Method and system for implementing communications between multiple subnets and MSC

• US 20070117561A1
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shu, Xuzu
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and a system for implementing communications between multiple subnets covered by one physical Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and an MSC. The method includes the steps of: mapping one physical MSC to multiple logical MSCs, i.e. multiple virtual MSCs, and assigning a virtual MSC number to each virtual MSC, and setting relationship(s) between location area(s) covered by the virtual MSC and the virtual MSC number of each virtual MSC; transmitting location information of a terminal with the virtual MSC number during communications to implement communications among multiple subnets. During communication, since the terminal location is transmitted according to the virtual MSC number, it is possible to differentiate the terminals located in different subnets covered by a physical MSC, therefore the roaming and handover of the terminal between the subnets can be implemented; and the roaming limitation also can be implemented through the MSC List and VLR List.

Claims

1. A method for implementing communications between multiple subnets that are covered by one physical Mobile Switching Center (MSC), comprising:

mapping one physical MSC to multiple virtual MSCs, and assigning a virtual MSC number to each virtual MSC, and setting a relationship between a subnet covered by the virtual MSC and the virtual MSC number of each virtual MSC; and

transmitting location information of a terminal with the virtual MSC number during communications to implement communications among multiple subnets.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication procedure in the step of transmitting location information of a terminal with the virtual MSC number comprises:

after a terminal roams, assigning a roaming number to the roaming terminal;

a Home Location Register (HLR) sending a provide roaming number request to the virtual MSC to which the terminal currently belongs, with the virtual MSC number in the request; and

the MSC, to which the terminal currently belongs, assigning a roaming number to the terminal according to the virtual MSC number after receiving the request, and sending a provide roaming number response to the HLR.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication procedure in the step of transmitting location information of a terminal with the virtual MSC number comprises:

assigning a handover number to the terminal during a handover;

an original MSC of the terminal sending a prepare handover request to a destination virtual MSC, wherein the prepare handover request carries information of the destination virtual MSC and information of a destination cell to which the terminal handed over to; and

the destination virtual MSC sending a handover request to a corresponding Base Station Controller (BSC) according to the information of the destination cell;

the BSC sending a handover response to the destination virtual MSC; and

the destination virtual MSC obtaining the virtual MSC number of the destination virtual MSC, and assigning the handover number by taking the virtual MSC number of the destination virtual MSC as a prefix, and sending a prepare handover response to the original MSC.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, during a location update procedure of the roaming terminal, the communication procedure in the step of transmitting the location information of the terminal with the virtual MSC number further comprising:

the terminal sending a location update request to the currently visited virtual MSC;

the virtual MSC, which is currently visited by the terminal, sending the location update request, with virtual MSC number in it, to the HLR of the terminal;

the HLR of the terminal sending a delete location request to the original virtual MSC that the terminal visited;

the original virtual MSC visited by the terminal sending a delete location response to the HLR after receiving the delete location request;

the HLR sending a insert terminal data request to the virtual MSC, which is currently visited by the terminal, after receiving the delete location response;

the virtual MSC currently visited by the terminal inserting the terminal data after receiving the insert terminal data request, and sending a insert terminal data response to the HLR;

the HLR sending a location update response to the virtual MSC currently visited by the terminal; and

the virtual MSC currently visited by the terminal sending the location update response to the terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the terminal is a calling party in intelligent services, the communication procedure in the step of transmitting the location information of the terminal with the virtual MSC number comprises:

the calling party initiates a call, and a Service Switching Point (SSP) reporting the number of the virtual MSC currently visited by the terminal to a Service Control Point (SCP).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the terminal is a called party in the intelligent services, the communication procedure in the step of transmitting the location information of the terminal with the virtual MSC number comprises:

the home virtual MSC of the terminal sending a routing information request to the HLR;

the HLR obtaining the number of the virtual MSC currently visited by the terminal, and sending a routing information response, with the number of the virtual MSC currently visited by the terminal, to the terminal; and

the home virtual MSC of the terminal reporting the number of the virtual MSC of the called party to the SCP.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of mapping one physical MSC to multiple logical virtual MSCs, and setting relationship(s) between the location area(s) covered by the virtual MSC and the virtual MSC number of each virtual MSC further comprises:

mapping one physical Visited Location Register (VLR) into multiple virtual VLRs, and assigning a virtual VLR number to each virtual VLR; and

setting a relationship between the virtual MSC number and virtual VLR number in a system, so that each virtual MSC corresponds to one virtual VLR.

the step of transmitting the location information of the terminal with the virtual MSC number further comprises;

during communication, transmitting the location information of the terminal according to the virtual VLR number.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, when the terminal is a called party in the intelligent services, the step of transmitting the location information of the terminal with the virtual MSC number comprises:

the home virtual MSC/virtual VLR of the terminal sending a routing information request to the HLR;

the HLR obtaining the number of the virtual MSC currently visited by the terminal and the virtual VLR number, and sending a routing information response, with the number of the virtual MSC currently visited by the terminal and the virtual VLR number in it, to the terminal;

the home virtual MSC/VLR of the terminal reporting the virtual MSC number and the virtual VLR number of the called party to a Service Control Point (SCP).

