Mobile communications system having a cellular communications network comprising a public network portion and a private network portion using a common radio interface protocol

• US 6,826,414 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1999
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange Personal Communications Services Limited (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Reynolds, Philip, Jacob, Anila, Haysom, Timothy, Stubbs, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US09/214,917
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33.1, 455/56.1, 455/34.1, 455/53.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/422, 455/426, 455/432-434, 455/435, 455/552-554, 455/560, 455/445, 455/465, 455/463, 455/555, 455/461-462, 455/550, 379/156-158, 379/198, 370/328-330, 370/310, 370/535, 370/337-338
• US Class Current: 455/555
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence

Abstract

A public mobile communications network is configured in accordance with an established protocol which includes a private network portion to which only a selected set of mobile stations have access. The selected set of mobile stations has a private network identity code which is different from a public network identity code. A base transceiver station of the private network portion broadcasts the private network identity code on its broadcast control channel. A mobile switching center prevents public subscriber mobile stations from registering via the private network portion, while the private subscriber mobile stations are allowed to register over the entire network.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system,comprising:

a first plurality of mobile stations;

a second plurality of mobile stations different from said first plurality of mobile stations; and

a cellular communications network comprising;

a first network portion comprising a plurality of radio access cells,

a second network portion comprising one or more radio access cells, and

a single subscriber register configured to control network access for both said first and second plurality of mobile stations to said first and second network portions;

wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to be able to register for service with said subscriber register in both said first and said second network portions, wherein said second plurality of mobile stations are configured to be able to register for service with said subscriber register in said first network portion but are prevented from registering for service with said subscriber register in said second network portion, and wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to preferentially select to register for service with said second network portion rather than said first network portion.

2. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein said second network portion comprises a base station controller which exclusively serves said second network portion.

3. The mobile communications system of claim 1, further comprising a base station controller which serves both said first and second network portions.

4. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein said first and said second network portions operate using radio frequencies within a single operator-allocated frequency group.

5. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein the system is adapted to hand over service of said first plurality of mobile stations between said first network portion and said second network portion.

6. The mobile communications system of claim 5, wherein the system is further adapted to hand over service of said first plurality of mobile stations from said second network portion to said first network portion when a call is in progress in said second network portion.

7. The mobile communications system of claim 5, wherein the system is further adapted to hand over service of said first plurality of mobile stations from said first network portion to said second network portion when a call is in progress in said first network portion.

8. The mobile communications system of claim 5, wherein the system is further adapted to prevent hand over of service of any selected one of said second plurality of mobile stations from said first network portion to said second network portion when a call is in progress in said first network portion.

9. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein said radio interface protocol is in accordance with a technical specification selected from a plurality of mobile communications standards, said mobile communications standards including a global standard for mobile communications (GSM).

10. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured so that different charging tariffs or sets of services are available to said first plurality of mobile stations in said second network portion than in said first network portion.

11. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to store a network portion identity code of said second network portion as a preferred network portion identity code.

12. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein said second plurality of mobile stations are configured to store a network portion identity code of said first network portion as a preferred network portion identity code.

13. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to employ a radio access searching procedure at power on, the radio access searching procedure causing the mobile station to preferentially select to register for service with said second network portion rather than said first network portion.

14. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to periodically employ a radio access searching procedure when registered for service outside said second network portion, the radio access searching procedure causing the mobile station to preferentially select to register for service with said second network portion.

15. A method of operating a mobile communications system having a cellular communications network comprising a first network portion and a second network portion using a common radio interface protocol and a single subscriber register accessible by both network portions, a first plurality of mobile stations configured to register for normal service in both said first network portion and said second network portion, and a second plurality of mobile stations configured to register for normal service in said first network portion and prevented from registering for normal service in said second network portion, the method comprising:

transmitting a first network portion identity code to said second plurality of mobile stations in said first network portion;

transmitting a second network portion identity code to said first plurality of mobile stations in said second network portion; and

controlling network access for said first plurality of mobile stations and said second plurality of mobile stations to said first and second network portions with said single subscriber register, said first plurality of mobile stations preferentially selecting to register for service with said second network portion rather than said first network portion.

