PROCEDURE AND SYSTEM FOR SETTING UP A TELECOMMUNICATION CONNECTION

Abstract: Procedure and system for setting up a call between a calling subscriber located in country (C1) and a called subscriber located in another country (C2), in a telecommunication system which comprises two telecommunication terminals, a telecommunication network and a telecommunication server. In the procedure and system of the invention, the calling subscriber sends a call setup message to the telecommunication server in the telecommunication network, the telecommunication server sets up a telecommunication connection to the calling subscriber and another telecommunication connection to the called subscriber, and the telecommunication server connects the two telecommunication connections so that a telecommunication connection from the called subscriber to the calling subscriber is established.

Description: PROCEDURE AND SYSTEM FOR SETTING UP A TELECOMMUNICATION CONNECTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a procedure as defined in the preamble of claim 1 and to a system as defined in the preamble of claim 5 for setting up a call between subscribers located in two different countries. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prices charged by telephone operators in different countries vary considerably. Operators' pricing policies often lead to a situation where a call between two countries is clearly cheaper if set up in the reverse direction. In such a case, it is cheaper to make a call e.g. from Finland to Central Europe than from Central Europe to Finland. Doubtless the most frequently used method is to make a brief call to Finland and ask the called party to call back immediately. Another method is to call a telephone order service provided by the operator in which a person answering the call calls back the A-party and connects the call to the B-party's number. Other methods used are e.g. - phone cards by means of which the A-party can call an Automatic Telephone service System (ATS) and, using tone frequency selections, order callback to the B-party's number; automatic CallBack machine, which calls back the A-party and the A-party gives billing information and the B-party's telephone number; and - Telecard service, in which a call to a number beginning with 0800 is connected to a Finnish operator. Each of the above-mentioned methods has certain drawbacks. E.g. in the Telecard service, calls are charged to the B-party, the initial charge is high and the operator must acquire a 0800-number in each country where the service is to be provided. Other problems arise because calling line identification can not always be successfully carried out in the case of calls made from abroad, changing passwords are needed or the desired number has to be input via tone frequency selection (e.g. ATS) . In addition, in automatic systems and telephone order services, the call is set up by first calling the number of the system or service, thus increasing the cost. It is only after this that a cheaper call back to the A-party can be established. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The procedure of the invention is characterized by what is presented in claim 1 and the system of the invention by what is presented in claim 5. The system of the invention comprises an A- party's telecommunication terminal, e.g. a GSM telephone, a B-party's telecommunication terminal, e.g. a mobile station or a wired-network telephone, and a telecommunication server provided with means for handling calls and messages. In the procedure of the invention, a telephone connection is set up between an A-party located in country Cl and a B-party located in another country C2. In the procedure, the A-party sends from his/her telecommunication terminal a call setup message to a telecommunication server connected to the mobile subscriber network. From the call setup message, the telecommunication server identifies the B-party's telephone number. The telecommunication server sets up a call to the A-party and another call to the B-party and connects the two calls so that a call is established from the B-party to the A-party. Further, in the procedure of the invention, the telecommunication server identifies the A-party 's subscription and directs the charge for the call to that subscription. The call setup message is e.g. a short message (SMS, Short Message Service) or an USSD message. The procedure and system of the invention make it possible to achieve a quick and easy change of call setup direction. For a call that has been set up according to the invention, the only expenses are those arising from sending the message and from the actual call. In particular, the procedure and system of the invention allow easy input of the called number as this can be done directly on a GSM telephone before setup of the actual call, instead of e.g. via tone frequency selection during a call. In addition, the procedure and system of the invention identify the A- subscription, allowing the call to be charged to that subscription. In the system of the invention, user identification is as safe as in the GSM system at present . LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS In the following, the invention will be described in detail by the aid of a few examples of its embodiments, wherein Fig. 1 presents a system according to the invention; Fig. 2 presents a functional block diagram representing the procedure of the invention; and Fig. 3 presents a signalling diagram for the sys- tern of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The system presented in Fig. 1 comprises an A-party' s telecommunication terminal 1, which is e.g. a GSM telephone or a corresponding mobile station, a B-party's telecommunication terminal 2, which is a mobile station or a wired-network telephone, a mobile communication system 3 and a telecommunication server 4 connected to it and provided with means for handling messages and calls. In the procedure of the invention, an A-party 1 inputs a call setup message 5 on his/her mobile station, Fig. 2, block 2. The call setup message 5 contains the number of the B-party 2 with whom a