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, during the location update procedure of the roaming terminal, the step of transmitting the location information of the terminal with the virtual MSC number comprises:

the terminal sending a location update request to the currently visited virtual MSC/VLR;

the MSC/VLR, which is currently visited by the terminal, sending the location update request, with the virtual MSC number and the virtual VLR number in it, to the HLR of the terminal;

the HLR of the terminal sending a delete location request to the original virtual MSC/VLR that the terminal visited;

the original MSC/VLR visited by the terminal sending a delete location response to the HLR after receiving the delete location request;

the HLR sending a insert terminal data request to the virtual MSC/VLR, which is currently visited by the terminal, after receiving the delete location response;

the virtual MSC/VLR currently visited by the terminal inserting the terminal data after receiving the insert terminal data request, and sending a insert terminal data response to the HLR;

the HLR sending a location update response to the virtual MSC/VLR currently visited by the terminal after receiving the insert terminal data response; and

the virtual MSC/VLR currently visited by the terminal sending the location update response to the terminal.

10. The method according to claims 4, wherein,

after sending the location update request to the VLR of the terminal, further comprising:

initiating a visiting conflict timer for the terminal; and

after the original virtual MSC receives the delete location request, further comprising;

determining whether the visiting conflict timer is overtime;

if it is overtime, deleting the user data corresponding to the terminal, and then executing the step of sending the delete location response to the VLR;

otherwise, directly executing the step of sending the delete location response to the VLR.

11. The method according to claims 9, wherein,

after sending the location update request to the VLR of the terminal, further comprising:

initiating a visiting conflict timer for the terminal; and

after the original virtual MSC receives the delete location request, further comprising;

determining whether the visiting conflict timer is overtime;

if it is overtime, deleting the user data corresponding to the terminal, and then executing the step of sending the delete location response to the VLR;

otherwise, directly executing the step of sending the delete location response to the VLR.

12. The method according to claims 4, wherein the location update request that is sent to the HLR of the terminal comprises:

Super-Charge Supported in Serving Network Entity;

the HLR directly executing the step of sending the location update response after receiving the location update request.

13. The method according to claims 9, wherein, the location update request that is sent to the HLR of the terminal comprises:

Super-Charge Supported in Serving Network Entity;

then the HLR directly executing the step of sending the location update response after receiving the location update request.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein, the step of mapping one physical MSC to multiple logical MSCs, and setting relationship(s) between the location area(s) covered by the virtual MSC and the virtual MSC number of each virtual MSC further comprises:

setting the VLR number corresponding to the areas that are permitted to be visited by the terminal in the VLR List of the terminal;

in the step of transmitting the location information of the terminal with the virtual MSC number, during transmitting the location information of the terminal according to the virtual VLR number, if it is determined that the virtual VLR number is not in the VLR List of the terminal, restricting the service of the terminal.

15. A system for implementing communications between multiple subnets that are covered by one physical Mobile Switching Center (MSC), comprising:

virtual MSCs, mapped from one physical MSC, respectively configured with a virtual MSC number and a corresponding relationship between a subnet covered by the virtual MSC and the virtual MSC number of the virtual MSC;

wherein,

the virtual MSC number is used for transmitting location information of a terminal; and

the virtual MSCs implements communications between multiple subnets according to the virtual MSC number.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

virtual Visited Location Registers (VLRs), respectively configured with a virtual VLR number which is corresponding to a virtual MSC number;

wherein,

the virtual VLR number is used for transmitting location information of a terminal.

17. A Mobile Switching Center (MSC) for implementing communications between multiple subnets that are covered by the MSC, comprising:

virtual MSCs, mapped from the MSC, respectively configured with a virtual MSC number and a corresponding relationship between a subnet covered by the virtual MSC and the virtual MSC number of the virtual MSC;

wherein,

the virtual MSC number is used for transmitting location information of a terminal; and

the virtual MSCs implements communications between multiple subnets according to the virtual MSC number.

18. The MSC according to claim 17, further comprising:

virtual Visited Location Registers (VLRs), respectively configured with a virtual VLR number which is corresponding to a virtual MSC number;

wherein,

the virtual VLR number is used for transmitting location information of a terminal.