Subscriber data management

• US 9,215,594 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teliasonera AB
• Original Assignee: Teliasonera AB
• Inventors: Keisala, Ilkka
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Phuoc H
• Application Number:
  US14/261,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20140323090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/432.3, 455/414.3, 455/414.1, 455/466, 709/203, 709/220, 705/14.1, 370/352
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• 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 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method for retrieving an identifier from a register residing in a mobile communication network, wherein the identifier is mobile subscription specific includes steps of recognizing a modification of information relating to a mobile subscription in a database; determining if the identifier with respect to the mobile subscription, whose information was modified, is missing; performing a query, in response to the determination of missing identifier, towards the register residing in the mobile communication network to request the missing identifier; receiving the missing identifier from the register; delivering the received missing identifier to the database for storing in a context of the mobile subscription. A network node and a system executing the method are also described.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving an identifier from a register residing in a mobile communication network, wherein the identifier is mobile subscription specific, the method comprising the steps of:

recognizing, by a network node, a modification of information relating to a mobile subscription in an operator database,

determining if the identifier with respect to the mobile subscription, whose information was modified, is missing,

performing a query, in response to the determination of missing identifier, towards the register residing in the mobile communication network to request the missing identifier,

receiving the missing identifier from the register, and

delivering the received missing identifier to the operator database for storing in a context of the mobile subscription.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recognition of modification of information by the network node is based on at least one of the following:

receiving a notification from the operator database, monitoring the status of information in the operator database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the query towards the register comprises a parameter representing the mobile subscription whose information was modified.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the query towards the register is performed with signaling in the mobile communication network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the query is a MAP operation.

6. A network node comprising

at least one processor, and

at least one memory including portions of computer program code

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network node at least to perform:

recognize a modification of information relating to a mobile subscription in an operator database, into which the network node has access,

determine if the identifier with respect to the mobile subscription, whose information were was modified, is missing,

perform a query, in response to the determination of missing identifier, towards the register residing in the mobile communication network to request the missing identifier,

receive the missing identifier from the register, and

deliver the received missing identifier to the operator database for storing in a context of the mobile subscription.

7. The network node of claim 6, wherein the network node is configured, during the recognition of modification of information, to perform at least one of the following:

receive a notification from the operator database, monitor the status of information in the operator database.

8. The network node of claim 6, wherein the network node is configured to insert a parameter representing the mobile subscription whose information was modified in the query.

9. The network node of claim 8, wherein the parameter is MSISDN.

10. The network node of claim 6, wherein the network node is configured to perform the query towards the register with signaling in the mobile communication network.

11. The network node of claim 10, wherein the network node is configured to query the identifier with a MAP operation.

12. The network node of claim 11, wherein the MAP operation is sendRoutingInfo query.

13. The network node of claim 6, wherein the identifier received is IMSI.

14. A system for retrieving an identifier from a register residing in a mobile communication network, wherein the identifier is mobile subscription specific, the system comprising:

an operator database for maintaining information on at least one mobile subscription,

a register comprising the identifier for each mobile subscriptions whose information is maintained in the register, and

a network node configured to

recognize a modification of information relating to a mobile subscription in the operator database,

determine if the identifier with respect to the mobile subscription, whose information was modified, is missing,

perform a query, in response to the determination of missing identifier, towards the register residing in the mobile communication network to request the missing identifier,

receive the missing identifier from the register, and

deliver the received missing identifier to the operator database for storing in a context of the mobile subscription.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operator database, the register and the network node belong to a telecom operator entity.

16. A system according to claim 14, characterized in that the operator database (210) is configured to be modified by an external entity to the telecom operator entity.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the register is one of the following:

HLR, VLR, HSS.