Communications system, communication method and corresponding devices

• US 6,856,799 B1
• Filed: 12/24/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Ritter, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez, Julio R
• Application Number:
  US09/869,126
• Time in Patent Office: 2,245 Days
• Field of Search: 455/402, 455/458, 455/572, 455/14, 455/561, 455/457, 455/410, 455/422, 340/310.02, 340/310.06, 340/310.08, 340/870.02, 380/23, 380/30, 380/46
• US Class Current: 455/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

Communications system in which at least certain mobile devices (1) are each able to be connected to a power supply network (4) via a connecting module (2), which connecting modules (2) comprise a power line communications module (21) by means of which said mobile devices (1) are able to communicate, via the said power supply network (4), with a visitor location register (5), which register is connected to the said, power supply network (4) via a power line communications module, user identifications (123) in particular, which are stored in an identification module (12), removably connected in each case to a mobile device (1), being transmitted by the mobile devices (1) via the said power supply network (4) to this power supply network visitor location register (5). Calls from terminals (91, 91′) to respective mobile devices (1) connected to the power supply network are passed on by a mobile switching center (7) via the power supply network visitor location register (5) to the mobile devices (1), respectively transmitted in reverse direction to called terminals (91, 91′) via the power supply network visitor location register (5) and the mobile switching center (7).

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a multiplicity of mobile devices, to which an identification module is connected in each case, in which identification modules a user identification of the user of the respective mobile device is configured to be stored in each case,

at least one visitor location register, to which visitor location register user identifications of the users are configured to be transmitted each by one of the mobile devices and are to be stored there,

at least one home location register, in which the user identifications are each configured to be linked to a call number and to further user data comprising location information for a respective user, the location information configured to be transmitted from the visitor location register to the home location register of a user, and

connecting modules, by which connecting modules one of the mobile devices in each case is configured to be connectible by a user to a low voltage grid, the connecting modules each comprising a connecting plug configured to connect to the low voltage grid, by which connecting plugs the connecting modules are each configured to be connected to the low voltage grid via outlets of the low voltage grid, and the connecting modules comprising an interface module configured to connect to the respective mobile device, wherein

the connecting modules each comprise a power line communications module by which the respective mobile device is configured to communicate via the low voltage grid with other units connected to the low voltage grid via the power line communications module, and wherein

at least one visitor location register is connected to at least one low voltage grid by the power line communications module included in the at least one visitor location register, and wherein user identifications are configured to be transmitted to the at least one visitor location register via the low voltage grid by respective mobile devices.

2. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply network visitor location register comprises a table in which address data relating to connecting modules are configured to be linked to associated user identifications and are to be stored.

3. The communications system according to claim 2, wherein the power supply network visitor location register is configured to transmit to the home location register of a user a roaming number relating to the mobile device of this user, and wherein the roaming numbers are additionally configured to be linked in the table with associated user identifications and are to be stored.

4. The communications system according to claim 3, wherein at least certain of the roaming numbers comprise address data relating to a connecting module.

5. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein at least certain of the location information comprise address data relating to the power supply network visitor location register.

6. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the communications system comprises a connecting network via which the power supply network visitor location register is configured to communicate with at least one home location register and/or at least one mobile switching center.

7. The communications system according to claim 6, wherein the connecting network comprises one of a SS7 signaling system, the Internet, and an intranet.

8. The communications system according to claim 6, wherein the power supply network visitor location register is configured to communicate, by means of MAP messages, with other network units connected to the connecting network.

9. The communications system according to claim 6, wherein the power supply network visitor location register comprises a gateway module configured to pass on calls from terminals to respective mobile devices when the calls have been passed on via the connecting network to the power supply network visitor location register, and the gateway module is configured to pass on calls from respective mobile devices via the connecting network to a respective network unit including a second power supply network visitor location register, to further transmit to a called terminal.

10. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply network visitor location register comprises a gateway module configured to pass on calls from terminals to respective mobile devices when the calls have been received from a mobile switching center and have been passed on to the power supply network visitor location register, and the gateway module is configured to pass on to a respective mobile switching center calls from respective mobile devices to further transmit to a called terminal.

11. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply network visitor location register comprises a billing module configured to record and bill for services that have been carried out for a respective mobile device.

12. The communications system according to claim 11, wherein the billing module is configured to bill recorded services to a respective mobile device directly via the low voltage grid.

13. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the interface module comprises at least one of an interface with contacts, a contactless infrared interface, a contactless inductive interface and a contactless high frequency radio interface.

14. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the connecting modules comprise charging modules by which energy storage devices configured to operate the mobile devices are chargeable on the low voltage grid.

15. A communications method comprising:

storing in identification modules user identifications of users of a multiplicity of mobile devices, the identification modules connected to the mobile devices,

transmitting by one of the mobile device to a visitor location register and storing in the visitor location register the user identifications of the users,

linking to a call number and to further user data and storing in a home location register the user identifications, the user data comprising location information for a respective user,

transmitting the location information from the visitor location register to the home location register of a user,

connecting by the users at least certain of the mobile devices to a low voltage grid by connecting module, the connecting module being connected to a low voltage network by a connecting plug of the connecting module via outlets of the low voltage network, and the connecting module being connected to the respective mobile device by means of an interface module of the respective connecting module, and

communicating the respective mobile device, by power line communications module of the connecting module, via the low voltage network, with other units, which are connected to the low voltage grid via the power line communications module,

wherein the visitor location register is connected to the low voltage grid via the power line communications module included in the visitor location register, and wherein the user identifications of mobile devices are transmitted to the visitor location register via the low voltage grid by the mobile devices.

16. The communications method according to claim 15, wherein address data relating to connecting modules are linked with associated user identifications and are stored in a table of the power supply network visitor location register.

17. The communications method according to claim 16, wherein the power supply network visitor location register transmits to the home location register of a user a roaming number relating to the mobile device of this user, and wherein roaming numbers are additionally linked in the table with associated user identifications and are stored.

18. The communications method according to claim 17, wherein at least certain of the roaming numbers comprise address data relating to a connecting module.

19. The communications method according to claim 15, wherein at least certain of the location information comprise address data relating to a power supply network visitor location register.

20. The communications method according to claim 15, wherein the power supply network visitor location register communicates, via a connecting network, with at least one of a home location register and a mobile switching center.

21. The communications method according to claim 20, wherein the connecting network comprises at least one of a SS7 signaling system, the Internet, and an intranet.

22. The communications method according to claim 20, wherein the power supply network visitor location register communicates by means of MAP messages with other network units connected to the connecting network.

23. The communications method according to claim 20, wherein the power supply network visitor location register passes on calls from terminals, by a gateway module to respective at least certain mobile devices when the calls have been passed on via the connecting network to the power supply network visitor location register, and wherein the power supply network visitor location register passes on, by the gateway module, calls from the at least certain mobile devices via the connecting network to a respective network unit, including a second power supply network visitor location register, for further transmission to a called terminal.

24. The communications method according to claim 15, wherein the power supply network visitor location register passes on, to respective at least certain mobile devices, by a gateway module calls received by a mobile switching center from calling terminals and have been passed on to the power supply network visitor location register, or respectively passes on to a respective mobile switching center, by the gateway module, calls from at least certain mobile devices for further transmission to a called terminal.

25. The communications method according to claim 15, wherein the power supply network visitor location register records and bills for services carried out for a respective at least certain mobile device, a billing module.

26. The communications method according to claim 15, wherein the billing module bills recorded services to a respective at least certain mobile device directly via the low voltage grid.

27. The communications method according to claim 15, wherein the interface module comprises at least one of an interface with contacts, a contactless infrared interface, a contactless inductive interface and a contactless high frequency radio interface.

28. The communications method according to claim 15, wherein, by charging modules, the connecting modules charge on the low voltage grid energy storage devices for operation of the mobile devices.

29. A connecting module for a communications system including a multiplicity of mobile devices, to which an identification module is connected in each case, in which identification modules a user identification of the user of the respective mobile device is configured to be stores in each case, at least one visitor location register, to which visitor location register user identifications of the users are configured to be transmitted each by one of the mobile devices and are to be stored there, and at least one home location register, in which the user identifications are each configured to be linked to a call number and to further user data including location information for a respective user, the location information configured to be transmitted from the visitor location register to the home location register of a user,

the connecting module is configured to connect at least certain of the mobile devices to a low voltage grid in each case by the connecting module, the connecting module comprising a connecting plug configured to connect to the low voltage grid, by which connecting plug the connecting module is configured to be connected to the low voltage grid via outlets of the low voltage grid, and the connecting module comprising an interface module configured to connect with a respective mobile device, and

the connecting module comprises a power line communications module, by which the respective mobile device is configured to communicate via the low voltage grid with other units connected to the low voltage grid via the power line communications module, and

the connecting module configured to store address data by which the connection module is addressable in the low voltage grid and by which the connection module is configured to be linked to associated user identifications in a visitor location resister connected to the low voltage grid via the power line communications module.

30. The connecting module according to claim 29, wherein the interface module comprises at least one of an interface with contacts, a contactless infrared interface, a contactless inductive interface, and a contactless high frequency radio interface.

31. The connecting module according to claim 29, further comprising:

a charging module by which an energy storage device configured to operate a mobile device is chargeable on the low voltage grid.

32. The connecting module according to claim 29, where the at least certain mobile devices each comprise a mobile radio telephone.