Method and apparatus for steering of roaming

• US 20070249338A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schwalb, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for implementing steering of roaming (SOR) services in wireless networks is disclosed. The SOR platform operates on messages transmitted by a home location register (HLR), intercepting them and denying use of a visited network unless it is the preferred visited network of a home network.

Claims

1. A method of processing a request from a visited network for a wireless device to utilize said visited network, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, to a home network, a request message for a wireless device, associated with said home network, to utilize said visited network;

transmitting a responsive message from said home network to said visited network;

intercepting and altering said responsive message after it is transmitted, and transmitting said altered message to said visited network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transmitting to a home network comprises transmitted from a visitor location register to a home location register.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said responsive message is an authorization message permitting said wireless device to utilize said visited network.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said intercepting and altering comprises changing a message that would permit said wireless device to utilize said visited network to a message that prohibits said wireless device to utilize said visited network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein, in response to a response message being altered from one that would permit to one that prohibits, a second message is optionally also sent to the home location register or the home network, said second message advising said home network or said home location register that said response message has been so altered.

6. A method of altering messages sent from a home network associated with a wireless device to a visited network said wireless device is attempting to utilize, said method comprising receiving from said home network a message authorizing said utilization, determining whether said visited network is a preferred visited network, if so, passing said message through to said visited network in a manner that permits said utilization, and if not, altering said message to preclude said utilization prior to passing said message to said visited network.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising permitting said utilization even if said visited network is not a preferred visited network if at least a predetermined number of previous tries to connect to different visited networks have been attempted by said wireless device within a predetermined time frame.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein all response messages permitting authorization are automatically transmitted via a preferred communications path.

9. Apparatus for use with a wireless home network for authorizing use of a wireless device associated with said home network on a visited network, said apparatus comprising plural communications channels for receiving requests from various visited networks for a wireless device to utilize said visited network, and sending back a response message to authorize or to refuse to authorize said utilization of said visited network, said sending including sending all messages authorizing said use through one or more specified communications providers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said specified communications providers are those that provide steering of roaming services.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein if all of said one or more specified communications providers are non-operational, other communications providers are utilized to send said messages authorizing said use, said other communications providers not having steering of roaming services.

12. A method of precluding a home network from authorizing use of a wireless device on a visited network, said method comprising intercepting an authorization message and converting it to a message effectively denying authorization, transmitting said denial message to said visited network, and transmitting a second message to said home network advising said home network that said authorization message has been intercepted and so converted.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said home network includes a Home Location Register, and said visited network includes a Visiting Location Register.

14. A wireless network having a home location register, said home location register being connected to plural communications channels for receiving request messages from visited networks requesting authorization to service wireless devices associated with said home network, said home location register utilizing only a specified set of communications channels to respond to said request messages, irrespective of on which of said plural communications channels said request messages arrive.

15. The wireless network of claim 14 wherein said specified set is a subset of said plural communications channels.

16. The wireless network of claim 14 wherein said specified set is a set having SOR capabilities.

17. The wireless network of claim 15 wherein said specified set is a set having SOR capabilities.