Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-12
2003-11-04
Trost, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S422100, C455S432100, C455S432300, C455S436000, C370S331000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06643511
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to mobile communications systems, and more specifically, to the administration of regional subscription restrictions (i.e. when a subscription is restricted to certain geographical zones) when a subscriber is roaming in a network including a Gateway Location Register (GLR). The present invention also relates to the application of the GLR in the mobile station terminating Short Message Service (SMS) application. The present invention further relates to the application of the GLR within packet switched networks.
FIG. 1
illustrates a wireless communication system in accordance with the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) standard. The GSM standard is designed to provide a uniform interface which allows mobile communication subscribers of various countries to operate their mobile devices regardless of the current location of the mobile subscriber. A mobile subscriber typically has a subscription with a network which is designated as the mobile subscriber's home public land mobile network
10
(HPLMN). The HPLMN
110
has a home location register (HLR)
115
which contains, among other things, various information regarding the services provided to the mobile subscriber. When a mobile subscriber roams into a different network, which is referred to as a visited public land mobile network
120
(VPLMN), the VPLMN requires certain data regarding the mobile subscriber's subscription. The data regarding the mobile subscriber's subscription is also known as the mobile subscriber's profile. The mobile subscriber's profile is transferred from the HLR to a visitor location register (VLR) in the VPLMN
120
.
In a GSM system mobile subscriber data is stored within the VLR that is associated with the mobile services switching center (MSC) that currently serves the mobile subscriber in order to reduce internetwork signaling between VLRs and HLRs. The decentralization of the VLRs within a GSM system (i.e., each MSC being equipped with a VLR) reduces intranetwork signaling as well. So, for example, if the mobile subscriber is roaming in an area of the VPLMN
120
which is controlled by the MSC/VLR
130
, the HLR
115
will transfer the mobile subscriber's profile to MSC/VLR
130
. Similarly, if the mobile subscriber is roaming in an area controlled by MSC/VLR
135
, the HLR
115
will transfer the mobile subscribers profile to MSC/VLR
135
. Although
FIG. 1
illustrates the MSC/VLR as a single network node, one skilled in the art will recognize that the MSC and VLR can be implemented as separate network elements.
To increase the compatibility of GSM with other types of systems, it is anticipated that future versions of the GSM standard, also called Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), will incorporate elements of other mobile communications systems. For example, the Japanese Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) system includes a network node which is used to reduce internetwork signaling known as a gateway location register (GLR).
FIG. 2
illustrates an exemplary mobile communications system in accordance with the PDC system. Like a GSM system, a home network
210
includes an HLR
215
which contains the mobile subscriber's profile. When a mobile subscriber roams into a visited network
220
the mobile subscriber's profile is transferred to GLR
225
. In GSM terms, the GLR can be described as a VLR for all mobile subscribers roaming from other networks. Hence, only one GLR is needed for each network.
FIG. 3
illustrates an exemplary UMTS system which incorporates the GLR of the PDC system. When a mobile subscriber of HPLMN
310
roams into VPLMN
320
, the HLR
315
will transfer the mobile subscriber's profile to GLR
325
. Then, depending upon which area within the VPLMN
320
the mobile subscriber is roaming, the GLR
325
will transfer the mobile subscriber's profile to the respective MSC/VLR
330
,
335
or
340
. The introduction of the GLR
325
into a GSM/UMTS system reduces internetwork signaling because once the mobile subscriber roams into VPLMN
320
, the HLR will only need to transfer the mobile subscriber's profile to GLR
325
. GLR
325
will be responsible for transferring the mobile subscriber's profile to the proper MSC/VLR within VPLMN
320
as the mobile subscriber travels around the VPLMN
320
.
The protocol used by GSM/UMTS systems for transferring data between MSC/VLRs and HLRs is the mobile application part (MAP). Since GLRs are optional elements within the UMTS system, MAP procedures must be completely independent of the presence or absence of GLRs in a network. Accordingly, by using an HLR interface towards the MSC/VLRs and an MSC/VLR interface towards the HLRs, the GLR should be completely transparent. However, because of the dual nature of the GLR in the network it may be difficult for the GLR to behave in a way which simultaneously will be perceived as MSC/VLR behavior by the HLRs, and as HLR behavior by the MSC/VLRs. One such case is the administration of regional zone subscription restrictions.
The Technical Standard (TS) GSM 09.02 (ETSI ETS 300 974) standard, i.e. MAP, specifies the procedures for administration of regional subscription restrictions for GSM networks.
FIG. 4
illustrates a conventional method for transferring regional subscription restrictions from an HLR to an MSC/VLR. In step
405
an MSC/VLR receives a location update request from a mobile subscriber. In response to the location update request the MSC/VLR sends a MAP_UPDATE_LOCATION message to the HLR associated with the mobile subscriber in accordance with step
410
. In step
415
the HLR extracts the Country Code (CC) and the National Destination Code (NDC) from the VLR Number parameter, i.e., the E.164 number, in the MAP_UPDATE_LOCATION message which was sent from the MSC/VLR to the HLR. A Country Code identifies the country in which the PLMN is located and a National Destination Code identifies the PLMN in that country.
In step
420
the mobile subscriber's HLR initiates the framed MAP_INSERT_SUBSCRIBER_DATA procedure to transfer relevant subscriber data to a new MSC/VLR. If regional subscription restrictions apply to the mobile subscriber, the MAP_INSERT_SUBSCRIBER_DATA message, or messages, will include the Regional Subscription Data parameter including Zone Codes indicating the geographical zones in which the mobile subscriber's subscription is valid. A Zone Code is the last part of the Regional Subscription Zone Identity (RSZI) and it identifies a regional subscription zone as a pattern of allowed and non-allowed location areas uniquely within a PLMN. Using these Zone Codes, an MSC/VLR can unambiguously determine whether a subscriber is entitled to service in his current location, provided that all the location areas in the service area of the MSC/VLR are located in the same country.
If the network spans more than one country, a Location Area Code, and consequently also a Zone Code can be ambiguous within a single network. Such a network would have to have separate Country Codes and National Destination Codes for the parts of the network that are located in different countries. If such an international network uses only one single GLR or if at least one GLR serve more than one country, there will be a problem in the administration of regional subscription restrictions.
FIG. 5
illustrates an exemplary UMTS network where a GLR serves MSC/VLRs located in more than one country. The network includes a home public land mobile network (HPLMN)
510
, VPLMN
540
located in one country and VPLMN
570
which is located in a different country from VPLMN
540
. HPLMN
510
includes an HLR
515
for storing mobile subscriber data. VPLMN
540
includes a GLR
545
and MSC/VLRs
550
,
555
and
560
. VPLMN
570
includes MSC/VLR
575
. In the network of
FIG. 5
GLR
545
serves MSC/VLRs in two different countries, i.e., VPLMN
540
and VPLMN
570
. VPLMN
540
and VPLMN
570
could also be regarded as a single PLMN spanning more than one country.
Conventionally, when
Hu Yun Chao
Noguera-Rodriguez Juan
Rune Johan
Ewart James D
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
Trost William
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