ENUM Signaling Point Service Type Filtering

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current ENUM systems face inefficiencies due to the inclusion of unnecessary URI addresses in response messages, which increases bandwidth usage and network resource consumption, especially as the number of services expands.

Innovation Solution

The method involves identifying a specific ENUM service type at a signaling point separate from the ENUM database and generating a query message with a service type indicator, which is then transmitted to an ENUM server to retrieve only the necessary URI addresses, thereby limiting the response message content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If ENUM systems include all available URI addresses in response messages to support multiple services, then service versatility is improved, but bandwidth usage and network resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice versatilityVSAvoidbandwidth usage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary URI addresses from the ENUM database based on the service type indicated in the query message. The signaling point identifies the required service type (e.g., voice, email, messaging) and requests only those specific URI addresses from the ENUM database, rather than retrieving all available URIs. This extraction principle reduces response message size and bandwidth consumption while maintaining the ability to support multiple service types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The signaling point performs preliminary identification of the required service type before querying the ENUM database. By determining the service type in advance (e.g., identifying that only voice service is needed), the system can pre-filter the query to request only relevant URI addresses, avoiding the retrieval of unnecessary data and reducing network resource usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If ENUM systems retrieve all URI addresses regardless of service type, then complete service information is obtained, but network resource utilization decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice information completenessVSAvoidnetwork resource utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the specific URI addresses corresponding to the identified service type from the ENUM database. The signaling point formulates a targeted query that requests only the necessary information (e.g., only SIP URIs for voice service, only mailto URIs for email service), thereby maintaining information completeness for the required service while improving network resource utilization by reducing unnecessary data transfer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the query parameter by including a service type indicator in the ENUM query message. This parameter modification allows the ENUM database to filter and return only URI addresses matching the specified service type, ensuring complete service information for the required service while optimizing network resource usage by eliminating irrelevant data transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple separate databases are used for different ENUM service types, then service specificity is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice specificityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal ENUM database that can service multiple service types (voice, email, messaging, etc.) through a single interface. The signaling point identifies the required service type and communicates this to the ENUM database, which then returns only the relevant URI addresses. This multi-functional approach maintains service specificity while reducing system complexity by consolidating multiple service-specific databases into one unified database.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple service-specific ENUM databases into a single unified ENUM database. By combining the databases and implementing a service type filtering mechanism, the system achieves the same functionality as multiple separate databases but with reduced complexity. The unified database receives service type indicators and returns filtered results, eliminating the need for multiple separate database infrastructure components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2047648B1Methods, systems, and computer program products for specifying a particular ENUM service type in a communications network that utilizes a plurality of different ENUM service types
Publication Date: 2018.10.31 TEKELEC INC
  • EP2047648B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2047648B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2047648B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for specifying an ENUM service type in a communications network that uses a plurality of different ENUM service types. According to one method, at least one ENUM service type is identified from a plurality of different ENUM service types. The identification is performed at a signaling point separate from an ENUM database. An ENUM query message corresponding to the at least one identified ENUM service type is generated. The ENUM query message is transmitted to an at least one ENUM server for providing the at least one identified ENUM service type.