System and method of providing services when the mobile is home registered in a microcellular network and receives support from a macrocellular network

• US 6,073,015 A
• Filed: 07/11/1996
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Liljeros, Ingvar Emil, Berggren, Karl Viktor
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOFOCLEOUS, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US08/680,225
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/436, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/444, 455/445, 455/461
• US Class Current: 455/432.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating communications with a roaming mobile subscriber unit which roams beyond a microcellular communication network, such as a Digital Electronic Cordless Telephone (DECT) system. A mobility server of the microcellular communication networks is coupled to a macrocellular communication network, such as a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network. Wide-area mobility management functions of the macrocellular communication network are provided to the microcellular communication network and are used to facilitate call routing to and from the roaming, mobile subscriber unit.

Claims

1. In a communication system having a macrocellular communication network and first and second microcellular communication networks, the macrocellular communication network operable to communicate with mobile subscriber units according to a first wireless communication interface, the first and second microcellular communication networks operable to communicate with mobile subscriber units according to a further wireless communication interface other than said first wireless communication interface, the first microcellular communication network having a first mobility server that provides mobility management for mobile subscriber units roaming through the first microcellular communication network, an improvement of mobility-enhancing apparatus cooperable with the first mobility server for facilitating communication with a mobile subscriber unit which is home-registered in the first microcellular communication network but has roamed into the second microcellular communication network, said apparatus comprising:

means for coupling the first and second microcellular communication networks to the macrocellular communication network;

a first storage device in the mobility server for storing location information representative of positioning of the mobile subscriber unit, said first storage device also for storing therein a corresponding relationship between microcellular identity information used by the first microcellular network to identify the mobile subscriber unit and macrocellular identity information used by the macrocellular network to identify the mobile subscriber unit; and

a first mobility manager provided in the mobility server and coupled to said first storage device and to the macrocellular network, said first mobility manager at least for updating the location information stored in said storage device to indicate whether the mobile subscriber unit is positioned within range of the first microcellular communication network and for receiving macrocellular network-generated mobility management data related to the mobile subscriber unit, the macrocellular network-generated mobility-management data generated when the mobile subscriber unit has roamed into the second microcellular communication network and used for the updating of the location information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the macrocellular network comprises a home location register and wherein the macrocellular network-generated data is generated by the home location register.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first mobility manager is coupled to the home location register by way of an Internet communication channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising means for interfacing said first mobility manager with the Internet communication channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first mobility server is operable to receive a call request requesting call communications with the mobile subscriber unit and wherein the location information stored in said first storage device is utilized to route the call request to the mobile subscriber unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the communication system further comprises a remote communication station operable in the macrocellular communication network, wherein the first mobility server is operable to receive call requests from the mobile subscriber unit requesting call communications with the remote communication station, and wherein said first storage device further stores a service profile, the service profile accessed by said first mobility manager prior to routing the call request to the macrocellular communication network.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second microcellular network has a second mobility server, the second mobility server coupled to the home location register, and wherein the macrocellular network-generated data generated by the home location register is generated responsive to update data supplied thereto by the second mobility server.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first storage device further stores roaming identity information which identifies the mobile subscriber unit when the mobile subscriber unit is positioned beyond the range of the first microcellular communication network.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the macrocellular communication network further comprises a gateway mobile services switching center and wherein said first mobility manager is coupled to the gateway mobile services switching center to communicate therewith.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second microcellular communication network has a second mobility server, said second mobility server having:

a second storage device and a second mobility manager coupled thereto, wherein the first and second mobility servers, respectively, are coupled theretogether, and wherein said first mobility manager further provides private branch exchange service to the mobile subscriber unit when positioned at locations encompassed by at least either the first microcellular communication network or the second microcellular communication network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first storage device further stores a service profile, the service profile including information indicative of services to which the mobile subscriber unit is subscribed, and wherein the service profile is accessed by said first mobility manager when the mobile subscriber unit requests a call when positioned at the locations encompassed by at least either the first microcellular communication network or the second microcellular communication network.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first mobility manager is cooperable with said first storage device to translate signals, which have been applied to the first mobility server and which identify the mobile subscriber unit in terms of one of the microcellular identity and the macrocellular identity, into signals which identify the mobile subscriber unit in terms of the other of the microcellular identity and the macrocellular identity.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first storage device further stores data representative of services to which the mobile subscriber unit is subscribed.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the macrocellular network-generated data is of values to cause said first mobility manager to deregister the mobile subscriber unit and wherein said first mobility manager updates the location of the mobile subscriber unit by deregistering the location information stored in said first storage device.

15. In a method for communicating in a communication system having a macrocellular communication network and first and second microcellular communication networks, the macrocellular communication network operable to communicate with mobile subscriber units according to a first wireless communication interface, the first and second microcellular communication networks operable to communicate with mobile subscriber units according to a further wireless communication interface other than said first wireless communication interface, an improvement of a method for facilitating communication with a mobile subscriber unit which is home-registered in the first microcellular communication network but has roamed into the second microcellular communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

storing location information representative of positioning of the mobile subscriber unit;

providing to the first microcellular communication network macrocellular-generated mobility management data related to the mobile subscriber unit and generated by the macrocellular network when the mobile subscriber unit has roamed into the second microcellular communication network; and

updating the location information stored during said step of storing responsive to reception of the macrocellular-generated mobility management data related to the mobile subscriber unit, including translating between microcellular identity information used by the first microcellular network to identify the mobile subscriber unit and macrocellular identity information used by the macrocellular network to identify the mobile subscriber unit.

16. In a method for communicating with a mobile subscriber unit that is home-registered in a first microcellular network, the first microcellular network forming a portion of a communication system that also includes a macrocellular network and a second microcellular network, the macrocellular network operable to communicate with mobile subscriber units according to a first wireless communication interface, the first and second microcellular networks operable to communicate with mobile subscriber units according to a further wireless communication interface other than said first wireless communication interface, an improvement of a method for facilitating communication with the mobile subscriber unit when the mobile subscriber unit roams beyond the first microcellular network and into the second microcellular network, said method comprising the steps of:

coupling the macrocellular network together with the first and second microcellular networks;

providing mobility management functions existent in the macrocellular network to the first microcellular network; and

utilizing the mobility management functions in the first microcellular network when the mobile subscriber unit roams into the second microcellular network, thereby to provide the first microcellular network with wide area mobility management, and thereby to facilitate the communication with the mobile subscriber unit, said utilizing step including translating between microcellular identity information used by the first microcellular network to identify the mobile subscriber unit and macrocellular identity information used by the macrocellular network to identify the mobile subscriber unit.

17. An improvement of an apparatus for facilitating communication with a mobile subscriber unit in a communication system having a macrocellular communication network and having first and second microcellular communication networks, the macrocellular communication network operable to communicate with mobile subscriber units according to a first wireless communication interface, the first and second microcellular communication networks operable to communicate with mobile subscriber units according to a further wireless communication interface other than said first wireless communication interface, the mobile subscriber unit home-registered in the first microcellular communication network and operable at least to communicate with the first microcellular communication network when the mobile subscriber unit roams beyond the first microcellular communication network and into the second microcellular communication network, said apparatus comprising:

means for coupling the macrocellular communication network together with the first and second microcellular communication networks;

a mobility management function provider forming a portion of the macrocellular communication network, said mobility management function provider for providing mobility management functions existent in the macrocellular communication network to the first microcellular communication network by way of said coupling means; and

a mobility server forming a portion of the first microcellular communication network, said mobility server for utilizing the mobility management functions when the mobile subscriber unit roams into the second microcellular communication network, thereby to provide the first microcellular communication network with wide area mobility management, and thereby to facilitate the communication with the mobile subscriber unit, said mobility server operable to translate between microcellular identity information used by the first microcellular network to identify the mobile subscriber unit and macrocellular identity information used by the macrocellular network to identify the mobile subscriber unit.