Method for implementing virtual private wireless telecommunications networks

• US 5,943,332 A
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Chung-Zin, Strom, Kenneth Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHIM, MOHAMMED
• Application Number:
  US08/775,551
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/437, 455/432, 455/518, 455/435, 455/456, 455/438, 455/439, 455/442, 370/335, 370/338, 370/328, 370/331, 370/342, 379/207
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A wireless telecommunications system that is capable of providing multiple virtual wireless networks (e.g., a public network and/or one or more private networks) from a single IS-95 compliant CDMA radio without changing the air interface or modifying existing hardware designs. Includes the steps of broadcasting from a radio a first SID/NID signal and a FOR_-- NID_-- REG signal to a wireless terminal, wherein the first SID/NID signal is associated with a first set of user zones; receiving from the wireless terminal: (1) a indicium of the wireless terminal'"'"'s identity, and (2) a request to register the wireless terminal based on a second SID/NID signal, wherein the second SID/NID signal is associated with a second set of user zones; transmitting the indicium of the wireless terminal'"'"'s identity to a database; receiving from the database a prioritized list of user zones based on the indicium of the wireless terminal'"'"'s identity; and registering the wireless terminal based on a first user zone, which first user zone is the user zone that has the highest priority in the prioritized list of user zones and that is also a member of the second set of user zones.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

broadcasting from a radio a first SID/NID signal and a FOR_-- NID_-- REG signal to a wireless terminal, wherein said first SID/NID signal is associated with a first set of user zones;

wherein SID/NID is the combination of the system identification signal and network identification signal

and FOR_-- NID_-- REG is the foreign network registration signal;

receiving from said wireless terminal;

(1) a indicium of said wireless terminal'"'"'s identity and (2) a request to register said wireless terminal based on a second SID/NID signal, wherein said second SID/NID signal is associated with a second set of user zones;

transmitting said indicium of said wireless terminal'"'"'s identity to a database;

receiving from said database a prioritized list of user zones based on said indicium of said wireless terminal'"'"'s identity; and

registering said wireless terminal based on a first user zone, which first user zone is the user zone that has the highest priority in said prioritized list of user zones and that is also a member of said second set of user zones.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of establishing a communication channel with said wireless terminal via said radio.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of offering a set of features to said wireless terminal based on said first user zone.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said communications channel is based on CDMA.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said indicium of said wireless terminal'"'"'s identity is a mobile identification number.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said database is the home location register of said wireless terminal.

7. A method comprising the steps of:

broadcasting from a first radio a first SID/NID signal and a first FOR_-- NID_-- REG signal to a wireless terminal, wherein said first SID/NID signal is associated with a first set of user zones;

wherein SID/NID is the combination of the system identification signal and network identification signal

and FOR_-- NID_-- REG is the foreign network registration signal;

broadcasting from a second radio a second SID/NID signal and a second FOR_-- NID_-- REG signal to said wireless terminal, wherein said second SID/NID signal is associated with a second set of user zones;

receiving from said wireless terminal;

(1) a indicium of said wireless terminal'"'"'s identity, and (2) a request to said register said wireless terminal based on a third SID/NID signal;

transmitting said indicium of said wireless terminal'"'"'s identity to a database;

receiving from said database a prioritized list of user zones based on said indicium of said wireless terminal'"'"'s identity; and

registering said wireless terminal based on a first user zone, which first user zone is a user zone that has the highest priority in said prioritized list of user zones and that is also a member of said first set of user zones.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of establishing a first communication channel with said wireless terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of handing-off said wireless terminal to a second communications channel based on a second user zone, which second user zone is a user zone that has the highest priority in said prioritized list of user zones and that is also a member of said second set of user zones.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said first communications channel and said second communications channel are based on CDMA.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said first user zone is associated with a first geographic region and said second user zone is associated with a second geographic region.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said database is the home location register of said wireless terminal.