System and methods for global access to services for mobile telephone subscribers

• US 20060030304A1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starhome GmbH
• Original Assignee: Starhome GmbH
• Inventors: Wolfman, Shlomo, Biran, Ory, Sofer, Carmel
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13384 Inter-PBX traffic, PBX networks, e.g. corporate networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method and a system for providing services to roaming subscribers of mobile telephone networks. The system comprising a packet-switch network and intelligent gateways coupled to the packet-switch network enables roaming subscribers to continue using their value added services using familiar access, interface and language. The system also enables mobile operators to deliver new services to roamers and subscribers.

Claims

1. A system comprising;

a packet-switch network; and

intelligent gateways coupled to said packet-switch network, each of said intelligent gateways coupled to a respective mobile network and adapted to provide a roaming mobile device connecting as a visitor in one of said mobile networks with access to a plurality of services including intelligent call assistance and dialing sequence translation, said services being at least associated with a second of said mobile networks, said second mobile network being a home mobile network of said roaming mobile device, wherein some of said plurality of services are integrated with one another, and wherein each of said intelligent gateways comprises a gateway database comprising a profile of said roamer for use by said intelligent gateway when providing access to said plurality of services.

2. A system comprising:

an intelligent gateway associated with a first mobile telephone network, said first mobile telephone network having connections to other mobile telephone networks said intelligent gateway adapted to translate a dialing sequence when dialed by a roaming cellular telephony device roaming in said first mobile network into a destination number, said roaming cellular telephony device having a home network which is other than said first mobile network; and

a routing center in said first mobile telephone network, said routing center adapted to route said dialing sequence within said first mobile telephone network to said intelligent gateway for said translating, wherein said dialing sequence is an erroneous number, and wherein said mobile switch center is further adapted to give said intelligent gateway control over a call to said destination number.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said mobile switch center is further adapted to route a call corresponding to said dialing sequence to said destination number.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said mobile switch center is further adapted to route a further dialing sequence dialed by a further cellular telephony device being a subscriber of said first mobile telephone network to said intelligent gateway and said intelligent gateway is further adapted to translate said dialing sequence into said destination number.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said gateway is adapted to translate said dialing sequence into at least two destination numbers according to a predefined schedule.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code used in a home mobile network of said roaming cellular telephony device to access value added services provided by said home mobile network.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said dialing sequence is identified as a short code associated by a home mobile network of said roaming cellular telephony device with a service provider operating in a geographical region of said home mobile network, and said dialing sequence is translated into another dialing sequence associated by said first mobile telephone network with a corresponding service provider operating in a geographical region of said first mobile telephone network.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code having an equivalent alphanumeric code associated with a generic service and said destination number provides access to one of a plurality of service providers of said generic service.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein said dialing sequence is a short code having an equivalent alphanumeric code associated with a service provider and said destination number provides access to said service provider.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said alphanumeric code is associated with a brand-named organization and said destination number provides access to said organization.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein said roamer is a member of a virtual private network, said dialing sequence is a dialing extension of said virtual private network and said destination number is a corresponding complete telephone number of said dialing extension.

12. The system of claim 2, further adapted to deliver short messages to said roaming cellular telephony device according to information stored in said gateway defining a plurality of characteristics of said roaming cellular telephony device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein one of said characteristics is a language preferred by said roaming cellular telephony device.

14. The system of claim 2, further adapted to provide assistance to said roaming cellular telephony device to complete calls when said destination number dialed by said roaming cellular telephony device is erroneous.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said assistance is provided in a language preferred by said roaming cellular telephony device.

16. An intelligent gateway associated with a first cellular telephony network, adapted to provide assistance to a cellular telephony device roaming in said first cellular telephony network to complete calls when a destination number dialed by said roaming cellular telephony device is erroneous, said roaming cellular telephony device being registered as a home device in a second cellular telephony network being distinct from said first cellular telephony network, and said intelligent gateway being adapted to obtain information for said call completion using knowledge of said second cellular telephony network, said using said knowledge comprising applying routing algorithms to provide said information.

17. A system according to claim 17, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.