Method of automatically indicating services to a mobile terminal

• US 8,811,980 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Muller, Pierre-Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAHEED, KHALID W
• Application Number:
  US12/158,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20090291682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,797 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/432, 455/405, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/443
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of indicating available services to a mobile telecommunications terminal roaming between a first geographic area and a second geographic area. When the terminal is authenticated in the second geographic area, a list which comprises the services physically available in the said second geographic area is determined and is transmitted to the terminal.

Claims

1. A method of automatically indicating available services to a mobile telecommunications terminal roaming between a first geographic area and a second geographic area, the method comprising:

a network authenticating the terminal in the second geographic area,

a network determining a first list comprising services physically available in said second geographic area and a second list comprising services subscribed by the terminal in the first geographic area without receiving a request regarding services from the terminal, determining a third list from the first list and the second list,

a network transmitting said third list to the terminal, and

a network automatically displaying the third list in the terminal.

2. A method set forth in claim 1 in which, the first area and the second area are covered by a cellular network.

3. A method set forth in claim 1 in which, the first area is covered by a first cellular network and the second area is covered by a second cellular network different from the first network.

4. A method set forth in claim 1, in which the said third list of services comprises services that are both physically available in said second area and also accessible to the terminal because of a roaming agreement between the first network and the second network.

5. A method set forth in claim 4 in which said first network is the home network of a user of the Home PLMN (HPLMN) terminal, and said second network is a Visited network (VPLMN) in which the terminal registers after an intersystem and/or intercellular handover.

6. A method set forth in claim 5 in which the first network is a UMTS network (or a GSM network), and said second network is a GSM network (or a UMTS network).

7. A telecommunications system in which a mobile terminal is roaming between a first geographic area and a second geographic area, the system comprising:

means for authenticating the terminal in the second geographic area,

means for determining a first list comprising services physically available in said second geographic area and a second list comprising services subscribed by the terminal in the first geographic area without receiving a request regarding services from the mobile terminal,

means for determining a third list from the first list and the second list, and

means for transmitting said third list to the terminal,

wherein the mobile terminal comprises means for automatically displaying the third list.

8. A system set forth in claim 7, in which the first area and the second area are covered by a common cellular network.

9. A system set forth in claim 7, in which the first area is covered by a first cellular network and the second area is covered by a second cellular network different from the first network.

10. A system set forth in claim 7, in which said third list of services comprises services that are both physically available in said second area and also accessible to the terminal because of a roaming agreement between the first network and the second network.