System for controlled provisioning of telecommunications services

• US 6,978,132 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zhang, Baoquan, McConnell, Von K., Sladek, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US10/435,364
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/458, 455/461, 455/432.3, 455/435.1, 455/422.1, 455/424, 379/201.02, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.11
• US Class Current: 455/432.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0054 Service creation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method and system for controlled provisioning of a desired set of service logic for a subscriber of group of subscribers. In response to a designated stimulus, such as a time-event, a location-event or a threshold-event, a network entity modifies the subscriber profile maintained by a serving system, so as to include in the profile one or more desired parameters. One such modification may be the inclusion in the profile of a trigger that directs the serving system to query a designated network entity for call handling instructions. The designated network entity may then provide a special set of services for the subscriber or group. Further, a mechanism is provided to help ensure that once such a service overlay is imposed, it remains imposed if desired.

Claims

1. In a wireless telecommunications network comprising a serving system maintaining a service profile for at least one subscriber, a method of provisioning service for the at least one subscriber, comprising:

receiving at an SCP a Qualification Directive carrying a service profile transmitted from an HLR;

detecting a stimulus selected from the group consisting of a time-based stimulus and a call-processing-based stimulus;

in response to the stimulus, the SCP modifying the service profile to include a trigger arranged to cause the serving system to send a message to a designated network entity;

sending the Qualification Directive, containing the modified service profile, from the SCP to the serving system; and

arranging the designated network entity to carry out a set of service logic associated with the subscriber or group of subscribers in response to the message,

wherein, by modifying the Qualification Directive from the HLR before sending the Qualification Directive alone to the serving system, the SCP thereby overrides the Qualification Directive sent from the HLR.

2. In a wireless telecommunications network comprising at least one network entity maintaining a set of parameters defining a service profile for at least one subscriber, a method of imposing at least one desired parameter on the service profile comprising:

receiving, at a central control point, a first profile-transmission message transmitted from an HLR, the first profile-transmission message representing a first modification of the service profile;

the central control point detecting the first modification of the service profile;

in response to detecting the first modification of the service profile, the central control point performing a second modification of the service profile to cause the service profile to include the at least one desired parameter; and

sending from the central control point to a serving system a second profile-transmission message representing the second modification of the service profile,

wherein the at least one desired parameter comprises a trigger arranged to cause a query to be sent to the central control point, and

wherein the central control Point thereby overrides the first profile-transmission message and can thereby impose desired service logic on the serving system.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one network entity comprises the HLR.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the HLR generating the first profile-transmission message in response to the first modification of the service profile, wherein the step of detecting the first modification of the service profile comprises receiving the first profile-transmission message.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the central control point comprises an SCP.

6. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising performing the second modification in response to at least one designated stimulus.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least one designated stimulus is selected from the group consisting of a time-based event and a threshold-based event.

8. In a wireless telecommunications network comprising at least one network entity maintaining a set of parameters defining a service profile for at least one subscriber, a system for imposing at least one desired parameter on the service profile comprising:

means for detecting a first modification of the service profile represented by a first profile-transmission message received from an HLR; and

means, operable in response to detecting the modification, for performing a second modification of the service profile to cause the service profile to include the at least one desired parameter, and for sending to a serving system a second profile-transmission message representing the second modification of the service profile,

wherein the at least one desired parameter comprises a trigger arranged to cause a query to be sent to a central control point,

wherein performing the second modification and sending the second profile-transmission message overrides the first profile-transmission message and can thereby impose desired service logic on the serving system, and

wherein the profile-transmission message is selected from the group consisting of a Qualification Directive message and a Registration Notification response message.

9. In a wireless telecommunications network comprising a serving system maintaining a service profile for at least one subscriber, a method of maintaining at least one desired parameter in the service profile comprising, in combination:

receiving at an SCP a profile-transmission message defining the service profile, the profile-transmission message having been transmitted from an HLR;

the SCP modifying the service profile to create a modified service profile including the at least one desired parameter; and

sending from the SCP to the serving system a modified profile-transmission message containing the modified service profile including the at least one desired parameter,

wherein the at least one desired parameter comprises a trigger arranged to cause a query to be sent to the central control point,

wherein the SCP thereby overrides the profile-transmission message transmitted from the HLR and can thereby impose desired service logic on the serving system, and

wherein the profile-transmission message is selected from the group consisting of a Qualification Directive message and a Registration Notification response message.

10. In a wireless telecommunications network, a method of controlling services provided for a mobile station, the method comprising:

when a profile-transmission message is sent from an HLR to a serving system defining a profile for the mobile station, an SCP intercepting the profile-transmission message, modifying the profile so as to define a modified profile and then forwarding the profile-transmission message with the modified profile to the serving system,

wherein the modified profile comprises at least one desired service parameter,

wherein the SCP thereby overrides the profile-transmission message and can thereby impose the at least one desired service parameter on the mobile station, and

wherein the profile-transmission message is selected from the group consisting of a Qualification Directive message and a Registration Notification response message,

whereby, the serving system provides service to the mobile station in accordance with at least the modified profile comprising the at least one desired service parameter.

11. In a wireless telecommunications network comprising an HLR maintaining a first set of subscriber-information, and a VLR maintaining a second set of subscriber-information, wherein, in response to a change in the first set of subscriber-information the HLR sends to the VLR a message including a subscriber profile, which causes the VLR to update the second set of subscriber-information according to the subscriber profile, a system comprising, in combination:

SCP arranged to (i) receive the message sent by the HLR, (ii) modify the subscriber profile so as to create a modified message including a modified subscriber profile, and (iii) send the modified message to the VLR so as to cause the VLR to update the second set of subscriber-information with the modified subscriber profile,

wherein the SCP modifies the subscriber profile to include one or more specified parameters comprising a trigger arranged to cause a query to be sent to the SCP, so as to thereby ensure that the second set of subscriber-information bears the one or more specified parameters, and so as to thereby impose a specified service profile for one or more subscribers, and

wherein the message is selected from the group consisting of a Qualification Directive message and a Registration Notification response message.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the subscriber comprises a mobile station.

13. In a wireless telecommunications network comprising an HLR maintaining a first set of subscriber-information, and a VLR maintaining a second set of subscriber-information, wherein, in response to a change in the first set of subscriber-information the HLR sends to the VLR a message including a subscriber profile, which causes the VLR to update the second set of subscriber-information according to the subscriber profile, a method comprising the following steps:

receiving into an SCP the message sent by the HLR before the message is delivered to the VLR;

the SCP modifying the subscriber profile so as to create a modified message including a modified subscriber profile; and

sending the modified message from the SCP to the VLR so as to cause the VLR to update the second set of subscriber-information according to the modified subscriber profile,

wherein the SCP thereby overrides the message sent from the HLR and can thereby impose desired service logic on a serving system, and

wherein the message is selected from the group consisting of a Qualification Directive message and a Registration Notification response message.