System for controlled provisioning of telecommunications services

• US 6,622,016 B1
• Filed: 10/04/1999
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zhang, Baoquan, McConnell, Von K., Sladek, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/411,878
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405-444, 379/201-1-2, 379/201.07, 379/201.08
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0054 Service creation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method and system for controlled provisioning of a desired set of service logic for a subscriber of group of subscribers. In response to a designated stimulus, such as a time-event, a location-event or a threshold-event, a network entity modifies the subscriber profile maintained by a serving system, so as to include in the profile one or more desired parameters. One such modification may be the inclusion in the profile of a trigger that directs the serving system to query a designated network entity for call handling instructions. The designated network entity may then provide a special set of services for the subscriber or group. Further, a mechanism is provided to help ensure that once such a service overlay is imposed, it remains imposed if desired.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications network comprising at least one network entity maintaining a set of parameters defining a service profile for at least one subscriber, a method of imposing at least one desired parameter on the service profile comprising:

detecting a modification of the service profile; and

in response to detecting the modification of the service profile, performing another modification of the service profile to cause the service profile to include the at least one desired parameter,

wherein the at least one desired parameter comprises a trigger arranged to cause a query to be sent to a central control point, and a set of service logic employed by the central control point to carry out a desired function, and

wherein the central control point is selected from the group consisting of an SCP, an HLR, a CTI, an application server, and a MIP home agent.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one network entity comprises an HLR.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the HLR generating a message in response to a modification of the service profile, wherein the step of detecting the modification of the service profile comprises receiving the message.

4. In a telecommunications network comprising at least one network entity maintaining a set of parameters defining a service profile for at least one subscriber, a method of imposing at least one desired parameter on the service profile comprising:

detecting a modification of the service profile; and

in response to detecting the modification of the service profile, performing another modification of the service profile to cause the service profile to include the at least one desired parameter,

wherein performing another modification of the service profile to cause the service profile to include the at least one desired parameter comprises modifying the parameters maintained by the HLR, so as to effect a change in the service profile to include the at least one desired parameter.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, comprising an SCP carrying out the steps of detecting the modification and responsively performing the other modification.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein detecting a modification of the service profile comprises receiving a service qualification message including the service profile.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein performing another modification of the service profile to cause the service profile to include the at least one desired parameter comprises:

sending a message to the at least one network entity instructing the at least one network entity to modify the service profile.

8. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising performing the other modification in response to at least one designated stimulus.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one designated stimulus is selected from the group consisting of a time-based event and a threshold-based event.

10. In a telecommunications network comprising a first entity maintaining a first set of subscriber-information, and a second entity maintaining a second set of subscriber-information, wherein, in response to a change in the first set of subscriber-information the first entity sends to the second entity a message including a subscriber profile, which causes the second entity to update the second set of subscriber-information according to the subscriber profile, a system comprising, in combination:

a third entity arranged to (i) receive the message sent by the first entity, (ii) modify the subscriber Profile so as to create a modified message including a modified subscriber profile, and (iii) send the modified message to the second entity so as to cause the second entity to update the second set of subscriber-information with the modified subscriber profile,

whereby the third entity may ensure that the second set of subscriber-information bears one or more specified parameters, so as to impose a specified service profile for one or more subscribers,

wherein the first set of subscriber-information defines service features authorized for a subscriber;

wherein the second entity is associated with a given serving system; and

wherein the second set of subscriber-information defines service features for the subscriber When the subscriber is registered to be served by the serving system.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first entity comprises a home location register (HLR), and the second entity comprises a visitor location register (VLR).

12. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the subscriber comprises a mobile station.

13. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the third entity is selected from the group consisting of a service control point (SCP), an intelligent peripheral (IP) and a service node (SN).

14. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the message is selected from the group consisting of a Qualification Directive message and a Registration Notification response message.

15. In a telecommunications network comprising a first entity maintaining a first set of subscriber-information, and a second entity maintaining a second set of subscriber-information, wherein, in response to a change in the first set of subscriber-information the first entity sends to the second entity a message including a subscriber profile, which causes the second entity to update the second set of subscriber-information according to the subscriber profile, a method comprising providing a third entity arranged to perform the following steps:

receiving the message sent by the first entity before the message is delivered to the second entity;

modifying the subscriber profile so as to create a modified message including a modified subscriber profile; and

sending the modified message to the second entity so as to cause the second entity to update the second set of subscriber-information according to the modified subscriber profile

wherein the third entity is selected from the group consisting of a service control point (SCP), an intelligent peripheral (IP) and a service node (SN), and

wherein the first entity comprises a home location register (HLR) and the second entity comprises a visitor location register (VLR).

16. In a telecommunications network comprising a first entity maintaining a first set of subscriber-information, and a second entity maintaining a second set of subscriber-information, wherein, in response to a change in the first set of subscriber-information the first entity sends to the second entity a message including a subscriber profile, which causes the second entity to update the second set of subscriber-information according to the subscriber profile, a method comprising providing a third entity arranged to perform the following steps:

receiving the message sent by the first entity before the message is delivered to the second entity;

modifying the subscriber profile so as to create a modified message including a modified subscriber profile; and

sending the modified message to the second entity so as to cause the second entity to update the second set of subscriber-information according to the modified subscriber profile

wherein the third entity is selected from the group consisting of a service control point (SCP), an intelligent peripheral (IP) and a service node (SN), and

wherein the subscriber comprises a mobile station currently registered to be served by a serving system associated with a visitor location register (VLR).

17. In a wireless communications network comprising a home register maintaining a profile for a mobile station, and a serving system maintaining a profile for the mobile station when the mobile station is located within a service area associated with the serving system, the home register providing the serving system with a profile for the mobile station in response to a change in the profile maintained by the home register, a system for imposing in the serving system a designated service set for the mobile station, the system comprising:

a message mediator arranged to monitor and modify information delivered between the home register and the serving system, the message mediator comprising a data storage medium, a processor, and a first set of logic stored in the data storage medium and executable by the processor to (a) detect a message sent by the home register, the message defining a Profile for the mobile station, (b) modify the profile so as to generate a modified message defining a modified profile comprising the designated service set for the mobile station, and (c) forward the modified message to the serving system, whereby the serving system may receive the modified profile for the mobile station and responsively maintain and employ the modified profile comprising the designated service set for the mobile station;

a second set of logic stored in a data storage medium and employed by the serving system to cause the serving system to send a registration notification message to the message mediator when the serving system detects the mobile station in the serving area;

a third set of logic stored in a data storage medium and executable by the processor to (i) modify the registration notification message so as to indicate that the message mediator is a switch in the serving system and (ii) forward the modified registration notification message to the home register, the home register responsively sending to the message mediator a registration notification response message including the profile for the mobile station; and

said message mediator applying said first set of logic so as to detect said registration notification response message and to modify the profile for the mobile station and forward the modified registration notification response message to the serving system.