Location dependent handling of mobile subscribers

• US 8,238,907 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Vikberg, Jari, Nylander, Tomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Mong-Thuy
• Application Number:
  US11/573,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20090215448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,927 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/426.1, 455/435.1, 455/461, 455/445, 455/435.2, 455/552.1, 379/207.15
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A mobile communications network in which a home location register stores two dialed numbers for a mobile station, a first number for use in a licensed radio access network and a second number for use only in an unlicensed radio access network. The core network discontinues connection of a call to the mobile station when the call uses the second dialed number and the mobile station is not located in the unlicensed radio access network. The core network may route the discontinued call to voice mail or to another number.

Claims

1. A mobile communications network comprising:

a licensed radio access portion;

a core network portion connected to the licensed radio access portion, said core network portion comprising;

a first switching node;

a home location register connected to said first switching node;

a first visitor location register connected to said first switching node and said home location register, said home location register being adapted to identify from a first dialed number, stored subscriber identity information identifying a mobile station and to output mobile station location information associated with said subscriber identity information in response to said first dialed number, said first dialed number being utilized for connections to the mobile station via the licensed radio access portion; and

at least one unlicensed radio access portion for communicating with mobile stations over an unlicensed-radio interface and for communicating with said first switching node over a predetermined licensed mobile network interface;

wherein said home location register is further adapted to identify from a second dialed number, said stored subscriber information, said second number being reserved for connections to the mobile station via said unlicensed radio access network portion only;

wherein said core network portion is adapted to;

connect a call to the mobile station when the call utilizes the first dialed number;

discontinue connection of the call to the mobile station when the call utilizes the second dialed number and the mobile station is not connected to said unlicensed radio access network; and

connect the call to the mobile station when the call utilizes the second dialed number and the mobile station is connected to said unlicensed radio access network.

2. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said home location register comprises:

a first register portion addressable using said first dialed number, the first register portion containing the subscriber identity information associated with the mobile station location information; and

a second register portion addressable only using said second dialed number, the second register portion containing the subscriber identity information associated with the mobile station location information.

3. The mobile communication network as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mobile station location information contained in said second home location register portion always indicates an area defined by said first visitor location register.

4. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a home location register update module for updating the location information associated with said subscriber identity information in said second home location register portion upon receipt of mobility information from the mobile station identified by said subscriber identity information;

wherein said core network portion discontinues connection of the call to the mobile station when mobile station location information output by said second home location register portion in response to said second dialed number indicates that said mobile station is not connected to said unlicensed radio access network.

5. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first switching node and said first visitor location register are configured to access said second home location register portion and are further adapted to update the location information associated with said subscriber identity information in said second home location register portion upon receipt of mobility information from the mobile station identified by said subscriber identity information;

wherein said core network portion discontinues connection of the call to the mobile station when mobile station location information output by said second home location register portion in response to said second dialed number indicates that said mobile station is not connected to said unlicensed radio access network.

6. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said home location register includes a module for receiving location information output in response to said second dialed number and for discontinuing the call when said location information indicates that the mobile station is not connected to the unlicensed radio access network.

7. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the core network portion is adapted to discontinue connection of the call to the mobile station by at least one of forwarding said call to voice mail and rerouting said call to another number.

8. A mobile communications network comprising:

a licensed radio access portion;

a core network portion connected to the licensed radio access portion, said core network portion comprising;

a first switching node;

a home location register connected to said first switching node;

a first visitor location register connected to said first switching node and said home location register, said home location register having a first register portion adapted to contain subscriber identity information identifying a mobile station and mobile station location information associated with said subscriber identity information, wherein the home location register outputs the mobile station location information in response to a first dialed number;

at least one unlicensed radio access portion for communicating with mobile stations over an unlicensed-radio interface and for communicating with said first switching node over a predetermined licensed mobile network interface;

wherein said home location register further comprises a second register portion containing said subscriber identity information associated with mobile station location information and addressable only using a second dialed number, said second number being reserved for connections to said mobile station via said unlicensed radio access network portion only;

wherein said core network portion is adapted to;

connect a call to the mobile station when the call utilizes the first dialed number;

discontinue connection of the call to the mobile station when the call utilizes the second dialed number and the mobile station is not connected to said unlicensed radio access network; and

connect the call to the mobile station when the call utilizes the second dialed number and the mobile station is connected to said unlicensed radio access network.

9. The mobile communication network as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mobile station location information contained in said second home location register portion always indicates an area defined by said first visitor location register.

10. A method of handling a call in a mobile communications network, said mobile communications network having a core network portion, a licensed radio access network portion connected to the core network portion, and at least one unlicensed radio access network portion connected to said core network portion and adapted to communicate with mobile stations over an unlicensed radio interface, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a mobile station subscriber identity in response to a dialed number;

obtaining stored location information associated with said subscriber identity, said stored location information indicating the area of location of said mobile station;

determining whether said dialed number is for establishing a call to the mobile station via said licensed radio access network portion or said unlicensed radio access network portion;

when the dialed number is for establishing the call via said licensed radio access network portion, paging said mobile station in an area identified by said stored location information;

when the dialed number is for establishing the call via said unlicensed radio access network, determining whether the stored location information identifies an area covered by said unlicensed radio access network;

paging said mobile station in an area identified by said stored location information only if said stored location information identifies an area covered by said unlicensed radio access network; and

discontinuing connection of the call to the mobile station when the dialed number is for establishing the call via said unlicensed radio access network and the location information identifies an area that is not covered by the unlicensed radio access network.