PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8380209-B1
Application Number: US-82659104-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Providing information to a caller based on a called mobile terminal&#39;s temporary directory number

Abstract:
When a caller initiates a call to a mobile terminal that is served by visited switch, information is provided to the caller based on the temporary directory number assigned to the mobile terminal by the visited switch. The information provided to the caller may relate to the location of the mobile terminal, include call processing options for the caller, or a combination thereof. When call processing options are provided, the caller may select an option and have the call processed accordingly. For example, the call processing options may include being routed to voicemail, a third party, or the originally called party. Other criteria may be used to assist in selecting the information to provide to the caller, such as the identification of the caller, the time, date, or differences in time zones between the home and visited networks.

Claims:
1. A method comprising:
 a) determining a call from a caller is being initiated to a mobile terminal, which is served by a visited switch; 
 b) obtaining a temporary directory number to use for routing the call to the mobile terminal through the visited switch; and 
 c) determining information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the information to provide to the caller provides a plurality of call processing options for processing the call. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  further comprising determining a selection of the caller corresponding to one of the plurality of call processing options for processing the call. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  further comprising effecting establishment of a connection to a terminal from which the call was initiated, wherein the selection is received from the caller via the connection. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3  further comprising effecting processing of the call based on the selection. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the call is routed to the mobile terminal in response to the selection. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5  wherein the call is routed to a voicemail system associated with the mobile terminal in response to the selection. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5  wherein the call is routed to another telephony terminal in response to the selection. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  further comprising effecting delivery of a message to the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  further comprising receiving call processing instructions from the mobile terminal in response to the message and effecting call processing according to the call processing instructions. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the message includes a message from the caller. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  further comprising effecting establishment of a connection to a terminal from which the call was initiated and effecting delivery of the information to the caller via the connection. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  wherein the information to provide to the caller provides information bearing on the location of the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing a profile defining rules for determining the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein the profile is established by a subscriber associated with the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to charges to be applied to the call, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the charges to be applied to the call. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to a relative location of the mobile terminal, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the relative location. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to a time zone in which the mobile terminal is located, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the time zone. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to a metro area range in which the mobile terminal is located, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the metro area range. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to a national range in which the mobile terminal is located, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the national range. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to an international range in which the mobile terminal is located, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the international range. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 1  wherein the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the caller initiating the call. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 1  wherein the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on time, date, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 1  wherein the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on a time zone in which the mobile terminal is located. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 1  wherein the temporary directory number is retrieved from a home location register, which retrieves the temporary directory number from a visited location register associated with the visited switch. 
     
     
       26. A system comprising:
 a) at least one communication interface; and 
 b) a control system associated with the at least one communication interface and adapted to:
 i) determine a call from a caller is being initiated to a mobile terminal, which is served by a visited switch; 
 ii) obtain a temporary directory number to use for routing the call to the mobile terminal through the visited switch; and 
 iii) determine information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number. 
 
 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 26  wherein the information to provide to the caller provides a plurality of call processing options for processing the call. 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 27  wherein the control system is further adapted to determine a selection of the caller corresponding to one of the plurality of call processing options for processing the call. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 28  wherein the control system is further adapted to effect establishment of a connection to a terminal from which the call was initiated, wherein the selection is received from the caller via the connection. 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 28  wherein the control system is further adapted to effect processing of the call based on the selection. 
     
     
       31. The system of  claim 30  wherein the call is routed to the mobile terminal in response to the selection. 
     
     
       32. The system of  claim 30  wherein the call is routed to a voicemail system associated with the mobile terminal in response to the selection. 
     
     
       33. The system of  claim 30  wherein the call is routed to another telephony terminal in response to the selection. 
     
     
       34. The system of  claim 26  wherein the control system is further adapted to effect delivery of a message to the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 34  wherein the control system is further adapted to receive call processing instructions provided from the mobile terminal in response to the message and effect call processing according to the call processing instructions. 
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 35  wherein the message includes a message from the caller. 
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 26  wherein the control system is further adapted to effect establishment of a connection to a terminal from which the call was initiated and effect delivery of the information to the caller via the connection. 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 26  wherein the information to provide to the caller provides information bearing on a location of the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 26  wherein the control system is further adapted to provide a profile defining rules for determining the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number. 
     
     
       40. The system of  claim 39  wherein the profile is established by a subscriber associated with the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       41. The system of  claim 26  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to charges to be applied to the call, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the charges to be applied to the call. 
     
     
       42. The system of  claim 26  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to a location of the mobile terminal, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the relative location. 
     
     
       43. The system of  claim 26  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to a time zone in which the mobile terminal is located, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the time zone. 
     
     
       44. The system of  claim 26  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to a metro area range in which the mobile terminal is located, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the metro area range. 
     
     
       45. The system of  claim 26  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to a national range in which the mobile terminal is located, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the national range. 
     
     
       46. The system of  claim 26  wherein the temporary directory number corresponds to an international range in which the mobile terminal is located, and the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the international range. 
     
     
       47. The system of  claim 26  wherein the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on the caller initiating the call. 
     
     
       48. The system of  claim 26  wherein the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on time, date, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       49. The system of  claim 26  wherein the information to provide to the caller based on the temporary directory number is determined based on a time zone in which the mobile terminal is located. 
     
     
       50. The system of  claim 26  wherein the temporary directory number is retrieved from a home location register, which retrieves the temporary directory number from a visited location register associated with the visited switch.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to mobile communications, and in particular to processing incoming calls intended for a mobile terminal based on a temporary directory number, which is assigned to the mobile terminal while it is roaming. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the extensive penetration of wireless communications, people may be contacted through their mobile terminals virtually anywhere and at any time. Given such communication freedom, wireless users may want to control or otherwise restrict the calls they receive, especially when traveling, for both economy and convenience. Although the wireless users may use caller identification to screen calls, the caller identification information may not be available. Further, the caller identification is not received unless the call is received, and thus, the wireless user will be disrupted upon receiving the incoming call. When traveling, wireless users may want to restrict when calls will be received, or if calls will be received. The wireless user may prefer to receive only business-related calls while on business trips, and only personal calls while on vacation. When traveling in different time zones, certain time limitations may be desirable for incoming calls based on sleep or work requirements. If calls are blocked or forwarded to voicemail, it would be beneficial to provide the caller with information indicating why the call was handled in such a manner. Based on such information, it would be further beneficial to provide the caller with options in light of the wireless user&#39;s situation or location. These options could include leaving a voicemail, continuing with the call, or being forwarded to another person or telephony device. 
     The wireless user may also want to avoid roaming or long distance charges for all or certain calls, depending on the wireless user&#39;s current location. Although techniques are available that allow wireless users to have their calls forwarded to other telephony terminals or to voicemail, the configuration requirements to implement forwarding are often manually intensive. As such, the wireless users often forget or do not bother to go through the extra effort to set up call forwarding. 
     In essence, the location of a wireless user often dictates the wireless user&#39;s desires for receiving incoming calls. As such, there is a need for a technique to allow wireless users to efficiently and effectively control how incoming calls are processed and ultimately routed based on the wireless user&#39;s location. There is a further need to provide such processing in an automated fashion, wherein the processing rules may automatically change based on the user&#39;s location, without requiring the wireless user to constantly reconfigure the processing rules when moving from one location to another. There is a further need to provide information indicating why the call is being processed as it is to the caller, as well as provide the caller with options on how to proceed in light of the wireless user&#39;s situation or location. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     When a caller initiates a call to a mobile terminal that is roaming outside of a home network into a visited network, information is provided to the caller based on the temporary directory number assigned to the mobile terminal in the visited network. The information provided to the caller may relate to the location of the mobile terminal, include call processing options for the caller, or a combination thereof. When call processing options are provided, the caller may select an option and have the call processed accordingly. For example, the call processing options may include being routed to voicemail, a third party, or the originally called party. Other criteria may be used to assist in selecting the information to provide to the caller, such as the identification of the caller, the time, date, or differences in time zones between the home and visited networks. 
