Method and apparatus for permitting a mobile station to operate in a visited network

• US 20040132449A1
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Benjamin Kowarsch
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Kowarsch
• Inventors: Kowarsch, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US10/297,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20040132449A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided which permit a mobile station from a home network to operate in a visited network, the method including monitoring an attempt by the mobile station to sign onto said visited network to determine whether a predetermined condition is met, and automatically initiating the creation of an account for the mobile station in the visited network if the predetermined condition is met.

Claims

1. A method of permitting a mobile station from a home network to operate in a visited network, said method including:

monitoring an attempt by said mobile station to sign on to said visited network to determine whether a predetermined condition is met; and

automatically initiating the creation of an account for said mobile station in said visited network if said predetermined condition is met.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said visited network is one of a plurality of visited networks serving a geographic area, and said method involves checking that said mobile station does not have an active account in another visited network within the same geographic area before initiating the creation of an account.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined condition is that said mobile station is not permitted to operate in said visited network.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mobile station is not permitted to operate if it is not entitled to roam in said visited network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mobile station is not permitted to operate if it is not entitled to make outgoing calls in said visited network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mobile station is not permitted to operate if it is not permitted to incur charges on behalf of the home network in the visited network.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method involves requesting insertion of an entry for said mobile station in the visitor location registry.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein creating an account includes maintaining said account if arrangements are made to settle charges incurred by the mobile station in the visited network.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein creating an account involves allocating a local phone number to said mobile station.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said arrangements involve purchasing call credits in the visited network.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said arrangements involve transferring call credits from the home network.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said arrangements involve a sponsor settling said charges.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a user of said mobile station must listen to an advertisement on behalf of said sponsor before incurring a charge to be settled by said sponsor.

14. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said arrangements must be made within a time limit.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said account is maintained while expiry conditions are not met.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said account is closed when said mobile station returns to sign on in said home network.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said account is closed when said mobile station signs on in a subsequently visited network.

18. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said account is closed when the user of said mobile station makes a request to close said account.

19. A method as claimed in claims 16 and 18, wherein closure of said account involves transferring remaining call credits to said home network.

20. A method as claimed in claims 17 and 18, wherein closure of said account involves transferring remaining call credits to said subsequently visited network.

21. A method as claimed in claims 16, 17 and 18, wherein closure of said account involves reimbursement of remaining call credits to the user of said mobile station.

22. A method as claimed in claims 15, 16, 17 and 18 wherein expiry or closure of said account involves sending a notification to the user of said mobile station.

23. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the method involves providing a credit register for use in said visited network, and creating an account involves activating said credit register so that it can be used in said visited network.

24. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a further embodiment, activating said credit register may involve reconfiguring a credit register normally for use in the mobile station'"'"'s home network for use in the visited network.

25. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein creating an account includes allocating credit and said arrangements must be made before the allocated credit is consumed.

26. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method includes sending a message to said mobile station after creating said temporary account, said message including information as to how to make said arrangements.

27. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining step is carried out only when said mobile station is first turned on in said visited network.

28. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein creating an account involves creating an account with a pre-paid platform.

29. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein creating an account involves creating an account with a billing system.

30. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring step involves intercepting communications between the visited network and the home network.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the intercepting step involves intercepting communications between a visitor location registry (VLR) handling the sign-on attempt in the visited network and the mobile station'"'"'s home location registry (HLR).

32. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said method involves emulating the HLR to the VLR as necessary.

33. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said method involves emulating the VLR to the HLR as necessary.

34. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said condition is that said mobile station is pre-registered for initiation of creation of an account in said visited network.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the monitoring step includes checking a profile associated with said mobile station and determining from said profile whether creation of an account should be initiated for said mobile station.

36. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the monitoring step includes checking a profile associated with said mobile station to determine whether creation of an account in the visited network should be offered to a user of said mobile station, offering the connection to said user, and determining from a response to said offer whether an account should be created.

37. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein said profile is maintained by said home network.

38. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein said profile is maintained by said visited network.

39. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein said profile is maintained by a database independent of said home network and said visited network.

40. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein said checking step involves checking a plurality of profiles.

41. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including automatically configuring a voicemail service in the mobile station'"'"'s home network, and associated with the mobile station to announce the local number for the mobile station.

42. A method as claimed in claim 41, wherein said voicemail service for said mobile station is reset to the standard announcement when said account is closed.

43. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including automatically activating a call forwarding service in the mobile station'"'"'s home network.

44. A method as claimed in claim 43, wherein said call forwarding service for said mobile station is deactivated when said account is closed or terminated.

45. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including automatically activating a unified messaging service in the mobile station'"'"'s home network to thereby forward messages left for said mobile station in said home network to said visited network.

46. A method as claimed in claim 45, wherein said unified messaging service for said mobile station is deactivated when said account is closed or terminated.

47. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said method involves checking that said mobile phone does not have an active account with any other visited network irrespective of the location of the visited network, and advising said any other visited network that said mobile station is attempting to sign on in said visited network whereby said any other visited network can close said active account if appropriate.

48. Apparatus for permitting a mobile station from a home network to operate in a visited network, said apparatus including:

monitoring means for monitoring an attempt by said mobile station to sign on to said visited network to determine whether a predetermined condition is met; and

account creation means for automatically initiating the creation of an account for said mobile station in said visited network if said predetermined condition is met.

49. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein said visited network is one of a plurality of visited networks serving a geographic area, and said apparatus further includes account checking means for checking that said mobile station does not have an active account in another visited network within the same geographic area before said account creation means initiates the creation of an account.

50. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein said predetermined condition is that said mobile station is not permitted to operate in said visited network.

51. Apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein said mobile station is not permitted to operate if it is not entitled to roam in said visited network.

52. Apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein said mobile station is not permitted to operate if it is not permitted to incur charges on behalf of the home network in the visited network.

53. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein said predetermined condition is that said mobile station has a restricted roaming facility.

54. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, further including local phone number allocation means for allocating a local phone number to said mobile station.

55. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein said account creation means requests insertion of an entry for said mobile station in the visitor location registry.

56. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein said apparatus includes account maintenance means for maintaining said account if arrangements are made to settle charges incurred by the mobile station in the visited network.

57. Apparatus as claimed in claim 56, wherein said arrangements involve purchasing call credits in the visited network.

58. Apparatus as claimed in claim 56, wherein said arrangements involve transferring call credits from the home network.

59. Apparatus as claimed in claim 56, wherein said arrangements involve a sponsor settling said charges.

60. Apparatus as claimed in claim 59, wherein a user of said mobile station must listen to an advertisement on behalf of said sponsor before incurring a charge to be settled by said sponsor.

61. Apparatus as claimed in claim 56, wherein said account maintenance means maintains said account while expiry conditions are not met.

62. Apparatus as claimed in claim 56, wherein said arrangements must be made within a time limit.

63. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein said monitoring means is located between the visited network and the home network.

64. Apparatus as claimed in claim 63, wherein the monitoring means intercepts communications between the visited network and the home network.

65. Apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein the monitoring means intercepts communications between a visitor location registry (VLR) handling the sign-on attempt in the visited network and the mobile station'"'"'s home location registry (HLR).

66. Apparatus as claimed in claim 63, wherein the monitoring means is provided by an extended location registry (XLR).

67. Apparatus as claimed in claim 66, wherein the XLR is configured so as to be transparent to the visited and home networks.

68. Apparatus as claimed in claim 67, wherein said XLR is configured to emulate the home location registry of said home network said visited network as necessary.

69. Apparatus as claimed in claim 68, wherein said XLR is also configured to emulate the visitor location registry of said visited network to said home network as necessary.

70. Apparatus as claimed in claim 66, wherein said XLR is in communication with a local charging platform and initiates the creation of an account by sending an account creation signal to said local charging platform.

71. Apparatus as claimed in claim 70, wherein the local charging platform is a pre-paid platform.

72. Apparatus as claimed in claim 70, wherein said local charging platform is a billing system.

73. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein said mobile station includes a credit register, and said account creation means is capable activating said credit register.

74. Apparatus as claimed in claim 73, wherein said credit register is located on said mobile station'"'"'s SIM card.

75. Apparatus as claimed in claim 73, wherein said account creation means activates said credit register by reconfiguring a credit register normally for use in said mobile station'"'"'s home network for use in the visited network.

76. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48 wherein said predetermined condition is that said mobile station is registered for creation of a local account.

77. Apparatus as claimed in claim 76, wherein said apparatus also includes a user preferences database UPDB which maintains profiles for mobile stations, whereby said apparatus can query said UPDB to determine whether a mobile station attempting to sign on in the home network is registered for creation of a local account.

78. Apparatus as claimed in claim 66, wherein said apparatus also includes means to automatically configure a voicemail service in said mobile station'"'"'s home network, to change the voicemail greeting for said mobile station.

79. Apparatus as claimed in claim 66, wherein the XLR also initiates the activation of a call forwarding service in said mobile station'"'"'s home network so that calls made to the mobile station in said home network are forwarded to said mobile station in said visited network.

80. Apparatus as claimed in claim 66, wherein the XLR also initiates the activation of a unified messaging service in said mobile station'"'"'s home network so that messages left for said mobile station in said home network are forwarded to said mobile station in said visited network.

81. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein creation of an account by said account creation means involves creating an account reference and associating said account reference with the mobile station'"'"'s international mobile subscriber identification.

82. Apparatus as claimed in claim 53 wherein said mobile station has a restricted roaming facility if said mobile station is not entitled to make outgoing calls in said visited network.

83. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, further including a registry for maintaining data relating to mobile station'"'"'s for which an account has been created.

84. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein said apparatus further includes account closure means for triggering closure of said account.

85. Apparatus as claimed in claim 84, wherein said account closure means is triggered when said mobile station returns to sign on in said home network.

86. Apparatus as claimed in claim 84, wherein said account closure means is triggered when said mobile signs on in a subsequently visited network.

87. Apparatus as claimed in claim 85, wherein said account closure means is triggered when the user of said mobile station makes a voluntary request to close said account.

88. Apparatus as claimed in claim 84, wherein said apparatus is configured to forward remaining credit for said mobile station to said home network in the event of said account closure or in the event of expiry of said account.

89. Apparatus as claimed in claim 84, wherein said apparatus is configured to forward remaining credit for said mobile station to said subsequently visited network in the event of said account closure.

90. Apparatus as claimed in claim 84, wherein said apparatus is configured to reset a voicemail service in said home network for said mobile station to the standard greeting in the event of said account closure or in the event of expiry of said account.

91. Apparatus as claimed in claim 84, wherein said apparatus is configured to deactivate a call forwarding service in said home network for said mobile station in the event of said account closure or in the event of expiry of said account.

92. Apparatus as claimed in claim 84, wherein said apparatus is configured to deactivate a unified messaging service in said home network for said mobile station in the event of said account closure or in the event of expiry of said account.

93. Apparatus as claimed in claim 84, further including means to send a message to the user of said mobile station with a notification when said account has been closed or terminated.

94. Apparatus as claimed in claim 49, wherein said account checking means checks that said mobile phone does not have an active account with any other visited network irrespective of the location of the visited network, and wherein said account checking means advises said any other visited network that said mobile phone is attempting to sign on in said visited network whereby said any other visited network can close said active account if appropriate.