Methods and systems for providing mobile location management services in a network routing node
First Claim
1. A method for mobile subscriber location management and for routing messages in a mobile communications network environment, the method comprising:
- in a routing node separate from a home location register (HLR) and a visitor location register (VLR) and being located in a communication path between the HLR and the VLR;
(a) receiving signaling messages transmitted between the HLR and the VLR related to the location or subscription of a mobile subscriber;
(b) extracting mobile subscriber information from a first signaling message;
(c) caching the mobile subscriber information; and
(d) using the cached information in the processing and routing of subsequent signaling messages transmitted by the HLR or the VLR relating to the mobile subscriber, wherein using the cached information in the processing and routing of subsequent signaling messages includes receiving a ProvideRoamingNumber message generated by the HLR in response to a request for routing information for a mobile terminated call to the subscriber and using the cached information to identify serving MSC and VLR information for the subscriber.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a mobility management routing (MMR) node that performs location management signaling operations associated with mobile subscribers. The MMR node may also perform the signaling message routing functionality typically provided by a network routing node, such as a signaling system 7 (SS7) signal transfer point (STP) or an SS7-over-Internet protocol signaling gateway (SG). The MMR node caches mobile subscriber information extracted from messages transmitted between an HLR and a VLR and responds to some of the messages using the cached information. As a result, signaling message traffic and call setup time in a mobile communications network are reduced.
59 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for mobile subscriber location management and for routing messages in a mobile communications network environment, the method comprising:
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in a routing node separate from a home location register (HLR) and a visitor location register (VLR) and being located in a communication path between the HLR and the VLR; (a) receiving signaling messages transmitted between the HLR and the VLR related to the location or subscription of a mobile subscriber; (b) extracting mobile subscriber information from a first signaling message; (c) caching the mobile subscriber information; and (d) using the cached information in the processing and routing of subsequent signaling messages transmitted by the HLR or the VLR relating to the mobile subscriber, wherein using the cached information in the processing and routing of subsequent signaling messages includes receiving a ProvideRoamingNumber message generated by the HLR in response to a request for routing information for a mobile terminated call to the subscriber and using the cached information to identify serving MSC and VLR information for the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for reducing location management message traffic in a mobile communications network, the method comprising:
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at a routing node separate from a home location register (HLR) and a visitor location register (VLR) and being located in a communication path between the HLR and the VLR; (a) receiving a first location update message in response to a first change in location of a mobile subscriber; (b) forwarding the first location update message to an HLR associated with the mobile subscriber; (c) receiving a message from the HLR including subscription information regarding the mobile subscriber; (d) caching the subscription information; (e) receiving a second location update message in response to a second change in location of the mobile subscriber; (f) in response to the second location update message, generating and routing a message on behalf of the HLR using the cached subscription; and (g) receiving a ProvideRoamingNumber message from the HLR generated in response to a request for routing information for a mobile terminated call to the subscriber and using cached location information to identify serving MSC and VLR information for the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A network routing node for providing gateway location register (GLR) functionality and for routing messages in a mobile communications network, the routing node comprising:
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(a) a communications module for sending and receiving signaling messages in a mobile communications network; (b) a location register caching application operatively associated with the communications module and being separate from a home location register (HLR) and a visitor location register (VLR) and located in a communication path between the HLR and the VLR for identifying signaling messages transmitted between the HLR and the VLR related to the location or subscription of a mobile subscriber, extracting mobile subscriber information from a first type of the identified signaling messages, and generating response messages responding to a second type of the identified signaling messages using the extracted information; (c) a location register cache for temporarily storing and providing access to mobile subscriber specific information extracted from the identified signaling messages of the first type; and (d) a routing module operatively associated with the communications module for routing the response messages generated by the location register caching application to a destination, wherein the location register caching application is adapted to receive a ProvideRoamingNumber message generated by the HLR in response to a request for routing information for a mobile terminated call to the subscriber and to perform a lookup in the location register cache to identify serving MSC and VLR information for the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for mobile subscriber location management and for routing messages in a mobile communications network environment, the method comprising:
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in a routing node separate from a home location register (HLR) and a visitor location register (VLR) and being located in a communication path between the HLR and the VLR; (a) receiving a signaling message directed toward the HLR originating from the VLR related to a change in location of a mobile subscriber; (b) generating a response message to the VLR on behalf of the HLR using cached information related to the mobile subscriber without forwarding the signaling message to the HLR; (c) sending the response message to the VLR; and (d) receiving a ProvideRoamingNumber message from the HLR in response to a request for routing information for a mobile terminated call to the subscriber and using the cached information to identify serving MSC and VLR information for the subscriber.
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40. A method for mobile subscriber location management and for routing messages in a mobile communications network environment, the method comprising:
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in a routing node separate from a home location register (HLR) and a visitor location register (VLR) and being located in a communication path between the HLR and the VLR; (a) receiving a signaling message directed toward the VLR originating from the HLR related to a change in location of a mobile subscriber; (b) generating a response message to the HLR on behalf of the VLR using cached information related to the mobile subscriber without forwarding the signaling message to the VLR; (c) sending the response message to the; and (d) receiving a ProvideRoamingNumber message from the HLR in response to a request for routing information for a mobile terminated call to the subscriber and using cached location information to identify serving MSC and VLR information for the subscriber.
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Specification