Phantom mobile-identification number method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of coupling a call to a cellular telephone unit located in an area serviced by a serving switch, the cellular telephone unit having a home mobile identification number including a network planning area number, the method comprising:
- receiving at the cellular telephone unit a serving switch system identification number;
transmitting from the cellular telephone unit to a central controller computer, coupled to the serving switch, the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number;
determining, at the central controller computer;
a local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number received from the cellular telephone unit;
determining, at the cellular telephone unit, the local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the received serving switch system identification number; and
modifying, at the cellular telephone unit, only the network planning area number of the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit to identify the cellular telephone unit with the local cellular system number.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for changing the mobile identification number of a cellular telephone unit to reflect a local network planning area number, including a cellular telephone unit having a microprocessor and associated data storage. The microprocessor is programmed to interrogate the cellular telephone unit to obtain the local system identification number. The network planning area number corresponding to the system identification number is included as a part of the mobile identification number, thereby establishing a local cellular system number, such that the cellular telephone unit appears as a local unit to enable calls to be pre-validated by the local cellular system. Both the cellular telephone unit and the cellular system determine the local cellular system number independently. In response to an incoming call for the cellular telephone unit, the local cellular system pages the cellular telephone unit using the local cellular system number.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of coupling a call to a cellular telephone unit located in an area serviced by a serving switch, the cellular telephone unit having a home mobile identification number including a network planning area number, the method comprising:
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receiving at the cellular telephone unit a serving switch system identification number; transmitting from the cellular telephone unit to a central controller computer, coupled to the serving switch, the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number; determining, at the central controller computer;
a local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number received from the cellular telephone unit;determining, at the cellular telephone unit, the local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the received serving switch system identification number; and modifying, at the cellular telephone unit, only the network planning area number of the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit to identify the cellular telephone unit with the local cellular system number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A national roaming cellular network, comprising:
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a serving switch operable to emit a serving switch system identification number; a cellular telephone unit coupled with the serving switch and located in an area serviced by the serving switch, the cellular telephone unit having a home mobile identification number that includes a network planning area number, the cellular telephone unit operable to receive the serving switch system identification number from the serving switch, the cellular telephone unit operable to transmit to the serving switch the home mobile identification number, the cellular telephone unit further operable to determine a local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the received serving switch system identification number, the cellular telephone unit further operable to modify only the network planning area number of the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit to identify the cellular telephone unit with the local cellular system number; and a central controller computer coupled with the serving switch and operable to receive from the serving switch the home mobile identification number transmitted to the serving switch by the cellular telephone unit and the serving switch system identification number, the central controller computer further operable to determine the local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of coupling a call to a cellular telephone unit located in an area serviced by a serving switch, the cellular telephone unit having a home mobile identification number that includes a network planning area number, the method comprising:
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receiving at the cellular telephone unit a serving switch system identification number; transmitting a roamer code from the cellular telephone unit to the serving switch, the roamer code including the serving switch system identification number and the home mobile identification number, the roamer code indicating the presence of the cellular telephone unit as a roamer in the serving switch; receiving the roamer code at a central controller computer coupled to the serving switch; determining, at the central controller computer, a local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the roamer code; determining, at the cellular telephone unit, the local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number; and modifying, at the cellular telephone unit, only the network planning area number of the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit to identify the cellular telephone unit with the local cellular system number. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification