Method and network element for establishing a connection to a local service

• US 6,807,417 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Suninen, Kaarina, Sallinen, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US10/045,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/426, 455/565, 455/560, 455/432.1, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and network element for establishing a connection to a local service, wherein a local cellular network having a limited coverage is provided, which may be temporarily accessed based on visitor access requirement. A call attempt is analyzed with respect to the visitor access requirement and the connection to the local service is established if the received call attempt meets the visitor access requirement. Thus, a temporary access can be enabled without a subscription to the supplementary service of the local cellular network. Thereby, any visitor having a mobile telephone may access the local service.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a connection to a local service, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a local area having a limited coverage;

b) defining a visitor access requirement based on at least one visitor criterion for a temporary access to said local area;

c) analyzing a received connection attempt with respect to said visitor access requirement; and

d) establishing said connection, if said received connection attempt meets said visitor access requirement,

wherein said at least one visitor criterion comprises a visitor dialing number allocated for visitor connections within said local area,

wherein a limited number of services, that is a subset of all services available in the local area network for service personnel and others, is available to said established connection for a visitor,

wherein the analyzing step includes comparing a dialed number, of the received connection, with the visitor dialing number,

wherein the at least one visitor criterion further comprises a predetermined location area of a terminal generating the received connection attempt, and

wherein the limited number of services includes an information service for providing information about the location area.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said local area is a CUG, WIO, LAN or WLAN.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one visitor criterion comprises a predetermined location of a terminal generating said received connection attempt, the time of said received connection attempt, and/or an identity of said terminal generating said received connection attempt, or a combination of these.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said terminal generating said received connection attempt is a mobile terminal.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein at least on predetermined visitor dialling number is allocated for visitor connections within said local area.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said analyzation step comprises comparing a dialled number with said at least one predetermined visitor dialling number.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said at least one predetermined visitor dialling number is released for further use after said connection has been completed.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of parallel connections are established when a plurality of connection attempts meeting said visitor access requirement have been received.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the routing of a call is determined based on an information derived from said connection attempt.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the routing of a call is determined based on an information derived from said connection attempt.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said local service is an information or location service, a wireless private branch exchange service, an online voting, polling or gambling service, or a visitor LAN service.

18. The method of claim 1,

wherein said local area is normally a closed network.

12. A network element for establishing a connection to a local service, comprising:

a) receiving means (7) for receiving a connection attempt from a terminal (2);

b) storing means (73) for storing at least one visitor criterion determining a visitor access requirement for a temporary access to a local area (8) providing said local service;

c) analyzing means (71, 72) for analyzing said received connection attempt with respect to said visitor access requirement; and

d) control means (74) for performing a control so as to initiate a connection establishment, if said received connection attempt meets said visitor access requirement,

wherein said at least one visitor criterion comprises a visitor dialing number allocated for visitor connections within said local area,

wherein a limited number of services, that is a subset of all services available in the local area network for service personnel and others, is available to said established connection for a visitor,

wherein the analyzing means is for comparing a dialed number, of the received connection, with the visitor dialing number,

wherein the at least one visitor criterion further comprises a predetermined location area of a terminal generating the received connection attempt, and

wherein the limited number of services includes an information service for providing information about the location area.

13. A network element according to claim 12, wherein said at least one visitor criterion comprises a visitor dialling number, a predetermined location of said terminal from which said connection attempt has been received, the time of said received connection attempt, and/or an identity of said terminal from which said connection attempt has been received, or a combination of these.

14. A network element according to claim 12, wherein said analyzing means (71, 72) comprises an extracting means (71) for extracting an information relating to said at least one visitor criterion from said received connection attempt, and a comparing means (72) for comparing said extracted information with said at least one visitor criterion stored in said storing means (73), wherein said control means (74) performs said control in response to the comparison result of said comparison means (72).

15. A network element according to claim 12, wherein said network element is a visitor location register (7) serving said local area (8).

16. A network element according to claim 12, wherein a user interface (1) of said terminal (2) comprises one or more of the following:

a voice connection, a video connection to an information desk, an interactive graphical menu, or an interactive map.

17. A network element according to claim 12, wherein said terminal is a mobile terminal (2).