Updating of internet access point settings in a mobile communication system

Abstract

A digital mobile communication system is provided with a facility by means of which it can establish a connection to the Internet network via an Internet access point “(IAP”). IAP settings needed for establishing a connection are stored in a mobile station. When a mobile station roams, the closest point may, however, change, and IAP settings should be updated in the mobile station. The invention comprises dividing the mobile communication system into IAP areas, which are given preferred IAPs. For example, an IAP area may be a mobile communication network. Mobile communication networks broadcast system information on the basis of which a mobile station may detect that the LAP area has changed and start a procedure for updating IAP settings. Updating may comprise retrieval of IAP settings from a special server in the network maintained by an Internet service provider. For example, retrieval can be done via a short message service center. In one embodiment, the mobile communication network broadcasts messages giving recommended IAP settings to mobile stations.

1 . A method of updating Internet access point information in the terminal equipment of a digital mobile communication system, which is capable of establishing a connection to the Internet via the mobile communication system and a number of Internet access points, comprising 
 storing settings of Internet access points that were used last time to access the Internet in the terminal equipment,    storing system information in the terminal equipment on the mobile communication network or on part of the mobile communication network used to access the Internet last time,    receiving broadcast system information on the mobile communication network or on part of the mobile communication network in the current location of the terminal equipment,    comparing said received system information with said stored system information, and    starting a procedure for updating the stored Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with Internet access point settings recommended for the currently used mobile communication network or for part of the mobile communication network, if it is noted on the basis of said stored and received system information that the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network has changed.    
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising 
 carrying out said comparison only when a new Internet transaction is started, and    carrying out said updating procedure before setting up a call to the Internet access point via the mobile communication system, if it is noted on the basis of said stored and received system information that the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network has changed.    
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said updating procedure comprises 
 requesting Internet access point settings from the Internet service provider's server via the mobile communication system, said request comprising system information identifying the current mobile communication system of the terminal equipment or part of the mobile communication system,    receiving said request at said server    selecting in said server on the basis of system information included in said request Internet access point settings suitable for the current location of the terminal equipment,    sending selected settings from said server via the mobile communication network to the terminal equipment,    receiving selected settings in the terminal equipment, and    updating Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with said selected settings.    
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said updating procedure comprises 
 sending a message requesting Internet access point settings to a message service centre, which has an access to the Internet network, said message comprising system information identifying the current mobile communication network of the terminal equipment or part of the mobile communication network,    receiving said message in said message centre,    sending a request for Internet access point settings from the message centre to the Internet service provider's server by using protocols of the Internet network, said request comprising system information identifying the current mobile communication network of the terminal equipment or part of the mobile communication network,    receiving said request in said server,    selecting in said server on the basis of system information included in said request Internet access point settings suitable for the current location of the terminal equipment,    sending a response including the selected settings from said server to the message service centre by using protocols of the Internet network,    receiving said message in the terminal equipment, and    updating Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with said selected settings.    
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said updating procedure comprises 
 sending a message requesting Internet access point settings to a message service centre, which has an access to the Internet network, said message comprising system information identifying the current mobile communication network of the terminal equipment or part of the mobile communication network,    receiving said message in said short message service centre,    retrieving the World Wide Web (WWW) page including Internet access point settings from the Internet network by using protocols of the Internet network as a response to said message sent by the mobile station,    selecting Internet access point settings suitable for the location of the mobile station from the received WWW page on the basis of said system information,    sending a message including said selected settings from the message service centre to the terminal equipment,    receiving said message in the terminal equipment, and    updating Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with said selected settings.    
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising 
 broadcasting messages including information on settings of the recommended Internet access point to all terminal equipment of the mobile communication network or part of it, and    updating stored Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with Internet access point settings included in said broadcast message, if it is noted on the basis of stored and received system information that the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network has changed.    
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said system information is one of the following: country code, operator name, operator code, network name, network code, location area identifier.  
   