     The selection of the information, including any call processing options, to provide to the caller may be based on a set of rules derived from a profile established by the originally called party who is associated with the mobile terminal. The profile may be configured to provide different information and call processing options for different calls, depending on any of the above factors, including different groups of people. The home and visited networks may be formed from circuit-switched or packet-based networks associated with wired or wireless communications. 
     When a call is initiated, the home network for the mobile terminal will determine that a call is being initiated to the roaming mobile terminal. The temporary directory number is obtained from the visited network in which the mobile terminal is roaming. The temporary directory number is then used to determine the information to provide to the caller. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present invention and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is block representation of a communication environment according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are a communication flow diagram illustrating the operation of the present invention according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2C  is a communication flow diagram illustrating the operation of the present invention according to a first alternative embodiment. 
         FIG. 2D  is a communication flow diagram illustrating the operation of the present invention according to a second alternative embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary call processing scenario according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a block representation of a communication environment according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a block representation of a communication environment according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a block representation of a service node according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and illustrate the best mode of practicing the invention. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the invention and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims. 
     The present invention uses a temporary directory number (TDN), which is assigned to a mobile terminal when roaming, to determine how to process incoming calls directed to the mobile terminal. The TDN assigned to the mobile terminal may be indicative of the location of the mobile terminal, billing associated with calls to the mobile terminal, or a combination thereof. The user of the mobile terminal may establish a profile, which provides rules for processing the incoming calls based on the TDN or information associated therewith, alone or in combination with other criteria, such as time of day, the caller, time zone delays, and the like. Based on the TDN and the rules of the profile, call processing options are provided to the caller. The caller will select a call processing option, and the call will be processed accordingly. The call may be processed in a number of ways, including determining whether to route the call to the mobile terminal or to another telephone, determining not to continue with the call, or deciding to route the call to voicemail. Those skilled in the art will recognize other routing alternatives in light of the teachings herein. 
     Prior to delving into further details regarding the present invention, an overview of a cellular communication environment  10  is described in  FIG. 1  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The cellular communication environment  10  supports cellular communications with a mobile terminal  12  using cellular communication techniques. In general, the mobile terminal  12  is associated with a gateway mobile switching center (MSC)  14 , which acts as a home switch for the mobile terminal  12 . Communications with the mobile terminal  12  through the gateway MSC  14  are provided through a first network of base stations  16 , such that when the mobile terminal  12  is serviced by the first network of base stations  16 , calls may be originated or received through the gateway MSC  14 . 
     When the mobile terminal  12  is roaming outside of the coverage area afforded by the first network of base stations  16 , and thus the service area for the gateway MSC  14 , cellular communications with the mobile terminal  12  are facilitated through a visited MSC  18  and an associated second network of base stations  20 . Incoming calls to the mobile terminal  12  will be received by the gateway MSC  14 , which will forward the calls over a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)  22  to the visited MSC  18 . The visited MSC  18  will then cooperate with the second network of base stations  20  to establish calls with the mobile terminal  12 . Notably, the mobile terminal  12  is associated with a primary directory number, which is referenced as DN 1  herein. The primary directory number is also associated with the gateway MSC  14 , such that calls intended for the primary directory number are sent to the gateway MSC  14 . When the mobile terminal  12  is roaming, the gateway MSC  14  must retrieve a temporary directory number, which is temporarily assigned to the mobile terminal  12  when it is being serviced by the visited MSC  18 . 
