Method for telecommunication, identification module and computerised service unit

• US 20040176092A1
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TOGEWA Holding AG
• Original Assignee: TOGEWA Holding AG
• Inventors: Heutschi, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A subscriber, who logs into a visited communication network (VPMN), in particular a mobile network, by means of his communication terminal (2) and his identification module (SIM) connected thereto, is transmitted, automatically or upon request, (S1) a subscriber identification (IMSI-P) from the number range of the visited communication network (VPMN) (S2). The received subscriber identification (IMSI-P) from the number range of the visited communication network (VPMN) is stored and activated in the identification module (SIM) of the subscriber. The subscriber can afterwards log into the visited communication network (VPMN) as a local subscriber. (sole figure)

Claims

1. A telecommunication method, for logging a subscriber into a visited partner communication network (VPMN), an identification module (SIM) being connected to the communication terminal (2) of the subscriber, in which identification module (SIM) a first subscriber identification (IMSI-F) is stored, which lies outside the number range of the visited partner communication network (VPMN), wherein

a second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) from the number range of the visited partner communication network (VPMN) is transmitted from a computerized service unit (1) to the communication terminal (2) in the visited partner communication network (VPMN),

the second participant identification (IMSI-T) is stored in the identification module (SIM), and

the subscriber is logged into the visited partner communication network (VPMN) using the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T).

2. The telecommunication method according to claim 1, wherein subscriber identifications (IMSI-P) from the number range of partner communication networks (VPMN) are stored in a database (11) of the service unit (1), a data message with a service request for the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) is transmitted from the communication terminal (2) in the visited partner communication network (VPMN) via the visited partner communication network (VPMN) to the service unit (1), and the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) is taken from the database (11) on the basis of the received service request and is transmitted via the visited partner communication network (VPMN) to the requesting communication terminal (2).

3. The telecommunication method according to one of the claims 1 or 2, wherein the first subscriber identification (IMSI-F) is selected from the number range of the operator of the service unit (1), the first subscriber identification (IMSI-F′

) is stored, assigned to a call number (MSISDN), in a home register (HLR) of the service unit (1), and the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) is linked in the service unit (1) to that call number (MSISDN) which is assigned to the first subscriber identification (IMSI-F′

).

4. The telecommunication method according to one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein cost data are transmitted from the visited partner communication network (VPMN) to a service unit (1) of the operator identified through the first subscriber identification (IMSI-F) for billing.

5. The telecommunication method according to one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein a mobile communication terminal (2) is used, a mobile radio network is selected as the visited partner communication network (VPMN), and mobile subscriber identifications are used as first and second subscriber identifications (IMSI-F, IMSI-T).

6. The telecommunication method according to claim 1, wherein the service request for the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) is transmitted from the communication terminal (2) in the visited partner communication network (VPMN) via the visited partner communication network (VPMN) to the service unit (1).

7. The telecommunication method according to claim 1, wherein the first subscriber identification (IMSI-F′

) is stored in a home register (HLR) of the service unit (1), the first subscriber identification (IMSI-F) is transmitted from the communication terminal (2) to the visited partner communication network (VPMN), and upon receipt in the service unit (1) of a location update from the visited communication network (VPMN) relating to the subscriber, the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) from the number range of the visited partner communication network (VPMN) is automatically transmitted from the computerized service unit (1) to the communication terminal (2) in the visited partner communication network (VPMN).

8. An identification module (SIM) of a subscriber for use in a communication method according to one of the claims 1 to 7, which identification module (SIM) is connectible to a communication terminal (2), in which identification module (SIM) a first subscriber identification (IMSI-F) is stored, which lies outside the number range of a partner communication network (VPMN), comprising means to:

receive a second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) from the number range of a visited partner communication network, which was received by the communication terminal (2) in the visited partner communication network (VPMN) from a computerized service unit (1),

store the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) in the identification module (SIM), and

log the subscriber into the visited partner communication network (VPMN) using the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T).

9. The identification module (SIM) according to claim 8, wherein it comprises means to generate a data message with a service request for the second subscriber identification (IMSI-T) and to transmit the generated data message by means of the communication terminal (2) via the visited partner communication network (VPMN) to the service unit (1).

10. The identification module (SIM) according to one of the claims 8 or 9, wherein it is connectible to a mobile communication terminal (2), and the first and the second subscriber identification (IMSI-F, IMSI-T) is in each case a mobile subscriber identification for identifying the subscriber in a mobile radio network.

11. A computerized service unit (1) for use in a communication method according to one of the claims 1 to 7, which is connectible to a communication network (VPMN), comprising:

a database (11), in which subscriber identifications (IMSI-P) from the number range of partner communication networks (VPMN) are stored, and means of transmitting one of the subscriber identifications (IMSI-T) to a communication terminal (2) which visits one of the partner communication networks (VPMN).

12. The computerized service unit (1) according to claim 11, wherein it comprises means to:

receive data messages via partner communication networks (VPMN) from communication terminals (2) in visited partner communication networks (VPMN), the data messages containing service requests for subscriber identifications (IMSI-T) from the number range of the respective partner communication networks (VPMN),

take subscriber identifications (IMSI-T) from the database (11) on the basis of the received service requests, and

transmit the taken subscriber identifications (IMSI-T) via the partner communication networks (VPMN) to the requesting communication terminals (2).

13. The computerized service unit (1) according to one of the claims 11 or 12, wherein it comprises a home register (HLR) in which subscriber identifications (IMSI-F) from the number range of the operator of the service unit (1) are stored, call numbers (MSISDN) being assigned in each case to the subscriber identifications (IMSI-F), and the service unit (1) comprises means for linking a subscriber identification (IMSI-T), transmitted to a requesting communication terminal (2), from the number range of a partner communication network (VPMN) to that call number (MSISDN) which is assigned to the subscriber identification (IMSI-F) from the number range of the operator, which identification identifies the requesting subscriber.

14. The computerized service unit (1) according to one of the claims 11 to 13, wherein the communication network (VPMN) is a mobile radio network, and the first and the second subscriber identifications (IMSI-F, IMSI-T) are each mobile subscriber identifications for identification of the subscriber in the mobile radio network.

15. The computerized service unit (1) according to claim 11, wherein it comprises a home register (HLR) in which subscriber identifications (IMSI-F′

) from the number range of the operator of the service unit (1) are stored, and it comprises means;

to receive location updates relating to communication terminals (2) in the visited partner communication networks (VPMN) via the partner communication networks (VPMN), and

to transmit automatically subscriber identifications (IMSI-T) from the number range of visited partner communication networks (VPMN) via the partner communication networks (VPMN) to respective communication terminals (2) in the visited partner communication networks (VPMN) upon receipt of location updates for respective communication terminals (2).