Limiting data service for a home terminal roaming near home coverage
First Claim
1. A method of limiting data service for a mobile terminal that subscribes to service of a home carrier but that is served by a roaming carrier while near coverage provided the home carrier, the method comprising:
- making a determination by the home carrier of whether the mobile terminal that subscribes to service of the home carrier is being served by a cell site of the roaming carrier and the cell site of the roaming carrier is located within a threshold distance of a cell site of the home carrier;
if the determination is affirmative, then assigning by the home carrier to the mobile terminal an Internet Protocol (IP) address that the home carrier is configured to block, whereby assignment of the IP address to the mobile terminal facilitates the mobile terminal being served by the roaming carrier, while assignment to the mobile terminal of the IP address that the home carrier is configured to block enables the home carrier to prevent IP communication to and from the mobile terminal while the mobile terminal is served by the roaming carrier; and
if the determination is negative, then the assigning by the home carrier to the mobile terminal an IP address that the home carrier is not configured to block.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and system to help better manage resources when a mobile terminal is roaming while within a home-carrier coverage hole or while otherwise threshold close to home carrier coverage. In accordance with the disclosure, a mobile terminal'"'"'s home carrier will determine that the mobile terminal is being served by a roaming carrier'"'"'s cell site that is threshold close to a home carrier'"'"'s cell site, and the home carrier will responsively assign to the mobile terminal an IP address that the home carrier is configured to block.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of limiting data service for a mobile terminal that subscribes to service of a home carrier but that is served by a roaming carrier while near coverage provided the home carrier, the method comprising:
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making a determination by the home carrier of whether the mobile terminal that subscribes to service of the home carrier is being served by a cell site of the roaming carrier and the cell site of the roaming carrier is located within a threshold distance of a cell site of the home carrier; if the determination is affirmative, then assigning by the home carrier to the mobile terminal an Internet Protocol (IP) address that the home carrier is configured to block, whereby assignment of the IP address to the mobile terminal facilitates the mobile terminal being served by the roaming carrier, while assignment to the mobile terminal of the IP address that the home carrier is configured to block enables the home carrier to prevent IP communication to and from the mobile terminal while the mobile terminal is served by the roaming carrier; and if the determination is negative, then the assigning by the home carrier to the mobile terminal an IP address that the home carrier is not configured to block. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of controlling data service for mobile terminals that subscribe to service of a home carrier, the method comprising:
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receiving into a home carrier server a signaling message indicative of attachment of one of the mobile terminals with a cell site; responsive to the signaling message, making a determination by the home carrier server of whether (i) the cell site is of a roaming carrier rather than of the home carrier and (ii) the cell site is located within a threshold distance of a cell site of the home carrier; based on the determination, the home carrier selecting and assigning to the mobile terminal an Internet Protocol (IP) address, wherein if the determination is affirmative, then the home carrier selects and assigns to the mobile terminal an IP address from a pool of IP addresses that the home carrier is configured to block, but if the determination is negative, then the home carrier selects and assigns to the mobile terminal an IP address from a default pool of IP addresses rather than from the pool of IP addresses that the home carrier is configured to block. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A policy server configured to control data service for mobile terminals that subscribe to service of a home carrier, the policy server comprising:
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a network communication interface; a processing unit; data storage; and program instructions stored in the data storage and executable by the processing unit to carry out operations comprising; receiving via the network communication interface a signaling message indicative of attachment of one of the mobile terminals with a cell site, responsive to the signaling message, making a determination of whether (i) the cell site is of a roaming carrier rather than of the home carrier and (ii) the cell site is located within a threshold distance of a cell site of the home carrier, and based on the determination, causing the home carrier to select and assign to the mobile terminal an Internet Protocol (IP) address, wherein if the determination is affirmative, then the IP address is selected from a pool of IP addresses that the home carrier is configured to block, but if the determination is negative, then the IP address is selected from a default pool of IP addresses rather than from the pool of IP addresses that the home carrier is configured to block. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification