Phantom mobile-identification number method and apparatus

• US 5,579,376 A
• Filed: 05/03/1995
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Future Capital L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Highway Master Communications Inc.
• Inventors: Charles, Robert J., Kennedy, William C. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): OEHLING, GEORGE J
• Application Number:
  US08/434,127
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 379/63, 455/33.1, 455/33.2
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18558 Arrangements for managing communications, i.e. for setting up, maintaining or releasing a call between stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method and apparatus for changing the mobile identification number of a cellular telephone unit to reflect a local network planning area number, including a cellular telephone unit having a microprocessor and associated data storage. The microprocessor is programmed to interrogate the cellular telephone unit to obtain the local system identification number. The network planning area number corresponding to the system identification number is included as a part of the mobile identification number, thereby establishing a local cellular system number, such that the cellular telephone unit appears as a local unit to enable calls to be pre-validated by the local cellular system. Both the cellular telephone unit and the cellular system determine the local cellular system number independently. In response to an incoming call for the cellular telephone unit, the local cellular system pages the cellular telephone unit using the local cellular system number.

Claims

1. A method of coupling a call to a cellular telephone unit located in an area serviced by a serving switch, the cellular telephone unit having a home mobile identification number including a network planning area number, the method comprising:

receiving at the cellular telephone unit a serving switch system identification number;

transmitting from the cellular telephone unit to a central controller computer, coupled to the serving switch, the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number;

determining, at the central controller computer;

a local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number received from the cellular telephone unit;

determining, at the cellular telephone unit, the local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the received serving switch system identification number; and

modifying, at the cellular telephone unit, only the network planning area number of the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit to identify the cellular telephone unit with the local cellular system number.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the call for the cellular telephone unit at the central controller computer; and

coupling the call to the cellular telephone unit through the serving switch using the local cellular system number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving the call for the cellular telephone unit comprises:

establishing communication with the central controller computer; and

providing an access number identifying the cellular telephone unit.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of coupling the call comprises:

accessing a roamer access port of the serving switch;

paging the cellular telephone unit using the local cellular system number; and

patching a call to the cellular telephone unit through the serving switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting comprises issuing a roamer code to the serving switch, the roamer code including a serving switch system identification number and the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit, the roamer code indicating the presence of the cellular telephone unit as roamer in the serving switch.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at the cellular telephone unit a serving switch system identification number further comprises:

interrogating a database to determine if the serving switch system identification number is authorized; and

receiving at the cellular telephone unit a second serving switch system identification number corresponding to a second serving switch if the serving switch system identification number is not authorized.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the home mobile identification number comprises:

a variable three-digit network planning area number; and

a fixed seven-digit number following the three-digit network planning area number, the fixed seven-digit number identifying the cellular telephone unit.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of updating the location of the cellular telephone unit at the central controller computer in response to the serving switch system identification number.

9. A national roaming cellular network, comprising:

a serving switch operable to emit a serving switch system identification number;

a cellular telephone unit coupled with the serving switch and located in an area serviced by the serving switch, the cellular telephone unit having a home mobile identification number that includes a network planning area number, the cellular telephone unit operable to receive the serving switch system identification number from the serving switch, the cellular telephone unit operable to transmit to the serving switch the home mobile identification number, the cellular telephone unit further operable to determine a local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the received serving switch system identification number, the cellular telephone unit further operable to modify only the network planning area number of the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit to identify the cellular telephone unit with the local cellular system number; and

a central controller computer coupled with the serving switch and operable to receive from the serving switch the home mobile identification number transmitted to the serving switch by the cellular telephone unit and the serving switch system identification number, the central controller computer further operable to determine the local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number.

10. The network of claim 9, further comprising a home switch coupled with the serving switch and the central controller computer, the home switch operable to receive the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number from the serving switch and to communicate this information to the central controller computer.

11. The network of claim 9, wherein the central controller computer is operable to receive an incoming call placed to the cellular telephone unit, the central controller computer further operable to cause the incoming call to be routed to the cellular telephone unit using the local cellular system number.

12. The network of claim 9, wherein the cellular telephone unit is operable to issue a roamer code to the serving switch, the roamer code including the serving switch system identification number and the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit, the roamer code indicating the presence of the cellular telephone unit as a roamer in the serving switch.

13. The network of claim 9, wherein the cellular telephone unit is further operable to determine if the serving switch system identification number is authorized and to receive a second serving switch system identification number corresponding to a second serving switch if the serving switch system identification number is not authorized.

14. The network of claim 9, wherein the central controller computer is operable to access a roamer access port of the serving switch and to cause the serving switch to page the cellular telephone unit using the local cellular system number.

15. The network of claim 9, wherein the home mobile identification number comprises:

a variable three-digit network planning area number;

a fixed seven-digit number following the three-digit network planning area number, the fixed seven-digit number identifying the cellular telephone unit.

16. A method of coupling a call to a cellular telephone unit located in an area serviced by a serving switch, the cellular telephone unit having a home mobile identification number that includes a network planning area number, the method comprising:

receiving at the cellular telephone unit a serving switch system identification number;

transmitting a roamer code from the cellular telephone unit to the serving switch, the roamer code including the serving switch system identification number and the home mobile identification number, the roamer code indicating the presence of the cellular telephone unit as a roamer in the serving switch;

receiving the roamer code at a central controller computer coupled to the serving switch;

determining, at the central controller computer, a local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the roamer code;

determining, at the cellular telephone unit, the local cellular system number for the cellular telephone unit in response to the home mobile identification number and the serving switch system identification number; and

modifying, at the cellular telephone unit, only the network planning area number of the home mobile identification number of the cellular telephone unit to identify the cellular telephone unit with the local cellular system number.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the call for the cellular telephone unit at the central controller computer; and

coupling the call to the cellular telephone unit through the serving switch using the local cellular system number.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of coupling the call comprises:

accessing a roamer access port of the serving switch;

paging the cellular telephone unit using the local cellular system number; and

patching a call to the cellular telephone unit through the serving switch.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving the call for the cellular telephone unit comprises:

establishing communication with the central controller computer; and

providing an access number identifying the cellular telephone unit.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising the step of updating the location of the cellular telephone unit at the central controller computer in response to the roamer code.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the home mobile identification number comprises:

a variable network planning area number; and

a fixed number identifying the cellular telephone unit.