Roaming authorization system

• US 6,560,455 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amin, Umesh J., Redden, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US10/051,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20020058506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/426, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/517, 455/524, 455/512, 455/513, 455/560, 455/561
• US Class Current: 455/432.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A roaming restriction system permits a wireless carrier or a subscriber to set a profile that identifies a chosen time window within which the subscriber'"'"'s wireless calls that are originated from one or more selected roaming areas, are not allowed to be completed, while calls that are initiated either from authorized roaming areas or outside the chosen time window are allowed to be completed. The roaming restriction system allows a wireless carrier to either suspend or grant roaming privileges for a given subscriber within one or more location areas, and for a particular time window.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a receiver receiving a communication service request when a mobile device located within a roaming area serviced by the receiver transmits the communication service request;

a memory comprising a profile associated with the mobile device, the profile comprising a roaming restriction time period for the roaming area; and

a processor denying communication service to the mobile device if the communication service request was transmitted by the mobile device at a time defined by the roaming restriction time period.

2. A communications system in accordance with claim 1, the communication service request comprising:

identification information associated with the mobile device, wherein the processor retrieves the profile from based on at least a portion of the identification information.

3. A communication system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the identification information comprises an electronic serial number.

4. A communication system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the identification information comprises a mobile identification number.

5. A communication system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the roaming restriction time period comprises a date.

6. A communication system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the roaming restriction time period comprises a time of day.

7. A communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the memory is memory storage area comprising a plurality of profiles each associated with one of a plurality of mobile devices.

8. A communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the roaming restriction time period defines the time the mobile device transmitted the communications request by describing an allowable time period for communication service in the roaming area, the processor denying the communication service request when the time the mobile device transmitted the communications request is outside the allowable time period described by the roaming restriction time period.

9. A communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the profile further comprises a roaming characteristic indicating the roaming frequency of the mobile device.

10. A communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor initiates connection of the mobile device to an operator.

11. A communication system comprising:

a local mobile telephone switching office having a service area and receiving a communication service request from a mobile device within the service area;

a home location register of the mobile device, the home location register connected to a remote mobile telephone switching office and having another service area corresponding to a home service area of the mobile device, the local mobile telephone office transmitting a registration invoke message, including identification information associated with the mobile device, to the home location register, the home location register transmitting instructions to the local mobile telephone office to deny service to the mobile device if a profile stored in a memory of the home location register includes a roaming restriction time period restricting wireless communication service at a time the communication service request was received from the mobile device.

12. A communications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the home location register retrieves the profile from the memory based on at least a portion of the identification information.

13. A communication system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the identification information comprises an electronic serial number.

14. A communication system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the identification information comprises a mobile identification number.

15. A communication system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the roaming restriction time period comprises a date.

16. A communication system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the roaming restriction time period comprises a time of day.

17. A communication system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the memory is a memory storage area comprising a plurality of profiles each associated with one of a plurality of mobile devices.

18. A communication system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the restriction time period defines the time the mobile device transmitted the communications request by describing an allowable time period for communication service in the roaming area, the processor denying the communication service request when the time the mobile device transmitted the communications request is outside the allowable time period described by the roaming restriction time period.

19. A communication system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the profile further comprises a roaming characteristic indicating a roaming frequency of the mobile device.

20. A communication system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the home location register initiates connection of the mobile device to an operator.

21. A profile associated with a mobile device for communicating in a wireless communication system, the profile comprising:

a roaming restriction time period embodied in a data structure, the roaming restriction time period defining when the mobile device is restricted from accessing wireless communication service in one or more roaming areas.

22. A profile in accordance with claim 21, wherein the roaming restriction time period is a date.

23. A profile in accordance with claim 21, wherein the roaming restriction time period is a range of dates.

24. A profile in accordance with claim 21, wherein the roaming restriction time period is a time of day.

25. A profile in accordance with claim 21, wherein the roaming restriction time period is range of time of day.

26. A profile in accordance with claim 21, wherein the roaming restriction time defines when the mobile device is restricted from accessing wireless communication service by describing one or more times that the mobile device is authorized to access the wireless communication service in the one or more roaming areas.

27. A profile in accordance with claim 21, wherein the profile further comprises identification information associated with the mobile device.

28. A profile in accordance with claim 27, wherein the identification information comprises at least a portion of an electronic serial number of the mobile device.

29. A profile in accordance with claim 27, wherein the identification information comprises at least a portion of a mobile identification number of the mobile device.

30. A profile in accordance with claim 21, further comprising a roaming characteristic indicating a roaming frequency of the mobile device.

31. A data base for storing information associated with a plurality of mobile devices in a wireless communication system, the data base comprising:

a plurality of profiles associated with the plurality of mobile devices, one or more of the profiles comprising a roaming restriction time period defining when an associated mobile device is restricted from accessing wireless communication service in one or more roaming areas.

32. A data base in accordance with claim 31, wherein the roaming restriction time period is a date.

33. A data base in accordance with claim 31, wherein the roaming restriction time period is a range of dates.

34. A data base in accordance with claim 31, wherein the roaming restriction time period is a time of day.

35. A data base in accordance with claim 31, wherein the roaming restriction time period is range of time of day.

36. A data base in accordance with claim 31, wherein the roaming restriction time defines when the mobile device is restricted from accessing the wireless communication service by describing one or more times that the mobile device is authorized to access the wireless communication service in the one or more roaming areas.

37. A data base in accordance with claim 31, wherein the one or more profiles further comprise identification information associated with the mobile device.

38. A data base in accordance with claim 35, wherein the identification information comprises at least a portion of an electronic serial number of the mobile device.

39. A data base in accordance with claim 35, wherein the identification information comprises at least a portion of a mobile identification number of the mobile device.

40. A data base in accordance with claim 31, wherein the data base forms at least a portion of a home location register connected within the communication system.