Systems and methods for subscriber profile management

• US 20080076413A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Canadian Managed Services Inc. (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Bridgewater Systems Corp. (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jones, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Systems and methods subscriber profile management to facilitate seamless roaming of mobile devices from one network to another. A subscriber profile management system is provided that includes a time to live (“TTL”) generator that generates a TTL limit for a subscriber based on usage characteristics of the subscriber. The subscriber profile management system further includes an administration module that administers TTL limits, TTL limit database that store TTL limits, a subscriber profile database that stores subscriber profiles, a usage measurement database that stores usage measurements, and a TTL limit reference module that administers TTLs when a subscriber profile and TTL limit are transmitted. The invention further includes a series of methods that support seamless roaming capabilities of a subscriber throughout visited networks without the need to continually make proxy calls to re-authenticate a subscriber.

Claims

1. A subscriber profile management system, comprising:

a time to live (TTL) generator that generates a TTL limit for a subscriber based on usage characteristics of the subscriber; and

an administration module that administers the TTL limits, wherein the subscriber profile management system is embodied in a computer readable medium.

2. The subscriber profile management system of claim 1, further comprising a TTL limit database that stores TTL limits.

3. The subscriber profile management system of claim 1, further comprising a subscriber profile database that stores subscriber profiles.

4. The subscriber profile management system of claim 1, further comprising a subscriber profile interface that provides an interface to an external source that provides subscriber profiles.

5. The subscriber profile management system of claim 1, further comprising a usage measurement database that stores subscriber usage measurements.

6. The subscriber profile management system of claim 1, further comprising a usage measurement interface that provides an interface to an external source that provides subscriber usage measurements.

7. The subscriber profile management system of claim 1 further comprising a TTL Limit Reference Module that stores and administers TTLs when a subscriber profile and TTL limit are transmitted to another network for a subscriber.

8. The subscriber profile management system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber profile management system transmits a subscriber profile and TTL limit when a service request is received from a visited network for a subscriber having a home network different from the visited network, wherein the subscriber profile management system is located within the home network.

9. The subscriber profile management system of claim 1, wherein the usage characteristics include roaming characteristics.

10. A subscriber profile management system, comprising:

a TTL limit database that stores TTL limits for subscribers access services;

a subscriber profile database that stores subscriber profiles; and

an administration module that administers subscriber profiles and TTL limits, wherein subscribers are from a home network that differs from the network in which the subscriber profile management system resides, wherein the subscriber profile management system is embodied in a computer readable medium.

11. The subscriber profile management system of claim 10, wherein upon receiving a service request the subscriber profile management system determines whether an active TTL exists for a subscriber requesting service.

12. The subscriber profile management system of claim 11, wherein when an active TTL limit does not exist for the subscriber requesting service, the subscriber profile management system requests a subscriber profile and TTL limit from a home network of the subscriber.

13. The subscriber profile management system of claim 10, wherein a TTL limit is based on usage characteristics of a subscriber.

14. A method for a visited network to provide a service to a subscriber having a home network, comprising:

(a) receiving a service request from a subscriber in a visited network service area;

(b) when a profile for the subscriber does not exist within the visited network, requesting a subscriber profile and roaming time to live (TTL) limit, wherein the roaming TTL limit is based on the subscriber'"'"'s usage characteristics;

(c) when a profile for the subscriber does exist within the visited network, proceeding to step (f);

(d) receiving the subscriber profile and roaming TTL limit;

(e) caching the subscriber profile and roaming TTL limit; and

(f) providing the service to the subscriber.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising recording a roaming start time after step (e).

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising deactivating the roaming TTL limit when the elapsed time from the roaming start time exceeds the roaming TTL limit.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the visited network and home network are operated by the same network provider.

18. A method for a visited network to administer a subscriber profile and roaming TTL limit for a subscriber having a home network, comprising:

(a) receiving a subscriber profile and roaming TTL limit, wherein the roaming TTL limit is based on the subscriber'"'"'s usage characteristics;

(b) caching the subscriber profile and roaming TTL limit; and

(c) deactivating the subscriber profile when the subscriber profile has been cached for a time that equals or exceeds the roaming TTL limit.

19. A method for deriving a roaming time to live (TTL) limit for a subscriber, comprising:

(a) storing the subscriber'"'"'s usage characteristics;

(b) analyzing the subscriber'"'"'s usage characteristics; and

(c) deriving a TTL limit based on the subscriber'"'"'s usage characteristics.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising storing the TTL limit.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein deriving a TTL limit based on subscriber usage characteristics includes analysis of a subscriber'"'"'s roaming characteristics.

22. A method for a home network of a subscriber to administer roaming time to live (TTL) limits for a subscriber, comprising:

(a) receiving a request for a subscriber profile and roaming TTL;

(b) transmitting the subscriber profile and roaming TTL;

(c) recording a roaming TTL limit reference count when a subscriber profile and roaming TTL limit are transmitted; and

(d) deleting a roaming TTL limit reference count when the time elapsed beginning when the roaming TTL limit was sent equals the roaming TTL limit.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining whether the subscriber has exceeded a roaming session threshold prior to step (a).

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising when the subscriber has exceeded a roaming session threshold transmitting a service denial message and proceeding to step (d).