Soft changing of mobile communication system

• US 9,401,735 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Petersson, Justus, Li, Qiang
• Primary Examiner(s): TALUKDER, MD K
• Application Number:
  US14/006,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/450, 455/556, 455/558
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/06 De-registration or detaching
• 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 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A subscriber identity is changed for a mobile terminal (10) through the initiation of a sending of an instruction to the mobile terminal (10), via a first mobile communication system (18, 30) to which the mobile terminal is attached, to change subscriber identity from a first subscriber identity (IMSI1) used in the first mobile communication system to a second subscriber identity (IMSI2) for use in a second mobile communication system, and the initiation, after obtaining knowledge of the mobile terminal having attached to the second mobile communication system based on the second subscriber identity, a detachment procedure in the first mobile communication system in relation to the first subscriber identity. The mobile terminal (10) receives the instruction to change, attaches to the second mobile communication system based on the second subscriber identity and detach from the first mobile communication system after having attached to the second mobile communication system.

Claims

1. A subscriber identity changing (SIC) apparatus for at least one mobile communication system, said SIC apparatus comprising a processor and memory, said memory containing computer instructions executable by said processor wherein said SIC apparatus is operative to:

initiate sending of an instruction to a mobile terminal, via a first mobile communication system to which the mobile terminal is attached, to change a subscriber identity from a first subscriber identity used in the first mobile communication system to a second subscriber identity for use in a second mobile communication system, wherein the mobile terminal is separate and distinct from said SIC apparatus and the mobile terminal is located remotely from said SIC apparatus,

obtain information indicating that a functional network connection exists between the mobile terminal and a serving node of the second mobile communication system, and

initiate a detachment procedure in the first mobile communication system in relation to the first subscriber identity after obtaining the information indicating that the functional network connection exists between the mobile terminal and a serving node of the second mobile communication system, wherein

said information indicating that a functional network connection exists between the mobile terminal and said serving node of the second mobile communication system comprises information indicating that a packet data protocol (PDP) context for the mobile terminal has been activated in the second mobile communication system.

2. The subscriber identity changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if data is transmitted to or from the mobile terminal before the detachment, then this data is sent in both the first and the second mobile communication system.

3. The subscriber identity changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber identity changing apparatus when initiating the sending is operative to initiate the sending of a dedicated enabling signal for changing to the second subscriber identity.

4. The subscriber identity changing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is a paging signal for the mobile terminal comprising instructions to attach to the second mobile communication system.

5. The subscriber identity changing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is an enabling signal of a subscription manager intended for a smart card in the mobile terminal and the initiating comprises instructing the subscription manager to send the enabling signal.

6. The subscriber identity changing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a home location register that is common to the two mobile communication systems, said common register comprising the computer instructions initiating the sending of an instruction to the mobile terminal through instructing a communication handling unit to send the instructions and also comprising the computer instructions initiating the detachment procedure.

7. The subscriber identify changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each mobile communication system comprises a separate home location register and further comprising a business support centre comprising instructions instructing the home location register of the second mobile communication system to activate a subscription associated with the second subscriber identity and instructing the home location register of the first mobile communication system to deactivate a subscription associated with the first subscriber identity after receiving notice from the home location register of the second mobile communication system that the second subscription has been activated.

8. A method for changing mobile communication system a mobile terminal is to communicate with, the method being performed in a subscriber identity changing (SIC) apparatus and comprising:

initiating sending of an instruction to the mobile terminal, via a first mobile communication system to which the mobile terminal is attached, to change subscriber identity from a first subscriber identity used in the first mobile communication system to a second subscriber identity for use in a second mobile communication system,

obtaining information indicating that a functional network connection exists between the mobile terminal and a serving node of the second mobile communication system, and

initiating a detachment procedure in the first mobile communication system in relation to the first subscriber identity after obtaining the information indicating that the functional network connection exists between the mobile terminal and a serving node of the second mobile communication system, wherein

the initiating of the detachment procedure is based on a packet data protocol context being activated in the second mobile communication system, and

the mobile terminal is separate and distinct from said SIC apparatus and the mobile terminal is located remotely from said SIC apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein if data is transmitted to or from the mobile terminal before the detachment, then this data is sent in both the first and the second mobile communication system.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the instruction is concerns a dedicated enabling signal for changing to the second subscriber identity.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is a paging signal for the mobile terminal comprising instructions to attach to the second mobile communication system.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is an enabling signal of a subscription manager intended for a smart card in the mobile terminal and the initiating comprises instructing the subscription manager to send the enabling signal.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein there is a home location register that is common to the two mobile communication systems, said initiating the sending of an instruction to the mobile terminal comprising the common home location register instructing a communication handling unit to send the instructions and initiating the detachment procedure.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein each mobile communication system comprises a separate home location register and further comprising instructing the home location register of the second mobile communication system to activate a subscription associated with the second subscriber identity and instructing the home location register of the first mobile communication system to deactivate a subscription associated with the first subscriber identify after receiving notice from the home location register of the second mobile communication system that the second subscription has been activated.

15. A mobile terminal for communication with at least one mobile communication system, said mobile terminal comprising a radio circuit for communicating with a first and a second mobile communication system and being configured to:

receive, via a first mobile communication system to which the mobile terminal is attached, an instruction from a subscriber identity changing (SIC) apparatus to change subscriber identity from a first subscriber identity used in the first mobile communication system to a second subscriber identity for use in the second mobile communication system, wherein the SIC apparatus is separate and distinct from the mobile terminal,

initiate activation of a packet data protocol (PDP) context in the second mobile communication system after receiving from the SIC apparatus the instruction to change subscriber identity, wherein the mobile terminal initiates the activation of the PDP context by transmitting an attach request to a serving node in the second mobile communication system, and

receive from a serving node in the first mobile communication system a request to detach from the first mobile communication system, wherein

the detaching is made after the packet data protocol context has been activated in the second mobile communication system.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, wherein if data is transmitted to or from the mobile terminal before the detachment, then this data is sent in both the first and the second mobile communication system.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the radio circuit is configured to receive data in two separate data streams from the two mobile communication systems and combine said two data streams into a single data stream.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, wherein the instruction to change is received in a dedicated enabling signal.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is a paging signal comprising instructions to attach to the second mobile communication system.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the enabling signal is an enabling signal from a subscription manager and further comprising a processor and memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor for receiving the enabling signal and control the radio circuit to attach to the second mobile communication system based on the content of the enabling signal.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, wherein it is provided in a vehicle.

22. A method of changing communication from a first mobile communication system to a second mobile communication system, the method being performed in a mobile terminal and comprising:

receiving, via the first mobile communication system to which the mobile terminal is attached, an instruction from a subscriber identity changing (SIC) apparatus to change subscriber identity from a first subscriber identity used in the first mobile communication system to a second subscriber identity for use in a second mobile communication system, wherein the SIC apparatus is separate and distinct from the mobile terminal,

initiating activation of a packet data protocol (PDP) context in the second mobile communication system after receiving from the SIC apparatus the instruction to change subscriber identity, wherein initiating the activation of the PDP context comprises the mobile terminal transmitting an attach request to a serving node in the second mobile communication system, and

receiving from a serving node in the first mobile communication system a request to detach from the first mobile communication system, wherein

the detaching is made after the packet data protocol context has been activated in the second mobile communication system.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein if data is transmitted to or from the mobile terminal before the detachment, then this data is sent in both the first and the second mobile communication system.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising receiving data in two separate data streams from the two mobile communication systems and combining said two data streams into a single data stream.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the instruction to change is received in a dedicated enabling signal.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein receiving the instruction comprises receiving a paging message addressed to the mobile terminal, wherein the paging message comprises the instruction.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is an enabling signal of a subscription manager and further receiving the enabling signal in a smart card of the mobile terminal and controlling by the smart card a radio circuit to attach to the second mobile communication system based on the content of the enabling signal.