Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reissue Patent
1998-04-15
2001-07-10
Cumming, William (Department: 2749)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reissue Patent
active
RE037276
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to an arrangement for handling a mobile telephone subscriber which is administered in at least two different standardized mobile telephone networks with a call number which is common to both of the at least two networks. The invention also relates to methods of procedure when handling the subscriber.
It has long been known in mobile telephony to register the position of a mobile subscriber automatically when the mobile has moved between different mobile telephone networks. This type of automatic mobile registration is called roaming. For instance, it is possible within a GSM system extending over several European countries to use a mobile unit while moving from one country to another, without needing to register the new positions of the mobile manually. When the mobile is switched on after having moved from one place to another, the position of the mobile is registered automatically. Once the position of the mobile has been registered, it is again possible to receive calls and to call other subscribers. A mobile telephone system which includes different subsystems is known, for instance, from International Patent Application WO 89/07380. The system includes a main computer which is able to communicate with different local computers, each of which is located in one of the subsystems. The main computer therewith obtains information as to where mobile units are located in the total system. Calls can be set-up to the mobile units, with the aid of the information contained in the main computer. One serious drawback with present-day techniques, is that automatic updating of the position of a mobile unit after the unit has moved to another location requires the move to be made within the same type of standardized mobile telecommunications system, for instance GSM. It is not possible in present-day techniques to transport information automatically from one type of mobile telecommunications system, for instance GSM, to another type of mobile telecommunications system, for instance the Japanese PDC system. A decisive factor is that different types of mobile telecommunications systems communicate internally through the medium of different types of standardized signalling procedures. A Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) and Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) are examples of mobile telecommunications systems in which roaming within the system is available. Roaming in the GSM system is described in European Digital Cellular Communication System; Network architecture GSM 03.02 and Mobile application part GSM 09.02. Roaming in the PDC system is described in the standard TTC JJ/70.10, Ver 3.
SUMMARY
The present invention is concerned with the problem of handling a mobile subscriber which is administered with the same call number or some other identification sign in at least two different standardized types of mobile telecommunication networks. For instance, a calling subscriber wishes to be able to call a mobile with the same call number irrespective of the network in which the mobile is located.
This is made possible in accordance with the invention in that the different networks are mutually connected via a roaming arrangement which is able to communicate with several different standardized types of network.
The above problem is also solved in accordance with the invention by means of the inventive procedural methods, such that after moving between the networks, the subscriber will have access to the same services as those that were available prior to making the move.
Thus, one object of the present invention is to enable a subscriber to obtain the same type of services in at least two different standardized types of network. Another object of the invention is to register the position of a subscriber who has moved from a first type of network to a second type of network. Still another object is to again request position registration in the event of an error which results in the erasure of earlier obtained information. Yet another object of the invention is to enable calls to be made to a subscriber who has moved from the first type of network to the other type of network. Still another object of the invention is to handle subscriber supplementary services, for instance by initiating a call transfer service after the subscriber has moved between said networks. Yet another object of the invention is to de-register a subscriber who has returned from the second type of network to the first type of network.
The roaming arrangement includes signal interfaces towards at least one first standardized type of network, these interfaces being such that the roaming arrangement will be recognized as being a part of the first network, in accordance with the invention. The roaming arrangement also includes interfaces towards at least one second standardized type of network, these interfaces being such that the roaming arrangement will be recognized as being a part of the second network, in accordance with the invention. The inventive methods of procedure include reading information into and out of the roaming arrangement from/to both the first and the second standardized types of networks. The procedures also include the transfer of data between the networks involved.
The invention enables registration of the position of a subscriber after the subscriber has moved from the first standardized type of network to the second standardized type of network. This is a significant advantage over earlier known techniques, which solely enable the position of a subscriber to be registered after the subscriber has moved within one standardized type of mobile telecommunications network. Another advantage afforded by the invention is that the same types of service can be obtained both before and after moving between different standardized types of network.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Network Architecture GSM 03.02, Jan. 15, 1990.
Mobile Application Part GSM 09.02, Jan. 1991, pp. 9, 20-26, 32, 33, 52-54, 56-60,62-65,81,82,87,88,91-93, 103-108,429,438, 440, and 463-465.
TTC, JJ/70.10 Ver., Mobile Application Part (MAP) Signalling System, 3, 1994, pp. 1-157, 173-189, and 209-520.
Nelson et al., “The North American Cellular Network”, Ericsson Review No. 4, 1991.
Synacom Technology DCS-1900/IS-41 RoamFree™ Gateway System Requirements, Version 0.3, May 23, 1995.
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Cumming William
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
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