     To keep track of the mobile terminal  12  and orchestrate the assignment and distribution of the TDN for call routing, a home location register (HLR)  24  and a visited location register (VLR)  26  are provided. The HLR  24  is generally associated with the gateway MSC  14  and provides a database that contains semi-permanent mobile subscriber information for a given service provider. The HLR subscriber information includes identification information for the mobile terminal  12  or the subscriber, service subscription information outlining available services to which the subscriber is entitled, location information, service restrictions, and supplementary services information. The location information will generally include the identity of the currently servicing VLR  26 , which is associated with the visited MSC  18 . The HLR  24  will retrieve the TDN via the VLR  26 . 
     The VLR  26  is associated with the visited MSC  18  and includes a database containing temporary information concerning the mobile terminals  12  that are currently located in the visited MSC&#39;s service area, but whose HLRs  24  are located elsewhere. Thus, when a mobile terminal  12  roams into the service area for the visited MSC  18 , the visited MSC  18  and the VLR  26  will cooperate to create a temporary record for the mobile terminal  12 . The record is generally stored in the VLR  26 , and may include the TDN, which is generally dynamically assigned when the mobile terminal  12  receives or places a call within the service area of the visited MSC  18 . When an incoming call intended for a roaming mobile terminal  12  is received at the gateway MSC  14 , the gateway MSC  14  will access the HLR  24  to obtain the TDN for the mobile terminal  12 . To provide the TDN for the mobile terminal  12 , the HLR  24  will access the VLR  26 . The HLR  24  will know which VLR  26  to access, because the VLR  26  will pass on the registration of the mobile terminal  12  to the HLR  24  when the mobile terminal  12  comes within the service area of the visited MSC  18 . The VLR  16  may interact with the visited MSC  18  to assign the TDN for the mobile terminal  12 . The HLR  24  and the VLR  26  may communicate over a signaling network  28 , such as the Signaling Systems 7 (SS7) network, which also connects to the gateway MSC  14  and the visited MSC  18  and provides a mechanism through which call signaling is provided. 
     As noted above, call routing logic is provided in association with the gateway MSC  14  to determine how to process incoming calls intended for a roaming mobile terminal  12  based on the TDN. The call routing logic may be provided in a service node  30 , which may be separate from or incorporated within the gateway MSC  14 . For purposes of clarity in illustration, the service node  30  is provided herein as a separate entity. When a call intended for a roaming mobile terminal  12  is received, the gateway MSC  14  will access the HLR  24  to obtain the TDN and subsequently access the service node  30  for call processing instructions. In one embodiment, the call processing instructions from the service node  30  cause call processing related instructions to be provided to the caller. Based on the response to the instructions, the call will then be routed accordingly. 
     The TDN will be associated with a general location of the mobile terminal  12 , and this location information will be used to determine the call processing options to provide to the caller. For example, the options may include selections to route the call to the mobile terminal  12 , route the call to another telephone terminal, or route the call to voicemail. The options may vary based on the caller, time and/or date, time zone, or any other desirable criteria. In other embodiments, the call may be blocked, without providing options. Further, the options may be presented to the caller in a manner explaining why the options are being provided. 
     The TDN or location may also bear on the charges that will be applied to the subscriber for the mobile terminal  12 , if the incoming call is routed to the mobile terminal  12 . In addition to using the TDN as routing criteria, other criteria may be used in association with the TDN to provide a more sophisticated rule set for call processing and the selection of call processing options that are provide to the user. Thus, the location or billing information may be used in combination with other information, such as caller identification, time of day, date, time zone differences between those associated with the gateway MSC  14  and that of the visited MSC  18 , and the like. Those skilled in the art will recognize numerous criteria for establishing processing rules and identifying call processing options to provide to the caller. A common set of processing rules and caller options may be applied to every incoming call, or different sets of call rules and options may be provided for different groups of callers, times, dates, and the like. 
     The cellular communication environment  10  may also include a voicemail (VM) system  32  associated with the gateway MSC  14 . Also illustrated is a telephone terminal  34 , which is connected to the PSTN  22  and is associated with a directory number DN 0 . The telephone terminal  34  is the entity from which calls to the mobile terminal  12  are initiated throughout the following description. 
