System and method for optimization of calls based upon available satellite resources

• US 6,253,079 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Valentine, Eric, Alperovich, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tailhun
• Application Number:
  US09/213,519
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 455/428, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/426, 455/432, 455/427, 455/430, 455/507, 455/508, 455/509, 455/435, 455/445, 455/524, 455/525
• US Class Current: 455/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for optimizing satellite resources to prevent overconsumption of the satellite resources of a first network operator by subscribers associated with a second network operator. During call optimization, an indication is included in a Location Update request sent by a Mobile Station (MS) to an optimal Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) that suggests to the optimal MSC/VLR that the reason for the Location Update is the equivalent of “satellite radio access registration.” The optimal MSC/VLR examines this indication, and based on the amount of available satellite radio resources, either accepts the Location Update request or returns a rejection message indicating that radio access registrations are either permanently or temporarily not allowed.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for optimizing a call associated with a given one of a plurality of mobile stations, comprising:

an original one of a plurality of mobile switching centers having reception means for receiving a called number associated with said call;

an optimum one of said plurality of mobile switching centers for storing a predetermined parameter and an associated time period value therein, said optimum mobile switching center receiving a first registration message for said call, said first registration message including an optimization indication, determining a current amount of utilized satellite resources associated with said optimum mobile switching center in response to receipt of said optimization indication, comparing said predetermined parameter with said current amount of utilized satellite resources and transmitting a rejection message indicating that said mobile station is not allowed to register with said optimum mobile switching center for said call when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter, said rejection message including said time period value, said time period value indicating the amount of time before a second registration message including said optimized indication for said call can be sent towards said optimum mobile switching center;

an optimization node, connected to said original mobile switching center, for receiving said called number from said original mobile switching center, and determining said optimum mobile switching center using said called number; and

means for connecting said call through a selected one of said plurality of mobile switching centers based upon said current amount of utilized satellite resources associated with said optimum mobile switching center, said selected mobile switching center being in wireless communication with said given mobile station via a satellite.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said selected mobile switching center is said optimum mobile switching center when said current amount of utilized satellite resources does not exceed said predetermined parameter.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said call is placed from said given mobile station to a subscriber within the Public Switched Telephone Network, said original mobile switching center being in wireless communication with said given mobile station, said original mobile switching center and said optimum mobile switching center being located within an area covered by said satellite, said selected mobile switching center being said original mobile switching center when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said call is placed from a subscriber within the Public Switched Telephone Network to said given mobile station, said optimum mobile switching center being said original mobile switching center, said given mobile station being in wireless communication with a serving mobile switching center, said serving mobile switching center and said original mobile switching center being located within an area covered by said satellite, said selected mobile switching center being said serving mobile switching center when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 4 wherein said means for connecting further comprises:

means for connecting said call from said subscriber, to said mobile original mobile switching center, to said selected mobile switching center and to said given mobile station via said satellite.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said call is placed from a calling mobile station to said given mobile station, said optimum mobile switching center being said original mobile switching center, said given mobile station being in wireless communication with a serving mobile switching center, said serving mobile switching center and said original mobile switching center being located within an area covered by said satellite, said selected mobile switching center being said serving mobile switching center when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 6 wherein said means for transmitting comprises:

means for connecting said call from said calling mobile station, to said original mobile switching center, to said selected mobile switching center and to said given mobile station via said satellite.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said registration message including said optimization indication is transmitted by said mobile station,

said rejection message being transmitted from said optimum mobile switching center to said mobile station.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 8, wherein said time period value relates to the amount of time said mobile station must wait before transmitting said second registration request including said optimization indication.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for sending an instruction message from said optimization node to said given mobile station instructing said given mobile station to register with said optimum mobile switching center via said original mobile switching center and said satellite.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a satellite-adapted base station system connected to said original mobile switching center, said first registration message being sent from said satellite-adapted base station system to said optimum mobile switching center, said rejection message being sent from said optimum mobile switching center to said satellite-adapted base station system.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for transmitting said second registration request along with said optimization indication from said satellite-adapted base station system to said optimum mobile switching center when the time associated with said time period value has expired.

13. An optimum mobile switching center for selectively completing a call associated with a given one of a plurality of mobile stations based upon the amount of utilized satellite resources associated with said optimum mobile switching center, said optimum mobile switching center comprising:

means for receiving a registration message for said given mobile station including an optimization indication;

a predetermined parameter and associated time period value stored within a memory;

means for determining a current amount of utilized satellite resources associated with said optimum mobile switching center in response to receipt of said optimization indication;

means for comparing said predetermined parameter and said current amount of utilized satellite resources;

means for transmitting a rejection message indicating that said mobile station is not allowed to register with said optimum mobile switching center for said call when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter, said rejection message including said time period value, said time period value indicating the amount of time before a second registration message including said optimized indication can be sent towards said optimum mobile switching center; and

means for connecting said call via a satellite when said current amount of utilized satellite resources does not exceed said predetermined parameter.

