Soft Changing of Mobile Communication System

• US 20150005033A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Petersson, Justus, Li, Qiang
• Granted Patent: US 9,401,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• 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 arrangement for at least one mobile communication system, said arrangement comprising a processor and memory, said memory containing computer instructions executable by said processor whereby said subscriber identity changing arrangement is operative to:

initiate the sending of an instruction to a 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, and

initiate, 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.

2. The subscriber identity changing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the initiating of the detachment procedure is based on a packet data protocol context being activated in the second mobile communication system.

3. The subscriber identity changing arrangement according to claim 2, 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.

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

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

6. The subscriber identity changing arrangement according to claim 4, 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.

7. The subscriber identity changing arrangement 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.

8. The subscriber identify changing arrangement 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.

9. A method for changing mobile communication system a mobile terminal is to communicate with, the method being performed in a subscriber identity changing arrangement and comprising:

initiating the 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, and

initiate, 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.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the initiating of the detachment procedure is based on a packet data protocol context being activated in the second mobile communication system.

11. The method according to claim 10, 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.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the instruction is concerns a dedicated enabling signal for changing to the second subscriber identity.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is a paging signal for the mobile terminal comprising instructions to attach to the second mobile communication system.

14. The method according to claim 12, 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.

15. The method according to claim 9, 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.

16. The method according to claim 9, 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.

17. 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 configured to:

receive via a first mobile communication system to which the mobile terminal is attached, an instruction from a subscriber identity changing arrangement 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,

attach 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.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, wherein the detaching is made after a packet data protocol context has been activated in the second mobile communication system.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, 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.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 19, 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.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, wherein the instruction to change is received in a dedicated enabling signal.

22. The mobile terminal according to claim 21, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is a paging signal comprising instructions to attach to the second mobile communication system.

23. The mobile terminal according to claim 21, 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.

24. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, wherein it is provided in a vehicle.

25. 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 arrangement 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,

attaching to the second mobile communication system based on the second subscriber identity, and

detaching from the first mobile communication system after having attached to the second mobile communication system.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the detaching is made after a packet data protocol context has been activated in the second mobile communication system.

27. The method according to claim 26, 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.

28. The method according to claim 27, 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.

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

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the dedicated enabling signal is a paging signal comprising instructions to attach to the second mobile communication system.

31. The method according to claim 29, 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.