Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-10
2001-10-30
Chang, Vivian (Department: 2682)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S435100, C455S461000, C455S414200, C455S551000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311063
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to subscriber registration of mobile phone features in a wireless telecommunications network, and more particularly to a method and system for allowing multiple emulation of subscriber profiles on a single mobile phone in a wireless telecommunications network.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Wireless communications systems currently maintain mobile phone subscriber profiles at a home location register (“HLR”). Although a subscriber may change his or her profile, it cannot be done dynamically. As a result, each member of a family or work group, who has a mobile phone, must carry their mobile phones with them even when they travel with other members of the family or work group that also have mobile phones. Although the traveling members could forward their calls to one specific mobile phone, and as a result their calls will be transferred to that mobile phone, the subscriber profile of that mobile phone remains unchanged.
Currently, there is no system by which a single mobile phone can be programmed to emulate the subscriber profile of another mobile phone. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method and a system for allowing a single mobile phone to emulate multiple subscriber profiles in a wireless telecommunications network.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and a system of allowing a single mobile phone to emulate the subscriber profile—set of features (“SOF”), such as call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling, conference calling, voice mail service, etc.—of multiple mobile phone users. Each mobile phone is assigned an individual and unique mobile identification number (“MIN”). This mobile identification number is used in communications (IS-
41
protocol) between the mobile phone, the mobile switching center (“MSC”), the visiting location register (“VLR”), and the home location register (“HLR”) to identify the mobile phone with a specific telephone number and a set of features stored within a subscriber profile. This mobile identification number also allows the wireless communications network to keep track of the location of the mobile phone. Although multiple mobile phones may have a single telephone number, each phone has a unique mobile identification number.
The set of features associated with a specific mobile identification number is stored in the home location register subscriber profile. Under the present invention, a group of mobile phones may be identified within a specific caller group. For example, Group A may contain mobile phones MIN-
1
, MIN-
2
, MIN-
3
, and MIN-
4
. Each one of these mobile phones is assigned a predefined invoke command <key-
1
>, <key-
2
>, <key-
3
>, and <key-
4
>. In addition, each of these mobile phones is assigned a specific set of features SOF-
1
, SOF-
2
, SOF-
3
, and SOF-
4
respectively. A pass code may also be assigned to each predefined invoke command, such that only authorized users may assign the set of features to a mobile phone in Group A. By identifying these mobile phones or mobile identification numbers with a predefined invoke signal within the predefined Group A, the invention allows each mobile phone in Group A to emulate the set of features assigned to any other mobile phone in Group A. Alternatively, Group A may include different subscriber profiles that can be activated for a single mobile phone, e.g., a husband and wife share a single mobile phone, but want to use different subscriber profiles.
If a user of the mobile phone designated MIN-
1
wants to have that phone emulate the subscriber functions or set of features associated with another mobile phone within the Group A, such as MIN-
2
, the user would press a predefined function key <key-
2
> to initiate this process. The user may also enter a password, if one is required. The function key <key-
2
> transmits an invoke <key-
2
> command to the serving MSC-VLR which in turn transmits the invoke <key-
2
> command to the HLR. In response to the invoke <key-
2
> command, the HLR retrieves the group associated with MIN-
1
, Group A, and determines whether a MIN and SOF are associated with the invoke <key-
2
> command in Group A. In other words, the HLR determines whether MIN-
1
and MIN-
2
are in the same group, Group A. If they are not in the same group as MIN-
1
, the HLR transmits a return error or reject message to the serving MSC/VLR, which in turn transmits that result to the mobile phone, which notifies the user that the invoke <key-
2
> command failed.
If on the other hand, the MIN associated with the function key <key-
2
>, MIN-
2
, is in the same group as MIN-
1
, the HLR determines whether a pass code is associated with <key-
2
> in Group A. If a pass code is found, the HLR determines whether a password was transmitted with the invoke <key-
2
> command. If a password was not transmitted, the HLR transmits a password request to the serving MSC/VLR, which in turn transmits that request to the mobile phone. The user is then prompted for a password. The mobile phone then transmits the password to the serving MSC/VLR, which in turn transmits the password to the HLR. When the HLR receives the password or if the password was originally transmitted with the invoke <key-
2
> command, the HLR determines whether the transmitted password matches the pass code associated with <key-
2
>. If they do not match, the HLR transmits a return error or reject message to the serving MSC/VLR, which in turn transmits that result to the mobile phone, which notifies the user that the invoke <key-
2
> command failed.
If the transmitted password matches the pass code associated with <key-
2
> or a pass code was not associated with <key-
2
> in Group A, the HLR retrieves the set of features for the MIN associated with the function key <key-
2
>, SOF-
2
, and associates those set of features with MIN-
1
. This effectively disables the set of features normally associated with MIN-
1
, SOF-
1
, so that MIN-
1
now emulates the set of features for MIN-
2
, SOF-
2
. The HLR then transmits a return result, which contains the subscriber profile associated with the set of features for MIN-
2
, to the serving MSC/VLR, which in turn transmits that result to the mobile phone, which notifies the user that the invoke <key-
2
> command was successful.
Alternatively, this process could be initiated by voice command activation rather than a function key. In addition, upon a proper request by the user, this process could be initiated by the customer service department of the mobile phone service provider.
Once MIN-
1
has been associated with a set of features for MIN-
2
, SOF-
2
, MIN-
1
will ring when the telephone number for MIN-
2
is dialed. Moreover, MIN-
1
will now completely emulate MIN-
2
such that the user would not know the difference. The invention can be configured such that when MIN-
1
is assigned the set of features for MIN-
2
, SOF-
2
, MIN-
1
will ring when the telephone numbers assigned to MIN-
1
or MIN-
2
are dialed.
If the members of a family or work group share one or more common mobile phones in addition to each member having one or more phones outside the family or work group, they may identify all these phones within a group such that any member may cause one of the mobile phones to emulate the set of features assigned to any of the other mobile phones. By way of illustration, if the members of the family or the group were planning to take a trip, and they only wanted to take one mobile phone, they could use the present invention to allow each member of the group to emulate the set of features of their normal mobile phone on a single mobile phone. This eliminates the necessity of carrying everyone's mobile phone on the trip. While on the trip, the mobile phone MIN-
1
would normally be associated with its standard set of features SOF-
1
. At any time, one of the members of the group could press a preassigned function
Donovan Steven Robert
Valliani Farrukh
Chang Vivian
Kincaid Lester
MCI Communications Corporation
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