   
       8 . A server in the Internet network, comprising 
 means for receiving a request for Internet access point settings via the Internet network from a message centre, which is connected to a mobile communication network, said request comprising information identifying the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network, where the mobile station which requested settings is located,    means for selecting settings of the Internet access point suitable for the location of the mobile station on the basis of system information included in said request, and    means for sending selected settings via the Internet network to said message centre to be forwarded to the mobile station.    
   
   
       9 . A message service centre for a digital mobile communication system, including a message service, comprising 
 first means for connecting to a mobile communication network in order to transmit messages between the short message service centre and a mobile station, and    second means for connecting to a data network,    said second means further comprising means for retrieving settings of an Internet access point suitable for a current location of a mobile station from an Internet service provider's server from the data network in response to a message sent by the mobile station, the message requesting Internet access point settings, and that    the message service centre also comprises means for sending Internet access point settings received from the server in a message via the mobile communication network to the mobile station.    
   
   
       10 . A message service centre as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the message sent by the mobile station contains system information identifying the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network where the mobile station is currently located.  
   
   
       11 . A message service centre as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein 
 said data network is the Internet network, and    said second means comprise means for retrieving said Internet access points from the Internet server in response to the message sent by the mobile station.    
   
   
       12 . A message service centre as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein 
 said second means comprise means for retrieving the World Wide Web (WWW) page including Internet access point settings from the Internet network by using protocols of the Internet network in response to said message sent by the mobile station, and    the message service centre also comprises means for separating settings of the Internet access point suitable for the location of the mobile station from the received WWW page on the basis of the location of the mobile station, and means for sending the separated settings to the mobile station in a message.    
   
   
       13 . Terminal equipment of a digital mobile communication system, which is capable of establishing a connection to the Internet network via a mobile communication system and a number of Internet access points, and which comprises a memory in which Internet access point settings used last time to access the Internet are stored, the terminal equipment comprising 
 a memory in which system information identifying the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network used last time to access the Internet is stored,    means for receiving broadcast system information on the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network of the current location of the terminal equipment,    means for comparing said received system information with said stored system information, and    updating means for starting the procedure for updating stored Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with settings of the Internet access point recommended for the currently used mobile communication network or for part of the mobile communication network, if it is noted on the basis of the stored and received system information that the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network has changed.    
   
   
       14 . Terminal equipment as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein 
 said means of comparison start in response to initiation of a new Internet transaction, and    said updating means are responsive to said means of comparison to carry out said updating procedure before setting up a call via the mobile communication system to an Internet access point, if it is noted on the basis of said stored and received information that the mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network has changed.    
   
   
       15 . Terminal equipment as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said updating means comprise 
 means for requesting Internet access point settings from the Internet service provider's server via the Internet, said request comprising system information identifying the current mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network of the terminal equipment, and    means for receiving a response including requested settings from the server via the mobile communication system, and for updating Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with the received settings.    
   
   
       16 . Terminal equipment as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said updating means comprise 
 means for sending a short message requesting Internet access point settings to the message service centre, which has an access to the Internet network, said message containing system information identifying the current mobile communication network or part of the mobile communication network of the terminal equipment, and    means for receiving a message containing the requested settings from the message centre, and for updating Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with the received settings.    
   
   
       17 . Terminal equipment as claimed in  claim 13 , comprising 
 means for receiving broadcast messages containing information on the settings of the recommended Internet access point, and that    said updating means are responsive to means of comparison for updating stored Internet access point settings of the terminal equipment with Internet access point settings included in said broadcast message, if it is noted on the basis of the stored and received system information that the mobile communication network or part of it has changed.    
   
   
       18 . Terminal equipment as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said system information is one of the following: country code, operator's name, operator code, name of the network, network code, location area identifier.  
   
   
       19 . A digital mobile communication system, comprising 
 message service and terminal equipment capable of establishing a connection to the Internet network via a mobile communication, a number of Internet access points, and    the mobile communication system being configured to broadcast to terminal equipment messages including settings of at least one local Internet access point, which is recommended to be used in part of the mobile communication system in question.