Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-09
2003-05-20
Appiah, Charles N. (Department: 2682)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S410000, C455S427000, C455S432300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567668
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications systems and methods for managing access to satellite-based networks, and particularly to determining whether specific geopolitical areas and/or individuals are allowed access to the satellite-based network.
2. Background and Objects of the Present Invention
Cellular telecommunications is one of the fastest growing and most demanding telecommunications applications ever. Today it represents a large and continuously increasing percentage of all new telephone subscriptions around the world. A standardization group, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), was established in 1982 to formulate the specifications for mobile cellular radio systems.
With reference now to
FIG. 1
of the drawings, there is illustrated a GSM Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), such as cellular network
10
, which in turn is composed of a plurality of areas
12
, each with a Mobile Services Center (MSC)
14
and an integrated Visitor Location Register (VLR)
16
therein. The MSC/VLR areas
12
, in turn, include a plurality of Location Areas (LA)
18
, which are defined as that part of a given MSC/VLR area
12
in which a mobile station (MS)
20
may move freely without having to send update location information to the MSC/VLR area
12
that controls the LA
18
. Each Location Area
12
is divided into a number of cells
22
. Mobile Station (MS)
20
is the physical equipment, e.g., a car phone or other portable phone, used by mobile subscribers to communicate with the cellular network
10
, each other, and users outside the subscribed network, both wireline and wireless. The MS also includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)
13
, which provides storage of subscriber related information, such as the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
15
, which uniquely identifies a subscriber.
The MSC
14
is in communication with at least one Base Station Controller (BSC)
23
, which, in turn, is in contact with at least one Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
24
. The BTS is the physical equipment, illustrated for simplicity as a radio tower, that provides radio coverage to the geographical part of the cell
22
for which it is responsible. It should be understood that the BSC
23
may be connected to several base transceiver stations
24
, and may be implemented as a stand-alone node or integrated with the MSC
14
. In either event, the BSC
23
and BTS
24
components, as a whole, are generally referred to as a Base Station System (BSS)
25
.
With further reference to
FIG. 1
, the PLMN Service Area or cellular network
10
includes a Home Location Register (HLR)
26
, which is a database maintaining all subscriber information, e.g., user profiles, current location information, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) numbers, and other administrative information. The HLR
26
may be co-located with a given MSC
14
, integrated with the MSC
14
, or alternatively can service multiple MSCs
14
, the latter of which is illustrated in FIG.
1
.
The VLR
16
is a database containing information about all of the Mobile Stations
20
currently located within the MSC/VLR area
12
. If a MS
20
roams into a new MSC/VLR area
12
, the VLR
16
connected to that MSC
14
will request data about that Mobile Station
20
from the HLR database
26
(simultaneously informing the HLR
26
about the current location of the MS
20
). Accordingly, if the user of the MS
20
then wants to make a call, the local VLR
16
will have the requisite identification information without having to reinterrogate the HLR
26
. In the aforedescribed manner, the VLR and HLR databases
16
and
26
, respectively, contain various subscriber information associated with a given MS
20
.
It should be understood that the aforementioned system
10
, illustrated in
FIG. 1
, is a terrestrially-based system. In addition to the terrestrially-based systems, there are a number of satellite systems, which work together with the terrestrially-based systems to provide cellular telecommunications to a wider network of subscribers. One such satellite system, which will be implemented in the near future, is the ICO Global Communications network.
The ICO network is a group of mid-range satellites that cover most of the earth. In the ICO network, as shown in
FIG. 2
of the drawings, a system of satellites
200
in multiple, non-geosynchronous orbits are used to provide communication between Mobile Stations (MS)
210
and the land-based part of the network, called the Satellite Acces,s Node (SAN)
220
. The SAN
220
consists of equipment for communicating with the satellites
200
and through the satellites
200
to the mobile stations
210
. The antennae and satellite tracking part of the system is the Radio Frequency Terminal (RFT) subsystem
230
, which also provides for the connection of the communication path to the satellite
200
. Connected to the RFT
230
is a Land Earth Station (LES)
240
, which is similar in function to a combination of the Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
24
and the Base Station Controller (BSC)
23
for GSM based systems, as illustrated in FIG.
1
. Land Earth Stations (LESs) coordinate communications to and from the satellite
200
and the respective local systems servicing the area, e.g., other cellular systems
10
attached to the satellite-based system
205
.
Within the ICO network, a function exists in the LES
240
for calculating what “Service Area”
250
a system access is being requested from. This Service Area
250
can in turn be mapped onto a country or state for the purpose of disabling ciphering or routing emergency calls, e.g., 911 calls, to the nearest emergency center in order to meet regulatory requirements and to provide the correct language set.
A Terrestrial Network Manager (TNM)
280
performs some of the functions of the BSC
23
of
FIG. 1
as well as additional functions unique to satellite based systems, such as multi-SAN paging and routing of registration messages to the correct MSC/VLR
290
. One key function of the TNM
280
is the ability to map paging requests (which are broadcast messages to the MS
210
, using the IMSI
15
, to instruct the MS
210
to respond, e.g., by sending a CM SERVICE REQUEST message), using X,Y coordinates, onto the resources needed to execute the paging. In other words, based on the coordinates, the TNM
280
can determine which LES
240
is the most suitable for paging. In addition, the TNM
280
consults a database
260
, which includes a set of tables, to decide which Channel Managers, contained within the LES
240
, and satellite beams should be used for paging.
The ICO network currently provides service across most of the earth, including the north and south poles using
12
-
20
SANs, each of which can, under various circumstances and depending on configuration and satellite visibility, provide service to almost anywhere in the world. However, such ubiquity of service carries a price. In order to operate within a jurisdiction, the service provider (ICO network) must obtain a license from that jurisdiction, which involves conforming to various requirements, such as providing the ability to handle emergency calls. Different geopolitical areas have different licensing requirements, and not all licensing requirements are likely to be met at the same time.
Each satellite
200
within the ICO network has the ability to provide service to a large area, which can include numerous distinct countries or other jurisdictions, e.g., states, each with separate licensing agreements. With reference now to
FIG. 3
of the drawings, a difficult situation arises when a satellite
300
, which covers countries A
310
, B
320
, C
330
, D
340
, and E
350
, receives an operating license in Country A
300
, B
310
and D
330
, but not in Country C
320
.
The situation becomes even more complicated if, in addition to the foregoing, a restricted operating license is granted in Country E
350
, in which only certain subscribers within Country E
350
Boltz David
Valentine Eric
Appiah Charles N.
Ericsson Inc.
Jenkens & Gilchrist P.C.
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