Gateway unit

• US 6,094,578 A
• Filed: 04/10/1997
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American PCS Communications LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: American PCS Communications LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bal, Nuri, Byun, Hyuk, Purcell, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US08/835,735
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/410, 455/411, 455/423, 455/436, 455/433, 455/435, 455/552, 455/461, 455/445, 370/466, 370/467, 370/401, 379/219, 379/229, 379/230
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A gateway unit which acts to provide interoperability between disparate mobile communications networks. The gateway unit provides the necessary protocol conversions between the different mobile networks. The gateway unit can be a stand-alone unit or co-located with a mobile switching center (MSC) wihtin North America or in foreign country. In each case, the gateway unit serves as an interconnection point between two or more networks. For example, the gateway unit converts messages from European networks, which use the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and mobile global title (MGT) protocols to North American networks, which use the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and international mobile station identity address (IMSI) protocols, and vis versa. The gateway unit preferably includes the elements of a processor, software and memory, all of which could be provided on a circuit board or in a conventional personal computer. Preferably, the conversions are performed through the use of a series of look-up tables, stored in the memory. Once the incoming messages, from a first communications network, have been converted, subsequently, they are forwarded to their destination in the second communications network.

Claims

1. A gateway system for translating signals between international mobile communications networks, wherein a signal contains at least one formatted message, a point code and subscriber address information, the system comprising:

a means for receiving one or more signals from a first international mobile communications network;

a means for converting the formatted message and subscriber address information from a first signaling protocol format associated with the first international mobile communications network to a second signaling protocol format associated with a second international mobile communications network;

a means for converting the point code from a first point code format associated with the first international mobile communications network to a second point code format associated with the second international mobile communications network, wherein the means for converting utilizes one or more fake numbers corresponding to a point code that cannot be truncated from the first point code format to the second point code format without altering its value; and

a means for forwarding the converted signals to the second international mobile communications network, whereby interoperability is provided between the first and second international mobile communications networks based on the conversion of the signals.

2. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the converting means further comprises memory, the memory containing conversion tables.

3. The gateway system of claim 2 wherein the conversion tables contain the one or more fake numbers.

4. The gateway system of claim 1 wherein the first point code format utilizes 24 bits and the second point code format utilizes 14 bits.

5. A gateway system for translating signals between international mobile communications networks, the system comprising:

a means for receiving one or more signals from a first international mobile communications network;

wherein the received signals contain point code, SS7 formatted messages, and subscriber address information;

a means for converting the received signals from a first signaling protocol format associated with the first international mobile communications network to a second signaling protocol format associated with a second international mobile communications network;

wherein the converting means converts the point code, SS7 messages, and subscriber address information from the first signaling protocol format associated with the first international mobile communications network to the second signaling protocol format associated with the second international mobile communications network, wherein the converting means utilizes one or more fake numbers corresponding to a point code that cannot be truncated from the first signaling protocol format to the second signaling protocol format without altering its value; and

a means for forwarding the converted signals to the second international mobile communications network, whereby interoperability is provided between the first and second international mobile communications networks based on the conversion of the signals.

6. The gateway system of claim 5 wherein the first signaling protocol format utilizes 24 bits to represent a point code and the second signaling protocol format utilizes 14 bits to represent a point code.

7. The gateway system of claim 5 wherein the means for converting further comprises a conversion table containing the one or more fake numbers.

8. A gateway system for translating signals between international mobile communications networks, the system comprising:

a means for receiving one or more signals from a first international mobile communications network;

wherein the received signals contain a point code in an American National Standards Institute format, at least one message in an American National Standards Institute SS7 format, and a subscriber address in an international mobile station identity address format;

a means for converting the received signals from a first signaling protocol format associated with the first international mobile communications network to a second signaling protocol format associated with a second international mobile communications network;

wherein the converting means converts the point code into an International Telecommunications Union format, the message into an International Telecommunications Union SS7 format, and the subscriber address to a mobile global title address, wherein the converting means utilizes one or more fake numbers corresponding to a point code that cannot be truncated from the American National Standards Institute format to the International Telecommunications Union format without altering its value; and

a means for forwarding the converted signals to the second international mobile communications network, whereby interoperability is provided between the first and second international mobile communications networks based on the conversion of the signals.

