System and methods for global access to services for mobile telephone subscribers

• US 6,920,487 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Starhome GmbH
• Original Assignee: Starhome GmbH
• Inventors: Wolfman, Shlomo, Biran, Ory, Sofer, Carmel
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/739,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-207, 709217-219, 709225-229, 709/238, 709/246, 709/249, 370/229, 370/328, 370/338, 370351-353, 370/401, 370/230, 370/235, 4554141-4142, 455/418, 455/433, 455/445, 455460-461, 455/432.1, 455427-428
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13384 Inter-PBX traffic, PBX networks, e.g. corporate networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method and a system for providing services to roaming subscribers of mobile telephone networks. The system comprising a packet-switch network and intelligent gateways coupled to the packet-switch network enables roaming subscribers to continue using their value added services using familiar access, Interface and language. The system also enables mobile operators to deliver new services to roamers and subscribers.

Claims

1. A system comprising;

a packet-switch network; and

intelligent gateways coupled to said packet-switch network, each of said intelligent gateways coupled to a respective mobile network and adapted to provide a roaming mobile device connecting as a visitor in one of said mobile networks with access to a plurality of services including intelligent call assistance and dialing sequence translation, said services being at least associated with a second of said mobile networks, said second mobile network being a home mobile network of said roaming mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein some of said plurality of services are integrated with one another.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said intelligent gateways comprises a gateway database comprising a profile of said roamer for use by said intelligent gateway when providing access to said plurality of services.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said profile includes at least one of the following:

the operator of the home mobile network of which said roamer is a subscriber, the country of said operator, the group of operators of which said operator is a member, a language said roamer prefers to receive messages, the organization of which said roamer is a member and the community of which said roamer is a member.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a central database coupled to said packet-switch network, said central database is adapted to enable control and maintenance of said packet-switch network, wherein each said gateway database contains replicated data of said central database.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intelligent gateway coupled to said packet-switch network, said intelligent gateway adapted to provide access to said plurality of services to a roamer in a mobile network not having an intelligent gateway coupled thereto.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateways are configured to communicate using the Internet Protocol such that control data and voice can be exchanged over an Internet Protocol channel between said networks, thereby to access said services.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateways are configured to communicate control information via said packet switched network and voice via a PSTN connection, and to recombine said control information with said voice thereby to enable access to said services.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said control information comprises a caller line identification (CLI).

10. A system comprising:

an intelligent gateway associated with a first mobile telephone network, said first mobile telephone network having connections to other mobile telephone networks, said intelligent gateway adapted to translate a dialing sequence when dialed by a roaming cellular telephony device roaming in said first mobile network into a destination number, said roaming cellular telephony device having a home network which is other than said first mobile network; and

a routing center in said first mobile telephone network, said routing center adapted to route said dialing sequence within said first mobile telephone network to said intelligent gateway for said translating.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said dialing sequence is an erroneous number.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said mobile switch center is further adapted to give said intelligent gateway control over a call to said destination number.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said mobile switch center is further adapted to route a call corresponding to said dialing sequence to said destination number.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said mobile switch center is further adapted to route a further dialing sequence dialed by a further cellular telephony device being a subscriber of said first mobile telephone network to said intelligent gateway and said intelligent gateway is further adapted to translate said dialing sequence into said destination number.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said gateway is adapted to translate said dialing sequence into at least two destination numbers according to a predefined schedule.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code used in a home mobile network of said roaming cellular telephony device to access value added services provided by said home mobile network.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said dialing sequence is identified as a short code associated by a home mobile network of said roaming cellular telephony device with a service provider operating in a geographical region of said home mobile network, and said dialing sequence is translated into another dialing sequence associated by said first mobile telephone network with a corresponding service provider operating in a geographical region of said first mobile telephone network.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code having an equivalent alphanumeric code associated with a generic service and said destination number provides access to one of a plurality of service providers of said generic service.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code having an equivalent alphanumeric code associated with a service provider and said destination number provides access to said service provider.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said alphanumeric code is associated with a brand-named organization and said destination number provides access to said organization.

21. The system of claim 10, wherein said roamer is a member of a virtual private network, said dialing sequence is a dialing extension of said virtual private network and said destination number is a corresponding complete telephone number of said dialing extension.

22. The system of claim 10, further adapted to deliver short messages to said roaming cellular telephony device according to information stored in said gateway defining a plurality of characteristics of said roaming cellular telephony device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein one of said characteristics is a language preferred by said roaming cellular telephony device.

24. The system of claim 10, further adapted to provide assistance to said roaming cellular telephony device to complete calls when said destination number dialed by said roaming cellular telephony device is erroneous.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said assistance is provided in a language preferred by said roaming cellular telephony device.

