Method of subscriber data control in a mobile communication network

Abstract

A subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network which reduces the processing load on a mobile switching center and can effectively use the resource of a visitor subscriber data area is provided. the subscriber data of the visitor mobile station is not deleted in response to the subscriber data delete request from its home mobile switching center due to a fact that the visitor mobile station has further moved to another service area, and the state of the registered subscriber data of the visitor mobile station is set as the inactive holding state from the active state, and thereafter in the case where the visitor mobile station returns to the subject service area within a predetermined period of time and again performs the location registration, restoration of the subscriber data of the visitor mobile station can be made by only changing the state of the subscriber data from the inactive state to the active state. With respect to the subscriber data being put as the inactive holding state, it is deleted if no location registration is made within a predetermined period of time.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network in which subscriber data of a mobile station is transferred from a home mobile switching center to a destination mobile switching center when the mobile station moves from a home service area controlled by the home mobile switching center to a destination service area controlled by the destination mobile switching center, and performs a location registration in the destination service area, said method comprising: 
 registering said subscriber data, in said destination mobile switching center, transmitted from said home mobile switching center in response to a location registration request by said destination mobile switching center in accordance with the location registration performed by the mobile station; and    changing a state of said registered subscriber data from an active state representative of an operating state to an inactive state representative of a holding state in response to a subscriber data delete request, which is caused by a recognition of movement of the mobile station to another service area, by said home mobile switching center.    
     
     
         2 . The subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network as claimed in  claim 1 , said method further comprising: 
 changing the state of the registered subscriber data from the inactive state to the active state when receiving a location registration from said mobile station within a predetermined period of time after the state of said registered subscriber data was changed to the inactive state; and    deleting said registered subscriber data when receiving no further location registration from said mobile station within the predetermined period of time after the state of said registered subscriber data was changed to the inactive state.    
     
     
         3 . The subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network as claimed in  claim 1 , said method further comprising: 
 searching said registered subscriber data periodically in a first period of time, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data of the mobile station, which does not perform a periodic location registration for specifying a paging area in said destination service area within a predetermined period of time, to the inactive state; and    searching said registered subscriber data periodically in a second period of time, and deleting said registered subscriber data of the inactive state.    
     
     
         4 . A subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network in which subscriber data of a mobile station is transferred from a home mobile switching center to a destination mobile switching center when the mobile station moves from a home service area controlled by the home mobile switching center to a destination service area controlled by the destination mobile switching center, and performs a location registration in the destination service area, said method comprising: 
 registering said subscriber data, in said destination mobile switching center, transmitted from said home mobile switching center in response to a location registration request by said destination mobile switching center in accordance with the location registration performed by the mobile station;    searching said registered subscriber data periodically in a first period of time, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data of the mobile station, which does not perform a periodic location registration for specifying a paging area in said destination service area within a predetermined period of time, from an active state representative of an operating state to a first inactive state representative of a delete waiting state;    changing a state of said registered subscriber data from an active state representative of an operating state to a second inactive state representative of a holding state in response to a subscriber data delete request, which is caused by a recognition of movement of the mobile station to another service area, by said home mobile switching center; and    searching said registered subscriber data periodically in a second period of time, deleting said registered subscriber data of said first inactive state, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data of said second inactive state to said first inactive state.    
     
     
         5 . A subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network in which subscriber data of a mobile station is transferred from a home mobile switching center to a destination mobile switching center when the mobile station moves from a home service area controlled by the home mobile switching center to a destination service area controlled by the destination mobile switching center, and performs a location registration in the destination service area, said method comprising: 
 registering said subscriber data, in said destination mobile switching center, transmitted from said home mobile switching center in response to a location registration request by said destination mobile switching center in accordance with the location registration performed by the mobile station;    searching said registered subscriber data periodically in a first period of time, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data of the mobile station, which does not perform a periodic location registration for specifying a paging area in said destination service area within a predetermined period of time, from an active state representative of an operating state to a first inactive state representative of a delete waiting state;    changing a state of said registered subscriber data from an active state representative of an operating state to a second inactive state representative of a holding state in response to a subscriber data delete request by said home mobile switching center;    changing the state of said registered subscriber data to the active state when receiving the location registration from said mobile station within a predetermined period of time after the state of said registered subscriber data was changed to any inactive state of the first inactive state and the second inactive state; and    searching said registered subscriber data periodically in a second period of time, deleting said registered subscriber data of said first inactive state, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data of said second inactive state to said first inactive state.    
     
