Mobility management for terminals with multiple subscriptions

• US 6,556,820 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1998
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Le, Khiem, Lindholm, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/212,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/422, 455/461, 455/557, 455/558, 455/410, 455/411, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/550, 455/517, 455/445, 455/456, 455/458, 340/825.44, 340/825.47
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/45 using multiple identity modules
• 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 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A scheme for providing mobility management for terminals with multiple subscriptions. The invention integrates Europe'"'"'s Universal Mobile Telecommunications Standard (UMTS) subscriber identity module—specific procedures into single procedures, and which uses a common TMSI. An UMTS subscriber identity module is allocated for each subscription associated with a mobile terminal, wherein each UMTS subscriber identity module being identified by a identification code. A location area update is performed by providing a single location area update request message comprising a list of identification codes for each UMTS subscriber identity module associated with the mobile terminal. Each USIM is authenticated separately, and some USIMs may fail, while others may succeed authentication. The terminal and network each build their own Ordered List of Registered USIM-IDs (OLRU) which records the USIMs that succeeded. The network assigns a Base TMSI, which is similar to the current assignment of TMSIs. Subsequent Location Area Update procedures use the Base TMSI, which is common to all USIMs in the OLRU. Thus it does not have to be repeated for each USIM. Paging Request uses the Base TMSI, along with a USIM Specifier (USIMS) field, which specifies which USIM(s) is being paged. USIMS is kept very compact with bit string coding, which also gives flexibility to page multiple USIMs at the same time. The terminal and network interpret the bit string by using the OLRU. The terminal has to listen to only one paging subchannel. The paging subchannel is determined by calculating the sum modulo N of the last digits of the USIM-IDs in the OLRU. N is the number of possible subchannels. The scheme applies to UMTS as well as GSM/GPRS, if GSM/GPRS is enhanced to support multiple subscriptions per terminal.

Claims

1. A method for managing mobile terminals having multiple subscriptions in a mobile environment, comprising:

allocating a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Standard (UMTS) subscriber identity module for each subscription associated with a mobile terminal, each UMTS subscriber identity module (USIM) being identified by an identification code (USIM-ID) and having a unique set of authentication parameters;

performing a single mobility management procedure for multiple subscriptions, the single mobility management procedure being initiated by providing a single message and including a location area update procedure, the location area update procedure providing a single location area update request message;

sending authentication parameters from a network to service providers;

analyzing the authentication parameters to determine valid subscriptions for each UMTS subscriber identity module;

providing authentication data from the service providers to the network, the authentication data being used by the network for authenticating each UMTS subscriber identity module; and

sending a single authentication request to a mobile terminal, the single authentication request including authentication parameters for authentication of all UMTS subscriber identity modules identified by identification codes provided in the single location area update request message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the single location area update message comprises a list of identification codes for each UMTS subscriber identity module associated with the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the single location area update request message comprises USIM-IDs for subscriptions listed in sequential order.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the single location area update request message is provided to the network for authentication, wherein the method further comprises separately authenticating by the network each subscription represented by the identification codes.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising processing the step of building an ordered list of registered identification codes, the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated identification codes.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the mobile terminal builds the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated identification codes.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the network builds the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated identification codes.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising multiplexing the unique set of authentication parameters for each UMTS subscriber identity module into a single message.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising waiting a predetermined time before sending a single authentication request to the mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising inserting an indication in the single authentication request representing UMTS subscriber identity modules for which authentication is not requested.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the indication is inserted when the service provider fails to provide authentication data for an UMTS subscriber identity module within a predetermined time period.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning a full Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) to the mobile terminal, the full TMSI being equal to a location area identity and a Base TMSI.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising building an ordered list of registered identification codes representing UMTS subscriber identity modules indicated by the location update accept message as having been successfully authenticated.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile terminal builds the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated identification codes.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the network builds the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated identification codes.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein a location update accept message is provided in response to the location update request message, the location update accept message including an indication of UMTS subscriber identity modules that failed authentication.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the location update accept message comprises a bit string, wherein each bit in the bit string is set to a first value to indicate the authentication failure of an UMTS subscriber identity module and to a second value to indicate successful authentication of an UMTS subscriber identity module.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the single location area update request message comprises a temporary mobile subscriber identity, and the method further comprising obtaining at a mobile switching center currently handling the mobile terminal an ordered list of registered identification codes from a mobile switching center previously handling the mobile terminal, the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated UMTS subscriber identity modules and binding the temporary mobile subscriber identity with the ordered list of registered identification codes.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising reallocating a new temporary mobile subscriber identity to the mobile terminal and binding the new temporary mobile subscriber identity to an ordered list of registered identification codes.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the single location area update request message further comprises a list of identification codes for each UMTS subscriber identity module associated with the mobile terminal and is provided to the network for authentication, the method further comprising separately authenticating by the network a subscription represented by each identification codes listed in the single location area update request message and building an ordered list of registered identification codes based on the authentication of each subscription represented by the identification codes, the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated identification codes.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the single location area update request message comprises identification codes for subscriptions listed in sequential order.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the single mobility management procedure comprises a paging procedure, the paging procedure comprising sending a page message to a mobile terminal for indicating a call for the mobile terminal is being received.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the mobile terminal is associated with a paging group, the paging group allowing the mobile terminal to listen for paging only on the paging channel during a predetermined time slice assigned to the paging group.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising combining a group of digits at an end of the identification codes in the ordered list of registered identification codes.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the combining further comprises using sum modulo N.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising recalculating the paging group when the ordered list of registered identification codes changes.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising recalculating the paging group when a configuration for the paging channel changes.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising performing paging using a temporary mobile subscriber identity, the temporary mobile subscriber identity being equal to a Base temporary mobile subscriber identity having an UMTS subscriber identity module specifier appended thereto.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier comprises a string of bits associated with the identification codes.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein each bit in the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier corresponds to the identification codes in the ordered list of registered identification codes.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising setting a bit to a first value when a corresponding identification code is being paged.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising setting a bit to a second value when a corresponding identification code is not being paged.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier fully identifies the identification code being paged and allows simultaneous paging of multiple identification codes.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier is not sent when the ordered list of registered identification codes comprises a single identification code.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the connotation comprises a list of identification codes.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the connotation comprises a temporary mobile subscriber identity including a UMTS subscriber identity module specifier, each bit in the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier being set to a first value if the corresponding identification code is responding to the page.

