Mobile communications network and mobile communication method

• US 5,805,078 A
• Filed: 06/12/1996
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yasushi, Sugiyama, Kazuo, Hirata, Shoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US08/662,025
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.52, 379/185, 455/445, 455/433, 455/328, 455/349, 455/475, 455/524, 455/525, 455/551, 455/432, 455/550, 455/561, 455/456, 370/310, 370/313
• US Class Current: 710/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A mobile communications network and a mobile communication method for reducing loads to be incurred to the mobile communications network which loads occur because the user changes its mobile communication terminal. Mobile communication terminal numbers of mobile communication terminals (21), (22), IDs of users (31), (32) of the mobile communication terminals, and at least one address to be used by each user when the user performs a communication. The mobile communications network comprises an address/user corresponding table (13) having a table for bringing addresses to be used in each of the multiple communication methods and a user ID into corresponding relation. When a terminating request specifying an address is made, a user ID corresponding to the specified address is obtained using the address/user corresponding table. Further, a mobile communication terminal number is retrieved using a user/mobile communication terminal corresponding table (14) for bringing the user ID and the mobile communication terminal number into a corresponding relation, then a mobile location area of the mobile communication terminal corresponding to the user ID is read, and the incoming signal is terminated in the mobile communication terminal using the mobile communication terminal number and the mobile location area.

Claims

1. A mobile communications network for performing a communication using a mobile communication terminal number assigned to each mobile communication terminal and a user ID assigned to a user of the mobile communication terminal, comprising:

(a) address/user corresponding means for bringing an address, which the user uses for performing a communication through the communications network and the user ID into a corresponding relation;

(b) user/mobile communication terminal corresponding means for bringing the user ID and the mobile communication terminal number into a corresponding relation;

(c) first communication means for storing a mobile location area of each mobile communication terminal;

(d) means for obtaining a user ID corresponding to a specified address when a terminating request specifying an address is made using said address/user corresponding means;

(e) retrieval means for retrieving a mobile communication terminal number corresponding to the user ID using said user/mobile communication terminal corresponding means;

(f) read means for reading a mobile location area of a mobile communication terminal specified by the retrieved mobile communication terminal number from said first storage means; and

(g) termination means for terminating in the specified mobile communication terminal using the retrieved mobile communication terminal number and the mobile location area thus read.

2. A mobile communications network according to claim 1, wherein said address/user corresponding means includes means for bringing a plurality of addresses and a user ID into multiple-to-one corresponding relation.

3. A mobile communications network according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said communications network has a multiple communication methods, and said address/user corresponding means includes means for bringing addresses used in each of said multiple communication methods and a user ID into multiple-to-one corresponding relation.

4. A mobile communications network according to claim 1 further comprising:

second storage means for writing the mobile communication terminal number retrieved using said user/mobile communication terminal corresponding means and the mobile location area read from said first storage means in such a manner as to correspond to the specified address when a terminating request specifying a certain address is made for the first time,

when a terminating request specifying the same address again, said terminating means reading the mobile communication terminal number corresponding to the specified address and the mobile location area from said second storage means and terminating the incoming signal to be terminated in the specified mobile communication terminal.

5. A mobile communication method in a communications network in which a mobile communication terminal number is assigned to each mobile communication terminal, a user ID is assigned to a user of the mobile communication terminal, and at least one address is preliminarily determined which address is used when the user performs a communication in the communications network, and

in which said addresses to be used in each of multiple communication methods and the user ID are preliminarily stored in an address/user corresponding means in multiple-to-one corresponding relation, and the user ID and the mobile communication terminal number are preliminarily stored in user mobile communication terminal corresponding means, and when a terminating request is made specifying the address, said mobile communication method comprising the steps of:

(A) obtaining the user ID corresponding to the specified address using said address/user corresponding means;

(B) retrieving a mobile communication terminal number corresponding to the obtained user ID using said user/mobile communication terminal corresponding means;

(C) reading a mobile location of the mobile communication terminal corresponding to the user ID from storage means for storing mobile location areas of various mobile communication terminals; and

(D) terminating the incoming signal in the specified mobile communication terminal using the retrieved mobile communication terminal number and the read-out mobile zone area.