     
         6 . A subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network in which subscriber data of a mobile station is transferred from a home mobile switching center to a destination mobile switching center when the mobile station moves from a home service area controlled by the home mobile switching center to a destination service area controlled by the destination mobile switching center, and performs a location registration in the destination service area, said method comprising: 
 registering said subscriber data, in said destination mobile switching center, transmitted from said home mobile switching center in response to a location registration request by said destination mobile switching center in accordance with the location registration performed by the mobile station;    changing a state of said registered subscriber data from an active state representative of an operating state to an inactive state representative of a holding state in response to a subscriber data delete request by said home mobile switching center; and    ignoring said subscriber data transmitted from said home mobile switching center in response to a location registration request by said destination mobile switching center in accordance with the location registration performed by the mobile station within a predetermined period of time after the state of said registered subscriber data was put in the inactive state, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data from the inactive state to the active state.    
     
     
         7 . A subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network in which subscriber data of a mobile station is transferred from a home mobile switching center to a destination mobile switching center when the mobile station moves from a home service area controlled by the home mobile switching center to a destination service area controlled by the destination mobile switching center, and performs a location registration in the destination service area, said method comprising: 
 registering said subscriber data, in said destination mobile switching center, transmitted from said home mobile switching center in response to a location registration request by said destination mobile switching center in accordance with the location registration performed by the mobile station;    changing a state of said registered subscriber data from an active state representative of an operating state to an inactive state representative of a holding state in response to a subscriber data delete request by said home mobile switching center;    transmitting said location registration request with data indicating that the transfer of the subscriber data is unnecessary to the home mobile switching center when receiving a location registration from said mobile station within a predetermined period of time after the state of said registered subscriber data was put to the inactive state; and    receiving a location registration response from the home mobile switching center, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data from the inactive state to the active state.    
     
     
         8 . A subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network in which subscriber data of a mobile station is transferred from a home mobile switching center to a destination mobile switching center when the mobile station moves from a home service area controlled by the home mobile switching center to a destination service area controlled by the destination mobile switching center, and performs a location registration in the destination service area, said method comprising: 
 registering said subscriber data, in said destination mobile switching center, transmitted from said home mobile switching center in response to a location registration request by said destination mobile switching center in accordance with the location registration performed by the mobile station;    searching said registered subscriber data periodically in a first period of time, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data of the mobile station, which does not perform a periodic location registration for specifying a paging area in said destination service area within a predetermined period of time, from an active state representative of an operating state to an inactive state representative of a delete waiting state; and    searching said registered subscriber data periodically in a second period of time, and deleting said registered subscriber data of said inactive state.    
     
     
         9 . The subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network as claimed in  claim 8 , said method further comprising: 
 changing the state of said registered subscriber data to the active state when receiving a location registration from said mobile station within a predetermined period of time after the state of said registered subscriber data having been changed from the active state to the inactive state.    
     
     
         10 . The subscriber data control method in a mobile communication network as claimed in  claim 8 , said method further comprising: 
 transmitting said location registration request with data indicating that the transmission of the subscriber data is unnecessary to said home mobile switching center when receiving a location registration from said mobile station within a predetermined period of time after the state of said registered subscriber data having been changed to the inactive state,; and    receiving a location registration response from said home mobile switching center, and changing the state of said registered subscriber data from the inactive state to the active state.