Patent ID: 7986656

Claim:
A method for inter-network communication between a first user and a second user, the method comprising: receiving, by a signaling transfer point (STP) system, a first request for a location associated with the second user, the first request being sent by a first switching system for a first network in response to a second request, the second request being made by the first user to establish a communication with the second user, wherein the first network comprises a first network type; processing, by the STP system, information associated with the first request by querying a common database for the first network and the second network; determining, by the STP system, a network identifier for a second network related to the location associated with the second user based on at least information associated with the first request, wherein the second network comprises a second network type different from the first network type, and wherein the first network and the second network co-exist in a single provider and as such said common database is maintained for both the first network and the second network; sending, by the STP system, a location message to the first switching system, the location message including the network identifier for the second network; receiving, by the STP system, a third request for routing information associated with the second user in the second network, the third request being sent from a second switching system for the second network; based on second user information contained in said third request, determining, by the STP system, a location directory in the second network for the second user, the location directory being capable of determining roaming information for the second user in the second network; receiving, by the STP system, the roaming information for the second user from the location directory as a response to said third request; and sending, by the STP system, the roaming information to the second switching system, the second switching system being capable of establishing the communication with the second user, such that the first user and the second user are capable of having number portability between the first network of the first type and the second network of the second type.