26. An intelligent gateway adapted to translate a dialing sequence when dialed by a roaming cellular telephony device currently roaming in a first visited cellular telephony network, said first network being distinct from a second cellular telephony network in which said roaming cellular telephony device is registered as a home device, into a destination number, said translation making use of data associated with said second cellular telephony network, said gateway further being adapted to enable a call dialed by said roaming cellular telephony device as said dialing sequence to be routed to said destination number.

27. The gateway of claim 26, wherein said gateway is further adapted to translate a further dialing sequence when dialed by a subscriber of said first cellular telephony network into a destination number.

28. The gateway of claim 27, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code having an equivalent alphanumeric code associated with a generic service and said destination number provides access to one of a plurality of service providers of said generic service.

29. The gateway of claim 27, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code having an equivalent alphanumeric code associated with a service provider and said destination number provides access to said service provider.

30. The gateway of claim 29, wherein said alphanumeric code is associated with a brand-named organization and said destination number provides access to said organization.

31. The gateway of claim 26 further adapted to translate said dialing sequence into at least two destination numbers according to a predefined schedule.

32. The gateway of claim 26, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code used in said second cellular telephony network to access value added services provided by said second cellular telephony network.

33. The gateway of claim 26, wherein said dialing sequence is identified as a short code associated by said second cellular telephony network with a service provider operating in a geographical region of said second cellular telephony network, and said dialing sequence is translated into another dialing sequence associated by said first cellular telephony network with a corresponding service provider operating in a geographical region of said first cellular telephony network.

34. The gateway of claim 26, wherein said roamer is a member of a virtual private network, said dialing sequence is a dialing extension of said virtual private network and said destination number is a corresponding complete telephone number of said dialing extension.

35. An intelligent gateway associated with a first cellular telephony network, the gateway adapted to deliver short messages to a roaming cellular telephony device roaming in said first cellular telephony network according to information stored in said gateway defining a plurality of characteristics of said roamer, said characteristics being obtained by said gateway using knowledge of a second cellular telephony network at which said roaming telephony device is registered as a home cellular telephony device.

36. The gateway of claim 35, wherein one of said characteristics is a language preferred by said roaming cellular telephony device.

37. The gateway of claim 35, wherein said short messages comprises dialing assistance.

38. The gateway of claim 37, wherein said dialing assistance comprises an indication that a dialed number is erroneous or ambiguous.

39. The gateway of claim 37, wherein said dialing assistance comprises a proposed dialing correction.

62. The gateway of claim 39, operatively connected to a mobile network to receive control of calls comprising erroneously dialed sequences from a mobile switch center within said mobile network wherein said mobile switch center is operable to identify said erroneously dialed sequences and grant control over a call corresponding to said identified sequences to said gateway, said gateway being configured for interactivity with a mobile switch center thus operable.

40. An intelligent gateway associated with a first cellular telephony network, adapted to provide assistance to a cellular telephony device roaming in said first cellular telephony network to complete calls when a destination number dialed by said roaming cellular telephony device is erroneous, said roaming cellular telephony device being registered as a home device in a second cellular telephony network being distinct from said first cellular telephony network, and said intelligent gateway being adapted to obtain information for said call completion using knowledge of said second cellular telephony network.

41. The gateway of claim 40, when said assistance is provided in a language preferred by said roamer.

42. An intelligent gateway adapted to provide assistance to a roamer from a home mobile network who is roaming in a roaming mobile network to complete calls when a destination number dialed by said roamer is erroneous as dialed at said roaming mobile network, said intelligent gateway comprising:

an intelligent call assistance unit for receiving calls made by roamers where the destination number is erroneous in relation to the roaming mobile network, for electronically analyzing the type of error by applying knowledge of said home mobile network dialing and international dialing systems, to provide assistance to said roamer to reach the home mobile network.

43. The gateway of claim 42, wherein said knowledge comprises prefix data for reaching said home network and said assistance unit is configured for identifying said home network, and for adding to, or modifying said prefix data, in order for the dialed call to successfully reach the said home network.

44. The gateway of claim 42, wherein said assistance unit is configured for identifying that said erroneous destination number is ambiguous and for providing said roamer with prompt-based assistance for selecting a correct destination number from a plurality of possible destination numbers obtained using said knowledge.

45. The gateway of claim 42, wherein said erroneously dialed number is a short code valid at said home network, said assistance unit being configured for identifying said home network and further comprising a cross-referencing database to identify a roaming network equivalent of said short code.

46. The gateway of claim 42, wherein said assistance unit is configured for identifying said home network and is configured with the capability to select a language for said assistance in accordance with an identification of said home network.

