The development and widespread implementation of Common Channel Signaling (CCS) technology over the past several decades has made possible many, if not all, of the advanced or “intelligent” services typically associated with modern telephony networks. Because CCS-based telecommunication network architectures employ a signaling network that is distinct and separate from the communication network used to carry voice-related information, many of the problems associated with direct current (DC) signaling and signaling within the voice band (in-band signaling) are no longer present in modem telecommunication networks. An in-depth discussion of CCS network technology and the evolution of telecommunication networking can be found in Signaling System #7, Second Edition, January 1998, published by McGraw-Hill.
With regard to the advanced or “intelligent” services mentioned above, it will be appreciated that such Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)-type customer services include, but are not limited to Find Me service; Follow Me service; Computer Security service; Call Pickup service; Store Locator service; Call Waiting service; Call Block service; Three Way Calling service; 800 number services; and Calling Name (CNAM) Delivery service.
Find Me service allows a customer's calls to be forwarded to another location. The difference between this feature and current call forwarding functionality is the ability to screen unwanted calls from forwarding. Only authorized callers are forwarded to the new location. Similarly, Follow Me service allows a number to be forwarded on a time schedule. The subscriber determines the time forwarding is to take place when the feature is invoked. Destinations can include both wired and wireless telephones or handsets.
Computer Security service allows subscribers to prevent unauthorized callers from accessing a computer via modem. Only callers with the authorized access code or calling from an authorized number can access the computer. The SS7 network delivers the calling party number to the destination end office. This number is then checked in a database located with a Service Control Point (SCP), and, if authorized, is allowed, to connect with the modem. With Call Pickup service, when a call is placed to a number and is unanswered, the called party can be paged via radio pager. The called party can then dial a code from any telephone at any location and immediately be connected with the waiting caller. With regard to paging type services, manufacturers of such Personal Communications Services (PCS) devices have to date developed two-way pagers that connect a caller with the party being paged. The pager is a two-way transceiver capable of receiving calls (pages) and connecting the caller with the paged party.
Store Locator service allows businesses to advertise one number, and have callers automatically transferred to the nearest location based on the caller's telephone number. This allows businesses to advertise nationwide for all locations without special ads that are region specific. The calling party number is matched in a routing database located at a Service Control Point (SCP) and the SCP provides the end office with the routing instructions based on the calling party number. With Call Routing service, businesses can reroute calls during periods of excessively high call volumes or after business hours.
Of particular interest with regard to the invention disclosed and described herein, is Calling Name (CNAM) Delivery service. With Calling Name Delivery service, the name of the calling party is retrieved from a database and presented to the called party. Such a service effectively allows business and residential subscribers to screen incoming calls by reading the name of the calling party on a display built into the telephone set, or on an adjunct device. This provides subscribers with the ability to better manage interruptions and multiple calls. Businesses can provide priority to preferred callers, while residential customers can decide which calls to answer immediately, and which to send to their answering machine or voice messaging service.
From the standpoint of a service provider or carrier, CNAM service has both positive and negative economic considerations. Customers desire the convenience of such a feature, and are therefor willing to pay a modest fee for the service. However, off-setting the customer fee-based revenue stream is the expense associated with obtaining the calling party information required to provide the CNAM service.
Shown in FIG. 1 is a telecommunications network diagram illustrating a typical configuration employed by service providers provisioned to provide CNAM service to their customers. As such, FIG. 1 includes a telecommunication network, generally indicated by the numeral 100. Explicitly shown in Network 100 is a calling party (CgPA) 102 and a called party (CdPA) 104. Calling party 102 is communicatively coupled to an End Office (EO) or Service Switching Point (SSP) 106, while called party 104 is similarly coupled to an SSP 108. Network 100 further includes a number of Signal Transfer Points (STPs) which are owned and operated by different service providers. More particularly, network 100 includes STPs 110, 114, and 118 that are owned by Bell South, Illuminet, and Bell Atlantic, respectively. All of these STPs are connected either directly or indirectly via Signaling System 7 (SS7) links that collectively comprise the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) SS7 network 116. As further indicated in FIG. 1, STP 110 is locally connected to an SCP node 112 that contains CNAM-type information associated with customers serviced by Bell South. Similarly, STP 118 is locally connected to an SCP node 120 that contains CNAM-type information associated with customers serviced by Bell Atlantic.
It will be appreciated that placing a call involves connecting a calling party to a called party, and this is typically accomplished through the use of a CCS SS7 signaling network and a sequence of SS7 call control messages. With particular regard to CNAM delivery service, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of SS7 signaling that the SSP servicing the called party is required to formulate and launch an SS7 query requesting CNAM information associated with the calling party. Such calling party information is typically stored In SCP database nodes that are connected to the SS7 signaling network.
As such, it will be further appreciated that in the event that a calling party is serviced by the same carrier as the called party, then the required CNAM information can likely be found in a local CNAM database or SCP owned by the carrier. In such a case, the carrier would not be charged by a competitor for access to the required CNAM information, since the carrier owns the CNAM database that contains the required calling party information. However, if the calling party is serviced by a carrier other than the carrier servicing the called party, then there will likely be a cost associated with obtaining the required CNAM information. In practice, carriers typically charge one another access fees that are based on the number of CNAM queries received or CNAM database dips performed during a given time period.
The latter scenario is specifically illustrated in FIG. 1. In this case, calling party 102 is a customer of Bell South, while called party 104 is serviced by Bell Atlantic. As such, when SSP 108 is notified via an SS7 call setup message that calling party 102 is requesting a connection with called party 104, a CNAM query must be sent through the SS7 network to the CNAM SCP 112 owned by the calling party's carrier, Bell South. It will also be appreciated that, in route to CNAM SCP 112, the CNAM query message is switched through the hub provider (Illuminet) owned STP 114. Consequently, in order to provide the called party 104 with Calling Name delivery service, the called party's carrier (Bell Atlantic) must pay CNAM query routing and processing related fees to both the hub provider (Illuminet) and the calling party's carrier (Bell South).
It will also be appreciated that as the porting of customers (i.e., local number portability & mobile number portability) becomes more prevalent within telecommunication networks, the process of obtaining CNAM information from competing carriers will simultaneously become more complicated, more prone to failure, and potentially more expensive. In such a case, the called party carrier must first identify the competing carrier that services or “owns” the calling party. In some cases, this may require pay-per-use access to a number portability database, and consequently an increased overall cost associated with the providing of inter-service-provider CNAM service.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method of accessing CNAM information for any calling party that does not require the accessing of carrier specific CNAM databases.