Number portability service in a telecommunication system
AssigneeNokia Corporation
InventorJari Eikkula
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Abstract
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.
Claims21
A method in a telecommunications system, the telecommunication system comprising at least a first telecommunication network and a second telecommunications network and providing at least one supplementary telecommunications service for a first station, the method comprising the steps of:
- initiating a set-up procedure for communications between the first station and a second station via said telecommunication system, wherein the first station initiates the communication with the second station;
- sending an enquiry to a number portability service, said number portability service facilitating porting of stations from the first telecommunications network to the second telecommunications network so that the number or address of the ported stations remains the same;
- determining if the second station is a ported station;
- and
- informing at least one supplementary telecommunications service of the results of said determination during a phase that is before a phase in which the set-up procedure is completed and before provision of said at least one supplementary telecommunication service for said first station is initiated.
A network element for use in a telecommunications system, said telecommunications system comprising at least a first telecommunications network and a second telecommunications network and providing at least one supplementary telecommunications service for a first station communicating with the system, the network element comprising:
- communication set-up means for set-up proceedings of a communication between the first station and a second station, wherein the first station initiates the communication with the second station;
- control means for controlling said at least one supplementary telecommunications service;
- means for providing a number portability service for the stations, said number portability service facilitating porting of a station from the first telecommunications network so that the number or address of the ported station remains the same;
- wherein the network element is arranged to determine if the second station is a ported station and to inform said at least one supplementary telecommunications service of the result of the determination during a phase that is before a phase in which the set-up procedure is completed and before use of said at least one supplementary telecommunications service is initiated for the communication by the first station.
A telecommunications system enabling at least two stations connected to the system to communicate comprising:
- a first telecommunications network;
- a second telecommunications network;
- supplementary telecommunications service means for providing at least one supplementary telecommunications service for a first station;
- control means for controlling said at least one supplementary telecommunications service;
- communication set-up means for set-up proceedings of a communication between the first station and a second station, wherein the first station initiates the communication with the second station;
- means for providing a number portability service for the stations, said number portability service facilitating porting of a station from the first telecommunications network to the second telecommunications network so that the number or address of the ported station may remain the same;
- wherein the telecommunications system is arranged to determine if the second station is a ported station and to inform said at least one supplementary telecommunications service of the result of the determination during a phase that is before a phase in which the set-up procedure is completed and before use of said at least one supplementary telecommunications service is initiated for the communication by the first station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.