Selecting ggsn in shared mobile network
First Claim
1. A method for selecting a gateway network node for a mobile station served by a serving network node, in a system where at least two network operators may share a radio network and the serving network node, the system comprising at least two gateway network nodes, the method comprising maintaining partner information about predefined partner networks, the partner information indicating that said network operators share the serving network node;
- and selecting a gateway network node for the mobile station on the basis of the partner information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to the packet switched portion of a mobile communications system in which two or more network operators share the same network. To allow the operators to compete with each other, they usually have a gateway node (GGSN1, GGSN2) of their own, although they share the serving node (SGSN1). In order to enable the selection of the gateway node (GGSN1, GGSN2), the invention involves maintaining information about predefined partner networks, i.e. shared networks an operator has in addition to its own networks. On the basis of the information a mobile station (MS2) can be connected to a gateway node (GGSN2) of its home network (PLMN2), provided that the visited network (PLMN1) is a partner network of the home network (PLMN2). A visiting mobile station from outside the partner networks, however, can be connected to the visited gateway node (GGSN1).
40 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for selecting a gateway network node for a mobile station served by a serving network node, in a system where at least two network operators may share a radio network and the serving network node, the system comprising at least two gateway network nodes, the method comprising
maintaining partner information about predefined partner networks, the partner information indicating that said network operators share the serving network node; - and
selecting a gateway network node for the mobile station on the basis of the partner information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A mobile communications system comprising
at least one mobile station; -
a subscriber register for maintaining subscriber information of the mobile station;
at least two networks to which the mobile station may connect when it is within the area of the network, one of the networks being the home network of the mobile station, the networks comprising at least one gateway network node for interaction between packet switched mobile networks and external data networks; and
at least one serving network node for serving the mobile station while the mobile station is in the area of the serving network node, wherein the system is configured to maintain partner information about networks that are predefined partner networks of the home network, the home network sharing at least one serving gateway node with each of the predefined partner networks; and
toselect the gateway network node by utilizing the partner information. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A subscriber register for maintaining subscriber information in a system comprising
at least one mobile station, at least two networks to which the mobile station may connect when it is within the area of the network, one of the networks being the home network of the mobile station, the networks comprising at least one gateway network node for interaction between packet switched mobile networks and external data networks; - and
at least one serving network node for serving the mobile station while the mobile station is in the area of the serving network node, the subscriber register comprising a first routine for maintaining partner information about networks that are predefined partner networks of the network, the partner network and the home network sharing at least one serving gateway node;
a second routine for checking the partner information of the mobile station; and
a third routine for indicating, on the basis of the partner information, the gateway network node, to which the mobile station is to be connected, to the serving network node serving the mobile station.
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16. A serving network node for relaying packet switched data in a system comprising
at least one mobile station; -
a subscriber register for maintaining subscriber information of the mobile station; and
at least two networks to which the mobile station may connect when it is within the area of the network, one of the networks being the home network of the mobile station, the networks comprising at least one gateway network node for interaction between packet switched mobile networks and external data networks, the serving network node comprising a first routine for checking partner information about networks that are predefined partner networks of the network, the partner network and the home network sharing the serving gateway node; and
a second routine for selecting a gateway network node on the basis of the partner information. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification