Method and system for directing a data message in a wireless communications network including multiple wireless systems

• US 7,171,199 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rahman, Mohamed Anisur
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, HUY Q
• Application Number:
  US09/393,300
• Time in Patent Office: 2,699 Days
• Field of Search: 455432-439, 455/426, 455/445, 455/552, 455/553, 455/410, 455/411, 455/426.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/442
• US Class Current: 455/433
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A mobile station scans for electromagnetic signals representing control channels of the public wireless system and the private wireless system. The mobile station measures a received signal parameter of at least one of the scanned control channels. The hybrid communications network may transfer the mobile station'"'"'s service from the public wireless system to the private wireless system, if the measured signal parameter meets or exceeds a private target. Alternately, the hybrid communications system may transfer service from the private wireless system to the public wireless system, if the measured signal parameter meets or exceeds a public target. A service control point maintains a central database of user profiles updated in response to the transferring procedure. A service node redirects a data message for the mobile station through the public wireless system or through the private wireless system, as facilitated by the central database, to deliver the data message to the mobile station during its operation on an active one of the wireless systems.

Claims

1. A system for directing a data message in a hybrid communications network, including a first wireless system and a second wireless system, the system comprising:

a central database, independent of the first and second wireless system, the central database configured to send update information to update a user profile in the first wireless system in response to service for a mobile station being transferred from the first wireless system to the second wireless system, the user profile being updated to indicate that data messaging services are being provided to the mobile station by the second wireless system based on received transfer information, the transfer information including deregistration information from the first wireless system, wherein the first wireless system is one of a private and a public wireless system, and if the first wireless system is a private wireless system, the second wireless system is a public wireless system, and if the first wireless system is a public wireless system, the second wireless system is a private wireless system; and

a service node for directing a data message for a mobile station through the second wireless system, as facilitated by the updated user profile, to deliver the data message to the mobile station during its operation on the second wireless system.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising an authenticator for authenticating the mobile station during or after the transfer from the first wireless system to the second wireless system.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the first wireless system is a public wireless system,

and the deregistration information includes at least one of a mobile switching center identifier and a cell identifier.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the second wireless system is a private wireless system, which is assigned a private system identifier number based on a geographic location of the private wireless system, and

the central database is configured to receive and store a signaling message containing registration information from the second wireless system, the registration information including the private system identifier.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the second wireless system is a private wireless system that includes a private branch exchange for assigning a private system identifier for the private wireless system based on geographic coordinates of the mobile station within the private wireless system, and

the central database is configured to receive and store a signaling message containing registration information from the second wireless system, the registration information including the private system identifier.

6. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a service control point for maintaining the user profile.

7. A method of managing data messages, comprising:

sending deregistration data including at least one of a mobile switching center identifier and a cell identifier from a first wireless system to a central database based on a mobile station transferring from the first wireless system to a second wireless system, the central database being independent of the first and second wireless system and being a database for indicating which wireless system provides data messaging services for the mobile station;

receiving update information for the mobile station from the central database, the update information including an identifier of the second wireless system; and

updating a user profile of the mobile station in at least one of a home location register and a visitor location register based on the received update information, the user profile being updated to indicate that the second wireless system provides data messaging services to the mobile station, and wherein

the first wireless system is one of a private and a public wireless system, and if the first wireless system is a private wireless system, the second wireless system is a public wireless system, and if the first wireless system is a public wireless system, the second wireless system is a private wireless system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of sending deregistration data includes sending a signaling message to the central database during or after the transferring of the mobile station, the signaling message including a mobile identifier and information identifying the first wireless system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

the first wireless system is a public wireless system, and

the step of sending deregistration data includes sending at least one of a mobile switching center identifier and a cell identifier as the information identifying the first wireless system.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

cooperating, at the first wireless system, with the second wireless system to transfer service to the second wireless system, if a signal parameter measured at the mobile station satisfies a first transfer condition.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

cooperating, at the first wireless system, with the second wireless system to transfer service back to the first wireless system, if the signal parameter measured at the mobile station satisfies a second transfer condition.

12. A method of managing data messages, comprising:

sending registration data from a first wireless system to a central database based on a mobile station transferring from a second wireless system to the first wireless system, the central database being independent of the first and second wireless system and being a database for updating a user profile in at least the second wireless system which wireless system provides data messaging services for the mobile station, the central database further configured to receive and store a signaling message containing deregistration information including at least one of a mobile switching center identifier and a cell identifier from the second wireless system; and

receiving a data message for the mobile station from a service node, the service node directing the data message based on the updated user profile in the second wireless system, and wherein

the first wireless system is one of a private and a public wireless system, and if the first wireless system is a private wireless system, the second wireless system is a public wireless system, and if the first wireless system is a public wireless system, the second wireless system is a private wireless system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending the received data message to the mobile station.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of sending registration data includes sending a signaling message to the central database during or after the transferring of the mobile station, the signaling message including a mobile identifier and information identifying the first wireless system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the first wireless system is a private wireless system, and

the step of sending registration data includes sending a private system identifier as the information identifying the first wireless system, the private system identifier being assigned based on a geographic location within the coverage area of the first wireless system.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

cooperating, at the first wireless system, with the second wireless system to transfer service to the first wireless system, if a signal parameter measured at the mobile station satisfies a first transfer condition.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

cooperating, at the first wireless system, with the second wireless system to transfer service back to the second wireless system, if the signal parameter measured at the mobile station satisfies a second transfer condition.

18. A method of managing data messages, comprising:

receiving information based on a mobile station transferring from a first wireless system to a second wireless system, the received information including deregistration data, the deregistration data including at least one of a mobile switching center identifier and a cell identifier, from the first wireless system and registration data from the second wireless system;

updating a central database based on the received information, the central database being independent of the first and second wireless system and being a database for indicating which wireless system provides data messaging services for the mobile station; and

sending update information to the first wireless system, the update information being used by the first wireless system to update a user profile of the mobile station in at least one of a home location register and a visitor location register to indicate that the second wireless system provides data messaging services to the mobile station, and wherein

the first wireless system is one of a private and a public wireless system, and if the first wireless system is a private wireless system, the second wireless system is a public wireless system, and if the first wireless system is a public wireless system, the second wireless system is a private wireless system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving at a service node a data message for the mobile station;

querying the first wireless system based on the received data message;

receiving an indication from the first wireless system that the second wireless system is providing data messaging services to the mobile station; and

directing a data message for the mobile station from the service node to the second wireless system.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving at a service node a data message for the mobile station;

querying the central database based on the received data message;

receiving an indication from the central database that the second wireless system is providing data messaging services to the mobile station; and

directing a data message for the mobile station from the service node to the second wireless system.