     For packet-based communications, access to a packet network  36  may be provided via a mobile packet network  38 , such as a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, which is illustrated as being connected to the second network of based stations  20 . In general, voice calls are routed to the visited MSC  18 , wherein packet sessions are routed to the packet network  36  via the mobile packet network  38 . Further, the service node  30  may be able to communicate over the packet network  36 . Additionally, a short message service center (SMSC)  40  may be provided to facilitate a short message service (SMS) for the mobile terminal via the gateway MSC  14  or visited MSC  18 . In one embodiment, information about the incoming call, caller, or the caller&#39;s call processing decisions may be sent to the mobile terminal  12  via a SMS message. The service node  30  may cooperate with the SMSC  40  to allow the user of the mobile terminal  12  to screen the incoming call. The screening is provided by allowing the user to review the call information and provide feedback to the service node  30  via a responsive SMS message to control how the call should be processed. 
     To facilitate interaction with the caller, an interactive voice response (IVR) system  42  is provided. The IVR system  42  will be able to provide announcements to the caller, which will include the selected call processing options, and receive a response selecting an option from the caller. Based on the response, the IVR  42  can provide instructions to the gateway MSC  14  on how to process the call. As will be described below, the service node  30 , gateway MSC  14  and the IVR system  42  cooperate with one another to determine the options to provide to the caller, provide the options to the caller, receive the response from the caller, and process or route the call accordingly. Other systems in addition to IVR systems may be used to facilitate interaction with the caller as those skilled in the art will recognize. 
     In the exemplary communication flow of  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the TDN of a roaming mobile terminal  12  is used to select call processing options for an incoming call to provide to the caller. The caller&#39;s response is ultimately used in determining how to process the call. In this embodiment, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) call signaling messages are used, but those skilled in the art will recognize that any call signaling format or protocol may be used. Initially, the mobile terminal  12  will move into a service area supported by a visited MSC (V-MSC)  18 , and send a Registration message including its mobile identification number (MIN) to the visited MSC  18  via the second network of base stations  20  (step  100 ). The visited MSC  18  will then send a Registration Notification (REGNOT) message including the MIN to the associated VLR  26  (step  102 ). The VLR  26  will then send a REGNOT message to the HLR  24  with the MIN (step  104 ). The HLR  24  will store information indicating that the VLR  26  is the servicing VLR for the mobile terminal  12 , and send a REGNOT Response back to the VLR  26  (step  106 ). The REGNOT Response may include the MIN and any user profile information necessary for providing service to the mobile terminal  12 . The VLR  26  will forward the REGNOT Response to the visited MSC  18  (step  108 ), which will send a Registration Acknowledgement (ACK) to the mobile terminal  12  (step  110 ). At this point, the mobile terminal  12  is registered with the visited MSC  18 , and the HLR  24  is aware of the location of the mobile terminal  12 . 
     Next, assume telephone terminal  34  associated with directory number DN 0  initiates a call to the mobile terminal  12  using the primary directory number, DN 1 . As such, an Integrated Services User Part (ISUP) Initial Address Message (IAM) including the directory numbers for the calling and called parties, DN 0  and DN 1 , respectively, is received at the gateway MSC (G-MSC)  14  (step  112 ). The gateway MSC  14  will send a Location Request (LOCREQ) message including directory number DN 1  to the HLR  24  (step  114 ). The HLR  24  will associate directory number DN 1  with the MIN of the mobile terminal  12 , and send a Route Request (ROUTREQ) message including the MIN to the servicing VLR  26  (step  116 ). The VLR  26  may send a ROUTREQ message to the visited MSC  18  (step  118 ), which will provide a TDN in association with the MIN of the mobile terminal  12 . The visited MSC  18  will then send a ROUTREQ Response to the VLR  26  including the TDN (step  120 ). The VLR  26  will forward the ROUTREQ Response to the HLR  24  including the TDN (step  122 ). At this point, the HLR  24  will send the TDN in a LOCREQ Response to the gateway MSC  14  (step  124 ). Upon receipt of the TDN, the gateway MSC  14  will interact with the service node  30  to receive instructions on how to process the incoming call. In particular, the gateway MSC  14  may send an Intelligent Network (IN) Information Analyzed message identifying the calling and called parties by their respective directory numbers (DN 0  and TDN), as well as the originally intended directory number (DN 1 ) (step  126 ). The service node  30  will receive this information and select a call processing rule for directory number DN 1  (step  128 ). Based on the selected rule, the service node  30  will determine the available call processing options to provide to the caller in light of the TDN assigned to the mobile terminal  12  (step  130 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the service node  30  will select one of a number of predefined announcements, which are stored in the IVR  42 . 
