Extended number portability database services

Abstract

A system and method for providing portability of internet addressing maintains additional IP addressing information in number portability databases located throughout provider domains in a telecommunications network. This additional IP addressing information, in conjunction with additional Number Portability Request messaging information, permits portability of addresses across telecommunication and data communication networks in a transparent fashion.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of routing calls through a communications network comprising the steps of: 
 a) initiating a call from a first subscriber in a call-originating domain to a second subscriber in a data communications domain;    b) transmitting a first message from a first node in said call-originating domain to a database in said call-originating domain;    c) locating a current data communication network node parameter in said database, wherein said network node parameter is associated with said second subscriber;    d) transmitting a second message that includes said located data communication network node parameter from said database to said first node;    e) routing said call from said first node to a data communications address indicated by said located data communication network node parameter; and    f) updating said database when said second subscriber changes membership from a first communication network provider to a data communication network provider.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step c) further comprises the sub-step of: 
 i) converting said located data communication network node parameter to a data communications address using a naming address database.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network node parameter is an IP address.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the data communications address is an IP address.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first message includes a first parameter that indicates whether said first node supports data communication network addressing.  
     
     
         6 . A system for routing calls through a communications network comprising: 
 means for initiating a call from a first subscriber in a call-originating domain to a second subscriber in a data communications domain;    means for transmitting a first message from a first node in said call-originating domain to a database in said call-originating domain;    means for locating a current data communication network node parameter in said database, wherein said network node parameter is associated with said second subscriber;    means for transmitting a second message that includes said located data communication network node parameter from said database to said first node;    means for routing said call from said first node to a data communications address indicated by said located data communication network node parameter; and    means for updating said database when said second subscriber changes membership from a first communication network provider to a data communication network provider.    
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said means for locating a network node parameter further comprises: 
 means for converting said located data communication network node parameter to a data communications address using a naming address database.    
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the network node parameter is an IP address.  
     
     
         9 . Tne system of  claim 7 , wherein the data communications address is an IP address.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said first message includes a first parameter that indicates whether said first node supports data communication network addressing.  
     
     
         11 . A method of routing calls through a communications network, the communications network having a set of domains, at least one of the domains in said set of domains being a data communications domain, the method comprising the steps of: 
 accessing, in a call-originating domain included in the set of domains, a database to obtain an address of a node of the data communications domain which currently serves a called subscriber; and    including the address of the data communications domain which currently serves said called subscriber as a parameter in a routing message for routing a call from the call-originating domain to said node of said data communications domain.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of: 
 providing a first message to said database indicating whether said call-originating domain supports data communication network addressing.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the address included as a parameter in the routing message is the IP address of the data communications domain which currently serves said called subscriber.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises the step of: 
 updating said database when said subscriber changes membership from a communications domain in said set of domains to a data communications domain whereby the address of the node of the data communications domain is associated in said database with said subscriber.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said call-originating domain is a telecommunications domain.  
     
     
         16 . A system for routing calls through a communications network, the communications network having a set of domains, at least one of the domains in said set of domains being a data communications domain, comprising: 
 means for accessing, in a call-originating domain included in the set of domains, a database to obtain an address of a node of the data communications domain which currently serves a called subscriber; and    means for including the address of the data communications domain which currently serves said called subscriber as a parameter in a routing message for routing a call from the call-originating domain to said node of said data communications domain.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 means for providing a first message to said database indicating whether said call-originating domain supports data communication network addressing.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the address included as a parameter in the routing message is the IP address of the data communications domain which currently serves said called subscriber.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises: 
 means for updating said database when said subscriber changes membership from a communications domain in said set of domains to a data communications domain whereby the address of the node of the data communications domain is associated in said database with said subscriber.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said call-originating domain is a telecommunications domain.