Method and apparatus for providing partitioned telecommunication services

• US 20020058516A1
• Filed: 01/10/2002
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amin, Umesh J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,003,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A wireless communication system is configured to allow for the provisioning of partitioned telecommunication service to subscribers. A wireless switch contains a partition table which associates a service provider with each wireless terminal which has the switch as its home switch. When providing telecommunication services to a subscriber using a wireless terminal, the switch provides such services using resources associated with the service provider associated with the subscriber. In one embodiment, such a resource may be a subscriber profile database such that multiple service providers maintain separate subscriber profile databases connected to the switch. The switch, upon determining the service provider associated with a subscriber requesting service, will retrieve the subscriber'"'"'s profile from the subscriber database associated with the identified service provider. The switch then provides services in accordance with the retrieved profile.

Claims

1. A method of providing partitioned telecommunication services within a geographic area comprising the steps of:

receiving at a wireless telecommunications switch a service request from a wireless terminal;

identifying one of a plurality of service providers associated with said wireless terminal; and

providing telecommunication services to said wireless terminal using network resources associated with said identified service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless terminal has said wireless telecommunications switch assigned as its home switch.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said service request includes an identification of said wireless terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless terminal is a fixed station.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless terminal is a mobile station.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said network resources are physically partitioned among service providers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said network resources are logically partitioned among service providers.

8. A method of operation of a wireless telecommunications switch for partitioning service within a geographic area served by said wireless telecommunications switch, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at said wireless telecommunication switch a service request from a wireless terminal, said wireless terminal having said wireless telecommunications switch assigned as its home switch;

identifying from a plurality of databases a database associated with the service provider of said wireless terminal;

receiving profile information from said identified database; and

providing telecommunication services to said wireless terminal based on said received profile information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each of said plurality of databases is associated with a different telecommunications service provider.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said plurality of databases are physically partitioned.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said plurality of databases are logically partitioned.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said service request includes a wireless terminal identification number and wherein said step of identifying a database is based on said wireless terminal identification number.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said wireless terminal is a fixed station.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein said wireless terminal is a mobile station.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said shared telecommunications switch further comprises a table storing a plurality of wireless terminal identifiers and associated service provider identifications.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said wireless terminal is a fixed station.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said wireless terminal is a mobile station.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein at least a portion of said network resources are shared among at least some of said service providers.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said network resources are physically partitioned among service providers.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein said network resources are logically partitioned among service providers.

15. A telecommunication system for providing partitioned telecommunication services comprising:

a plurality of sets of network resources, each set associated with one of a plurality of service providers;

a shared telecommunications switch associated with each of said service providers and capable of communicating with at least a portion of said network resources; and

means for providing telecommunication services to wireless terminals via said shared telecommunications switch using the set of network resources associated with the service provider associated with the wireless terminal.

22. A telecommunications switch for providing partitioned services within a geographic area served by said wireless telecommunications switch comprising:

means for receiving at said wireless telecommunication switch a service request from a wireless terminal, said wireless terminal having said wireless telecommunications switch assigned as its home switch;

means for identifying from a plurality of databases a database associated with the service provider of said wireless terminal;

means for receiving profile information from said identified database; and

means for providing telecommunication services to said wireless terminal based on said received profile information.

23. The telecommunications switch of claim 22 wherein said wireless terminal is a fixed station.

24. The telecommunications switch of claim 22 wherein said wireless terminal is a mobile station.