Method and systems for providing information to a home system regarding a wireless unit roaming in a visited system

• US 7,289,785 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Far North Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dono Tech Services LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Charbono, Richard L. Jr., Adamany, Robert Andrew, Didion, Edward Lawrence, Catanese, Ann M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Simon
• Application Number:
  US11/238,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 4554231-445
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3107 the device being completely enclosed
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/121 Wireless intrusion detection systems [WIDS]; Wireless intrusion prevention systems [WIPS]
• 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 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

Methods and systems to provide a home system with information about a wireless unit roaming in a visited system based on information the wireless unit provides to the visited system. A mobile switching center (MSC-V) of the visited system receives the information from the wireless unit and routes a message to an international gateway. In response, the international gateway creates a new message or alters the original message, and transmits the new or altered message to a mobile switching center (MSC-H) of the home system. In response to receipt of the new or altered message, the MSC-H validates the wireless unit (if valid), creates a response to the new or altered message, and routes the response to the international gateway. The response may include an authorization period for the wireless unit and/or OCOS/TCOS information. In response, the international gateway creates a new response or alters the response, and transmits the new or altered response to the MSC-V. In response to receipt of the new or altered response, the MSC-V registers the wireless unit, provides the wireless unit with communication services in the visited system, or otherwise follows instructions in the new or altered response. If the wireless unit moves to an area served by a second MSC-V, the second MSC-V checks with the international gateway about the wireless unit. If an authorization period is in effect, the international gateway may provide a validation of the wireless unit to the second MSC-V without another message to the home system of the wireless unit.

Claims

1. A method to provide information about a wireless unit roaming in a visited system, the method comprising:

enabling a gateway to receive a registration message regarding the wireless unit from the visited system;

causing the gateway to create a new message including an identification of a visited switching center in the visited system; and

causing the gateway to route the new message to a home system of the wireless unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the visited switching center comprises a mobile switching center identification parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration message comprises a first registration message;

wherein the visited system comprises a first switching center;

wherein the gateway receives the registration message regarding the wireless unit from the first switching center of the visited system; and

further comprising;

enabling the gateway to receive a second registration message regarding the wireless unit from a second switching center of the visited system;

causing the gateway to determine that an authorization period with respect to the wireless unit is in effect; and

causing the gateway to send a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second switching center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration message comprises a first registration message;

wherein the visited system comprises a first visited system;

wherein the gateway receives the registration message regarding the wireless unit from the first visited system; and

further comprising;

enabling the gateway to receive a second registration message regarding the wireless unit from a second visited system;

causing the gateway to determine that an authorization period with respect to the wireless unit is in effect; and

causing the gateway to send a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second visited system.

5. A method to provide information about a wireless unit roaming in a visited system, the method comprising:

receiving a registration message regarding the wireless unit from the visited system;

creating a new message including an identification of a visited switching center in the visited system; and

routing the new message to the home system of the wireless unit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identification of the visited switching center comprises a mobile switching center identification (MSCID) parameter.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the registration message comprises a first registration message;

wherein the visited system comprises a first switching center in the visited system; and

wherein the first registration message is received from the first switching center in the visited system; and

further comprising;

receiving a second registration message regarding the wireless unit from a second switching center in the visited system;

determining that an authorization period with respect to the wireless unit is in effect; and

sending a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second switching center in the visited system.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the registration message comprises a first registration message;

wherein the visited system comprises a first visited system; and

further comprising;

receiving a second registration message regarding the wireless unit from a second visited system;

determining that an authorization period with respect to the wireless unit is in effect; and

sending a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second visited system.

9. A computer-readable medium containing software code that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute a method to provide information about a wireless unit roaming in a visited system, the method comprising:

receiving a registration message regarding the wireless unit from the visited system;

creating a new message including an identification of a visited switching center in the visited system; and

routing the new message to a home system of the wireless unit.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the identification of the visited switching center comprises a mobile switching center identification parameter.

11. The medium of claim 9, wherein the registration message comprises a first registration message;

wherein the visited system comprises a first switching center;

wherein the registration message regarding the wireless unit is received from the first switching center of the visited system; and

wherein the medium contains software code that, when executed by the processor, causes the method executed by the processor to further comprise;

receiving a second registration message regarding the wireless unit from a second switching center of the visited system;

determining that an authorization period with respect to the wireless unit is in effect; and

sending a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second switching center.

12. The medium of claim 9, wherein the registration message comprises a first registration message;

wherein the visited system comprises a first visited system;

wherein the registration message regarding the wireless unit is received from the first visited system; and

wherein the medium contains software code that, when executed by the processor, causes the method executed by the processor to further comprise;

receiving a second registration message regarding the wireless unit from a second visited system;

determining that an authorization period with respect to the wireless unit is in effect; and

sending a validation with respect to the wireless unit to the second visited system.