     The service node  30  will access a profile associated with the subscriber, preferably using the originally intended directory number, DN 1 , and based on the TDN and any other criteria required by the rules, determine how to instruct the gateway MSC  14  to process the incoming call. The service node  30  may be able to use the TDN to determine billing information, which may need to meet billing criteria established by the subscriber before determining the options to provide to the caller and how to ultimately process the call. In another scenario, the respective time zones may be taken into consideration to ensure that the subscriber is not interrupted in the middle of the night when traveling abroad. Again, the time zone information may be derived from the TDN by the service node  30 . 
     In this example, assume the service node  30  determines that IVR announcement # 4  should be provided to the caller. The IVR announcement will inherently include the selected call processing options to provide to the caller based on the TDN of the roaming mobile terminal  12 . As such, the service node  30  may send an IN Send To Resource message, which will instruct the gateway MSC  14  to have the IVR system  42  provide IVR announcement # 4  (step  132 ). The instruction may also include the number of digits to collect from the caller in response to the announcement. In this example, the IVR system  42  will collect one digit as a response, wherein the digit will identify one of the numerous call processing options provided in IVR announcement # 4 . The gateway MSC  14  will then send a message to the IVR system  42 , such as in the form of a Primary Rate Interface (PRI) Setup message, which identifies IVR announcement # 4  and the number of digits to collect from the caller (step  134 ). The IVR system  42  will respond by sending a PRI Alerting message back to the gateway MSC  14  (step  136 ). The gateway MSC  14  will then forward an ISUP Address Complete Message (ACM) back through the PSTN  22  toward the telephony switch supporting the telephone  34  (step  138 ). When the IVR system  42  is ready to connect to the incoming call, a PRI Connect message is sent to the gateway MSC  14  (step  140 ), which will send an ISUP Answer Message (ANM) back through the PSTN  22  toward the telephony switch supporting the telephone  34  (step  142 ). At this point, a voice connection is established between the telephone  34  and the IVR system  42  (step  144 ). 
     The IVR system  42  will audibly play the announcement to the caller (step  146 ). In this example, assume IVR announcement # 4  states that, “The user is traveling, local time is 5:00 AM, if you want to leave a voicemail, press 1. If you would like to be connected with the user, press 2. If you would like to be forwarded to an operator, press 0 . . . ” (step  146 ). The caller may provide a response by speaking the number 1 or pressing the number 1 on the keypad of the telephone  34 . In either case, the IVR system  42  will either receive a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tone corresponding to the number 1, or will be able to recognize the caller&#39;s speech and determine that the selection is “1” (step  148 ). The IVR system  42  will then send a Call Information From Resource message back to the gateway MSC  14  indicating that the caller&#39;s response was “1,” which corresponds to routing the call to the voicemail system  32  (step  150 ). The gateway MSC  14  will then forward the Call Information From Resource message to the service node  30  (step  152 ), which will send an IN Cancel Resource message to the gateway MSC  14  to end the session with the IVR system  42  (step  154 ), and then send an IN Forward Call message to instruct the gateway MSC  14  to forward the incoming call to the voicemail system  32  (step  156 ). The gateway MSC  14  will then send a Setup message to the voicemail system  32  (step  158 ), which will respond with a Connect message (step  160 ), wherein a voice connection is established between the caller and the voicemail system  32  (step  162 ). At this point, the caller can leave a voicemail message in the voicemail system  32  for the user of the mobile terminal  12 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2C , assume that one of the options provided to the caller was to continue with the call, and that the caller selected the option to continue with the call. Once the service node  30  receives the Call Information From Resource message indicating the caller&#39;s selection corresponding to routing the call to the mobile terminal  12 , the service node  30  would send an IN Continue message to the gateway MSC  14  (step  164 ) after sending the IN Cancel Resource message (in step  154 ). 
     The gateway MSC  14  will send an ISUP IAM including the calling and called directory numbers (DN 0  and TDN, respectively) toward the visited MSC  18  (step  166 ). Upon receipt of the ISUP IAM, the visited MSC  18  will send a Ringing signal to the mobile terminal  12  to alert the mobile terminal  12  of an incoming call (step  168 ), as well as forward an ISUP Address Complete Message (ACM) back toward the gateway MSC  14  (step  170 ). The gateway MSC  14  will then send the ISUP ACM through the PSTN  22  in traditional fashion (step  172 ) to alert the telephony switch supporting the telephone terminal  34  that the call is progressing. When the mobile terminal  12  is answered, an Answer message is received by the visited MSC  18  (step  174 ), which will forward an ISUP ANM toward the gateway MSC  14  (step  176 ). The gateway MSC  14  will then forward the ISUP ANM through the PSTN  22  in traditional fashion (step  178 ). At this point, a voice connection is established between the telephone terminal  34  and the mobile terminal  12  through the gateway MSC  14  and the visited MSC  18  (step  180 ). 
