Enhanced IMS services restriction and selection control for mobile devices roaming in foreign networks

• US 10,244,005 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mufti, Shujaur, Piscopo, Rob, Seward, Shelby, Jahangir, Zeeshan
• Primary Examiner(s): Holland, Jenee
• Application Number:
  US15/826,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20180084014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A system and method that allows a mobile device to register for IMS services while the mobile device is roaming in a visited telecommunications network is disclosed. The system receives a request for multiple IMS services from a mobile device while the mobile device is roaming in a foreign network. The system uses an identifier of the foreign network and an associated RAT type to query a policy table containing a list of whitelisted IMS services for the foreign network and associated RAT type. The system processes the requested IMS registrations for services that are whitelisted and does not process requested IMS registrations for services that are not on the whitelist.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to register a mobile device for Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services while the mobile device is roaming in a visited telecommunications network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for one or more IMS services while the mobile device is located in the visited telecommunications network;

querying a table to determine whether the one or more requested IMS services are allowed,

wherein querying the table comprises transmitting a query to an external system and receiving a response from the external system,

wherein the query includes a network identifier corresponding to the visited telecommunications network and an access identifier corresponding to a radio access technology associated with the mobile device, and

wherein the response includes a list of one or more acceptable IMS services for the visited telecommunications network and the radio access type; and

registering the mobile device with at least one of the IMS services based on the querying.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein fewer than all of the requested IMS services are determined to be acceptable.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the external system being located outside of the IMS network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the table is located within the IMS network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the table is located outside of the IMS network.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the table is located within the IMS network.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the radio access technology associated with the mobile device is Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Extended Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), or GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN).

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the requested IMS service is Voice over LTE (VoLTE).

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the requested IMS service is SMS over IP.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the requested IMS service is Rich Communication Suite (RCS) or Presence.

12. The non-transitory computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein fewer than all of the requested IMS services are determined to be acceptable.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor in an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, cause the IMS network to execute operations to register a mobile device for IMS services while the mobile device is roaming in a visited telecommunications network, the operations comprising:

receiving a request for one or more IMS services while the mobile device is located in the visited telecommunications network;

querying a table to determine whether the one or more requested IMS services are allowed,

wherein querying the table comprises transmitting a query to an external system and receiving a response from the external system,

wherein the query includes a network identifier corresponding to the visited telecommunications network and an access identifier corresponding to a radio access technology associated with the mobile device, and

wherein the response includes a list of one or more acceptable IMS services for the visited telecommunications network and the radio access type; and

registering the mobile device with at least one of the IMS services based on the querying.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the external system being located outside of the IMS network.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the table is located within the IMS network.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the table is located outside of the IMS network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the table is located within the IMS network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the radio access technology associated with the mobile device is Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Extended Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), or GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN).

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the requested IMS service is Voice over LTE (VoLTE), SMS over IP or Rich Communication Suite (RCS) or Presence.

19. A system for use in an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network that cause the IMS network to execute operations to register a mobile device for IMS services while the mobile device is roaming in a visited telecommunications network, the system comprising:

at least one hardware processor;

at least one memory coupled to the at least one hardware processor and storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one hardware processor, performs operations, the operations including—

receiving a request for one or more IMS services while the mobile device is located in the visited telecommunications network;

querying a table to determine whether the one or more requested IMS services are allowed,

wherein querying the table comprises transmitting a query to an external system and receiving a response from the external system,

wherein the query includes a network identifier corresponding to the visited telecommunications network and an access identifier corresponding to a radio access technology associated with the mobile device, and

wherein the response includes a list of one or more acceptable IMS services for the visited telecommunications network and the radio access type; and

registering the mobile device with at least one of the IMS services based on the querying.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the requested IMS service is Voice over LTE (VoLTE), SMS over IP or Rich Communication Suite (RCS) or Presence.