System and method for providing packet data and voice services to mobile subscribers

• US 5,793,762 A
• Filed: 07/06/1995
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: US West Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kamat, Purushottam Vithal, Sirovica, Dejan, Penners, John Henry Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carman, Melissa Kay
• Application Number:
  US08/498,824
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 379/67, 379/89, 379/93.07, 379/93.08, 379/93.25, 379/100.11, 379/201, 379/93.01, 379/90.01, 370/389, 370/400, 370/392, 370/352, 370/458, 370/401, 370/383, 370/390, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/56.1, 455/439, 455/461
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6421 Medium of transmission, e.g. fibre, cable, radio, satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6443 Network Node Interface, e.g. Routing, Path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13513 UPT - personal as opposed to terminal mobility, inc. number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13517 SLEE - service logic execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A system and method for providing internet data and voice services to mobile subscribers is directed for use in cooperation with Internet Packet Data Network (IPDN) and an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) having an existing wireline switch. The system and method obviate the need for a mobile telephone switch and can include at least one mobile terminal having the functionality of a mobile host, at least one Home Location Register (HLR), a data base, a plurality of Radio Port Controllers (RPCs) in communication with at least one Radio Port (RP), an internet access node, a home agent, a Correspondent Host (CH) and a Visitor Location Register/Directory Number Manager (VLR/DN-MGR). The HLR is operative to store and provide subscription data and keep track of where at least one mobile terminal is registered in order to deliver calls thereto. The VLR/DN-MGR, together with the wireline switch, are operative to control the plurality of RPCs and coordinate the transmission of voice and data services.

Claims

1. For use in cooperation with an Internet Packet Data Network (IPDN) and an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) having an existing wireline switch, a system for providing Internet data and voice services to mobile subscribers at mobile terminals without using a mobile telephone switch, the system comprising:

a Home Location Register (HLR) for storing and providing subscription information of said mobile terminals and keeping track of where said mobile terminals are registered in order to deliver Internet data and voice calls thereto;

a plurality of Radio Port Controllers (RPCs) each having a corresponding serving area and provided in electrical communication with said wireline switch via ISDN signalling, each of said RPCs further having at least one Radio Port (RP) provided in electrical communication with an RPC for transmitting and receiving Internet data and voice calls to and from mobile terminals registered in said RPC serving area and means for performing handover between a target RPC and an RPC currently serving a mobile terminal by bridging a call made from the target RPC to the RPC currently serving the mobile terminal internally, wherein said wireline switch has no knowledge of said handover;

an Internet Access Node in electrical communication with said wireline switch;

a Home Agent in electrical communication with said Internet Access Node via said IPDN and operable with the RPCs for transmitting and receiving Internet data to and from said mobile terminals; and

a Visitor Location Register/Directory Number Manager (VLD/DN-Mgr) in electrical communication with said wireline switch, said HLR, and said plurality of RPCs for managing call information about said mobile terminals registered in said RPC serving areas by assigning and deleting temporary routing Directory Numbers (DNs) for said calls.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a database for storing a list of Universal Personal Telephone (UPT) numbers which have been assigned to said subscribers and mapping said UPT numbers to the locations of their corresponding HLR; and

a Service Control Point (SCP) in electrical communication with said wireline switch, said HLR and said database, said SCP operable to query said HLR for routing information and provide said information to said switch.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said wireline switch is an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) switch.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of RPCs are provided in electrical communication with said wireline switch via ISDN signaling.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said Internet Access Node is provided in electrical communication with said wireline switch via ISDN signaling.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said wireline switch is a Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) Service Switching Point (SSP) operable to communicate with said SCP with AIN 0.1 messages via SS7.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein said database and said HLR reside on the same SCP.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein said SCP is equipped with AIN release 0.1 functionality.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said RPCs are connected to said wireline switch via ISDN lines.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said VLR/DN-Mgr is provided in electrical communication with said HLR via a SS7 signaling connection.