Method and apparatus for providing partitioned telecommunication services

• US 7,003,299 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amin, Umesh J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, CongVan
• Application Number:
  US10/041,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20020058516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 455/455, 455/552, 455/434, 455/403, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/424, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/428, 455/445, 455/432.3, 4554351-4353, 455/450, 455/517, 455/524, 455/552.1, 455/433, 379242-245
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A wireless communication system is configured to allow for the provisioning of partitioned telecommunication service to subscribers. A wireless switch contains a partition table which associates a service provider with each wireless terminal which has the switch as its home switch. When providing telecommunication services to a subscriber using a wireless terminal, the switch provides such services using resources associated with the service provider associated with the subscriber. In one embodiment, such a resource may be a subscriber profile database such that multiple service providers maintain separate subscriber profile databases connected to the switch. The switch, upon determining the service provider associated with a subscriber requesting service, will retrieve the subscriber'"'"'s profile from the subscriber database associated with the identified service provider. The switch then provides services in accordance with the retrieved profile.

Claims

1. A method of sharing network systems among wireless telecommunication service providers, the method comprising:

receiving, at a shared network system adapted to provide a customized network service, wherein the service is customized at least in terms of a wireless telecommunications service provider that provides the service, a network request from a wireless telecommunication switch, the network request requesting the shared network system to generate a customized telecommunication service based on a service request from a wireless terminal; and

generating the customized telecommunication service with the shared network system, the shared network system being shared by a plurality of wireless telecommunication service providers and the wireless terminal being associated with one of the service providers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating is to enable the wireless telecommunication switch to provide the customized telecommunication service to the wireless terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared network system is a call forwarding system, the customized telecommunication service including a call forwarding service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared network system is a voice mail system, the customized telecommunication service including a voice mail service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared network system is a short message service system, the customized telecommunication service including a short message service.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the customized telecommunication service for the wireless terminal was previously selected by a user of the wireless terminal.

7. A telecommunication system comprising:

a set of shared network systems adapted to provide a customized network service, wherein the service is customized at least in terms of a wireless telecommunications service provider that provides the service,

the shared network systems capable of communicating with a shared telecommunications switch,

the shared network systems adapted to receive network requests from the shared telecommunications switch, the network requests requesting the shared network systems to generate customized telecommunication services based on service requests from wireless terminals,

the shared network systems further adapted to generate the customized telecommunication services, the shared network systems being shared by a plurality of service providers and each wireless terminal being associated with one of the service providers.

8. The telecommunication system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the shared network systems is a call forwarding system, the customized telecommunications services to include a call forwarding service.

9. The telecommunication system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the shared network systems is a voice mail system, the customized telecommunication services including a voice mail service.

10. The telecommunication system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the shared network systems is a short message service system, the customized telecommunication services including a short message service.

11. A machine readable medium including stored instructions capable of being executed by a processor to:

receive, at a shared network system adapted to provide a customized network service, wherein the service is customized at least in terms of a wireless telecommunications service provider that provides the service, a network request from a wireless telecommunication switch, the network request requesting the shared network system to generate a customized telecommunication service based on a service request from a wireless terminal; and

generate the customized telecommunication service with the shared network system, the shared network system being shared by a plurality of wireless telecommunication service providers and the wireless terminal being associated with one of the service providers.

12. The medium of claim 11 wherein the generating is to enable the wireless telecommunication switch to provide the customized telecommunication service to the wireless terminal.

13. The medium of claim 11 wherein the shared network system is a call forwarding system, the customized telecommunication service including a call forwarding service.

14. The medium of claim 11 wherein the shared network system is a voice mail system, the customized telecommunication service including a voice mail service.

15. The medium of claim 11 wherein the shared network system is a short message service system, the customized telecommunication service including a short message service.

16. The medium of claim 11 wherein the customized telecommunication service for the wireless terminal was previously selected by a user of the wireless terminal.