14. The optimum mobile switching center of claim 13, wherein said rejection message is transmitted to said given mobile station.

15. The optimum mobile switching center of claim 14, wherein said time period value relates to the amount of time said mobile station must wait before transmitting said second registration request including said optimization indication.

16. A method for optimizing a call associated with a given one of a plurality of mobile stations based upon the amount of satellite resources in use, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by an original one of a plurality of mobile switching centers, a called number associated with said call;

determining an optimum one of said plurality of mobile switching centers using said called number;

storing, within said optimum mobile switching center, a predetermined parameter and an associated time period value;

transmitting a first registration message including an optimization indication to said optimum mobile switching center;

determining a current amount of utilized satellite resources associated with said optimum mobile switching center in response to receipt of said optimization indication;

comparing by said optimum mobile switching center, said current amount of utilized satellite resources with said predetermined parameter;

transmitting a rejection message, by said optimum mobile switching center, indicating that said mobile station is not allowed to register with said optimum mobile switching center for said call when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter, said rejection message including said time period value, said time period value indicating the amount of time before a second registration message including said optimized indication for said call can be sent towards said optimum mobile switching center; and

connecting said call through a selected one of said plurality of mobile switching centers based upon said current amount of utilized satellite resources, said selected mobile switching center being in wireless communication with said given mobile station via a satellite.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprises the step of:

sending said called number from said original mobile switching center to an optimization node connected to said original mobile switching center.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

sending an instruction message from said optimization node to said given mobile station instructing said given mobile station to register with said optimum mobile switching center via said original mobile switching center and said satellite.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of connection further comprises the step of:

connecting said call through said optimum mobile switching center when said current amount of utilized satellite resources does not exceed said predetermined parameter, said selected mobile switching center being said optimum mobile switching center.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

placing said call from said given mobile station to a subscriber within the Public Switched Telephone Network, said original mobile switching center being in wireless communication with said given mobile station, said original mobile switching center and said optimum mobile switching center being located within an area covered by said satellite.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of connecting further comprises the step of:

connecting said call through said original mobile switching center when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter, said original mobile switching center being said selected mobile switching center.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

placing said call from a subscriber within the Public Switched Telephone Network to said given mobile station, said optimum mobile switching center being said original mobile switching center, said given mobile station being in wireless communication with a serving mobile switching center, said serving mobile switching center and said original mobile switching center being located within an area covered by said satellite.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of connecting further comprises the step of:

connecting said call through said serving mobile switching center when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter, said serving mobile switching center being said selected mobile switching center.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of connecting further comprises the step of:

connecting said call from said subscriber, to said original mobile switching center, to said selected mobile switching center and to said given mobile station via said satellite.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

placing said call from a calling mobile station to said given mobile station, said optimum mobile switching center being said original mobile switching center, said given mobile station being in wireless communication with a serving mobile switching center, said serving mobile switching center and said original mobile switching center being located within an area covered by said satellite.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said step of connecting further comprises the step of:

connecting said call through said serving mobile switching center when said current amount of utilized satellite resources exceeds said predetermined parameter, said serving mobile switching center being said selected mobile switching center.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of connecting further comprises the step of:

connecting said call from said calling mobile station, to said original mobile switching center, to said selected mobile switching center and to said given mobile station via said satellite.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of transmitting said first registration request further comprises the step of:

transmitting said first registration request including said optimization indication from said mobile station to said optimum mobile switching center; and

wherein said step of transmitting said rejection message further comprises the step of;

transmitting said rejection message from said optimum mobile switching center to said mobile station.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

transmitting said second registration request including said optimization indication from said given mobile station to said optimum mobile switching center when the time associated with said time period value expires.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of transmitting said first registration message further comprises the step of:

transmitting said first registration message from a satellite-adapted base station system connection to said original mobile switching center to said optimum mobile switching center; and

wherein said step of transmitting said rejection message further comprises the step of;

transmitting said rejection message from said optimum mobile switching center to said satellite-adapted base station system.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

transmitting said second registration request along with said optimization indication from said satellite-adapted base station system to said optimum mobile switching center when the time associated with said time period value has expired.