Mobile communication system and method of matching current location information for a mobile station

• US 6,952,582 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Murai, Kiyokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US09/931,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20020025814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/456.1, 455/433, 455/435.2, 455/456.2, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In a mobile communication system which comprises a mobile station (1), a radio network (2) for radio transmission and reception to and from the mobile station, a home location register (HLR) (4) for managing, through a mobile services-switching center (3), current location information representative of a current location of the mobile station in a public telephone network, and a home agent (HA) (7) for managing, through a packet gateway (6), current location information representative of a current location of the mobile station in a packet data communication network, the home location register and the home agent are connected to each other through a communication channel (15) for transmission of update contents for the current location information managed by the home location register and the home agent. The home location register and the home agent are provided with location information update units (13, 14) responsive to the update contents for updating the current location information managed by the home location register and the home agent, respectively.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system, comprising:

a mobile station;

a radio network for radio transmission and reception to and from said mobile station;

a home location register for managing, through a mobile services-switching center, current location information representative of a current location of said mobile station in a public telephone network;

a home agent for managing, through a packet gateway, current location information representative of a current location of said mobile station in a packet data communication network; and

a communication channel connecting said home location register and said home agent to each other for transmission of update contents for the current location information managed by said home location register and said home agent, wherein;

each of said home location register and said home agent comprises a location information update unit responsive to the update contents for updating the current location information managed by said home location register and said home agent, respectively, and

said home location register further comprises a subscriber register for remotely carrying out subscriber registration of said mobile station into said home agent through said communication channel.

2. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said home location register and said home agent further comprises a current location information conversion table for converting an indication format of the current location information managed by said at least one of the home location register and the home agent.

3. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said communication channel comprises a network connection utilizing a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) network, and

the identifying information of said home agent comprises a network address of said home agent on said TCP/IP network.

4. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said packet data communication network comprises an internet.

10. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said home location register further comprises a home agent register for registering, in said home location register, identifying information of said home agent corresponding to said mobile station.

11. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a packet data communication service subscriber registered in the home location register is simultaneously registered in the home agent.

14. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a packet data communication service subscriber registered in the home location register is automatically registered in the home agent.

5. A current location information matching method for a mobile communication system which comprises a mobile station, a radio network for radio transmission and reception to and from said mobile station, a home location register for managing, through a mobile services-switching center, current location information representative of a current location of said mobile station in a public telephone network, and a home agent for managing, through a packet gateway, current location information representative of a current location of said mobile station in a packet data communication network, said method comprising:

connecting said home location register and said home agent to each other through a communication channel;

in said home location register, updating the current location information of said mobile station in said public telephone network in response to a current location report transmitted from said mobile station to said radio network during mobile communication on said public telephone network, and providing updated location information through said communication channel to said home agent; and

in said home agent, updating the current location information of said mobile station in said packet data communication network in response to a current location report transmitted from said mobile station to said radio network during packet data communication, and providing updated location information through said communication channel to said home location register.

12. A current location information matching method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a packet data communication service subscriber registered in the home location register is simultaneously registered in the home agent.

15. A current location information matching method s claimed in claim 5, wherein a packet data communication service subscriber registered in the home location register is automatically registered in the home agent.

6. A mobile communication system, comprising:

a mobile station,

a radio network for radio transmission and reception to and from said mobile station;

a home location register for managing, through a mobile services-switching center, current location information representative of a current location of said mobile station in a public telephone network;

a home agent for managing, through a packet gateway, current location information representative of a current location of said mobile station in a packet data communication network; and

a communication channel connecting said home location register and said home agent to each other for transmission of update contents for the current location information managed by said home location register and said home agent, wherein;

said home location register comprises a home agent register for registering, in said home location register, identifying information of said home agent corresponding to said mobile station, and a subscriber register for remotely carrying out subscriber registration of said mobile station into said home agent through said communication channel.

7. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of said home location register and said home agent comprises a current location information conversion table for converting an indication format of the current location information managed by said at least one of the home location register and the home agent.

8. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said communication channel comprises a network connection utilizing a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) network, and

the identifying information of said home agent comprises a network address of said home agent on said TCP/IP network.

9. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said packet data communication network comprises an internet.

13. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a packet data communication service subscriber registered in the home location register is simultaneously registered in the home agent.

16. A mobile communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a packet data communication service subscriber registered in the home location register is automatically registered in the home agent.