Methods and systems for providing mobile telecommunications network services in a routing node

• US 6,735,441 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2000
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Marsico, Peter Joseph, Slate, Larry Gene, Turgeon, Joseph Leonard, Fennell, Chester C. Jr., Bagaasen, Byron C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/626,590
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/560, 455/445, 455/461, 455/426, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.1
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A signal transfer point-like network routing element capable of providing call signaling services required in a mobile communications network is disclosed. A mobile services routing node can be configured to provide the functionality of a Home Location Register (HLR), a Visitor Location Register (VLR), an Equipment Identification Register (EIR), and an Authentication Center (AuC). As such, the mobile services routing node is adapted to receive mobile service related signaling messages, perform the necessary mobile service processing, and route response messages as required.

Claims

1. A network element for performing conventional Signal Transfer Point (STP) routing operations and additionally processing mobile service related signaling messages in a communications network, the network element comprising:

(a) a communication module for performing SS7 signal transfer operations for transferring signaling message between signaling links in a communications network;

(b) a mobile services module (MSM) including at least one mobile service application process (MSAP) for performing a mobile services function in response to a first signaling message received by the communication module, wherein the MSAP includes an Equipment Identity Register application process for verifying the identities of mobile terminals; and

(c) a discrimination process for processing the first signaling message received by the communication module and subsequently directing the first signaling message to the MSM based on at least one parameter in the first signaling message.

2. The network element of claim 1 wherein the first signaling message is a Signaling System 7 (SS7) signaling message.

3. The network element of claim 2 wherein the Signaling System 7 (SS7) signaling message includes a Mobile Application Part (MAP).

4. The network element of claim 1 wherein the communication network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network carrying IP encapsulated SS7 Mobile Application Part (MAD) messages.

5. The network element of claim 1 wherein the communication module is a Signaling System 7 (SS7) Link Interface Module (LIM).

6. The network element of claim 1 wherein the communication module is an Internet Protocol (IP) Data Communication Module (DCM).

7. The network element of claim 1 wherein the MSM includes a mobile service subsystem manager (MSSM) for receiving the first signaling message and subsequently directing the first signaling message to one of a plurality of provisioned MSAPs.

8. The network element of claim 1 wherein the MSAP includes a Home Location Register application process for providing HLR service for a second signaling message requiring HLR service.

9. The network element of claim 1 wherein the MSAP includes a Visitor Location Register application process for providing VLR service for a second signaling message requiring VLR service.

10. The network element of claim 1 wherein the MSAP includes a World Wide Web translation application process for providing a mobile subscriber identity to WWW identity translation for a second signaling message requiring WWW translation service.

11. The network element of claim 1 wherein the MSAP is integral with and contained within the network element.

12. The network element of claim 1 wherein the MSAP is located on an external database server that is communicatively coupled to the network element.

13. The network element of claim 1 wherein the MSM includes a database for providing the mobile services function and the database is maintained in high speed, random access memory.

14. The network element of claim 1 wherein the MSM includes a database for providing the mobile services function and database is maintained on a high speed, optical disc storage medium.

15. The network element of claim 1 comprising an external MSAP provisioning system communicatively coupled to the MSM.

16. The network element of claim 15 wherein the external provisioning system includes an high speed, mass data storage device.

17. A network element for performing conventional Signal Transfer Point (STP) routing operations and additionally processing mobile service related signaling messages in a communications network the network, element comprising:

(a) a communication module for performing SS7 signal transfer operations for transferring signaling messages between SS7 signaling links;

(b) a mobile services module (MSM) including at least one mobile service application process (MSAP) for performing a mobile services function in response to a first signaling message received by the communication module; and

(c) a discrimination process for directing the first signaling message to the MSM based on at least one parameter in the first signaling message, wherein the MSAP includes an Authentication Center (AuC) application process for providing AuC service for the first signaling message.

