Mobile communication system, mobile terminal, subscriber information management apparatus, mobile network system, location area information registration method and call control method

• US 7,349,697 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Onaka, Hidetoshi, Hirata, Shoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US09/903,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20020006808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,448 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/445, 455/455, 455/433, 455/410, 455/558, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/552.1, 455/556.1, 455/435.2, 379/88.01, 439/500
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• 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 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A mobile terminal can be loaded with a plurality of subscriber identity module cards at the same time, and register the condition to a mobile communication network. The mobile terminal comprises detects a loading of a recording medium (such as an IC card like the SIM card), and transmits, when the detecting means detects at least two recording media, first subscriber identity information (e.g. IMSI, TMSI, etc.) corresponding to a first recording medium and second subscriber identity information corresponding to a newly detected recording medium, to the subscriber information management apparatus such as a visitor location register (VLR). The subscriber information management apparatus registers location area information of the first subscriber identity information as location area information associated with the second subscriber identity information.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system comprising a mobile terminal and a subscriber information management apparatus that manages subscriber information,

wherein said mobile terminal comprises:

detecting means for detecting a simultaneous loading of a plurality of recording media onto the mobile terminal, each of the plurality of recording media storing a subscriber identity to be sent to said subscriber information management apparatus so that a location area information of the subscriber identity information is registered; and

transmitting means for transmitting, when said detecting means detects at least two recording media, first subscriber identity information corresponding to a first recording medium which location area information has been already registered by said subscriber information management apparatus along with second subscriber identity information corresponding to a newly detected recording medium which location area information is not yet registered by said subscriber information management apparatus so that the location area information of the second subscriber identity information is associated with the first subscriber identification information and is registered, to said subscriber information management apparatus, and

wherein said subscriber information management apparatus comprises;

receiving means for receiving said first subscriber identity information along with said second subscriber identity information from said mobile terminal; and

registering means for associating location area information of said second subscriber identity information with said first subscriber identity information and registering the location area information of said second subscriber identity information, whereby both of said first subscriber identity information and said second subscriber identity information are activated so that simultaneous communications using said first and second subscriber identity information are allowed to said mobile terminal.

2. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recording media is a subscriber identity module card.

3. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first subscriber identity information is subscriber identity information stored in said first recording medium or temporary subscriber identity information corresponding to the subscriber identity information stored in said first recording medium, and said second subscriber identity information is subscriber identity information stored in said newly detected recording medium.

4. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first subscriber identity information and said second subscriber identity information are associated with respective telephone numbers.

5. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first subscriber identity information and said second subscriber identity information are associated with respective mail addresses.

6. A mobile terminal comprising:

detecting means for detecting a simultaneous loading of a plurality of recording media onto the mobile terminal, each of the plurality of recording media storing a subscriber identity to be sent to a subscriber information management apparatus that manages subscriber information so that a location area information of the subscriber identity information is registered; and

transmitting means for transmitting, when said detecting means detects at least two recording media, first subscriber identity information corresponding to a first recording medium which location area information has been already registered by said subscriber information management apparatus along with second subscriber identity information corresponding to a newly detected recording medium which location area information is not yet registered by said subscriber information management apparatus so that the location area information of the second subscriber identity information is associated with the first subscriber identification information and is registered, whereby both of said first subscriber identity information and said second subscriber identity information are activated so that simultaneous communications using said first and second subscriber identity information are allowed to said mobile terminal, to said subscriber information management apparatus.

7. A subscriber information management apparatus for managing subscriber information, comprising:

receiving means for receiving first subscriber identity information corresponding to a first recording medium which location area information has been already registered by said subscriber information management apparatus along with second subscriber identity information corresponding to a newly detected recording medium which location area information is not yet registered by said subscriber information management apparatus from a mobile terminal, said mobile terminal being simultaneously loadable with a plurality of recording media; and

registering means for associating location area information of said second subscriber identity information with said first subscriber identity information and registering the location area information of said second subscriber identity information, whereby both of said first subscriber identity information and said second subscriber identity information are activated so that simultaneous communications using said first and second subscriber identity information are allowed to said mobile terminal.

8. A location area information registration method for a mobile communication system comprising a mobile terminal and a subscriber information management apparatus that manages subscriber information, said method comprising:

a detecting step of detecting a simultaneous loading of a plurality of recording media at said mobile terminal, each of the plurality of recording media storing a subscriber identity to be sent to said subscriber information management apparatus so that a location area information of the subscriber identity information is registered;

a transmitting step of transmitting, when said detecting step detects at least two recording media, first subscriber identity information corresponding to a first recording medium which location area information has been already registered by said subscriber information management apparatus along with second subscriber identity information corresponding to a newly detected recording medium which location area information is not yet registered by said subscriber information management apparatus, from said mobile terminal to said subscriber information management apparatus so that the location area information of the second subscriber identity information is associated with the first subscriber identification information and is registered; and

a registering step of registering location area information of said first subscriber identity information as location area information associated with said second subscriber identity information at said subscriber information management apparatus, whereby both of said first subscriber identity information and said second subscriber identity information are activated so that simultaneous communications using said first and second subscriber identity information are allowed to said mobile terminal.