Patent ID: 7269428

Claim:
A method for processing an information request in a communication network, comprising: sending, by a requesting side, a request for specific information of a subscriber to a first element of said communication network, the requesting side comprising an external user other than said subscriber; receiving, at the first element of the communication network, the request for subscriber specific information; processing, by the communication network, the request for said subscriber specific information, wherein in said processing of a second network element is triggered, said processing further comprising determining, based on a preset decision mode indicator, when a preset request response should be considered, the preset decision mode indicator being selectively switched between a first and a second value, by the subscriber as desired; and when the value of the preset decision mode indicator is the second value, contacting, in response to the triggering of the second network element and without considering the preset request response of said subscriber, transmitting a message indicating said request of said requesting side to the subscriber, said message asking said subscriber for a request response regarding whether to release said subscriber specific information when the value of the preset decision mode indicator is the first value, determining a request response regarding whether to release said subscriber specific information based on the preset request response previously indicated by said subscriber; receiving and determining said request response of said subscriber; and forwarding said subscriber specific information to said requesting side when a permission for releasing is present, and refusing the request for said subscriber specific information when no permission for releasing is present.