16. A method of operating a mobile communications system having a cellular communications network comprising a first network portion and a second network portion using a common radio interface protocol and a single subscriber register accessible by both network portions, a first plurality of mobile stations configured to register for normal service in both said first network portion and said second network portion, and a second plurality of mobile stations configured to register for normal service in said first network portion and prevented from registering for normal service in said second network portion, the method comprising:

transmitting a first network portion identity code to said second plurality of mobile stations in said first network portion;

transmitting a second network portion identity code to said first plurality of mobile stations in said second network portion; and

controlling network access for said first plurality of mobile stations and said second plurality of mobile stations to said first and second network portions with said single subscriber register, said first plurality of mobile stations displaying a first service indicator in response to being registered with said first network portion and a second, different, service indicator in response to being registered with said second network portion.

17. A mobile communications system, comprising:

a first plurality of mobile stations;

a second plurality of mobile stations different from said first plurality of mobile stations; and

a cellular communications network comprising;

a first network portion comprising a plurality of radio access cells,

a second network portion comprising one or more radio access cells, and

a single subscriber register configured to control network access for both said first and second plurality of mobile stations to said first and second network portions,

wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to be able to register for service with said subscriber register in both said first and said second network portions, and

wherein said second plurality of mobile stations are configured to be able to register for service with said subscriber register in said first network portion but are prevented from registering for service with said subscriber register in said second network portion,

said first plurality of mobile stations being configured to display a first service indicator in response to being registered with said first network portion and a second, different, service indicator in response to being registered with said second network portion.

18. The mobile communications system of claim 17, wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to store a network portion identity code of said second network portion as a preferred network portion identity code.

19. The mobile communications system of claim 18, wherein said second plurality of mobile stations are configured to store a network portion identity code of said first network portion as a preferred network portion identity code.

20. The mobile communications system of claim 17, wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to alter said service indicator in response to a detection by said first plurality of mobile stations of a change in a cell identity of a serving communications cell.

21. The mobile communications system of claim 17, wherein said first plurality of mobile stations are configured to alter said service indicator in response to receipt of a predetermined dedicated control signal from the cellular communications network.

22. The mobile communications system of claim 17, wherein said second network portion comprises a base station controller which exclusively serves said second network portion.

23. The mobile communications system of claim 17, further comprising a base station controller which serves both said first network portion and said second network portion.

24. The mobile communications system of claim 17, wherein said first network portion and said second network portion operate using radio frequencies within a single operator-allocated frequency group.

25. The mobile communications system of claim 17, wherein the system is adapted to hand over service of said first plurality of mobile stations between said first network portion and said second network portion.

26. The mobile communications system of claim 25, wherein the system is further adapted to hand over service of said first plurality of mobile stations from said second network portion to said first network portion when a call is in progress in said second network portion.

27. The mobile communications system of claim 25, wherein the system is further adapted to hand over service of said first plurality of mobile stations from said first network portion to said second network portion when a call is in progress in said first network portion.

28. The mobile communications system of claim 25, wherein the system is further adapted to prevent hand over of service of any selected one of said second plurality of mobile stations from said first network portion to said second network portion when a call is in progress in said second plurality of network portion.

29. The mobile communications system of claim 17, wherein said radio interface protocol is in accordance with a technical specification selected from a plurality of mobile communications standards, said mobile communications standards including a global standard for mobile communications (GSM).

30. The mobile communications system of claim 17, wherein the system is configured so that different charging tariffs or sets of services are available to said first plurality of mobile stations in said second network portion than in said first network portion.

31. The mobile communications system of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of separate second network portions each configured to allow said first plurality of mobile stations to register for service therein.

32. The mobile communications system of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of separate second network portions and a plurality of sets of mobile stations which are configured to be capable of registering for service therein, wherein a selected one of said sets of mobile stations is configured to be prevented from registering for service in a second network portion other than a corresponding one of said second network portions.

33. The mobile communications system of claim 32, wherein the system includes less sets of mobile stations than separate second network portions.