9. The gateway system of claim 8 wherein the converting means further comprises a conversion table containing the one or more fake numbers.

10. A gateway system for providing global roaming capabilities for a foreign mobile network subscriber located in a North American mobile communications network, the subscriber having service, billing and other identifying information located at a home location register in Europe, the system comprising:

a receiver, wherein the receiver receives a first signal containing an international mobile station identity address from the foreign subscriber;

wherein the received first signal further contains a point code in an American National Standards Institute format and at least one message in an American National Standards Institute format SS7 format;

a processing mechanism, operably connected to the receiver, wherein the processing mechanism converts the subscriber'"'"'s international mobile station identity address into a mobile global title address;

wherein the processing mechanism converts the received point code into an International Telecommunications Union format utilizing one or more fake numbers corresponding to a point code that cannot be truncated from the first American National Standards Institute format to the International Telecommunications Union format without altering its value, and wherein the processing mechanism converts the received message into an International Telecommunications Union SS7 format; and

a transmitter, operably connected to the processing mechanism, wherein the transmitter transmits a second signal based on the subscriber'"'"'s converted mobile global title address to the subscriber'"'"'s home location register, thereby allowing the foreign subscriber to receive mobile communications services in North American networks.

11. The gateway system of claim 10 wherein the processing mechanism further comprises a conversion table containing the one or more fake numbers.

12. A gateway system for providing global roaming capabilities for one or more foreign mobile network subscribers located in a North American mobile communications network, the subscriber having service, billing and other identifying information located at a home location register in Europe, the system comprising:

at least one subscriber unit, wherein the subscriber unit transmits at least one signal containing a point code, messages and subscriber address, and wherein the point code, messages and subscriber address are formatted according to a North American mobile standard format;

a base station, in communication with the subscriber unit, for receiving the signals from the subscriber unit;

a mobile switching center, operably connected to the base station, wherein the mobile switching center receives the signals from the base station, the mobile switching center comprising a gateway unit, the gateway unit comprising;

a processor mechanism;

a means for converting, connected to and operating under the direction of the processor mechanism, the received signals from the North American mobile standard format to a European Standard format;

wherein the converting means converts the subscriber address, point code and formatted messages from the North American mobile standard format to the European Standard format, wherein the converting means utilizes one or more fake numbers corresponding to a point code that cannot be truncated from the North American mobile standard format to the European Standard format without altering its value; and

a transmitter, connected to the converting means, for transmitting at least the converted subscriber address to the subscriber'"'"'s home location register in the European network.

13. The gateway system of claim 12, wherein the converting means further comprises memory, the memory containing conversion tables.

14. The gateway system of claim 13 wherein the conversion tables contain the one or more fake numbers.

15. The gateway system of claim 12 wherein the North American mobile standard format utilizes 24 bits to represent a point code and the European standard format utilizes 14 bits to represent a point code.

16. A gateway system for providing global roaming capabilities for one or more foreign mobile network subscribers located in a North American mobile communications network, the subscriber having service, billing and other identifying information located at a home location register in Europe, the system comprising:

at least one subscriber unit, wherein the subscriber unit transmits at least one signal containing a point code, messages and subscriber address;

wherein the received signals contain point code, SS7 formatted messages, and subscriber address information in a North American format;

a base station, in communication with the subscriber unit, for receiving the signals from the subscriber unit;

a mobile switching center, operably connected to the base station, wherein the mobile switching center receives the signals from the base station, the mobile switching center comprising a gateway unit, the gateway unit comprising;

a processor mechanism;

a means for converting, connected to and operating under the direction of the processor mechanism, the received signals from the North American format to a European format;

wherein the converting means converts the point code, SS7 messages, and the subscriber address information from the North American format to the European format, wherein the converting means utilizes one or more fake numbers corresponding to a point code that cannot be truncated from the North American format to the European format without altering its value; and

a transmitter, connected to the converting means, for transmitting at least the converted subscriber address to the subscriber'"'"'s home location register in the European network.

