Patent ID: 6163605
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A service unit (SU) for supporting the establishment of calls between subscribers (A, B) of a communications network (KN), the service unit (SU) comprising a receiving unit (INT) for receiving different subscriber identifications (UA) which permits receiving of different subscriber identifications (UA) having different syntaxes or data formats, each different subscriber identification (UA) addresses a called subscriber (B) and each subscriber identification is routed from a calling subscriber (A) to the service unit (SU), wherein the service unit (SU) translates each subscriber identification having a different syntax or data format into a communications network (KN) compatible address, the service unit (SU) further comprising, or being connected to, a database (DB) which manages different types of subscriber identifications (UA) having different syntaxes or data formats and in which groups of two or more different subscriber identifications (UA) are assigned to one called subscriber (B) each, the service unit (SU) further comprising a first control unit (CONTR1) which assigns to each of the two or more different subscriber identifications (UA) of different syntaxes or data formats of a called subscriber, by access to the database (DB) one network address (RN) which addresses a terminal (T2) of the called subscriber (B) in the communications network (KN) and permits the establishment of the call to the called subscriber (B).