GB2318477A

GB2318477A - Network architecture

Info

Publication number: GB2318477A
Application number: GB9621518A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Magnus Bergstrand; Fredrik Wangberg
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Current assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date: 1996-10-16
Filing date: 1996-10-16
Publication date: 1998-04-22
Also published as: GB9621518D0; WO1998017070A2; AU4865897A; WO1998017070A3

Abstract

A telecommunications network architecture includes a service provider switch 36 making a semipermanent connection between each subscriber 12,14 and the respective local exchange 16,18,20 of the network operator or service provider. When the subscriber wishes to change his network operator, the connection can be changed.

Description

NETWORK ARCHITECTURE TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a network architecture, which allows the introduction of number portability in a simple way.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART With number portability, a telephone subscriber can retain a single telephone number in different circumstances which would otherwise require a change of number, for example when he changes from one service provider to another, or when he moves his office or residential location, or when he changes the level of service which he requires, for example changing from POTS to ISDN, or from NMT to GSM.

One result of number portability is that a subscriber will have two different telephone numbers, namely a logical number and a physical number, and a database is used to translate the logical number into the physical number.

However, management of such a service, as previously proposed, will require a lot of work by maintenance personnel, for example when a subscriber wishes to change his service provider.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a network architecture in which a subscriber is connected to the local exchange, operated by his service provider, through a switch, which can be controlled to allow a change of service provider.

Thus, the subscriber's number is independent of the local exchange to which the subscriber is actually connected.

This allows a change of service provider to be effected relatively easily. This has the further advantage that changes of service provider can be made more often, for example to allow the subscriber to take advantage of lower tariffs offered by one service provider at particular times or for particular types of call.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a telephone network in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a telephone network in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a telephone system, to which two illustrative telephone subscribers 12, 14, indicated as Subscriber X and Subscriber Y respectively, are connected. Clearly, a real system will have a large number of subscribers connected thereto. The illustrated system includes three conventional local exchanges 16, 18, 20, managed respectively by different service providers, designated Operator A, Operator B and Operator C. Each local exchange includes a respective local database 22, 24, 26 and switch 28, 30, 32. The local exchanges 16, 18, 20 each have access to a central master database 34, which contains information about each subscriber in the network. In particular, the master database 34 contains information about the network operator which the subscriber uses.

The master database 34 may be owned and operated by an organisation which is independent of the operators, or by a consortium of the operators which are active in the particular market.

The subscribers 12, 14 are connected to their chosen local exchange through a service provider switch 36. For example, Subscriber X may be connected through the service provider switch 36 to the local exchange 16 managed by Operator A, while Subscriber Y may be connected through the service provider switch 36 to the local exchange 18 managed by Operator B. The service provider switch is preferably provided physically close to the subscribers connected therethrough, for example in the same street or the same building. This means that each local exchange may have a plurality of service provider switches connected thereto, each service provider switch connecting the subscribers in, say, one street or building to their respective chosen local exchanges. The service provider switch 36 is optimized for low cost, with the main purpose of supporting semipermanent connections. A suitable switch is the switch designated "Cube" from Ellemtel, as described in W092/22919. This is a mechanical switch which provides semipermanent connections to the access network, without requiring any signalling with the end user or the local exchange during call set-up.

Advantageously, the service provider switch 36 is managed by the same organization which is responsible for the master database 34.

As described above, the service provider switch may be a mechanical switch, if the access network allows it. Alternatively, if the access network is in the form of a bus, the service provider switch will assign a specific time slot to the subscriber line, and connect the subscriber to the correct local exchange.

Using this network architecture, when a subscriber wishes to change network operator, all that is necessary is for a message to be sent from the master database to the service provider switch. For example if Subscriber X is connected to the local exchange 16 managed by Operator A, and wishes to change to Operator C, all that is needed is for a message to be sent from the master database to the service provider switch 36 to break the connection with the local exchange 16 and to make a connection with the local exchange 20.

Figure 2 shows a second telephone system in accordance with the invent ion, having two illustrative telephone subscribers 52, 54, indicated as Subscriber X' and Subscriber Y' respectively, are connected. The illustrated system includes three conventional local exchanges 56, 58, 60, managed respectively by different service providers, designated Operator A', Operator B' and Operator C'. Each local exchange includes a respective local database 62, 64, 66 and switch 68, 70, 72.

The subscribers 52, 54 are connected to their chosen local exchange through a service provider switch 76. For example, Subscriber X' may be connected through the service provider switch 76 to the local exchange 56 managed by Operator A', while Subscriber Y' may be connected through the service provider switch 76 to the local exchange 58 managed by Operator B'. The service provider switch is preferably provided physically close to the subscribers connected therethrough, for example in the same street or the same building. This means that each local exchange may have a plurality of service provider switches connected thereto, each service provider switch connecting the subscribers in, say, one street or building to their respective chosen local exchanges. As described with reference to Figure 1, the service provider switch 76 may be in the form of a switch as described in WO92/22919.

Advantageously, as before, the service provider switch 76 may be managed by an organisation which is independent of the operators, or by a consortium of the operators which are active in the particular market.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, there is no central master database, as shown in Figure 1. Rather, the databases 62, 64, 66 in the local exchanges 56, 58, 60 contain the necessary information about each subscriber in the network, and the local exchanges are able to communicate with each other.