17. The gateway system of claim 16 wherein the North American format utilizes 24 bits to represent a point code and the European format utilizes 14 bits to represent a point code.

18. The gateway system of claim 16 wherein the converting means further comprises a conversion table containing the one or more fake numbers.

19. A gateway system for providing global roaming capabilities for one or more foreign mobile network subscribers located in a North American mobile communications network, the subscriber having service, billing and other identifying information located at a home location register in Europe, the system comprising:

at least one subscriber unit, wherein the subscriber unit transmits at least one signal containing a point code, messages and subscriber address;

wherein the received signals contain a point code in an American National Standards Institute format, at least one message in an American National Standards Institute SS7 format, and a subscriber address in an international mobile station identity address format;

a base station, in communication with the subscriber unit, for receiving the signals from the subscriber unit;

a mobile switching center, operably connected to the base station, wherein the mobile switching center receives the signals from the base station, the mobile switching center comprising a gateway unit, the gateway unit comprising;

a processor mechanism;

a means for converting, connected to and operating under the direction of the processor mechanism, the received signals;

wherein the converting means converts the point code into an International Telecommunications Union format, the message into an International Telecommunications Union SS7 format, and the subscriber address to a mobile global title address, wherein the converting means utilizes one or more fake numbers corresponding to a point code that cannot be truncated from the American National Standards Institute format to the International Telecommunications Union format without altering its value; and

a transmitter, connected to the converting means, for transmitting at least the converted address to the subscriber'"'"'s home location register in the European network.

20. The gateway system of claim 19 wherein the converting means further comprises a conversion table containing the one or more fake numbers.

21. A method comprising:

receiving a point code in a first point code format;

if the received point code cannot be truncated from the first point code format to a second point code format without altering its value;

then;

creating a fake number associated with the received point code, the fake number in the form of the first point code format and capable of being truncated from the first point code format to the second point code format without altering its value; and

mapping the fake number to a converted point code in the second point code format, whereby the received point code is converted from a first point code format to the second point code format.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

receiving one or more signals from a first international mobile communications network, wherein the one or more received signals contain the received point code;

converting the one or more received signals from a first signaling protocol format associated with the first international mobile communications network to a second signaling protocol format associated with a second international mobile communications network; and

forwarding the converted signals to the second international mobile communications network, whereby interoperability is provided between the first and second international mobile communications networks based on conversion of the signals.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the one or more received signals further contains at least one formatted message and subscriber address information, the method further comprising:

converting the at least one formatted message and subscriber address information from the first signaling protocol format to the second signaling protocol format.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein first point code format is a North American format.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein first point code format is an American National Standards Institute format.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein second point code format is a European format.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein second point code format is a International Telecommunications Union format.

28. A gateway system for translating signals between international mobile communications networks, wherein a signal contains at least one formatted message, a point code and subscriber address information, the system comprising:

a means for receiving one or more signals from a first international mobile communications network;

a means for converting the formatted message and subscriber address information from a first signaling protocol format associated with the first international mobile communications network to a second signaling protocol format associated with a second international mobile communications network;

a means for converting the point code from a first point code format associated with the first international mobile communications network to a second point code format associated with the second international mobile communications network, wherein the means for converting utilizes one or more fake numbers corresponding to a point code that cannot be truncated from the first point code format to the second point code format without altering its value;

a means for forwarding the converted signals to the second international mobile communications network;

a means for receiving one or more signals from the second international mobile communications network;

a means for converting the one or more received signal from the second signaling protocol format associated with the second international mobile communications network to the first signaling protocol format associated with the first international mobile communications network; and

a means for forwarding the converted signals to the first international mobile communications network, whereby interoperability is provided between the first and second international mobile communications networks based on the conversion of the signals.