Fixed mobile roaming service solution

• US 20070254648A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syniverse Communications LLC
• Original Assignee: Aicent, Inc. (Syniverse Corp.)
• Inventors: Zhang, David, Xu, Richard, Xu, Huixue, Ma, Xaiojun
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems for and methods of using dual mode handsets or softphone client for voice, sms, and data services. In one embodiment of the present invention, a mobile handset uses a SIP User Agent to register on a visiting network. The mobile handset generates SIP REGISTER messages. The SIP REGISTER messages are translated into corresponding MAP registration (or RADIUS message) and authentication commands, allowing system to contact the HPLMN HLR (or home AAA) associated with the mobile device to authenticate the mobile device and register it on a VLR of a visiting network. MAP responses (or RADIUS response) are translated to corresponding SIP commands that are forwarded to the mobile device, thereby completing the connection set up.

Claims

1. A method of registering a mobile device to use a visiting network comprising:

translating first registration messages from the mobile device from a first protocol to corresponding second registration messages in a second protocol; and

transmitting the second registration messages to register the device to use the visiting network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating response messages in the second protocol to corresponding response messages in the first protocol; and

transmitting the corresponding response messages in the first protocol to the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is Session Initiation Protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second protocol is a global wireless protocol.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the global wireless protocol is Mobile Application Part (MAP).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving from the mobile device an International Mobile Station Identity (IMSI) and transmitting the IMSI in the first registration messages.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the first registration messages into the second registration messages are performed at an Internet Protocol Visitor Location Register (IP-VLR).

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising authenticating the mobile device through a Home Public Land Mobile Network, (HPLMN) Home Location Register (HLR) using the second protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising exchanging authentication and location information for the mobile device between the HPLMN HLR and the IP-VLR.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the mobile device using an authentication sequence with a proxy server using a third protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising retrieving an authentication sequence from the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the third protocol is Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS).

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a Short Message Service Message from the mobile device to a destination device.

14. A method of establishing a call between a first mobile device and a second device comprising:

reading from the first mobile device a mobile subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) number as the destination number;

translating the ISDN number into a mobile station roaming number (MSRN);

connecting to a gateway associated with the destination mobile phone using the MSRN; and

accessing the second device using the gateway.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second device is accessed using SIP.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein connecting to a gateway comprises a signaling protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the signaling protocol is Signal Switching 7, ISDN User Part, Telephone User Part, or Q.931.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first mobile device comprises a SIP User Agent.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting domain information corresponding to the first mobile device from the SIP User Agent to a SIP Server; and

transmitting SIP messages indicating the domain to an IP-VLR.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting the domain information to an HLR; and

receiving from the HLR an International Mobile Station Identity (IMSI) corresponding to the mobile device.

21. A network comprising:

a hub programmed to control a connection for sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message from a mobile device, wherein the hub is programmed to exchange first call control messages with the mobile device using a first protocol and to exchange corresponding second call control messages with a transmission component using a second protocol.

22. The network of claim 21, wherein the hub comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server and the first protocol is SIP.

23. The network of claim 22, wherein the hub comprises an Internet Protocol Visitor Location Register (IP-VLR) coupled to the SIP server and programmed to translate between the first call control messages and the second control messages.

24. The network of claim 23, wherein the IP-VLR is coupled to a Home Location Register (HLR) and programmed to transmit location information for the mobile device to the HLR.

25. The network of claim 22, wherein the SIP Server is programmed to exchange the second control messages with an authentication server using the second protocol and the IP-VLR is programmed to exchange corresponding third call control messages with the HLR.

26. The network of claim 22, wherein the hub comprises a trunk gateway coupling the SIP Server to a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLM) Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC).

27. The network of claim 21, wherein the second protocol is a global networking protocol.

28. The network of claim 27, wherein the global networking protocol is Mobile Application Part (MAP) protocol.

29. The network of claim 24, wherein the second call control messages correspond to updating a location of the mobile device on the HLR and authenticating the mobile device on an authentication server.

