Cellular telecommunications networks for temporarily associating unique connection numbers with terminals having token identification modules

Abstract

A cellular telecommunications network is provided that facilitates communication connections for terminals having identification modules that are not associated with a subscriber record or Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) number. The cellular telecommunications network implements providing a pool of unique connection numbers in response to a request for communication with a device incorporating a token identification module, assigning a selected one of the pooled numbers to the token identification module in a location register; and initiating a reconnection event, thereby providing the assigned number to the device by associating the device with a temporary unique connection number in the location register Embodiments described are directed to Machine-to-Machine (M2M) client terminals with embedded token identification modules.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A system implemented within a cellular telecommunications network for temporarily associating unique connection numbers with terminals having token identification modules, the system comprising
 a location register arranged to receive a request to access the network from a terminal, and, if the request is associated with a token identification module having a subscriber identity that is not permanently associated with a publicly known number, redirect the request; and   a token register operative to receive the redirected request, obtain token connection identification data based on the subscriber identity of the token identification module that is used for establishing a gateway session for the terminal, and transmit a signal to the location register indicating that the subscriber identity has been recognized, and   wherein the location register, in response to receiving the signal transmitted by the token register, associates the subscriber identity of the token identification module with the token identification module in a location register record for the token identification module.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a message parsing component that, upon receiving a message addressed to the terminal via the subscriber identity of the token identification module for requesting communication with the terminal, operates to access a network storage component that stores a pool of unique connection numbers to obtain a selected connection number from the pool to associate with the token identification module, injects the selected connection number into a token register record for the token identification module within the token register, directs a purge of the location register record for the token identification module based on the subscriber identity to cause the terminal to undergo a reconnection, and, upon completion of the reconnection for the terminal, overwrites the subscriber identity in the message that is used to address the message to the terminal with the selected connection number. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the message for requesting communication with the terminal is a request from a message originator for a data connection with the terminal, and wherein, upon overwriting the subscriber identity in the message with the selected connection number, the message parsing component redirects the message to the terminal using the selected connection number to address the message to the terminal. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the messaging parsing component, upon receiving confirmation of successful delivery of the redirected message to the terminal, operates to trigger a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context to initiate the data connection between the terminal and the message originator. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein, upon completion of a data exchange between the terminal and the message originator via the data connection, the terminal operates to drop the PDP context to effect a termination of the data connection. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein, upon completion of a data exchange between the terminal and the message originator via the data connection, the message originator operates to drop the PDP context to effect a termination of the data connection. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein, upon a termination of the data connection, the message originator operates to trigger a purge of the token register record for the token identification module from the token register and thereby effect a recovery of selected connection number. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the terminal comprises a loudspeaker, a microphone, and signal processing components. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the message for requesting communication with the terminal is a request from a message originator for a voice connection with the terminal, and wherein, upon overwriting the subscriber identity in the message with the selected connection number, the message parsing component transmits the message to the location register for routing the message to the terminal according to the selected connection number that is used to address the message to the terminal. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the terminal initiates the reconnection by transmitting another request to access the network to the location register that is associated with the token identification module. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the selected connection number was previously associated with a different token identification module until a token register record for the different token identification module was purged from the token register. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein further comprising a network gateway component that is arranged to receive the token connection identification data from the token register and operates to, upon receiving a request for a data connection from the terminal, establish a communication session between the network and the terminal in accordance with the token connection identification data. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the token identification module is coupled to the terminal, wherein the device comprises at least one of a personal computer, a laptop, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a set-top box, a wireless access point, and an onboard vehicle computer. 
     
     
         28 . A method for temporarily associating unique connection numbers with devices having token identification modules, the method comprising:
 maintaining a pool of unique connection numbers within a network storage component;   in response to a request for communication with a device incorporating a token identification module having a subscriber identity that is not permanently associated with a publicly known number, obtaining a selected connection number from the pool to associate with the token identification module within a token register;   injecting the selected connection number into a token register record for the token identification module within the token register; and   directing a purge of a location register record for the token identification module to thereby, in conjunction with injecting the selected connection number into the token register record for the token identification module, initiate a reconnection event for the device and assign the selected connection number to the device.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the request for communication with the device comprises a message addressed to the device via the subscriber identity of the token identification module, wherein the purge of the location register record for the token identification module is directed based on the subscriber identity, and further comprising overwriting the subscriber identity in the message that is used to address the message to the device with the selected connection number. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the request for communication with the device is a request for delivery of the message to the device from a message originator, and further comprising receiving the message and, upon overwriting the subscriber identity in the message with the selected connection number, redirecting the message to the device using the selected connection number to address the message to the device. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising, upon successful delivery of the redirected message to the device being confirmed, triggering a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context to initiate the data connection between the device and the message originator. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein, upon completion of a data exchange between the device and the message originator via the data connection, dropping the PDP context to effect a termination of the data connection. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the PDP context is dropped by one of the device and the message originator. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising, upon a termination of the data connection, triggering a purge of the token register record for the token identification module from the token register to thereby effect a recovery of selected connection number.