Methods and systems for providing information to a home system regarding a wireless unit roaming in a visited system
First Claim
1. A method to allow a wireless unit that is roaming in a visited system to receive communication services in the visited system based on registration information the wireless unit provides to a visited mobile switching center (MSC-V) in the visited system, the method comprising:
- A. in response to receiving the registration information, causing the MSC-V to route a registration message to an international gateway;
B. in response to receiving the registration message, causing the international gateway i. to create a new registration message, the new registration message including an identification of the MSC-V; and
ii. to route the new registration message to a home mobile switching center (MSC-H) of the wireless unit;
C. in response to receiving the new registration message, causing the MSC-H i. to validate the wireless unit, ii. to create a response, and iii. to route the response to the international gateway;
D. in response to receiving the response, causing the international gateway i. to create a new response, and ii. to route the new response to the MSC-V; and
E. in response to receiving the new response, causing the MSC-V to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems to provide a home system with information about a wireless unit roaming in a visited system based on information the wireless unit provides to the visited system. A mobile switching center (MSC-V) of the visited system receives the information from the wireless unit and routes a message to an international gateway. In response, the international gateway creates a new message or alters the original message, and transmits the new or altered message to a mobile switching center (MSC-H) of the home system. In response to receipt of the new or altered message, the MSC-H validates the wireless unit (if valid), creates a response to the new or altered message, and routes the response to the international gateway. The response may include an authorization period for the wireless unit and/or OCOS/TCOS information. In response, the international gateway creates a new response or alters the response, and transmits the new or altered response to the MSC-V. In response to receipt of the new or altered response, the MSC-V registers the wireless unit, provides the wireless unit with communication services in the visited system, or otherwise follows instructions in the new or altered response. If the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second MSC-V, the second MSC-V checks with the international gateway about the wireless unit. If an authorization period is in effect, the international gateway may provide a validation of the wireless unit to the second MSC-V without another message to the home system of the wireless unit.
94 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method to allow a wireless unit that is roaming in a visited system to receive communication services in the visited system based on registration information the wireless unit provides to a visited mobile switching center (MSC-V) in the visited system, the method comprising:
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A. in response to receiving the registration information, causing the MSC-V to route a registration message to an international gateway;
B. in response to receiving the registration message, causing the international gateway i. to create a new registration message, the new registration message including an identification of the MSC-V; and
ii. to route the new registration message to a home mobile switching center (MSC-H) of the wireless unit;
C. in response to receiving the new registration message, causing the MSC-H i. to validate the wireless unit, ii. to create a response, and iii. to route the response to the international gateway;
D. in response to receiving the response, causing the international gateway i. to create a new response, and ii. to route the new response to the MSC-V; and
E. in response to receiving the new response, causing the MSC-V to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
wherein the new response comprises the OCOS/TCOS information; and
wherein the MSC-V is caused to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information.
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4. The method of claim 3, wherein the OCOS/TCOS information comprises an instruction to provide terminating services only;
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wherein the MSC-V is caused to provide the wireless unit with the terminating services only as the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information.
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5. The method of claim 1, wherein the MSC-V is caused to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system for an authorization period.
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6. The method of claim 5, wherein the MSC-V comprises a first MSC-V, and wherein the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second MSC-V, further comprising:
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F. receiving at the second MSC-V second registration information from the wireless unit;
G. in response to receiving the second registration information, causing the second MSC-V to reroute a second registration to the international gateway;
H. in response to receiving the second registration, causing the international gateway to make a determination that the authorization period is in effect; and
I. in response to the determination, causing the international gateway to send a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second MSC-V.
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7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
J. in response to receiving the validation, causing the second MSC-V to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the area served by the second MSC-V.
