RISTRICTION OF INCOMMING CALLS IN A MOBIL TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20030114160A1
• Filed: 08/17/1999
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: HAUMONT, SERGE, VERKAMA, MARKKU
• Granted Patent: US 6,628,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

In some mobile telecommunications systems reception of calls outside the home network may be very expensive for the called subscriber. For this reason, subscribers are given the possibility to bar incoming calls when roaming outside the home network. On the other hand, when using optimised routing, reception of calls even far from the home network may be very advantageous or even free. Hereby there are no longer any grounds for barring incoming calls. A method is presented in this invention where those network elements can be defined for the subscriber on a location information basis from which incoming calls will be relayed to the subscriber.

Claims

1. Method of control of calls in a mobile telecommunications network comprising at least a mobile subscriber, mobile stations and mobile services switching centres (MSC) and wherein

connections can be set up between mobile stations (MS) and mobile services switching centres,

mobile services switching centres (MSC) may set up connections with network elements (GMSCA) outside the mobile telecommunications network,

information is maintained on the subscriber'"'"'s location,

characterized in that

at least one piece of subscriber location information is defined to correspond with a set of allowed network elements (GMSC), and

when a call is set up:

the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) is compared with the set of allowed network elements (GMSC) relating to the called subscriber'"'"'s current location, and

the call is relayed to the called subscriber if the comparison shows that the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) belongs to the set of allowed network elements (GMSC).

2. Method as defined in claim 1, wherein, in addition

the subscriber may activate such barring of incoming calls which works outside his home network, and

the call may be routed between the calling subscriber and the called subscriber using an optimised route not passing by way of the called subscriber'"'"'s home network,

characterized in that

when setting up the call to be routed along the optimised route when the receiving subscriber is outside the home network with barring of incoming calls activated:

the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) is compared with a set of allowed network elements (GMSC) relating to the -called subscriber'"'"'s current location, and

the barring of incoming calls working outside the home network is bypassed, if the comparison shows that the network element (GMSCA) of the calling subscriber belongs to the set of allowed network elements (GMSC).

3. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the subscriber'"'"'s location information is defined as information on the country where the subscriber has done his latest location update.

4. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the subscriber'"'"'s location information is defined as information on the network where the subscriber has done his latest location update.

5. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the subscriber'"'"'s location information is defined as information on the network element to which the subscriber has done his latest location update.

6. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the set of allowed network elements (GMSC) is defined on a subscriber basis.

7. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

at least one piece of subscriber information is defined to correspond with several sets of allowed network elements, and

the set to be used is chosen on a subscriber basis.

8. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when comparing the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) with the set of allowed network elements (GMSC), the country code (CC) of the network element is studied.

9. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when comparing the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) with the set of allowed network elements (GMSC), the network code (NDC) of the network element is studied.

10. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the set of allowed network elements is the set of mobile services switching centres of the network corresponding to the location information.

11. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the set of allowed network elements is the set of mobile services switching centres of the country corresponding to the location information.

12. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the called subscriber may also forward calls directed to him to the number of a third subscriber,

characterized in that

an analysis of whether the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) belongs to the set of allowed network elements (GMSC) is done only after that final number is known to which the called subscriber'"'"'s number has been forwarded.

13. Method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mobile telecommunications network is in accordance with the GSM system.

14. Mobile telecommunications network comprising at least a mobile subscriber, mobile stations (MS), mobile services switching centres (MSC) and the subscriber'"'"'s home location register (HLR) comprising storing equipment for storing location information of the mobile subscriber,

characterized in that the network comprises

storing equipment for storing at least one piece of information on a set of allowed network elements (GMSC) corresponding with the subscriber'"'"'s location information,

comparing equipment for comparing the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) with a set of allowed network elements (GMSC) relating to the called subscriber'"'"'s current location, and

for the comparing equipment corresponding relaying equipment for relaying the call to the called subscriber, if the comparison shows that the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) belongs to the set of allowed network elements (GMSC).

15. Home location register (HLR) of a mobile telecommunications network where information is stored on the location of the mobile subscriber, characterized in that it comprises

storing equipment for storing at least one piece of information on a set of allowed network elements (GMSC) corresponding with the subscriber'"'"'s location information,

comparing equipment for comparing the calling subscriber'"'"'s network element (GMSCA) with a set of allowed network elements (GMSC) relating to the called subscriber'"'"'s current location, and

for the comparing equipment corresponding control equipment for controlling the call to be relayed to the called subscriber, if the comparison shows that the network element (GMSCA) of the calling subscriber belongs to the set of allowed network elements (GMSC).

16. Network management system (NMS) of a mobile telecommunications network allowing supply of information to network elements (GMSC) of a mobile telecommunications system,

characterized in that

the system is adapted to set up and forward to the network elements such information corresponding with the subscriber'"'"'s location information, which concerns a set of allowed network elements (GMSC) from which incoming calls are relayed to the called subscriber.