Patent · US Expired

Telecommunication number portability

US6021126A · kind A · utility

214Cited by
49References
46Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 9, 1996
Grant dateFeb 1, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 9, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M7/128
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A telecommunications system wherein the dialing of a directory number which has been ported triggers an intelligent network signal which is directed to the Internet. The signal is transmitted through the Internet to a database in the Internet. The database returns call set up directions which are used by the originating switching system to establish a voice link from the calling station to the station having the ported number. The intelligent network signal may be transmitted from the originating switching system to a signal transfer point (STP) and to the Internet. Within the Internet the signal is directed to an Internet database where a real number for the ported number is obtained. This is transmitted back to the signal switching point, which then uses the real number to complete the connection. In another embodiment, where a number has been ported to a station that is connected only to the Internet, the Internet database may provide a domain name address. This address is then used to establish a link through the Internet between the calling and called station. In this instance the Internet handles both the signaling and the voice connections.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.