response to the request, the mobile telephone number, wherein the registering comprises:
• obtaining, from a home location register, a first mobile subscriber identity number corresponding to the mobile telephone number, and
• then storing the mobile telephone number and the corresponding first mobile subscriber identity number in a database of the verification apparatus;
• receiving, by the verification apparatus from an application server, a request for verification of the mobile telephone number;
• and
• verifying, by the verification apparatus in response to receiving the verification request, the mobile telephone number, wherein the verifying comprises:
• obtaining, from a home location register, a second mobile subscriber identity number registered in association with the mobile telephone number;
• and
• indicating, by the verification apparatus to the application server, whether the first mobile subscriber identity number matches the second mobile subscriber identity number.

A verification apparatus for verification of a mobile telephone number in order to determine whether a messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communications system should be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number, the verification apparatus comprising:

• a database for storing of a mobile telephone number and an associated mobile subscriber identity number;
• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores one or more computer programs executable by the processor to implement:
• receiving a request to register a mobile telephone number;
• registering, in response to the request, the mobile telephone number, wherein the registering comprises:
• obtaining, from a home location register, a mobile subscriber identity number corresponding to the mobile telephone number, and
• then storing the mobile telephone number and the corresponding mobile subscriber identity number in the database;
• receiving, from the application server, a request for verification of the mobile telephone number;
• verifying, in response to receiving the verification request, the mobile telephone number, wherein the verifying comprises:
• obtaining, from a home location register, a mobile subscriber identity number registered in association with the mobile telephone number to be verified;
• and
• indicating, to the application server, whether the mobile subscriber identity number received in the verifying matches the mobile subscriber identity number stored in the registering.

A non-transitory computer program product comprising computer readable storage storing a computer program for providing a third party service which utilizes a messaging-or-positioning service, the computer program comprising computer program code portions which, when run on an application server, causes the application server to:

• register a mobile telephone number with a verification apparatus, wherein the registering comprises sending a registration request to the verification apparatus, the registration request for registering comprising an indication of the mobile telephone number to be registered;
• and
• verify the mobile telephone number subsequent to the registering, wherein the verifying comprises:
• sending, to the verification apparatus, a request for verification of the mobile telephone number,
• receiving an indication from the verification apparatus of whether a mobile subscriber identity number corresponding to the mobile telephone number in a home location register at a time of the verifying matches a mobile subscriber identity number corresponding to the mobile telephone number in a home location register at a time of the registering;
• and
• determining, by the application server that performed the verifying, whether a messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communications system should be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number, wherein the determining is dependent on the verifying.

A non-transitory computer program product comprising computer readable storage storing a computer program for verification of a mobile telephone number in order to determine whether a messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communications system should be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number, the computer program comprising computer program code portions which, when run on a verification apparatus, causes the verification apparatus to:

• receive a request to register a mobile telephone number;
• register, in response to the request, the mobile telephone number, wherein the registering comprises:
• obtaining, from a home location register, a mobile subscriber identity number corresponding to the mobile telephone number, and
• then storing the mobile telephone number and a corresponding mobile subscriber identity number in the database of the verification apparatus;
• verify, in response to receiving a verification request, the mobile telephone number, wherein the verifying comprises:
• obtaining, from a home location register, a mobile subscriber identity number registered in association with the mobile telephone number in the home location register;
• determining whether the mobile subscriber identity number received in the verifying matches the mobile subscriber identity number stored in the registering;
• and
• initiate the performance of the messaging-or-positioning in response to determining that the mobile subscriber identity number received in the verifying matches the mobile subscriber identity number stored in the registering.