Subscriber service profiles in telecommunication system

• US 6,603,969 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vuoristo, Sirpa, Tuohino, Markku, Salmela, Seija
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US09/554,855
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/414, 455/432, 455/435, 455/415, 455/416, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The invention relates to a telecommunication system comprising subscribers, a subscriber network, terminals for connecting the subscribers with the subscriber network and a set of services comprising network-specific services and supplementary services provided by the network and supplementary services transmitted by the network. In order to provide the subscriber with subscriber-specific service profiles differing from one another, the system further comprises memory means (SPR) including at least for one network subscriber not less than two different subscriber-specific (51) service profiles (52) comprising services defined for the subscriber from the set of services. The invention further relates to a mobile station and a subscriber register which can be utilized in the telecommunication system. The invention also relates to a method that can be applied to the telecommunication system.

Claims

1. A telecommunication system comprising:

subscribers,

a subscriber network,

terminals for connecting the subscribers with the subscriber network,

a set of services containing services provided by the network and supplementary services transmitted by the network,

memory means including for at least one network subscriber not less than two different subscriber-specific service profiles including services defined for the subscriber from the set of services,

changing means for changing the service profile being used by the subscriber to another service profile, and

update means responsive to the changing means for sending the service settings of the service profile to units comprising information needed for providing the services.

2. A telecommunication system as claimed in claim 1,

further comprising a time counter for changing the subscriber service profile to a predetermined service profile at a predetermined point of time,

wherein the changing means is arranged to be responsive to the time counter.

3. A telecommunication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein

the subscriber network is a mobile communication network,

the terminal is a mobile station user, and

the set of services includes terminal setting.

4. A telecommunication system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the changing means is arranged to change the service profile in response to a terminal location change.

5. A mobile station comprising:

a transceiver for establishing a network connection, the transceiver being arranged to send and receive messages,

identification means for identifying a subscriber using the mobile station,

message composing means for providing an inquiry message for detecting at least one subscriber-specific service profile of the subscriber, the service profile including services defined for the subscriber and settings which are defined from the network-specific services, the supplementary services transmitted by the network and the settings specific for the mobile station, the inquiry message indicating the subscriber and the service profiles to be detected,

reception means for receiving an acknowledgement message including all subscriber service profiles and their contents inquired in the inquiry message,

a user interface for displaying each received service profile to the subscriber,

changing means for changing a first available service profile used to a second service profile, and

setting means responsive to the changing means for changing the values of the mobile station settings in accordance with the second service profile.

6. A mobile station as claimed in claim 5, wherein the message composing means is arranged to detect a service profile basis as the service profile in the inquiry message, the service profile basis including all the services and setting defined for the subscriber,

the user interface is arranged to receive instructions from the subscriber, and

the mobile station includes composing means for forming a third service profile by selecting from the service profile basis the services and settings of the third service profile in response to the instructions of the subscriber, and by setting to them set values in accordance with the subscriber instructions.

7. A mobile station as claimed in claim 5, wherein the reception means is arranged to receive a change message indicating at least the change of the first service profile to the second service profile, and the changing means is arranged to be responsive to the reception of the change message.

8. A mobile station as claimed in claim 5, wherein the message composing means is arranged to be responsive to the changing means and to provide update messages for the units including the information needed in providing the services.

9. A subscriber register being a part of a telecommunication network and offering the network subscribers a set of services including network-specific services and supplementary services transmitted by the network, the subscriber register comprising:

a subscriber-specific service profile list for at least one network subscriber, the list including not less than two different service profiles, the service profiles containing at least a part of the services that are defined for the subscriber from the set of services,

reception means for receiving an inquiry message indicating the subscriber and at least one service profile,

message composing means responsive to the reception means for providing an acknowledgement message including all subscriber service profiles and their contents indicated in the inquiry message, and

transmission means for sending the acknowledgement message.

10. A subscriber register as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the reception means is arranged to receive a profile change message indicating a new profile,

the message composing means is arranged to provide update messages for service units including information needed for providing services in response to the reception of a profile change message, and

the transmission means is arranged to send the update messages.

11. A subscriber register being a part of a telecommunication network and offering the network subscribers a set of services including network-specific services and supplementary services transmitted by the network, the subscriber register comprising:

a subscriber-specific service profile list for at least one network subscriber, the list including not less than two different service profiles, the service profiles containing at least a part of the services that are defined for the subscriber from the set of services,

reception means for receiving a profile change message indicating the subscriber and at least one service profile,

message composing means responsive to the reception means for providing update messages for service units including information needed for providing services, and

transmission means for sending the update messages.

12. A method for controlling subscriber-specific service profiles in a telecommunication network providing network-specific services and transmitting supplementary services, the method comprising:

defining a set of services for each network subscriber, the set of services including services defined for the subscriber from the network-specific services and supplementary services and subscriber terminal settings if the terminal can change its settings,

forming for at least one subscriber not less than two different service profiles both including at least one service from the set of services,

storing each formed service profile in a subscriber-specific service profile list,

changing a first service profile used by the subscriber to a second service profile and,

in response to the service profile change, updating the subscriber-specific values of the units needed in providing services associated with the subscriber service profile to