30. The network of claim 22, wherein the hub further comprises a proxy authentication server.

31. The network of claim 30, wherein the proxy authentication server is programmed to authorize the mobile phone to perform predetermined tasks and to bill the mobile phone for services.

32. The network of claim 22, wherein the SIP server is programmed to exchange the second call control messages with the authentication server and the IP-VLR is programmed to exchange corresponding third call control messsages with the HLR using a third protocol.

33. The network of claim 32, wherein the first protocol is SIP, the second protocol is Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS), and the third protocol is MAP.

34. The network of claim 21, wherein the first call control messages comprise a MSISDN of a mobile device.

35. The network of claim 21, wherein the first call control data comprises a domain name corresponding to the MSISDN.

36. A method of providing Short Message Service (SMS) services between a Global System for Mobile Communications/Mobile Application Part (GSM/MAP) domain and Session Initiation Protocol/Internet Protocol (SIP/IP) domain, the method comprising:

providing a SIP interface for SMS communication with a SIP User Agent in IP mode;

reading a Home SMS Center (SMSC) global title address by the SIP User Agent;

providing a MAP interface for communicating with the SMSC of a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) used to serve a subscriber in a traditional GSM network;

converting a body of a SIP Message generated by the SIP User Agent into a MAP MO-FSM message;

forwarding the MAP MO-FSM message to the SMSC; and

converting the MAP response into a corresponding SIP response messages, thereby informing the SIP User Agent of the submission result.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising mapping between a GSM character set and one of ASCII and UTF-8.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein, the title address is configured and stored in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) of a mobile device.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising reading the address by the SIP User Agent.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising transmitting the address to a SIP Server in real time when a short message is exchanged in the SIP message.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising transmitting the address to a SIP Server during a SIP REGISTER operation.

42. A method of providing SMS interworking between a GSM/MAP domain and a SIP/IP domain, the method comprising:

providing a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interface for SMS communication with a SIP User Agent in IP mode;

providing a Mobile Application Part (MAP) interface for communication with a Home Location Register (HLR) and SMS-GMSC of a traditional GSM network;

converting a body of a SIP Message into a MAP SRI-For-SM and MT-FSM messages;

forwarding the MAP message to the GMSC;

converting the MAP response into a corresponding SIP response to inform the SIP UA of the result; and

mapping between GSM characters and one of ASCII and UTF-8.

43. A method of providing SMS interworking between a GSM/MAP domain and a SIP/IP domain, the method comprising:

providing a MAP interface for communicating with an HLR and a SMS-GMSC in a traditional GSM network;

providing a SIP interface for SMS communication with a SIP User Agent in IP mode;

converting a MAP MT-FSM message into a SIP MESSAGE;

forwarding the SIP Message to the SIP User Agent;

converting a SIP response from the SIP User Agent into a corresponding MAP response to inform the SMSC of a result; and

mapping characters between a GSM character set and one of ASCII and UTF-8.

44. A method of providing a roaming number for a voice call to a dual-mode mobile station/softphone in IP mode, the method comprising:

providing a MAP interface for communication with an HLR in a traditional GSM network;

providing a SIP interface for communication with a SIP User Agent in IP mode;

providing a SS7 interface for communication with a GMSC for voice call setup;

allocating a temporary Roaming Number for a MAP PRN request from the HLR;

storing the IMSI and MSRN in a mapping table;

converting a voice call setup message into a SIP INVITE message;

determining the IP and Port information of the SIP UA that is using the MSISDN; and

forwarding the SIP INVITE to the address.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein a IMSI-MSRN mapping table and a IMSI-MSISDN mapping table are used to convert the MSRN in a SS7 setup message into the MSISDN in a SIP INVITE request URI.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the call set up message is one of ISUP IAM and Q.931 Setup.