Location dependent handling of mobile subscribers

• US 20090215448A1
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Vikberg, Jari, Nylander, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

In a mobile communications network including an unlicensed radio access portion adapted to communicate with mobile stations over an unlicensed-radio interface an arrangement and method is proposed to permit calls to be handled differently depending on whether the caller and subscriber wishes to connect via the unlicensed radio access network or not. This is achieved by providing a home location register adapted to identify stored subscriber identity information identifying a mobile station from at least two separate dialled numbers and to output mobile station location information associated with the subscriber identity information in response to the dialled number. At least one of these numbers is reserved for connections to a mobile station via the unlicensed radio access network portion only. The mobile communications core network is furthermore arranged to terminate a call using the second dialled number when a mobile station is not connected to the unlicensed radio access network.

Claims

1. A mobile communications network including comprising:

a core network portion having

a first switching node,

a home location register connected to said first switching node and

a first visitor location register connected to said first switching node and said home location register, said home location register being adapted to identify from a first dialled number stored subscriber identity information identifying a mobile station and to output mobile station location information associated with said subscriber identity information in response to said dialled number, said mobile communications network further including at least one unlicensed radio access portion adapted to communicate with mobile stations over an unlicensed-radio interface and to communicate with said first switching node over a predetermined licensed mobile network interface, said home location register is being further adapted to identify from a second dialled number said stored subscriber information, said second number being reserved for connections to a mobile station via said unlicensed radio access network portion only, wherein said core network is arranged to terminate a call using said second dialled number when a mobile station is not connected to said unlicensed radio access network.

2. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said home location register comprises:

a first register portion containing said subscriber identity information associated with mobile station location information and addressable using said first dialled number and

a second register portion containing said subscriber identity information associated with mobile station location information and addressable only using said second dialled number.

3. The mobile communication network as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mobile station location information contained in said second home location register portion always indicates an area defined by said first visitor location register.

4. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 2, further comprising

a home location register update module adapted to update the location information associated with said subscriber identity information in said second home location register portion upon receipt of mobility information from a mobile station identified by said subscriber identity information, said core network portion being adapted to terminate a call when mobile station location information output by said second home location register portion in response to said second dialled number indicates that said mobile station is not connected to said unlicensed radio access network.

5. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first switching node and said first visitor location register are configured to access said second home location register portion and are further adapted to update the location information associated with said subscriber identity information in said second home location register portion upon receipt of mobility information from a mobile station identified by said subscriber identity information, and wherein said core network portion is adapted to terminate a call when mobile station location information output by said second home location register portion in response to said second dialled number indicates that said mobile station is not connected to said unlicensed radio access network.

6. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said home location register includes a module adapted to receive location information output in response to said second dialled number and to terminate said call when said location information indicates that the mobile station is not connected to the unlicensed radio access network.

7. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said core network portion is adapted to terminate said call by at least one of forwarding said call to voice mail and rerouting said call to another number.

8. A mobile communications network comprising:

a core network portion having

a first switching node,

a home location register connected to said first switching node and

a first visitor location register connected to said first switching node and said home location register, said home location register having a first register portion adapted to contain subscriber identity information identifying a mobile station and mobile station location information associated with said subscriber identity information and adapted to output said mobile station location information in response to a first dialled number,

at least one unlicensed radio access portion adapted to communicate with mobile stations over an unlicensed-radio interface and to communicate with said first switching node over a predetermined licensed mobile network interface, said home location register further comprising

a second register portion containing said subscriber identity information associated with mobile station location information and addressable only using a second dialled number, said second number being reserved for connections to said mobile station via said unlicensed radio access network portion only, wherein said core network is arranged to terminate a call using said second dialled number when a mobile station is not connected to said unlicensed radio access network.

9. The mobile communication network as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mobile station location information contained in said second home location register portion always indicates an area defined by said first visitor location register.

10. A method of handling a call in a mobile communications network, said mobile communications network having a core network portion and at least one unlicensed radio access network connected to said core network portion and adapted to communicate with mobile stations over an unlicensed radio interface, said method including the steps of determining a mobile station subscriber identity in response to a dialled number, obtaining stored location information associated with said subscriber identity, said stored location information indicating the area of location of said mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether said dialled number is for establishing a call via said unlicensed radio access network and if so,

paging said mobile station in an area identified by said stored location information only if said stored location information identifies an area covered by said unlicensed radio access network.