Change of service profile of mobile subscriber

• US 6,708,033 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: S Aqua Semiconductor LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Teliasonera Finland Oyj (Telia Company AB)
• Inventors: Linkola, Janne, Hokkanen, Tuomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Application Number:
  US09/638,484
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/406, 455/407, 455/414, 455/418, 455/424, 455/425, 455/432, 455/436, 455/440, 455/550, 455/551, 455/556, 455/419, 455/422, 455/433, 455/443, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/440
• 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

A system for changing the service profile of a mobile subscriber includes a location part (31), a evaluation part (32) and a subscriber connection exchange part (33). Besides these, the home location register contains such individual subscriber connections for the subscriber, which have a different service profile. The duty of the location part is to find out the location of the mobile station in the network and to give location information to the evaluation part. The information may be e.g. a location area identity, cell identity or switching centre area identity which is used in the public land mobile network. The evaluation part checks to find out whether the location information has changed compared with the location information received earlier. If it has, it searches the memory for the corresponding location information and compares the connection information in the record with the current connection information. If the connection information is identical, the process remains waiting for new location information. If the connection information is different, the evaluation logic deduces that the connection must be exchanged for a new one and a connection exchange operation must be started. This may take place so that the connection exchange part disconnects the mobile station from the network and reconnects to the network using a new MSISDN number. The algorithms and encryption keys relating to this number it fetches from the memory. The network fetches from the home location register the subscriber information relating to this MSISDN number and along with this also the service profile relating to this number. It is most advantageous to implement the location part, the evaluation part and the subscriber connection exchange part on the subscriber identity module (SIM).

Claims

1. Method of changing the service profile of a mobile subscriber in a public land mobile network, in which to each subscriber connection may be connected a service profile including desired subscriber services and the location of the mobile station is known with at least location area precision,

the method comprising:

storing in the mobile station beforehand several pieces of area information, each of which corresponds with its own partial area of the coverage area of the public land mobile network and information on several subscriber connections so that a separate piece of subscriber connection information relates to each piece of area information;

determining periodically in the mobile station location information of the mobile station, when it is in connection with the public land mobile network using one of the subscriber connections and thus one of the service profiles;

evaluating in the mobile station on the basis of the determined location information whether the mobile station has moved from the partial area relating to the current area information into a partial area relating to new area information; and

if the mobile station has moved into a partial area relating to new area information, disconnecting the mobile station from the public land mobile network and reconnecting the mobile station to the public land mobile network using subscriber connection information relating to the new area information and thus a new service profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the area information includes at least one parameter, which the mobile station has decoded from such a signal sent by the public land mobile network, by which the public land mobile network gives network information to the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the area information is the location area identity and the corresponding partial area of the public land mobile network is the location area;

the location area identity sent by the public land mobile network is used as location information; and

when the location area identity changes, it is deduced that the mobile station has moved from one partial area into another.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the area information is a set of location area identities and the corresponding partial area of the public land mobile network includes location areas individualized by these identifiers;

the location area identity sent by the public land mobile network is used as location information; and

when the location information indicates that the location area identity belongs to a different set of identities than the previous location area identity, it is deduced that the mobile station has moved from one partial area into another.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the area information is a set of cell identities and the partial area of the public land mobile network corresponding with the area information includes cell areas individualized by the cell identities;

the cell identity sent by the public land mobile network is used as location information; and

when the location information indicates that the cell identity belongs to a different set of cell identities than the previous cell identity, it is deduced that the mobile station has moved from one partial area into another.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reconnection to the public land mobile network using the exchanged subscriber connection is carried out only when a predetermined number of successive location determination periods have indicated that the mobile station is in a new partial area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscription information contains all that information which is required for the subscriber to gain access to the public land mobile network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

in the subscriber connection information stored beforehand in the mobile station, special condition information is also contained for each piece of subscriber connection information;

and

before disconnection from the public land mobile network a check is made to find out whether the special conditions make any limitations on the disconnection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber connection information contains both the mobile subscriber'"'"'s international ISDN number (MSISDN) and the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), one of which remains the same although the subscriber connection is exchanged.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the area of information is the location area identity and the corresponding partial area of the public land mobile network is the home area;

the location area identity sent by the public and mobile network is used as location information; and

when the location area identify changes, it is deduced that the mobile station has moved from one partial area to another.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the area information is set of location area identities and the corresponding partial area of the public land mobile network includes location areas individualized by these identifiers;

the location area identity sent by the public land mobile network is used as location information; and

when the location information indicates that the location area identity belongs to a different set of identities than the previous location area identity, it is deduced that the mobile station has moved from one partial area to another.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the area information is a set of cell identities and the partial area of the:

public land mobile network corresponding with the area information includes cell areas individualized by the cell identities;

the cell identity sent by the public land mobile network is used as location information; and

when the location information indicates that the cell identity belongs to a different set of cell identities than the previous cell identity, it is deduced that the mobile station has moved from one partial area into another.

13. System for changing the service profile of a mobile subscriber in a public land mobile network, the system comprising:

a home location register for storing permanent subscriber information comprising a service profile including the subscriber services relating to each subscriber connection;

a mobile station formed by a piece of terminal equipment and a subscriber identity module SIM inserted into it;

wherein the home location register comprises several service profiles in the subscriber information, each of which is available in a partial area of its own of the coverage range of the public land mobile network;

wherein the mobile station comprises;

a location part, configured to periodically determine the location of the mobile station in the public land mobile network and give location information as the result;

an evaluation part, configured to determine in response to the location information whether the mobile station has moved from one partial area into another and when a move has taken place to give a connection exchange command;

a connection exchange part, configured to search in response to the connection exchange command the memory for the subscriber connection information established for the new partial area, to disconnect the mobile station from the public land mobile network and to reconnect the mobile station to the public land mobile network using the subscriber connection information established for the new partial area, whereby trafficking continues in the new partial area with the changed service profile.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the location part is configured to separate the location information from that broadcast signal sent by the serving base transceiver station, by which the base transceiver station gives information about itself and about the network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile station further comprises a memory for use together with the evaluation part, wherein connection information corresponding with the partial area information is stored in advance, and also an evaluation logic which in response to the location information checks whether it refers to new area.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory also stores such special conditions relating to each subscriber connection, wherein those conditions are established, on the fulfillment of which the evaluation logic may give a connection exchange command.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the evaluation logic is configured to compare the current location information with the earlier location information, which is stored in the memory, and when these pieces of information differ from each other the evaluation logic is configured to search the memory or the connection information and special conditions relating to the current location information.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the evaluation logic is configured to compares the current location information with the earlier location information, which is stored in the memory, and when these pieces of information differ from each other the evaluation logic is configured to search the memory for the connection information and special conditions relating to the current location information.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the location information is the location area identity and the memory stores location area identities as partial area information.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the location information includes several parameters from a set including the MCC (Mobile Country Code), the MNC (Mobile Network Code), the CI (Cell Identity) and the LAI (Location Area Identifier), whereby the memory stores a set of parameters as partial area information.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile station further comprises a memory for use with the connection exchange part, wherein the subscriber connection information established for all partial areas is stored beforehand.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein in response to the connection exchange command given by the evaluation part the connection exchange part is configured to search the memory for new subscriber connection information and to start the connection exchange functions with the public land mobile network.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the location part, the evaluation part and the connection exchange part are located on the, subscriber identity module (SIM).