Method & systems for providing information to a home system regarding a wireless unit roaming in a visited system

• US 20030224789A1
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Far North Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dono Tech Services LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Charbono,, Richard L. Jr., Adamany, Robert Andrew, Didion, Edward Lawrence, Catanese, Ann M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,952,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3107 the device being completely enclosed
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/121 Wireless intrusion detection systems [WIDS]; Wireless intrusion prevention systems [WIPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

Methods and systems to provide a home system with information about a wireless unit roaming in a visited system based on information the wireless unit provides to the visited system. A mobile switching center (MSC-V) of the visited system receives the information from the wireless unit and routes a message to an international gateway. In response, the international gateway creates a new message or alters the original message, and transmits the new or altered message to a mobile switching center (MSC-H) of the home system. In response to receipt of the new or altered message, the MSC-H validates the wireless unit (if valid), creates a response to the new or altered message, and routes the response to the international gateway. The response may include an authorization period for the wireless unit and/or OCOS/TCOS information. In response, the international gateway creates a new response or alters the response, and transmits the new or altered response to the MSC-V. In response to receipt of the new or altered response, the MSC-V registers the wireless unit, provides the wireless unit with communication services in the visited system, or otherwise follows instructions in the new or altered response. If the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second MSC-V, the second MSC-V checks with the international gateway about the wireless unit. If an authorization period is in effect, the international gateway may provide a validation of the wireless unit to the second MSC-V without another message to the home system of the wireless unit.

Claims

1. A method to allow a wireless unit that is roaming in a visited system to receive communication services in the visited system based on registration information the wireless unit provides to a visited mobile switching center (MSC-V) in the visited system, the method comprising:

A. in response to receiving the registration information, causing the MSC-V to route a registration message to an international gateway;

B. in response to receiving the registration message, causing the international gateway

i. to create a new registration message, the new registration message including an identification of the MSC-V; and

ii. to route the new registration message to a home mobile switching center (MSC-H) of the wireless unit;

C. in response to receiving the new registration message, causing the MSC-H

i. to validate the wireless unit,

ii. to create a response, and

iii. to route the response to the international gateway;

D. in response to receiving the response, causing the international gateway

i. to create a new response, and

ii. to route the new response to the MSC-V; and

E. in response to receiving the new response, causing the MSC-V to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the MSC-V comprises a mobile switching center identification (MSCID) parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the response comprises originating and/or terminating service (OCOS/TCOS) information;

wherein the new response comprises the OCOS/TCOS information; and

wherein the MSC-V is caused to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the OCOS/TCOS information comprises an instruction to provide terminating services only;

and

wherein the MSC-V is caused to provide the wireless unit with the terminating services only as the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the MSC-V is caused to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system for an authorization period.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the MSC-V comprises a first MSC-V, and wherein the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second MSC-V, further comprising:

F. receiving at the second MSC-V second registration information from the wireless unit;

G. in response to receiving the second registration information, causing the second MSC-V to reroute a second registration to the international gateway;

H. in response to receiving the second registration, causing the international gateway to make a determination that the authorization period is in effect; and

I. in response to the determination, causing the international gateway to send a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second MSC-V.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

J. in response to receiving the validation, causing the second MSC-V to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the area served by the second MSC-V.

8. An international gateway for use in obtaining communication services for a wireless unit that is roaming in a visited system, the international gateway comprising:

A. an interface operative to receive a registration message with respect to the wireless unit from the visited system;

B. a translator functionally connected to the interface and operative

i. to determine a home system for the wireless unit based on the registration message,

ii. to substitute a point code for an element of the home system as a destination point code in the registration message, and

iii. to cause the registration message to be routed to the home system;

C. the interface also operative to receive from the home system a response to the registration message, the response including validation information and originating and/or terminating service (OCOS/TCOS) information with respect to the wireless unit; and

D. the translator also operative

i. to substitute a point code for an element of the visited system as a destination point code in the response, and

ii. to cause the response to be routed to the element of the visited system,

whereby the communication services for the wireless unit are obtained based on the validation information and on the OCOS/TCOS information regarding the wireless unit through an exchange of messages and responses among the visited system, the international gateway, and the home system.

9. The international gateway of claim 8, wherein the registration message comprises a mobile switching center identification (MSCID) parameter.

10. The international gateway of claim 8, wherein the OCOS/TCOS information comprises an instruction to provide terminating services only.

11. The international gateway of claim 8, wherein the visited system comprises a first visited system;

wherein the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second visited system; and

wherein the interface is also operative to receive a second registration message from the second visited system;

wherein the translator comprises storage, and the translator is operative to use the registration message to check the storage to make a determination that an authorization period assigned to the wireless unit for provision of the communication services to the wireless unit is in effect; and

wherein the translator also is operative to send a validation of the wireless unit to the second visited system.

12. A system to provide a home system with information about a wireless unit that is roaming in a visited system based on registration information the wireless unit provides to the visited system, the system comprising:

A. a mobile switching center of the visited system (MSC-V) operative to receive the registration information and in response to route a registration message to an international gateway;

B. the international gateway operative to receive the registration message, and in response, to create a new registration message including an identification of the MSC-V, the identification being other than a point code for the MSC-V, and to route the new registration message to a home mobile switching center (MSC-H) in the home system of the wireless unit; and

C. the MSC-H operative to receive the new registration message,

whereby the home system is provided with the information about the wireless unit including the identification of the MSC-V serving the wireless unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the MSC-H is further operative in response to receiving the new registration message to validate the wireless unit, to create a response including originating and/or terminating service (OCOS/TCOS) 20 information, and to route the response to the international gateway;

wherein the international gateway is further operative to receive the response, to create a new response based on the response, the new response including the OCOS/TCOS information, and to route the new response to the MSC-V; and

the MSC-V being further operative to receive the new response, and to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the identification of the MSC-V comprises a mobile switching center identification (MSCID) parameter.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the OCOS/TCOS information comprises an instruction to provide terminating service only;

and

wherein the MSC-V is caused to provide the wireless unit with the terminating service only as the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the MSC-V is further operative to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information for an authorization period.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the MSC-V comprises a first MSC-V;

wherein the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second MSC-V;

wherein the international gateway is operative to receive second registration information from the second MSC-V, to make a determination that an authorization period assigned to the wireless unit for provision of the communication services to the wireless unit is in effect, and to send a validation to the second MSC-V; and

wherein the second MSC-V in response to receipt of the validation provides the wireless unit with the communication services in the area served by the second MSC-V.

18. In a communications environment wherein a wireless unit has a registration with a first visited mobile switching center (MSC), and wherein the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second visited MSC, a method for validating the wireless unit with the second visited MSC without checking with a home system of the wireless unit, comprising:

A. receiving at the second visited MSC registration information from the wireless unit;

B. in response to receiving the registration information causing the second visited MSC to route the registration information to an international gateway;

C. in response to receiving the registration information, causing the international gateway to make a determination that an authorization period assigned to the wireless unit for provision of communication services is in effect; and

D. in response to the determination, causing the international gateway to send a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second visited MSC.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

E. upon receiving the validation, causing the second visited MSC to consider the wireless unit as validated

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

E. also in response to the determination, causing the international gateway to send a registration cancellation message to the first visited MSC; and

F. in response to receiving the cancellation message, causing the first visited MSC to cancel the registration of the wireless unit in the first visited MSC.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

upon receiving the validation, causing the second visited MSC to provide the wireless unit with the communication services.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the communication services comprise terminating services only.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the second visited MSC is caused to provide the wireless unit with the communication services for an authorization period.