Terminated call control for roaming cellular telephony

Abstract

A method, system and gateway for control of calls unanswered by a roaming user roaming on a roaming network, comprises monitoring outward bound calls to roaming users, monitoring subsequent inward forwarding of those calls terminated without answering at said roaming users, and matching between the outward bound and inward forwarding. Matching confers control of processing of the terminated call in two ways. One is that it allows call details, typically lost over International networks, to be obtained regarding the terminated call. Secondly, it allows the originating call to be connected directly to the voicemail or other forwarding destination without involving any International connections.

1 . A call management system for calls to roaming users currently connected in a first, roaming, network, said roaming network being distinct from a home network of said roaming user, which calls are unanswered by said roaming users, the system comprising: 
 a call tracking unit for tracking calls routed to said roaming user at said roaming network, said call tracking unit having a memory unit for retaining details of said call until said call is either answered or unanswered, and further for tracking calls unanswered and forwarded to a predetermined forwarding location from said roaming network, and    a data management unit configured to use said retained details to permit subsequent management of said call within the confines of said home network.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein data management unit comprises a matching unit for comparing details of said call being forwarded to said roamer with details of said call being forwarded to said forwarding location, thereby to obtain a match therebetween and obtain respective call details of said call being forwarded to said forwarding location.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a release unit, associated with said call taking unit, configured to release said call at said roaming network.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a forwarding modification unit for changing forwarding settings of a given user when it is determined that said user is roaming.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said memory unit is a loop, for storing said details for a predetermined number of time slots.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a probe, associated with said call tracking unit and said call release unit, for identifying events comprising at least one of a call being forwarded to a roamer and a subsequent event of a call being forwarded to a predetermined forwarding location.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 2 , configured to use network triggers to identify events comprising at least one of a call being forwarded to a respective roamer and a call being forwarded to a predetermined forwarding location.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 2  configured to route a matched call directly to said predetermined forwarding location.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 2 , configured to route a matched call according to preset forwarding rules.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a forwarding modification unit for modifying forwarding settings of given users when they are formed to be roaming.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a comparator for comparing details of said call being forwarded to said roamer with details of said call being forwarded to said forwarding location, thereby to connect said call being forwarded directly to said forwarding location.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a comparator for comparing details of said call being forwarded to said roamer with details of said call being forwarded to said forwarding location, thereby to obtain a match therebetween and obtain respective call details of said call being forwarded to said forwarding location.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , further configured to send said call details to said forwarding location, said call details comprising caller identity information.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , further configured to include said caller identity information in a text message to said roamer.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said forwarding location is a voicemail of said roamer.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said forwarding location is a different forwarding location dependent upon a reason for forwarding said call from said roamer to said forwarding location.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said reason comprises one of a group consisting of said roaming unit being unavailable to said network said roaming unit being busy with another call, said roaming unit not answering, and a generic call not completed to said roamer.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said memory unit is a loop, for storing said details for a predetermined number of time slots.  
   
   
       19 . A gateway for International roaming at roaming networks distinct from a home network with which said gateway and respective users are associated, the gateway comprising: 
 a call tracking unit for tracking calls routed to a roaming user at a roaming network, said call tracking unit having a memory unit for retaining details of said call until said call is either answered or unanswered, and further for tracking calls unanswered and forwarded to a predetermined forwarding location from said roaming network, and    a call management unit, configured to use said retained details to permit subsequent management of said unanswered call within the confines of said home network.    
   
   
       20 . The gateway of  claim 19 , further comprising a release unit, associated with said call management unit, configured to release said call at said roaming network.  
   
   
       21 . The gateway of  claim 19 , further comprising a matching unit for matching between a routed call and said forwarding, thereby to obtain said retained information from said routed call for said forwarding.  
   
   
       22 . The gateway of  claim 19 , further comprising a probe, associated with said call tracking unit and said call release unit, for identifying an event comprising at least one of said call being routed to said roamer and a subsequent event of said call being forwarded to said predetermined forwarding location.  
   
   
       23 . The gateway of  claim 19 , further comprising a comparator for comparing details of calls being firstly routed to respective roaming users, with details of calls being forwarded to respective forward locations, thereby to match said calls and obtain call detail information corresponding to a call being forwarded to said forwarding location.  
   
   
       24 . The gateway of  claim 23 , further comprising using said call detail information to directly connect said firstly forwarded call to said forwarding location within said confines of said home network.  
   
   
       25 . The gateway of  claim 19 , further comprising a comparator for comparing details of said call being routed to said roamer with details of said call being forwarded to said forwarding location, thereby to obtain caller identification details of said call being forwarded.  
   
   
       26 . The gateway of  claim 25 , further configured to send said caller identification details to said forwarding location.  
   
   
       27 . The gateway of  claim 25 , further configured to include said identification details in a text message to said roamer.  
   
   
       28 . The gateway of  claim 19 , wherein said forwarding location is a voicemail of said roamer.  
   
   
       29 . The gateway of  claim 19 , wherein said forwarding location is a different forwarding location dependent upon a reason for forwarding said call from said roamer to said forwarding location.  
   
   
       30 . The gateway of  claim 29 , wherein said reason comprises one of a group consisting of said roaming unit being unavailable to said network, said roaming unit being busy with another call, said roaming unit not answering, and a generic call not completed to said roamer.  
   
   
       31 . A method for control of calls terminated without answering at a roaming user roaming on a network apart from a respective home network of said user, the method comprising at the home network, 
 monitoring outward bound calls to roaming users and obtaining data of said outward bound calls,    monitoring inward forwarding of said calls unanswered by said roaming users,    matching between said outward bound and inward forwarding, thereby to find respective obtained data of said inward forwarded calls and thus confer control of processing of unanswered calls to said home network.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising forwarding said matched outward bound call directly to a forwarding location on said home network and issuing a release signal to release said call at a respective roaming network.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said respective obtained data comprises caller identification information.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising forwarding said caller identification information to a predetermined forwarding location.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said predetermined forwarding location is a voicemail.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said matching comprises releasing a forwarded end of said call and finding an outbound leg of a call to a roamer which is released.