Mobile communications network

• US 6,957,065 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lindholm, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, CongVan
• Application Number:
  US09/958,720
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/414, 455/1, 455/414.7, 455/418, 455/424, 455/433, 455/439, 455/445, 370/469, 370/466, 370/467, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/218
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A mobile communications network comprises a network manager for managing a plurality of mobile stations in the network, a first database holding subscriber information for mobile station subscribers in the network and in communication with the network manager via a signalling interface over which information is conveyed using one of a plurality of signalling protocols, at least one second database for communication with a packet data network via a packet data interface over which information is conveyed using one of a plurality of packet transmission protocols, said second database holding subscriber information for subscribers connected via said packet data network, and a protocol converter in communication with the at least one second database via a packet data interface and with the network manager via a signalling interface, and operable to convert between a signalling protocol used on the signalling interface and a packet transmission protocol used on the packet data interface.

Claims

1. A mobile communications network comprising:

a network manager (8) for managing a plurality of mobile stations (6) in the network;

a first database (12) holding subscriber information for mobile station subscribers in the network and in communication with the network manager (8) via a signalling interface (14) over which information is conveyed using one of a plurality of signalling protocols;

a gateway node (16) in communication with a packet data network for supporting general packet radio services;

characterised in that said communications network comprising;

at least one second database (42) in communication with the packet data network over a first packet data interface (51) and with said gateway node over a second packet data interface (44) such that information is conveyed over said first and second packet data interfaces using one of a plurality of packet transmission protocols, said second database holding subscriber information for subscribers connected via said packet data network;

a protocol converter (48) in communication with the at least one second database (42) via a third packet data interface (50) and with the network manager (8) via a signalling interface, and operable to convert between a signalling protocol used on the signalling interface and a packet transmission protocol used on the packet data interface; and

wherein said first (51), second (44) and third (50) packet data interfaces use the same transmission protocol.

2. A network according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of signalling protocols are arranged in a signalling protocol stack.

3. A network according to claim 2, wherein the signalling protocol stack is the SS7 stack specified according to the GSM standard.

4. A network according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of packet transmission protocols are arranged in a packet transmission protocol stack.

5. A network according to claim 4, wherein the packet data network (28) is the internet (54) and one of said packet transmission protocols is an internet protocol (60, 60′

) for transmitting information over the internet.

6. A network according to claim 1, wherein said gateway node (16) is used for access to supplementary services outside the mobile communications network.

7. A network according to claim 1, wherein the first database (12) is a home location register according to the GSM standard.

8. A network according to claim 1, wherein the network manager (8) includes a visitor location register for holding information about mobile station subscribers visiting the network.