Hybrid mobile switching center for combined GSM/IS-41 communication

• US 20060050675A1
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew T. Hunter, Herbert Vanhove, Nikhil Jain
• Original Assignee: Andrew T. Hunter, Herbert Vanhove, Nikhil Jain
• Inventors: Jain, Nikhil, Hunter, Andrew T., Vanhove, Herbert
• Application Number:
  US11/268,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050675A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2618 using hybrid code-time division multiple access [CDMA-TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A single CDMA radio access network is used in conjunction with both a GSM core and an IS-41 core using a hybrid MSC to support mobile stations having subscriptions in either the GSM core or IS-41 core without requiring more than a single subscription.

Claims

1. A method for effecting communication with a first wireless mobile station (MS) having a subscription in a GSM core infrastructure and with a second wireless MS having a subscription in a CDMA infrastructure without requiring either MS to have more than a single subscription, comprising:

receiving, at an MSC, at least one identifier from at least one MS;

based on the identifier, determining the core infrastructure in which the MS has a subscription;

undertaking, through the MSC, authentication with the MS using information from the core infrastructure in which the MS has a subscription; and

collecting accounting data using the core infrastructure in which the MS has a subscription,

wherein the identifier is an international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving act is undertaken using a CDMA RAN.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising billing a user of an MS using the accounting data collected by the associated core infrastructure.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising, based on the determining act:

using GSM protocol in at least part of the authenticating act when the MS has a subscription in the GSM core infrastructure, and otherwise using IS-41 protocol in at least part of the authenticating act when the MS has a subscription in the CDMA core infrastructure.

5. A mobile switching center for a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for receiving an identifier international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI) from an MS;

means for using the identifier IMSI to determine whether the MS has a subscription in a GSM core infrastructure or a CDMA core infrastructure; and

means for communicating with both core infrastructures.

6. A wireless mobile station (MS), comprising:

at least one storage device including an international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI);

at least one radio communicating the identifier IMSI to a CDMA radio access network (RAN); and

one and only subscription in a GSM core infrastructure.

7. The MS of claim 6, wherein the MS communicates with a mobile switching center (MSC) using the CDMA RAN and execute authentication with the GSM core infrastructure while the MS is located in an area serviced by a CDMA core infrastructure.

8. The MS of claim 7, wherein the MS sends the IMSI as part of a location update message.