tele- phone connection is to be established. The A-party 1 sends the call setup message 5 from his/her mobile station to the telecommunication server 4, block 22. If the transmission was unsuccessful, then a corresponding notice is sent to the user, block 23. If the transmission is successful, then the telecommunication server 4 receives the call setup message 5, block 24, and determines the B-party's telephone number on the basis of the call setup message 5, block 25. Next, the telecommunication server 4 identifies the A-party 's subscription, block 26, and directs the charge for the call to this subscription, block 27. After this, the telecommunication server 4 sets up a call to the A- party 1 and another call to the B-party 2, block 28, and connects these two calls so that a call from the B-party to the A-party is set up, block 29. In the procedure of the invention, the A- party's 1 subscription can naturally be identified before the B-party's subscription is determined from the call setup message 5. Fig. 3 presents an example of a signalling arrangement. The A-party 1 sends a call setup message 5 via the signalling channel of a telecommunication network 3 to an OSN server 4. In the OSN server 4 , the actions required for identifying the A-party 1 and B- party 2 are carried out, whereupon calls to the A- party 1 and to the B-party 2 are set up. The OSN server 4 connects the calls and, after receiving a call setdown request from the A-party 1 or B-party 2, disconnects the call. In a system as illustrated in Fig. 1, the telecommunication server 4 may be e.g. an OSN telecom- munication server (Open Service Node) . OSN is a system designed for the development and testing of intelligent networks and for the execution of service applications. It can be applied in the control of wired telephone networks, mobile communication networks and wide-band networks. OSN is based on an open system which can be expanded via software, permitting the addition of various telecommunication network components, such as ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) switches. Further, in the system presented in Fig. 1, the call setup message 5 is e.g. an USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) message. Using USSD operations, unstructured supplementary service data can be transmitted between a mobile station and a telecommunication network. The call setup message 5 can be transmitted using the CCITT common channel signalling standard SS7. The invention is not restricted to the examples of its embodiments described above, but many variations are possible within the scope of the inven- tive idea defined in the claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Procedure for setting up a telecommunication connection between an A-party located in country Cl and a B-party located in another country C2 in a telecommunication system comprising the A-party 's telecommunication terminal (1), the B-party's telecommunication terminal (2) , a telecommunication network (3) and a telecommunication server (4) , the latter comprising means for handling messages and setting up telecommunication connections, in which procedure the A-party's telecommunication terminal (1), the B- party's telecommunication terminal (2) and the telecommunication server (4) are connected to the telecommunication network (3), characteri zed in that the A-party sends a call setup message (5) to the telecommunication server (4) by means of his/her terminal (1) , the telecommunication server (4) sets up a first telecommunication connection to the A-party (1) ; based on the call setup message (5) , the telecommunication server (4) sets up a second telecommunication connection to the B-party; and the telecommunication server (4) connects the first and the second telecommunication connections so that a telecommunication connection is established from the B-party to the A-party. 2. Procedure as defined in claim 1, characteri zed in that the call setup message (5) contains the B-party's telephone number. 3. Procedure as defined in claims 1 and 2, characteri zed in that the telecommunication server (4) identifies the A-party's subscription and directs the charge for the call to the A-party's sub- scription. . Procedure as defined in any one of claims 1 - 3, characteri zed in that the call setup message (5) is a USSD message. 5. System for setting up a call between an A- party located in country Cl and a B-party located in another country C2 in a telecommunication system comprising the A-party's telecommunication terminal (1), the B-party's telecommunication terminal (2) a telecommunication network (3) and a telecommunication server (4) , the latter comprising means for handling messages and setting up telecommunication connections, in which system the A-party's telecommunication terminal (1), the B-party's telecommunication terminal (2) and the telecommunication server (4) are connected to the telecommunication network (3), characteri zed in that the A-party's telecommunication terminal (1) comprises means for sending a call setup message (5) to the telecommunication server (4) ; the telecommunication server (4) comprises means for identifying the B-party's subscription (2) on the basis of the call setup message (5) ; the telecommunication server (4) comprises means for setting up a telecommunication connection based on the call setup message (5) ; and the telecommunication server (4) comprises means for connecting the two telecommunication connections. 6. System as defined in claim 5, characteri zed in that the system comprises means (1) for including the B-party's telephone number in the call setup message (5) . 7. System as defined in claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the system comprises means (4) for identifying the A-party's subscription and directing the charge to the A-party's subscription. 8. System as defined in any one of claims 5 - , characterized in that the system comprises means (4) for handling USSD messages.

Inventors: LAHTINEN PASI, LAHTINEN, PASI
Applicants: LAHTINEN PASI, SONERA OYJ, LAHTINEN, PASI
Application year: 1999
Main classification: H04M3
IPC codes: H04M3