Dynamically switching network service providers

• US 9,549,312 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gupta, Varun
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Minjung
• Application Number:
  US14/359,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20140329504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems for dynamic switching between service providers are described. The method includes receiving a service provider switch (SPS) request from a User Equipment (UE) having a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with a primary service provider where the request is indicative of switching the SIM from the primary service provider to a secondary service provider. The method further includes authenticating the SPS request based at least on the user subscription and triggering an update of a service control point (SCP) address in a home location register (HLR) of the primary service provider based on response to the authentication. The method may further include receiving another SPS request from the UE to switch the SIM from the secondary service provider to one of a former service provider and triggering an update of SCP details in the HLR of the primary service provider.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically switching between different network service providers, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user equipment (UE) having a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with a primary service provider, a service provider switch (SPS) request, wherein the request is indicative of switching the SIM from the primary service provider to a secondary service provider;

authenticating the SPS request based at least on a user subscription by requesting authorization of the SPS request from a service provider selector node (SPSN) and receiving a confirmation from the SPSN, in response to the requested authorization, wherein the confirmation is indicative of a successful authorization, and wherein the confirmation is based at least on the user subscription, wherein the SPSN comprises an authenticating node between multiple service providers that provides connectivity between service control points (SCPs) of the service providers based on service providers'"'"' agreements and user subscriptions; and

triggering an update of service control point (SCP) details in a home location register (HLR) of the primary service provider based on receipt of a response to the authentication, wherein the update switches the SIM from the primary service provider to the secondary service provider.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the authorization is requested over one of a XML interface and a diameter interface.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the authenticating is based on one or more of agreement rules between the primary service provider and the secondary service provider, and the user subscription.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the update of the SCP details comprises modifying the SCP address of the primary service provider in the HLR to the SCP address of the secondary service provider.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the update of the SCP comprises activating a profile with the SCP details of the secondary service provider in the HLR.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the SPS request is in an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) format.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sending a switching confirmation request to the UE, wherein the switching confirmation request is indicative of a successful switch from the primary service provider to the secondary service provider.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the triggering is in an Any Time Modification (ATM) request format.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the UE, another SPS request, wherein the another SPS request is indicative of switching the SIM from the secondary service provider to a former service provider; and

triggering an update of SCP details in the HLR of the primary service provider.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the update of the SCP details comprises modifying the SCP details of the secondary service provider in the HLR to the SCP details of the former service provider.

11. A Service Control Point (SCP) for dynamically switching between different network service providers, the SCP comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a request receiving module configured to receive a service provider switch (SPS) request from a User Equipment (UE) having a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with a primary service provider, wherein the SPS request is indicative of switching the SIM from the primary service provider to a secondary service provider; and

an authentication module configured to;

authenticate the SPS request based at least on a user subscription and send the SPS request to a Service Provider Selection Node (SPSN) for authorization, and wherein the authorization is based at least on an agreement between the primary service provider and the secondary service provider to trigger the update of SCP in the HLR; and

trigger an update of a service control point (SCP) details in a home location register (HLR) of the primary service provider based on response to the authentication.

12. The SCP as claimed in claim 11, wherein the request receiving module is further configured to receive a successful completion response from the SPSN.

13. A Service Provider Selector Node (SPSN) comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a request processing module configured to receive a service provider switch (SPS) request, wherein the SPS request is indicative of a request to switch a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with a primary service provider, from the primary service provider to a secondary service provider;

an authorizing module configured to authorize the SPS request based at least on an agreement between the primary service provider and a secondary service provider;

an updating module configured to update address of the secondary service provider'"'"'s SCP in a home location register (HLR) of the primary service provider, wherein the SPSN comprises an authenticating node between multiple service providers that provides connectivity between service control points (SCPs) of the service providers based on service providers'"'"' agreements and user subscriptions.

14. The SPSN as claimed in claim 13, wherein the updating module is configured to activate a profile associated with the SCP of the secondary service provider in the HLR of the primary service provider.

15. A Home Location Register (HLR) comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a profile module configured to;

obtain a service control point (SCP) update request, for a subscriber identity module (SIM), wherein the request is indicative of details associated with a SCP of a secondary service provider for updation with the SIM; and

communicate the details associated with the SCP of the secondary service provider to a mobile service switching center (MSC), wherein the SCP update request is obtained from one of a SCP of a primary service provider, and a service provider selector node (SPSN).

16. A non-transitory computer-usable data carrier storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute a method comprising:

receiving, from a user equipment (UE) having a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with a primary service provider, a service provider switch (SPS) request, wherein the request is indicative of switching the SIM from a primary service provider to a secondary service provider;

authenticating the SPS request based at least on a user subscription by requesting authorization of the SPS request from a service provider selector node (SPSN) and receiving a confirmation from the SPSN, in response to the requested authorization, wherein the confirmation is indicative of a successful authorization, and wherein the confirmation is based at least on the user subscription, wherein the SPSN comprises an authenticating node between multiple service providers that provides connectivity between service control points (SCPs) of the service providers based on service providers'"'"' agreements and user subscriptions; and

triggering an update of a service control point (SCP) in a home location register (HLR) of the primary service provider based on response to the authentication.