Intelligent roaming database (IRDB) updating

• US 6,564,055 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Mobility Solutions LLC (Robert A. Westerlund)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Hronek, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/664,722
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/432, 455/433, 455/434, 455/439, 455/440, 455/418, 455/419, 455/550, 455/552, 455/422
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A unique method and apparatus to dynamically maintain different Intelligent Roaming Database (IRDB) or Preferred Roaming Lists (PRL) in a mobile handset. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the current location of the mobile device or other individualized aspect of the mobile device (e.g., class of service, time of day, etc.) is used to determine and select one of a plurality of different wireless carrier code lists (i.e., IRDBs or PRLs) for download to a particular mobile device. Individual IRDBs may be developed for each mobile device, providing a customized wireless carrier code list based on a type of subscription plan, etc. or other network or subscriber based feature. The described IRDB is of the same size as the current system IRDB (i.e., 82 carriers maximum, 166 bytes maximum), although a list of wireless carriers of any length is within the scope of the present invention. A location based IRDB is downloaded to a particular mobile device when the mobile device enters the location corresponding to that particular location based IRDB. When one of the many location based IRDBs are updated, only those mobiles in the relevant geographical region need have their IRDB updated. When the mobile device roams to a new geographical region and re-registers, a triggering event is formed. The present invention brings the trigger for an IRDB update down to the level of the particular subscriber, e.g., based on the subscribers location, the subscribers plan, etc. The triggering event may be detected by any suitable function of the wireless network, e.g., by utilizing a registration notification (REGNOT) message from the mobile device. The triggering event will cause the download to that triggering mobile device only from a suitable over the air function (OTAF) application including a suitable location based IRDB manager of the location based IRDB for that new region, whether the location based IRDB for that reason has not been changed in a while or has been recently updated. The described location based IRDB manager is implemented in Over The Air Programming (OTAP) software. The location based IRDB manager uses conventional registration information (e.g., the current location information contained in a REGNOT message) in conjunction with data contained in a log file accessible to the location based IRDB manager to determine if a new and/or updated IRDB should be downloaded to the mobile device. Individualized IRDB updating reduces network loading. Moreover, using a location and subscriber based IRDB, the available IRDBs can be focused on a subscriber differentiating feature, e.g., a class of service (COS) basis and/or on the current location of the mobile device, to provide further customization and direction of the mobile device to carriers desired by the servicing wireless company.

Claims

1. A carrier list database manager for a mobile device, comprising:

a plurality of different carrier lists, each of said plurality of carrier lists being usable by a mobile device based upon a particular criteria; and

a carrier code list manager which selects one of said plurality of different carrier lists for updating a particular mobile device'"'"'s carrier list when said particular mobile device changes circumstance requiring an update.

2. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

said carrier code list manager downloads said selected one of said plurality of different carrier lists to said particular mobile device.

3. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

said particular criteria is a location of said mobile device.

4. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

said particular criteria is a class of service provided to said mobile device.

5. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of carrier lists relates to a unique region of coverage provided to said mobile device.

6. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 5, wherein:

each mobile device is associated with its own plurality of carrier lists relating to a unique region of coverage provided to said mobile device.

7. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of carrier lists relates to a unique mobile device.

8. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of carrier lists comprises a separate intelligent roaming database.

9. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of carrier lists comprises a priority roaming list.

10. The carrier list database manager for a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

said carrier code list manager utilizes Over the Air Programming (OTAP) techniques to update a carrier list in a mobile device as it roams.

11. A method of updating a carrier code list in a mobile device, comprising:

determining if a mobile device containing a first carrier code list has roamed; and

if said mobile device has roamed, downloading a second regional carrier code list different from said first carrier code list to said mobile device.

12. The method of updating a carrier code list in a mobile device according to claim 11, wherein:

said second regional carrier code list is downloaded to said mobile device using an SMSDPP message.

13. The method of updating a carrier code list in a mobile device according to claim 11, further comprising:

establishing different carrier code lists for each of a plurality of different regions roamable by said mobile device.

14. The method of updating a carrier code list in a mobile device according to claim 11, further comprising:

allowing a user of said mobile device to modify at least one IRDB downloadable to said mobile device.

15. A method of updating a carrier code list in a mobile device, comprising:

determining if a mobile device containing a first carrier code list has changed location based on a registration notification message; and

if said mobile device has changed location, downloading a second regional carrier code list different from said first carrier code list to said mobile device.

16. The method of updating a carrier code list in a mobile device according to claim 15, further comprising:

retrying said downloading step if a first attempt at said downloading is unsuccessful.

17. Apparatus for updating a carrier code list in a mobile device, comprising:

means for determining if a mobile device containing a first carrier code list has roamed; and

means for downloading a second regional carrier code list different from said first carrier code list to said mobile device if said mobile device has roamed.

18. The apparatus for updating a carrier code list in a mobile device according to claim 17, wherein:

said means for downloading downloads said second regional carrier code list to said mobile device using an SMSDPP message.

19. The apparatus for updating a carrier code list in a mobile device according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for establishing different carrier code lists for each of a plurality of different regions roamable by said mobile device.

20. The apparatus for updating a carrier code list in a mobile device according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for allowing a user of said mobile device to modify at least one IRDB downloadable to said mobile device.

21. Apparatus for updating a carrier code list in a mobile device, comprising:

means for determining if a mobile device containing a first carrier code list has changed location based on a registration notification message; and

means for downloading a second regional carrier code list different from said first carrier code list to said mobile device if said mobile device has changed location.

22. The apparatus for updating a carrier code list in a mobile device according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for retrying said downloading step if a first attempt at said downloading is unsuccessful.