Routing a data signal to a mobile station within a telecommunications network

A system for routing an incoming signal to a mobile station, said mobile station being ported from an original home location register (HLR) to a particular HLR, said particular HLR storing subscriber information associated with said mobile station, said system comprising:

• a mobile switching center (MSC) serving said mobile station, said particular HLR storing said subscriber information identifying said MSC;
• a gateway node for receiving said incoming signal and transmitting a first signal requesting said subscriber information;
• a centralized database for receiving said first signal and determining a network address of said particular HLR and rerouting said first signal using said network address from said centralized database to said particular HLR;
• wherein said particular HLR retrieves said subscriber information and transmits a second signal including said subscriber information to said gateway node, said second signal being addressed to said gateway node;
• and
• wherein said gateway node responds to said network information received in said second signal by routing said incoming signal to said MSC as indicated by said subscriber information.

A system for retrieving subscriber information associated with a mobile station, said mobile station being ported from an original home location register to a particular home location register (HLR), said particular HLR storing said subscriber information associated with said mobile station, said system comprising:

• responsive to an incoming signal, means for transmitting a first signal identifying a mobile station identification number from a gateway node to a centralized database, said first signal requesting said subscriber information;
• means for determining, by said centralized database, a network address representing said particular HLR using said mobile station identification number;
• means for rerouting said first signal from said centralized database to said particular HLR using said determined network address;
• means for retrieving said subscriber information in response to a reception of said first signal by said particular HLR;
• and
• means for transmitting a second signal from said particular HLR to said gateway node, said second signal including said retrieved subscriber information, and said second signal being addressed to said gateway node.

A method for retrieving subscriber information associated with a mobile station, said mobile station being ported from an original home location register (HLR) to a particular HLR, said particular HLR storing said subscriber information associated with said mobile station, said method comprising the steps of:

• responsive to an incoming signal, transmitting a first signal identifying a mobile station identification number from a gateway node to a centralized database, said first signal requesting said subscriber information, and said first signal having an originating address comprising an address for said gateway node and a destination address comprising an address for said centralized database;
• determining, by said centralized database, a network address representing said particular HLR by indexing on said mobile station identification number;
• forwarding said first signal from said centralized database to said particular HLR by replacing in said destination address of said first signal said network address of said particular HLR and maintaining said address for said gateway node as said originating address;
• retrieving said subscriber information from said particular HLR;
• and
• transmitting a second signal from said particular HLR to said gateway node, said second signal including said retrieved subscriber information, and said second signal having an originating address comprising said network address of said particular HLR and a destination address comprising said address of said gateway node as extracted from said originating address of said first signal.

A system for routing an incoming signal to a mobile station, said mobile station being ported from an original home location register (HLR) to a particular HLR, said particular HLR storing subscriber information associated with said mobile station, said system comprising:

• a mobile switching center (MSC) serving said mobile station, said particular HLR storing said subscriber information identifying said MSC;
• a gateway node for receiving said incoming signal and transmitting a first signal requesting said subscriber information;
• a centralized database for receiving said first signal and determining a network address of said particular HLR and forwarding said first signal using said network address from said centralized database to said particular HLR;
• wherein said first signal has an originating address comprising an address for said gateway node and a destination address comprising an address for said centralized database;
• wherein said centralized database forwards said first signal to said particular HLR by replacing in said destination address of said first signal said network address of said particular HLR and maintaining said address for said gateway node as said originating address;
• wherein said particular HLR retrieves said subscriber information and transmits a second signal including said subscriber information to said gateway node, said second signal having an originating address comprising said network address of said particular HLR and a destination address comprising said address of said gateway node as extracted from said originating address of said first signal;
• and
• wherein said gateway node responds to said subscriber information received in said second signal by routing said incoming signal to said MSC as indicated by said subscriber information.