Method and system for providing telecommunication services across networks that use different protocols

Abstract

A method and system provide seamless, wireless telecommunication service to customers that move between disparate networks that use different protocols. A Universal Location Service Register (ULSR) communicates and provides mobility management and authentication functions across networks that use different protocols. Instead of associating each MSC with an HLR and an AuC that uses the same messaging protocol as the MSC, each MSC communicates with the ULSR for user information. The ULSR communicates with the MSCs in each network serviced by the ULSR in accordance with the protocol of that network. The ULSR stores user profiles that may include the identity of the user, authentication information for the user's mobile phone, a list of networks the user is authorized to access, and the identity of the MSC at which the user is currently registered.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A mobile communications method that comprises: 
 receiving a message from a wireless communication network (“serving network”) indicating that a mobile communication device user has requested registration at the serving network;    storing in a database an indication that the mobile communication device user is registered in the serving network;    determining whether the mobile communication device user should be registered in only one network; and    in response to determining that the mobile communication device user should be registered in only one network, sending a message to a wireless communication network where the mobile communication device user was previously registered (“previous network”) that the mobile communication device user is no longer registered at the previous network.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a routing number request message from a home wireless communications network (“home network”);    retrieving from the database an indication that the mobile communication device user is registered in the serving network;    sending a routing number request to the serving network in accordance with a serving network protocol;    receiving from the serving network a routing number; and    sending the routing number to the home network in accordance with a home network protocol.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the home network protocol is different than the serving network protocol, and wherein the method further comprises: 
 translating a routing number message from the serving network protocol to the home network protocol.    
     
     
         4 . A mobile communications provision method in a mobile communications system having at least two wireless networks with different mobile switching center (“MSC”) communication protocols, the MSCs in each wireless network being coupled to a universal location service register (ULSR) having a database of information about all subscribers registered in one or more of the wireless networks, wherein the method comprises: 
 tracking for each registered subscriber in the database at least one MSC where that registered subscriber is registered (“a serving MSC”);  
 receiving a routing number request associated with a registered subscriber; and  
 providing a routing number in response to the routing number request.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said providing a routing number includes: 
 determining a serving MSC for the registered subscriber associated with the routing number request;    sending a routing number request to the serving MSC; and    receiving a routing number from the serving MSC.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said determining a serving MSC includes: 
 selecting a serving MSC from a plurality of serving MSCs where the registered subscriber is simultaneously registered.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said selecting includes: 
 determining a preferred serving MSC from a user profile associated with the registered subscriber.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said sending a routing number request includes: 
 translating the routing number request into a MSC communications protocol associated with the serving MSC.    
     
     
         9 . A mobile communications provision method in a mobile communications system having at least two wireless networks with different mobile switching center (“MSC”) communication protocols, the MSCs in each wireless network being coupled to a universal location service register (ULSR) having a database of information about all subscribers registered in one or more of the wireless networks, wherein the method comprises: 
 receiving from a MSC a registration request associated with a subscriber;  
 retrieving a user profile for the subscriber;  
 refusing the registration request if the user profile indicates that the subscriber is not authorized to register with the MSC; and  
 sending the user profile to the MSC if the user profile indicates that the subscriber is authorized to register with the MSC.  
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 if the user profile indicates that the subscriber is authorized to register with the MSC, updating the database to indicate that the subscriber is registered with the MSC.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 determining whether the subscriber can be concurrently registered in multiple networks; and    issuing a registration cancellation to any other MSCs where the subscriber is registered if the subscriber cannot be concurrently registered in multiple networks.    
     
     
         12 . A mobile communications system that comprises: 
 a set of wireless networks each having at least one mobile switching center (“MSC”), wherein at least one wireless network in the set employs a MSC communication protocol that differs from a MSC communication protocol employed by at least one other wireless network in the set;    a universal location service register (“ULSR”) coupled to the MSCs in each wireless network of the set, the ULSR including: 
 a database of information about all subscribers registered in one or more of the wireless networks in the set.  
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the ULSR is configured to track for each said subscriber at least one MSC where that subscriber is registered (“a serving MSC”).  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the ULSR is further configured to: 
 receive a routing number request associated with a subscriber;    determine a serving MSC for the subscriber associated with the routing number request;    send a routing number request to the serving MSC;    receive a routing number from the serving MSC; and    provide the routing number in response to the original routing number request.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein as part of determining a serving MSC, the ULSR is configured to select a serving MSC from a plurality of serving MSCs where the registered subscriber is concurrently registered.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the ULSR is further configured to translate the routing number request between different MSC communication protocols.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the ULSR is configured to: 
 receive from a MSC a registration request associated with a subscriber;    retrieve a user profile for the subscriber;    refuse the registration request if the user profile indicates that the subscriber is not authorized to register with the requesting MSC; and    send the user profile to the requesting MSC if the user profile indicates that the subscriber is authorized to register with the requesting MSC.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the ULSR is further configured to update the database to indicate that the subscriber is registered with the requesting MSC.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the ULSR is further configured to: determine whether the subscriber can be concurrently registered in multiple networks; and issue a registration cancellation to any MSCs (other than the requesting MSC) where the subscriber is registered if the subscriber cannot be concurrently registered in multiple networks.