Identification of mobile station

• US 6,058,311 A
• Filed: 08/25/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tsukagoshi, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldetatios, Yemane
• Application Number:
  US08/918,164
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/426, 455/435, 455/456, 455/457, 455/433, 455/436, 455/437
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A temporary identifier which is assigned to a mobile station is changed in response to one of a location registration request, a call request, and an incoming call response which are transmitted from the mobile station to a network where the mobile station is located. Using such a frequently changed temporary identifier, the mobile station is identified by a home memory station.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a mobile station which has a unique identifier assigned thereto, comprising the steps of:

assigning a temporary identifier to the mobile station, the temporary identifier being different from the unique identifier;

changing the temporary identifier in response to one of a plurality of predetermined requests transmitted from the mobile station to a network where the mobile station is located; and

identifying the mobile station using the temporary identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temporary identifier is changed in response to one of a location registration request, a call request, and an incoming call response.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mobile station transmits the location registration request in one of cases where the mobile station enters a different network, where the mobile station enters a different location registration area, and where a location registration time-out period has elapsed.

4. A method for identifying a mobile station according to a temporary identifier which is different from the unique identifier in a plurality of networks of different common carriers including a home network, the mobile station having a unique identifier assigned thereto, comprising the steps of:

changing the temporary identifier when the mobile station moves from a network to another network;

changing the temporary identifier when the mobile station transmits a location registration request to a network where the mobile station is located;

changing the temporary identifier when the mobile station transmits a call request to the network where the mobile station is located; and

changing the temporary identifier when the mobile station transmits a response to an incoming call to the network where the mobile station is located.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the mobile station transmits the location registration request when a location registration time-out period has elapsed.

6. A method for identifying a mobile station in a plurality of networks of different common carriers, each of the networks comprising a plurality of radio base stations and a home memory station which is connected to other home memory stations, the mobile station having a unique identifier assigned thereto, comprising the steps of:

at the mobile station,

a) transmitting a predetermined signal including a first temporary identifier to a radio base station connected to a first home memory station, the first temporary identifier being assigned to the mobile station and being different from the unique identifier;

at the first home memory station,

b) changing the first temporary identifier to a second temporary identifier in response to the predetermined signal received from the mobile station, wherein the first home memory station receives data of the mobile station including the unique identifier from a second home memory station of the home network to link the data of the mobile station with the second temporary identifier when the first temporary identifier is not registered in the first home memory station;

c) transmitting the second temporary identifier back to the mobile station to communicate with the mobile station using the second temporary identifier; and

d) identifying the mobile station according to the second temporary identifier when receiving a signal with the second temporary identifier from the mobile station.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined signal is one of a location registration request, a call request, and an incoming call response.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mobile station transmits the location registration request in one of cases where the mobile station enters a network of the home memory station from another network, where the mobile station enters a different location registration area in the network of the home memory station, and where a location registration time-out period has elapsed in the network of the home memory station.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein,

in the step b),

the first home memory station transmits a data request including the first temporary identifier to the second home memory station of the home network;

and

the second home memory station of the home network retrieves the data of the mobile station according to the first temporary received from the first home memory station and transmits the data of the mobile station to the first home memory station.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein,

in the step b),

the first home memory station transmits a first data request including the first temporary identifier to the he second home memory station of the home network;

the second home memory station of the home network transmits a second data request to a third home memory station which assigned the first temporary identifier to the mobile station before the mobile station enters the first home memory station;

the third home memory station retrieves the data of the mobile station according to the first temporary received from the second home memory station and transmits the data of the mobile station to the second home memory station; and

the second home memory station transmits the data of the mobile station to the first home memory station.

11. A mobile communications system comprising a plurality of networks and a plurality of mobile stations, each of the networks comprising a home memory station which is connected to other home memory stations,

each mobile station comprising:

a memory for storing a subscriber number and a first temporary identifier which are different from each other;

a radio transceiver for communicating with a first home memory station through a nearby radio base station using the first temporary identifier; and

a first controller for updating the memory by changing the first temporary identifier to a second temporary identifier received from the first home memory station, and

the first home memory station comprising;

a database for storing data of mobile terminals registered therein; and

a second controller for updating the database by changing the first temporary identifier to the second temporary identifier in response to a predetermined signal received from the mobile station through the nearby radio base station, transmitting the second temporary identifier back to the mobile station to communicate with the mobile station using the second temporary identifier, and identifying the mobile station according to the second temporary identifier when receiving a signal with the second temporary identifier from the mobile station, wherein the database receives data of the mobile station including the subscriber number from a second home memory station of the home network and links the data of the mobile station with the second temporary identifier when the first temporary identifier is not registered in the database.

12. The mobile communications system according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined signal is one of a location registration request, a call request, and an incoming call response.

13. The mobile communications system according to claim 12, wherein the mobile station transmits the location registration request in one of cases where the mobile station enters a network of the home memory station from another network, where the mobile station enters a different location registration area in the network of the home memory station, and where a location registration time-out period has elapsed in the network of the home memory station.

14. The mobile communications system according to claim 11, wherein the second controller transmits a data request including the first temporary identifier to the second home memory station of the home network and receives the data of the mobile station from the second home memory station.

15. A mobile station comprising:

a first memory for storing a unique identifier which was previously assigned to the mobile station;

a second memory for storing a first temporary identifier which is different from the unique identifier;

a radio transceiver for communicating with a home memory station through a nearby radio base station using the first temporary identifier stored in the second memory; and

a processor for updating the second memory by changing the first temporary identifier to a second temporary identifier received from the home memory station.

16. In a mobile communications system comprising a plurality of networks and a plurality of mobile stations, each of the networks comprising a home memory station which is connected to other home memory stations, and each of the mobile stations having a home network and having a subscriber number assigned thereto,

each home memory station comprising:

a database for storing data of mobile terminals registered therein; and

a controller for updating the database by changing a first temporary identifier to a second temporary identifier in response to a predetermined signal received from a mobile station through a nearby radio base station, transmitting the second temporary identifier back to the mobile station to communicate with the mobile station using the second temporary identifier, and identifying the mobile station according to the second temporary identifier when receiving a signal with the second temporary identifier from the mobile station, wherein the database receives data of the mobile station including the subscriber number from a home memory station of the home network and links the data of the mobile station with the second temporary identifier when the first temporary identifier is not registered in the database.