Call processing method capable of home-zone additional service in mobile communication system

• US 20020128012A1
• Filed: 05/01/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Utstarcom Korea Limited
• Original Assignee: Utstarcom Korea Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Wan-Tae, Choi, Jung-Eun, Park, Jung-Yul, Yoo, Keun-Chool, Ban, Dong-Soo
• Granted Patent: US 6,785,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A call processing method capable of home-zone additional service in a mobile communication system, in particular, which gives subscribers a discount in accounting without an additional equipment if the subscribers call within previously registered areas. According to the call processing method capable of home-zone additional service in the mobile communication service of the invention, the subscriber can be provided with the home-zone additional service with low cost, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction.

Claims

1. A call processing method in a mobile communication system which includes a origination MSC, a origination VLR, a origination HLR, a target MSC and a target HLR, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a number of the called subscriber from a calling subscriber;

b) in the origination MSC, receiving location information and the number of called subscriber;

c) in the origination MSC, reading and analyzing the calling subscriber information stored in the origination VLR;

d) in the origination MSC, determining whether the calling subscriber is a home-zone service subscriber;

e) if the calling subscriber is a home-zone service subscriber, transmitting present location information of the calling subscriber to the origination HLR, from the origination MSC;

f) in the origination HLR, determining whether the present location of the calling subscriber is within a pre-registered area;

g) if the calling subscriber is within the pre-registered area, applying in the origination MSC a discount in accounting according to home-zone service to the accounting information; and

h) in the origination MSC, performing a call setup operation in order to allow conversation between the calling subscriber and the called subscriber.

2. The call processing method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

i) if the present location of the calling subscriber is within a pre-registered area, transmitting from the origination HLR announcement comment for the home-zone service or a tone code to the mobile station.

3. The call processing method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

j) if the calling subscriber is not a home-zone subscriber or the present location of the calling subscriber is not pre-registered area, in the origination MSC, a call setup operation in order to allow conversation between the calling subscriber and the called subscriber without discount.

4. The call processing method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step i) includes the steps of:

i1) if the present location of the calling subscriber is within a pre-registered area, transmitting announcement comment for the home-zone service or a tone code from the origination HLR to the origination MSC; and

i2) transmitting the announcement comment for the home-zone service or a tone code from the origination MSC to the mobile station

5. The call processing method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step j) includes the steps of:

j1) determining in the origination MSC if the calling subscriber is a call restricted subscriber;

j2) if it is determined that the calling subscriber is not a call restricted subscriber, determining in the origination MSC if the number of the called subscriber inputted by the calling subscriber is a mobile subscriber number;

j3) the number of the called subscriber inputted by the calling subscriber is a mobile subscriber number, at the origination MSC, requesting the routing information about the called subscriber to the target HLR;

j4) transmitting from the origination HLR the routing information about the called subscriber to the origination MSC;

j5) upon analyzing the routing information about the called subscriber, determining in the origination MSC whether the target MSC exists to which the called subscriber belongs; and

j6) if it is determined that the target MSC for the called subscriber exists, setting up in the origination MSC a call to the target MSC allowing the calling subscriber and the called subscriber to proceed a conversation between them.

6. The call processing method as recited in claim 5, if it is determined that the calling subscriber is a call restricted subscriber, performing in the origination MSC a call restricting error handling operation to end the call processing operation.

7. The call processing method as recited in claim 6, if it is determined that the called number inputted by the calling subscriber is not a mobile subscriber number, setting up in the origination MSC a call to a PSTN allowing the calling subscriber and the called subscriber to proceed a conversation between them.

8. The call processing method as recited in claim 5, further including the step of performing in the origination MSC a routing number error handling operation to end the call processing operation, if it is determined that the target MSC for the called subscriber does not exist.