18. A network element for performing conventional Signal Transfer Point (STP) routing operations and additionally processing mobile service related signaling messages in a communications network, the network element comprising:

(a) a communication module for performing SS7 signal transfer operations for transferring messages between SS7 signaling links;

(b) a mobile services module (MSM) including at least one mobile service application process (MSAP) for performing a mobile services function in response to a first signaling message received by the communication module; and

(c) a discrimination process for directing the first signaling message, to the MSM based on at least one parameter in the first signaling message wherein the MSAP includes a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) application process for providing SMSC service for the first signaling message.

19. A mobile services routing node comprising:

(a) a first communication module for performing SS7 message transfer part routing functions including transferring first SS7 messages between SS7 signaling links and forwarding second SS7 signaling messages to internal communications modules for further processing;

(b) a mobile services database for storing information for providing a mobile communications service; and

(c) a mobile services application process receiving at least some of the second SS7 signaling messages and providing the mobile communications service based on the information contained in the mobile services database in response to the second SS7 signaling message, wherein the mobile services database includes an equipment identity register (EIR) database, the mobile services application includes an EIR Process, and the mobile communications service includes an EIR service.

20. The mobile services routing node of claim 19 wherein the mobile services database includes a home location register (HLR) database for storing information regarding home subscribers, the mobile services application process includes an HLR process, and the mobile communications service includes an HLR service.

21. The mobile services routing node of claim 19 wherein the mobile services database includes a visitor location register (VLR) database for storing information regarding visiting subscribers, the mobile services application process includes a VLR process, and the mobile communications service includes a VLR service.

22. The mobile services routing node of claim 19 wherein the mobile services database includes a world wide web (WWW) translation database for storing information for translating mobile subscriber information in the second call signaling messages to WWW address information, the mobile services application process includes a WWW translation service, and the mobile communications service includes a WWW translation service.

23. A mobile services routing node comprising:

(a) a first communication module for performing SS7 message transfer part routine functions including transferring first SS7 messages between SS7 signaling links and forwarding second SS7 signaling messages to internal communications modules for further processing;

(b) a mobile services database for storing information for providing a mobile communications service; and

(c) a mobile services application process receiving at least some of the second SS7 signaling messages and providing the mobile communications service based on the information contained in the mobile services database in response to the second SS7 signaling message, wherein the mobile services database includes an authentication center (AuC) database, the mobile services application process includes an AuC process, and the mobile communications service includes an AuC service.

24. A method for processing and routing mobile service related signaling message by a mobile services routing node (MSRN) in a communications network, the method comprising:

at a mobile services routing node including SS7 signal transfer functionality for transferring SS7 signaling messages between SS7 signaling links;

(a) receiving a first signaling message from a communication network;

(b) determining whether the first signaling message requires mobile service processing;

(c) in response to determining that the first signaling message requires mobile service processing, directing the first signaling message to a mobile service application process (MSAP) that is provisioned with the MSRN; and

(d) at the MSAP, providing a mobile communication service in response to the first signaling message, wherein providing a mobile communications service includes providing an equipment identity register (EIR) service.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the first signaling message is a Signaling System 7 (SS7) signaling message.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the Signaling System 7 (SS7) signaling message includes a Mobile Application Part (MAP).

27. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving a first signaling message from a communications network includes receiving the first signaling message from a Signaling System 7 (SS7) network.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving a first signaling message from a communications network includes receiving the first signaling message from an Internet Protocol (IP) network carrying IP encapsulated SS7 Mobile Application Part (MAP) messages.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving a first signaling message includes receiving a first signaling message addressed to a point code of the MSRN.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein determining whether the first signaling message requires mobile service processing includes examining information in the Service Indicator Octet (SIO) of the signaling message.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein determining whether the first signaling message requires mobile service processing includes examining information in a Service Connection Control Part (SCCP) layer of the first signaling message.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein examining the SCCP information includes examining a subsystem (SSN) value that identifies the type of mobile service required.