37. The method of claim 29 further comprising providing a connotation by the mobile terminal of identification codes responding to the page.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the single mobility management procedure comprises performing international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) attach of identification codes in an ordered list of registered identification codes.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein identification codes and UMTS subscriber identity module specifiers are used to attach identification codes, wherein each bit in an UMTS subscriber identity module specifier is set to a first value when the corresponding identification code is to be attached and to a second value when an identification code associated with the corresponding identification code is not to be attached.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier is not sent when all identification codes in the ordered list of registered identification codes are to be attached.

41. The method of claim 1 wherein the single mobility management procedure comprises performing General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) attach of identification codes in an ordered list of registered identification codes.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein identification codes and UMTS subscriber identity module specifiers are used to attach identification codes, wherein each bit in an UMTS subscriber identity module specifier is set to a first value when the corresponding identification code is to be attached and to a second value when an identification code associated with the corresponding identification code is not to be attached.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier is not sent when all identification codes in the ordered list of registered identification codes are to be attached.

44. The method of claim 1 wherein the single mobility management procedure comprises performing international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) detach of identification codes in an ordered list of registered identification codes.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module is not sent when all identification codes in the ordered list of registered identification codes are to be detached.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein UMTS subscriber identity module specifiers are used to detach identification codes, wherein each bit in an UMTS subscriber identity module specifier is set to a first value when a corresponding identification code is to be detached and to a second value when a corresponding identification code is not to be detached.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein the single mobility management procedure comprises performing General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) detach of the identification codes in an ordered list of registered identification codes.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module is not sent when all identification codes in the ordered list of registered identification codes are to be detached.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein UMTS subscriber identity module specifiers are used to detach identification codes, wherein each bit in an UMTS subscriber identity module specifier is set to a first value when a corresponding identification code is to be detached and to a second value when a corresponding identification code is not to be detached.

50. The method of claim 1 wherein the single mobility management procedure comprises performing an identification code add procedure for adding an identification code not in an ordered list of registered identification codes and updating the ordered list of registered identification codes in response thereto.

51. The method of claim 1 wherein the single mobility management procedure comprises performing an identification code delete procedure for deleting an identification code in an ordered list of registered identification codes and updating the ordered list of registered identification codes in response thereto.

52. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing a selective location area update by causing the mobile terminal to issue a location area update request with a temporary mobile subscriber identity and UMTS subscriber identity module specifier, wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier indicates which UMTS subscriber identity module need updating.

53. The method of claim 52 further comprising interrogating a mobile switching center and visitor location register previously handling a mobile terminal by a mobile switching center and visitor location register currently handling the mobile terminal to obtain an old ordered list of registered identification codes from the mobile switching center and visitor location register previously handling a mobile terminal and initiating by the mobile switching center and visitor location register currently handling the mobile terminal a mobile application part (MAP) location update procedure for UMTS subscriber identity modules indicated by the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier as needing a location update.

54. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating the performing of the location area update when an ordered list of registered identification codes of the mobile terminal do not match a network ordered list of registered identification codes.

55. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing a selective location area update by causing the mobile terminal to issue a location area update request with a temporary mobile subscriber identity.

56. The method of claim 55 further comprising interrogating a mobile switching center and visitor location register previously handling a mobile terminal by a mobile switching center and visitor location register currently handling the mobile terminal to obtain an old ordered list of registered identification codes and UMTS subscriber identity module specifier from the mobile switching center and visitor location register previously handling a mobile terminal, wherein the UMTS subscriber identity module specifier indicates which UMTS subscriber identity module need updating and initiating by the mobile switching center and visitor location register currently handling the mobile terminal a mobile application part (MAP) location update procedure for UMTS subscriber identity module indicated by the UMTS subscriber identity module specifiers as needing a location update.

57. A mobile terminal having multiple subscriptions comprising a controller for providing mobility management, the controller allocating a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Standard (UMTS) subscriber identity module for each subscription associated with a mobile terminal, and performing a single mobility management procedure for multiple subscriptions, the single mobility management procedure being initiated by a single message, including a location area update procedure, the location area update procedure providing a single location area update request message, the single location area update request message includes a temporary mobile subscriber identity, and the controller obtaining at a mobile switching center currently handling the mobile terminal an ordered list of registered identification codes from a mobile switching center previously handling the mobile terminal, the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated UMTS subscriber identity modules, wherein the temporary mobile subscriber identity is bound with the ordered list of registered identification codes and received by the controller.

58. The mobile terminal of claim 57 wherein each UMTS subscriber identity module is identified by a identification code, the single location area update request message comprising a list of identification codes for each UMTS subscriber identity module associated with the mobile terminal.

59. The mobile terminal of claim 58 wherein the single location area update request message is provided to the network for authentication, wherein the method further comprises separately authenticating by the network each subscription represented by the identification codes.

60. The mobile terminal of claim 58 wherein the single location area update request message comprises identification codes for subscription listed in sequential order.

61. The mobile terminal of claim 58 wherein the controller further builds an ordered list of registered identification codes, the ordered list of registered identification codes representing authenticated identification codes.