Controlled transmission of wireless communications device identity

• US 6,594,482 B1
• Filed: 09/07/1999
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Carlson, Hans, Findikli, Nadi S., Ahluwalia, Inderpreet S., Lindh, Annika B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Application Number:
  US09/391,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550-552, 455/558-560, 455/411, 455/410, 455/404
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Selected identifiers belonging to the wireless communications device are provided to a network entity based upon the control function being processed, or more generally, upon the class of control function being processed. In one embodiment, a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) receives a plurality of identifiers and a control function request from a wireless communications device. The MSC determines which of the identifiers are needed by the network entity to process the requested control function based on the control function requested. The MSC filters the received identifiers to remove un-needed identifiers based on its analysis and forwards the filtered identifiers to the network entity and/or to another network. In another embodiment, the present invention pushes the determination of which identifier to send downward to the wireless communications device itself. In these embodiments, the wireless communications device is programmed to determine which identifier is needed, and this identifier is transmitted to the MSC with the control function message. This determination by the wireless communications device of which identifier is needed is independent of the network, not simply a response to a command from the network. The present method helps insure that the proper identity is sent by the MSC to other network entities when the wireless communications device includes more than one fixed identifier. The method is particularly adapted for situations where the wireless communications device includes a subscription module having a subscription module identifier and mobile terminal having a mobile terminal identifier.

Claims

1. A method of providing a wireless communications network entity with identifiers sent from a wireless communications device, said wireless communications network entity forming a portion of a first wireless communications network having a mobile switching center therein, the method comprising:

a) receiving a plurality of identifiers and a control function request at a mobile switching center from a wireless communications device;

b) determining, at the mobile switching center, which of said plurality of identifiers are needed by the network entity to process said requested control function based on the control function requested, and filtering said plurality of received identifiers to remove un-needed identifiers based on said determining;

c) in response to said received control function request, forwarding said filtered identifiers from said mobile switching center to said network entity.

2. The method of claim 1 further including, prior to said receiving, programming said mobile switching center to perform said determining based on type of control function request.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said network entity includes an authentication center.

4. The method of claim 1 further including forwarding the filtered identifiers to a second wireless communications network.

5. A method of determining the identifiers transmitted to a wireless communications network from a wireless communications device comprising:

a) receiving a control function request, a mobile terminal identifier and a subscription module identifier from the wireless communications device at a mobile switching center;

b) selecting, at said mobile switching center, either the mobile terminal identifier or the subscription module identifier, said selection based on the control function requested; and

c) transmitting the selected identifier from said mobile switching center to another portion of the wireless communications network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said another portion of the wireless communications network includes an authentication center.

7. A method of controlling the transmission of identifications associated with a wireless communications device to a wireless communications network, the wireless communications device having a plurality of fixed identifiers and selectively performing a plurality of control functions, the method comprising the steps of:

a) initiating one of the plurality of control functions for processing;

b) the wireless communications device independently dividing the plurality of identifiers into selected and unselected groups based on the control function initiated; and

c) while processing the initiated control function, the wireless communications device transmitting identifiers belonging to the selected group to the wireless communications network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the selected identifier to the wireless communications network includes transmitting the selected identifier as a portion of a control function message from the wireless communications device to the network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless communications device includes a subscription module having a fixed subscription module identifier and a mobile terminal having a fixed mobile terminal identifier, and the plurality of identifiers include the subscription module identifier and the mobile terminal identifier.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected identifier is the subscription module identifier.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected identifier is the mobile terminal identifier.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of the wireless communications device transmitting identifiers belonging to the selected group to the wireless communications network while processing the initiated control function comprises said wireless communications device selecting at least one of the identifiers based on a program stored within the wireless communications device, said selection being dependent on the control function requested, and transmitting the selected identifiers to the wireless communications network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of identifiers includes a subscription identifier corresponding to a subscription and a mobile terminal identifier corresponding to a mobile terminal, and wherein said mobile terminal performs said selecting and said transmitting.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said initiating a request includes a user pushing a key on said wireless communications device.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said wireless communications device is an ANSI-136 complaint cellular mobile telephone.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said control function request belongs to the one of the following control function classes:

registration, page response, and call origination.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the wireless communications device includes a subscription module having a fixed subscription module identifier and a mobile terminal having a fixed mobile terminal identifier and wherein the selected identifiers consist of said subscription module identifier.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the wireless communications device includes a subscription module having a fixed subscription module identifier and a mobile terminal having a fixed mobile terminal identifier and wherein the selected identifiers consist of said mobile terminal identifier.