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8. An international gateway for use in obtaining communication services for a wireless unit that is roaming in a visited system, the international gateway comprising:
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A. an interface operative to receive a registration message with respect to the wireless unit from an element of the visited system;
B. a translator functionally connected to the interface and operative i. to determine a home system for the wireless unit based on the registration message, ii. to substitute a point code for an element of the home system as a destination point code in the registration message, iii. to create a new registration message including an identification of the element of the visited system, and iv. to cause the new registration message to be routed to the home system;
C. the interface also operative to receive from the home system a response to the new registration message, the response including originating and/or terminating service (OCOS/TCOS) information with respect to the wireless unit; and
D. the translator also operative i. to substitute a point code for an element of the visited system as a destination point code in the response, and ii. to cause the response to be routed to the element of the visited system, whereby the communication services for the wireless unit are obtained based on the OCOS/TCOS information regarding the wireless unit through an exchange of messages and responses among the visited system, the international gateway, and the home system. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
wherein the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second visited system; and
wherein the interface is also operative to receive a second registration message from the second visited system;
wherein the translator comprises storage, and the translator is operative to use the registration message to check the storage to make a determination that an authorization period assigned to the wireless unit for provision of the communication services to the wireless unit is in effect; and
wherein the translator also is operative to send a validation of the wireless unit to the second visited system.
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12. A system to provide a home system with information about a wireless unit that is roaming in a visited system based on registration information the wireless unit provides to the visited system, the system comprising:
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A. a mobile switching center of the visited system (MSC-V) operative to receive the registration information and in response to route a registration message to an international gateway;
B. the international gateway operative to receive the registration message, and in response, to create a new registration message including an identification of the MSC-V, the identification being other than a point code for the MSC-V, and to route the new registration message to a home mobile switching center (MSC-H) in the home system of the wireless unit; and
C. the MSC-H operative to receive the new registration message, whereby the home system is provided with the information about the wireless unit including the identification of the MSC-V serving the wireless unit. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
wherein the international gateway is further operative to receive the response, to create a new response based on the response, the new response including the OCOS/TCOS information, and to route the new response to the MSC-V; and
the MSC-V being further operative to receive the new response, and to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information.
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14. The system of claim 13 wherein the OCOS/TCOS information comprises an instruction to provide terminating service only;
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wherein the MSC-V is caused to provide the wireless unit with the terminating service only as the communication services in the visited system based on the OCOS/TCOS information.
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15. The system of claim 13, wherein the MSC-V is further operative to provide the wireless unit with the communication services in the visited system for an authorization period.
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16. The system of claim 13, wherein the MSC-V comprises a first MSC-V;
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wherein the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second MSC-V;
wherein the international gateway is operative to receive second registration information from the second MSC-V, to make a determination that an authorization period assigned to the wireless unit for provision of the communication services to the wireless unit is in effect, and to send a validation to the second MSC-V; and
wherein the second MSC-V in response to receipt of the validation provides the wireless unit with the communication services in the area served by the second MSC-V.
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17. The system of claim 12 wherein the identification of the MSC-V comprises a mobile switching center identification (MSCID) parameter.
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18. In a communications environment wherein a wireless unit has a registration with a first visited mobile switching center (MSC), and wherein the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second visited MSC, a method for validating the wireless unit with the second visited MSC without checking with a home system of the wireless unit, comprising:
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A. receiving at the second visited MSC registration information from the wireless unit;
B. in response to receiving the registration information causing the second visited MSC to route the registration information to an international gateway;
C. in response to receiving the registration information, causing the international gateway to make a determination that an authorization period assigned to the wireless unit for provision of communication services is in effect; and
D. in response to the determination, causing the international gateway to send a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second visited MSC. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
E. upon receiving the validation, causing the second visited MSC to consider the wireless unit as validated.
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20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
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E. also in response to the determination, causing the international gateway to send a registration cancellation message to the first visited MSC; and
F. in response to receiving the cancellation message, causing the first visited MSC to cancel the registration of the wireless unit in the first visited MSC.
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21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
upon receiving the validation, causing the second visited MSC to provide the wireless unit with the communication services.
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22. The method of claim 21 wherein the communication services comprise terminating services only.
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23. The method of claim 21 wherein the second visited MSC is caused to provide the wireless unit with the communication services for an authorization period.
Specification