47. The gateway of claim 42, located at said roaming network and adapted to be coupled to said home network via at least one packet switched network.

48. The gateway of claim 47, comprising a database of home network short codes and adapted to provide to a roamer in said mobile network, via said packet switched network, and said home network short codes, access to a plurality of additional services at said home network identified by said short codes, said additional services comprising at least intelligent call assistance and dialing sequence translation.

49. The gateway of claim 48, wherein at least some of said services are integrated with each other.

50. The gateway of claim 48, wherein said gateway is operable, using said database, to identify a dialing sequence as a short code recognized at said roamer'"'"'s home network.

51. The gateway of claim 50, wherein said gateway is operable, using said database, to translate said recognized short code into a sequence for a corresponding service at said roaming network.

52. The gateway of claim 51, wherein said roamer is a member of a virtual private network, wherein said recognized dialing sequence is a dialing extension of said virtual private network and said destination number is a corresponding complete telephone number of said dialing extension.

53. The gateway of claim 50, wherein said short code comprises an alphanumeric code being a generic sequence for a given service and wherein said gateway is operable to translate said recognized short code into a sequence for a corresponding service at said roaming network.

54. The gateway of claim 50, wherein said short code comprises an alphanumeric code being a sequence identifying a given brand name and an organization corresponding to said brand name at said home network, and wherein said gateway is operable to translate said recognized short code into a sequence for an organization corresponding to said brand name at said roaming network.

55. The gateway of claim 42, further comprising a gateway profile database comprising a profile of said roamer for use by said assistance unit at said gateway in providing said assistance.

56. The gateway of claim 55, wherein said profile includes at least one of the following:

the operator of the home network of which the roamer is a subscriber,

the country of the operator,

a group of operators which the operator is a member,

a language in which said roamer prefers to receive messages,

an organization of which said roamer is a member,

a community of which said roamer is a member.

57. The gateway of claim 55, wherein said gateway profile database is at least partly a replica of a central database.

58. The gateway of claim 42, wherein said assistance unit is adapted to translate a partial dialing sequence when dialed by said roamer into a destination number.

59. The gateway of claim 58, operatively connected to a mobile network to receive calls comprising partial dialing sequences from a mobile switch center within said mobile network wherein said mobile switch center is operable to identify said partial dialing sequences and direct said identified sequences to said gateway, said gateway being configured for interactivity with a mobile switch center thus operable.

60. The gateway of claim 42, operatively connected to a mobile network to receive calls comprising erroneously dialed sequences from a mobile switch center within said mobile network wherein said mobile switch center is operable to identify said erroneously dialed sequences and direct said identified sequences to said gateway, said gateway being configured for interactivity with a mobile switch center thus operable.

61. The gateway of claim 60, wherein said directing comprises routing said call.

63. The gateway of claim 42, wherein said assistance unit is further operable to translate said dialing sequence into at least two destination numbers according to a predefined schedule.

64. The gateway of claim 42, further adapted to deliver short messages to said roamer according to information stored in association with said gateway defining a plurality of characteristics of said roamer.

65. A method of cellular telephony for cellular telephony devices registered as home devices at a first cellular network and connecting as roaming devices at a second cellular network, the method comprising:

using routing algorithms to provide assistance to said cellular telephony devices to complete calls when a destination number dialed by said cellular telephony devices are erroneous or ambiguous, said routing algorithms using data associated with said first cellular telephony network.

66. A method of cellular telephony for cellular telephony devices registered as home devices at a first cellular network and connecting as roaming devices at a second cellular network, the method comprising:

using interactive voice response to provide assistance to said cellular telephony device in said second cellular network to complete calls when a destination number dialed by said roamer is erroneous or ambiguous, said assistance further making use of data associated with said first cellular telephony network.

67. A method of cellular telephony for cellular telephony devices registered as home devices at a first cellular network and connecting as roaming devices at a second cellular network, the method comprising:

routing a call dialed in said second cellular network as a dialing sequence to a destination number providing access to a service provider, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code having an equivalent alphanumeric code associated with said service provider in said first cellular network.

68. A method of assisting a roaming user on a roaming mobile network and having a home mobile network, the method comprising:

receiving from said roaming mobile network an electronic signal indicating that a number dialed by a roamer is erroneous or ambiguous in relation to said roaming mobile network, and

using knowledge of said home mobile network to provide assistance to said roamer in said mobile roaming network, thereby to complete calls when a destination number dialed by said roamer is erroneous or ambiguous.

69. The method according to claim 68, comprising:

using interactive voice response to provide assistance to said roamer in said roaming mobile network to complete calls when said destination number dialed by said roamer is erroneous or ambiguous.