As described above with reference to Figure 1, the service provider switch 76 may be a mechanical switch, if the access network allows it. Alternatively, if the access network is in the form of a bus, the service provider switch will assign a specific time slot to the subscriber line, and connect the subscriber to the correct local exchange.

Using the network architecture shown in Figure 2, when a subscriber wishes to change network operator, a message must be sent from the relevant local database to the service provider switch 76. For example if Subscriber X' is connected to the local exchange 56 managed by Operator A', and wishes to change to Operator C', all that is needed is for a message to be sent from the local exchange 56 to the service provider switch 76 to break the connection with the local exchange 56 and to make a connection with the local exchange 60. Moreover, a message must also be sent from the local exchange 56 to the local exchange 60.

Advantageously, with either of the architectures shown in Figures 1 and 2, the change of network provider can be initiated by the subscriber himself, by dialling a predefined digit combination, or by sending an appropriate message, if the subscriber is connected to the network via a computer terminal.

For example, a suitable form may be made available on the internet, such that it may be downloaded from a web server. The form may then prompt the user to input the information necessary to allow a change of network operator to be processed. On completion, the form is returned by the subscriber to the web server, which forwards the data to the appropriate database or databases. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, it is necessary to forward the data only to the master database, whereas, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, it is necessary to forward the data to the databases of the two local exchanges involved.

The use of a computer terminal can lead to a further advantage, namely that the subscriber may be able to access information about the different costs of a particular required service, as offered by the different service providers. Having received this information, the subscriber may then choose to change service provider, to take advantage of the lowest available cost.

When a subscriber wishes to change service provider, it is possible that the new operator will wish to make various checks before the change is recorded. For example, the new operator may need to check that it has sufficient capacity to accept a new subscriber, and that it offers the service required by the subscriber. Also, the new operator may wish to check the financial status of the new subscriber.

Thus, rather than making a requested change immediately, it may be preferred for the new operator to carry out these checks, and then to call the subscriber to inform him that the change has been made.

Such a call may either be made by a person, or automatically by a machine playing a recorded announcement. Such a call also serves to test the new connection.

Thus, the architecture has the advantage that it is possible for a subscriber to change service provider easily, and without requiring manual intervention at a local level.

Moreover, changes can be initiated by a network operator, for example in the event of a hardware problem. Conventionally, when (for example) there is a fault in a Line Interface Card (LIC) in a local exchange, an alarm is issued, indicating that the LIC must be replaced. It is not normally considered costeffective to include a back-up LIC which can come into service automatically. However, this means that maintenance personnel must be available at all times and, in any event, subscribers connected to the local exchange will be without a service while the LIC is being manually replaced.

With the architecture described above, with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2, the service can be restored automatically. In this case, in the event of a hardware fault in an LIC, the alarm signal is sent to the master database 34, in the case of the architecture shown in Figure 1, or the relevant local database 62, 64, 66, in the case of the architecture shown in Figure 2. The database can then locate a new fault-free LIC, for example in the same local exchange or in another local exchange operated by the same service provider, and send a signal to the service provider switch 36, 76, such that all subscribers connected to the faulty LIC are transferred to the new LIC.

Thus, the architectures described herein allow a subscriber to be connected to the local exchange which is most convenient for him and for the service provider, while allowing number portability.

Claims

1. A telecommunications network architecture, comprising a plurality of local exchanges, each associated with a respective service provider, and a plurality of service provider switches, to which end users may be connected, the service provider switches making a respective semipermanent connection between each end user and a respective one of the local exchanges, and being remotely controllable in order to break the connection between an end user and one of the local exchanges, and to make a connection between the end user and another one of the local exchanges.

2. A telecommunications network architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service provider switches are controllable from a master database and a connection from an end user may be made to a different one of the local exchanges in response to a command from the master database, to which the local exchanges are connected.

3. A telecommunications network architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service provider switches are controllable from the local exchanges.

4. A telecommunications network architecture as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the service provider switches are controllable, in order to break the connection between an end user and one of the local exchanges, and to make a connection between the end user and another one of the local exchanges, in response to a request from the end user.

5. A telecommunications network architecture as claimed in claim 4, wherein the service provider switches are controllable, in response to a request from the end user sent over the telecommunications network.

6. A telecommunications network architecture as claimed in claim 4, wherein the service provider switches are controllable, in response to a request from the end user sent over a computer network.

7. A telecommunications network architecture as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the service provider switches are controllable, in order to break the connection between an end user and one of the local exchanges, and to make a connection between the end user and another one of the local exchanges, in response to a command from a local exchange.

8. A telecommunications exchange, comprising means for detecting a fault therein, and means for sending a signal to a service provider switch, through which end users are connected thereto, such that end users are instead connected to an alternative faultfree Line Interface Card within the same exchange.

9. A method of connecting a telephone subscriber to a telecommunications network, comprising a plurality of local exchanges, each associated with a respective service provider, the method comprising connecting the subscriber to a selected local exchange through a service provider switch which makes a semipermanent connection.

10. A method of connecting a telephone subscriber to a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein, when the subscriber wishes to change service provider, a message is sent to the service provider switch to close an existing connection to a first local exchange, and to open a connection to a second local exchange.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the subscriber can initiate a change of service provider.