33. The method of claim 24 wherein providing equipment identity register service includes generating a mobile communications signaling message in response to the first signaling message.

34. The method of claim 24 wherein providing equipment identity register service at the MSAP includes forwarding the first signaling message to a second MSAP and generating a mobile communications message at the second MSAP.

35. The method of claim 24 comprising providing a home location register (HLR) service at the mobile services routing node for a second signaling message requiring HLR service.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the second signaling message is a location request invoke message and wherein providing an HLR service includes performing a lookup in an HLR database located inside the MSRN and formulating a location request response message containing mobile subscriber information extracted from the HLR database.

37. The method of claim 24 comprising providing a visitor location register (VLR) service at the mobile services routing node for a second signaling message requiring VLR service.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the second signaling message is a location request invoke message, providing a VLR service includes performing a lookup in a VLR database located inside the MSRN and formulating a location request response message containing mobile subscriber information extracted from the VLR database.

39. The method of claim 24 comprising providing a WWW translation service at the mobile services routine node for a second signaling message requiring VLR service.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein providing a WWW translation service includes performing a lookup in a WWW database located inside the MSRN and extracting WWW address information for a mobile subscriber based on information contained within the signaling message.

41. The method of claim 24 wherein the first signaling message is an EIR query message, and wherein providing an EIR service includes performing a lookup in an EIR database located inside the MSRN to determine whether a mobile handset associated with the EIR query is being fraudulently used and formulating an EIR response message to the EIR query message.

42. A method for processing and routing mobile service related signaling message by a mobile services routing node (MSRN) in a communications network, the method comprising:

at a mobile services routing node including SS7 signal transfer functionality for transferring SS7 signaling messages between SS7 signaling links;

(a) receiving a signaling message from a communication network;

(b) determining whether the signaling message requires mobile service processing;

(c) in response to determining that the message requires mobile service processing, directing the message to a mobile service application process (MSAP) that is provisioned with the MSRN; and

(d) at the MSAP, providing a mobile communication service in response to the signaling message, wherein providing a mobile communications service includes providing an Authentication Center (AuC) service.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the signaling message is an authentication request message and wherein providing an AuC service includes:

(a) performing a lookup in an AuC database based on the authentication request message;

(b) providing a response including a public encryption key to a mobile handset;

(c) receiving a response from the mobile handset; and

(d) granting the mobile handset access to a mobile communications network in response to a value in the response from the mobile handset being equal to an expected value.

44. A method for processing and routing mobile service related signaling message by a mobile services routing node (MSRN) in a communications network, the method comprising:

at a mobile services routing node including SS7 signal transfer functionality for transferring SS7 messages between SS7 signaling links;

(a) receiving a signaling message from a communication network,

(b) determining whether the signaling message requires mobile service processing;

(c) in response to determining that the message requires mobile service processing, directing the message to a mobile service application process (MSAP) that is provisioned with the MSRN; and

(d) at the MSAP, providing a mobile communication service in response to the signaling message, wherein providing a mobile communications service includes providing a short message service.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein providing a short message service includes sending a short message service message to a mobile subscriber in response to the signaling message.

46. A network element for providing SS7 signaling transfer functionality and a plurality of different mobile services, the network element comprising:

(a) a link interface module located within the network element for transferring SS7 signaling messages from inbound SS7 signaling links to outbound SS7 signaling links and for identifying SS7 signaling messages requiring processing by a module internal to the network element;

(b) a mobile services subsystem manager process located within the network element for receiving the signaling messages identified as requiring further internal processing and for selecting a mobile service process application for processing each of the signaling messages; and

(c) a plurality of different mobile service applications located within the network element for providing a plurality of different mobile services for the signaling messages identified by the mobile services subsystem manager as requiring mobile service processing.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the mobile services applications include at least two of an equipment identity register application, an authentication center application, a home location register application, a world wide web translation application, a visitor location register application, and a short message service application.