     With reference to  FIG. 2D , yet another option for call processing is illustrated. In this example, the caller is provided an option to record a short message, which will be sent via a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message to the mobile terminal  12 . Accordingly, assume that the IVR system  42  is instructed to play an announcement to the caller stating that, “The user is traveling, local time is 5:00 AM, if you want to leave a voicemail, press 1 . . . If you want to leave a short message to be delivered directly to the called party, press 5,” (step  182 ). Assume that the user presses the number 5 on the keypad of the telephone  34  or speaks “five” in response to the message (step  184 ). The IVR system  42  will recognize the response as corresponding to the option to leave a short message, and will play another announcement, “Record your message at the tone,” and will provide a tone (step  186 ). The caller will leave the short message, and the IVR system  42  will then send a Call Information From Resource message to the gateway MSC  14  indicating that call processing option 5 was selected, and will include the sound file of the caller&#39;s message (step  188 ). The gateway MSC  14  will forward the Call Information From Resource message to the service node  30  (step  190 ), which will send an IN Cancel Resource message to the gateway MSC  14  to cancel the IVR system session (step  192 ), as well as send an IN Release message to the gateway MSC  14  to end the incoming call attempt (step  194 ). The gateway MSC  14  will respond by sending an ISUP Release message back through the PSTN  22  to the telephony switch supporting the telephone  34  (step  196 ). 
     The service node  30  may then send a Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) message including the sound file or the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for where the sound file is stored and preferably the caller identification (caller ID) associated with the caller to the short message service center  40  (step  198 ), which will forward the SMPP message to the mobile terminal  12  (step  199 ). Notably, the message may be sent to the mobile terminal  12  via the visited MSC  18  or through the mobile packet network  38 . Further, the short message may be used for call screening, such that the original call is placed on hold until a response from the mobile terminal  12  is received deciding whether to allow the call to continue to the mobile terminal  12  or be routed to voicemail, to another telephone, or the like. The Short Message Service message may come in the form of an audio file attached to the Short Message Service message, or may include text provided by the caller or converted from the speech provided by the caller. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary flow diagram is provided illustrating how the TDN may be used to determine how to process the incoming call, and in particular how to select different call processing options to provide to the caller, based on the relative location of the mobile terminal  12 . Again, the location is derived from the TDN assigned to the mobile terminal  12 . Initially, the service node  30  will receive the call information (step  200 ) and determine whether the TDN is within the home network of the subscriber&#39;s service plan (step  202 ). The home network is the wireless network to which the mobile terminal  12  subscribes and includes the home switch. Assuming the mobile terminal  12  is outside of its home network, the service node  30  may then determine whether the TDN is associated with a metro area range, which is associated with a smaller geographic area, such as a city (step  204 ). If the mobile terminal  12  is within the metro area range, the service node  30  will apply roaming metro area rules (step  206 ), and send instructions for call processing to the gateway MSC  14  (step  208 ). If the TDN is not in a metro area range (step  204 ), the service node  30  may then determine whether or not the TDN is within a national range (step  210 ). If the mobile terminal  12  is within a national range, the service node  30  will apply roaming national rules (step  212 ), and then send instructions for call processing to the gateway MSC  14  (step  208 ). If the TDN is not in a national range (step  210 ), the service node  30  may apply roaming international rules (step  214 ), and send instructions for call processing to the gateway MSC  14  (step  208 ). 
     If the TDN is within its home network (step  202 ), the service node  30  may still play a role in call processing. For example, the service node  30  may first determine whether the TDN is within a metro area range (step  216 ). If the TDN is within a metro range, but not roaming, a second set of metro area rules may be applied (step  218 ), and appropriate instructions are sent to the gateway MSC  14  for call processing (step  208 ). If the TDN is not within a metro area range (step  216 ), the service node  30  may determine if the TDN is within a national range (step  220 ). If within the national range, the service node  30  may apply a second set of national rules (step  222 ) and send instructions to the gateway MSC  14  for call processing (step  208 ). If the TDN is not within a national range (step  220 ), the service node  30  may apply a second set of international rules (step  224 ) and send instructions to the gateway MSC  14  for call processing (step  208 ). Thus, the rules applied in steps  218 ,  222 , and  224  are those when the mobile terminal  12  is within its home network but is not served by its home switch, the gateway MSC  14 . Those rules applied in steps  206 ,  212 , and  214  are applied when the mobile terminal  12  is outside of its home network. Any of these rules may be further based on the relative billing charges, the caller, the time of day, date, and the like. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , an alternative cellular communication environment  10  is provided, wherein instead of traditional circuit-switched communications, at least a portion of a call to a mobile terminal  12  is facilitated through packet-based communications. As illustrated, first and second media gateways  44  and  46  are associated with a call server  48 , which acts as a media gateway controller and cooperates with the media gateways  44  and  46  to facilitate the basic functionality provided by a gateway MSC  14  ( FIG. 1 ). The collection of the first and second media gateways  44  and  46  and the call server  48  is generally referred to as a gateway service center  50 , and is used to facilitate communications over a packet network  36 . In particular, the first media gateway  44  provides an interface between the PSTN  22  and the packet network  36 , wherein the second media gateway  46  provides an interface between the packet network  36  and the first network of base stations  16 . 
     In a similar fashion, a third media gateway  54  and a call server  56  cooperate to provide the basic functionality of the visited MSC  18 , and are generally referred to as a visited service center  58 . The third media gateway  54  provides an interface between the packet network  36  and the second network of base stations  20 , and will cooperate with the call server  56  to allow calls to be established over the packet network  36  and through the third media gateway  54  to the mobile terminal  12  via the second network of base stations  20 . As described above, for an incoming call intended for directory number DN 1  or any like address associated with the mobile terminal  12 , call server  48  will interact with the HLR  24  to obtain the TDN, and then interact with the service node  30  to determine how to process the incoming call. The VLR  26  and call server  48  will cooperate such that the VLR  26  will be able to obtain the TDN for the mobile terminal  12  when being serviced through the visited service center  58 . Cooperation between the HLR  24  and the VLR  26  is essentially facilitated as described above. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , a third alternative cellular communication environment  10  is provided. In this embodiment, a fourth media gateway  60  provides an interface between the PSTN  22 , which supports telephone terminal  34 , and the packet network  36 . A fifth media gateway  62  provides an interface between the packet network  36  and the PSTN  22 , which couples to the visited MSC  18 . Instead of the mobile terminal  12  being supported via a first network of base stations  16  as provided in  FIG. 1 , the mobile terminal  12  is supported using local wireless communication techniques, such as those used for wireless local area networks (WLANs). These WLANs may incorporate various 802.11, Bluetooth, and like local wireless communication technologies, wherein wireless communications are provided over a limited range that is generally substantially less than that provided through the cellular networks. A local wireless interface may be provided via an access network  64 , which terminates in an access point (AP)  66  that is capable of facilitating local wireless communications with the mobile terminal  12 . As such, the mobile terminal  12  is capable of operating in at least two different modes: a first mode in which communications are established using local wireless communication techniques, and a second mode in which communications are established using cellular techniques. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, communications intended for the mobile terminal  12  via the local wireless interface, such as those facilitated through the access point  66 , are associated with the primary directory number DN 1 . For an incoming call intended for directory number DN 1 , the fourth media gateway  60  will cooperate with the service node  30  to determine how to route the call. The service node  30  will determine how to instruct the fourth media gateway  60  to route the call based on the TDN received from the HLR  24 . As noted above, the TDN is received by the HLR  24  from the VLR  26  when the mobile terminal  12  is roaming outside of the home servicing area. 
     The terms “call” and “directory number” as used above are used in a generic sense. As such, a call may represent any type of communication session established with the mobile terminal  12 , and needs not be a voice session. Further, the term directory number is used for clarity and conciseness, but is intended to include any type of addressing scheme used for addressing, routing calls to, and establishing calls with the mobile terminal  12 . The addresses may include numbers, text, or non-alphanumeric characters, and may take the form of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or like address. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 7 , a block representation of a service node  30  is provided. The service node  30  may include a control system  68  with sufficient memory  70  to store the requisite software  72  and data  74  used to provide the functionality described above. The control system  68  may also be associated with one or more communication interfaces  76  to facilitate communications with the various media gateways, mobile switching centers, call servers, HLRs, and other devices with which communications are necessary. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20040416
Publication Date: 20130219
Grant Date: 20130219
Priority Date: 20040416
Inventors: SYLVAIN DANY
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04M3/42093", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M3/42348", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M3/42093", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M3/42348", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 47682898