Method and system for keeping all phone numbers active while roaming with diverse operator subscriber identity modules
View Patent ↗A system, method, and computer product are provided for facilitating mobile communication corresponding to Multiple MSISDNs associated with Multiple IMSIs of a subscriber. The system includes a Signaling Gateway (SG) coupled to a first network. The SG receives one or more association messages from a subscriber for associating a first IMSI, corresponding to the first network, with one or more other IMSIs, corresponding to one or more VPMN networks. The first and other IMSIs are associated with the subscriber using at least one SIM. The SG associates MSISDNs corresponding to the associated IMSIs. Further, the SG facilitates mobile communication corresponding to any associated IMSI and the corresponding associated MSISDN, irrespective of the IMSI being activated in the SIM.
1. A method for mobile communications, the method comprising:
receiving, at a Home Public Mobile Network, a single subscription activation message from a subscriber at a Signaling Gateway (SG) having a SG address, the subscriber being associated with the Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) and having a HPMN Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) with a corresponding HPMN International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and a corresponding HPMN Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN);
assigning one or more MSISDNs to the subscriber based on the single subscription activation message, wherein each of the one or more MSISDNs is associated with one or more IMSIs stored in the SIM and corresponds to one or more Friendly Public Mobile Networks (FPMNs) coupled to a Visited Location Register (VLR) and a Serving General packet radio service Support Node (SGSN), and wherein the subscription activation message is received from one of the one or more FPMNs;
maintaining, at the SG, a local profile of the subscriber corresponding to each IMSI activated in the SIM;
associating the one or more MSISDNs with the HPMN MSISDN to facilitate mobile communications corresponding to the one or more MSISDNs assigned to the subscriber;
receiving, at the SG, mobile communications originating at the HPMN, directed to the one or more FPMNs, wherein the mobile communications include a Signaling Connection and Control Part (SCCP) message;
registering the subscriber with one of the one or more FPMNs;
receiving a mobile communication from the subscriber, the mobile communication having a location address, wherein the location address is selected from a group consisting of a VLR address, a Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC) address, and a SGSN address;
replacing the location address with the SG address, wherein the SG address is associated with the HPMN; and
issuing, at the SG, a cancel registration message to at least one selected from the group consisting of the VLR and the SGSN.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the association of the one or more MSISDNs with the HPMN MSISDN in a subscription a data repository accessible by the SG.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HPMN has a Home Location Register (HLR), the method further comprising:
issuing, at the SG, a routing query to the HPMN HLR for retrieving the HPMN IMSI corresponding to the subscriber.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscription activation message is selected from a group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message, a customer care call, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) interaction, a World Wide Web interaction, and an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) message.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscription activation message is received from a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN).
6. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
registering the subscriber with one of the one or more FPMNs;
receiving a mobile communication from the subscriber, the mobile communication having a calling party address; and
replacing the calling party address with the SG address, wherein the SG address is associated with the HPMN.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber has a Customized Applications for Mobile networks Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) profile at the HPMN, the method further comprising:
facilitating receipt of the subscriber CAMEL profile at the SG;
wherein the subscriber is registered at one of the one or more FPMNs; and
wherein the subscriber is a pre-paid subscriber.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more FPMNs has roaming partners and is a sponsor operator of the HPMN in providing indirect roaming relationships to the roaming partners.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HPMN has an associated first network technology, and at least one of the one or more FPMNs has an associated second network technology.
10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to perform mobile communications, the control logic comprising computer readable program code means for:
receiving, at a Home Public Mobile Network, a single subscription activation message from a subscriber at a Signaling Gateway (SG) having a SG address, the subscriber being associated with the Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) and having a HPMN Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) with a corresponding HPMN International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and a corresponding HPMN Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN);
assigning one or more MSISDNs to the subscriber based on the single subscription activation message, wherein each of the one or more MSISDNs is associated with one or more IMSIs stored in the SIM and corresponds to one or more Friendly Public Mobile Networks (FPMNs) coupled to a Visited Location Register (VLR) and a Serving General packet radio service Support Node (SGSN), and wherein the subscription activation message is received from one of the one or more FPMNs;
maintaining, at the SG, a local profile of the subscriber corresponding to each IMSI activated in the SIM;
associating the one or more MSISDNs with the HPMN MSISDN to facilitate mobile communications corresponding to the one or more MSISDNs assigned to the subscriber;
receiving, at the SG, mobile communications originating at the HPMN, directed to the one or more FPMNs, wherein the mobile communications include a Signaling Connection and Control Part (SCCP) message;
registering the subscriber with one of the one or more FPMNs;
receiving a mobile communication from the subscriber, the mobile communication having a location address, wherein the location address is selected from a group consisting of a VLR address, a Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC) address, and a SGSN address;
replacing the location address with the SG address, wherein the SG address is associated with the HPMN; and
issuing, at the SG, a cancel registration message to at least one selected from the group consisting of the VLR and the SGSN.
11. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising computer readable program code means for:
storing the association of the one or more MSISDNs with the HPMN MSISDN in a subscription a data repository accessible by the SG.
12. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the HPMN has a Home Location Register (HLR), the control logic further comprising computer readable program code means for:
issuing, at the SG, a routing query to the HPMN HLR for retrieving the HPMN IMSI corresponding to the subscriber.
13. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the subscription activation message is selected from a group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message, a customer care call, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) interaction, a World Wide Web interaction, and an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) message.
14. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the subscription activation message is received from a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN).
15. The computer program product of claim 10 , the computer program product further comprising computer readable program code means for:
registering the subscriber with one of the one or more FPMNs;
receiving a mobile communication from the subscriber, the mobile communication having a calling party address; and
replacing the calling party address with the SG address, wherein the SG address is associated with the HPMN.
16. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the subscriber has a Customized Applications for Mobile networks Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) profile at the HPMN, the computer program product further comprising computer readable program code means for:
facilitating receipt of the subscriber CAMEL profile at the SG;
wherein the subscriber is registered at one of the one or more FPMNs; and
wherein the subscriber is a pre-paid subscriber.
17. A system for mobile communications, the system comprising:
a module for receiving, at a Home Public Mobile Network, a single subscription activation message from a subscriber at a Signaling Gateway (SG) having a SG address, the subscriber being associated with the Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) and having a HPMN Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) with a corresponding HPMN International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and a corresponding HPMN Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN);
a module for assigning one or more MSISDNs to the subscriber based on the single subscription activation message, wherein each of the one or more MSISDNs is associated with one or more IMSIs stored in the SIM and corresponds to one or more Friendly Public Mobile Networks (FPMNs) coupled to a Visited Location Register (VLR) and a Serving General packet radio service Support Node (SGSN), and wherein the subscription activation message is received from one of the one or more FPMNs;
a module for maintaining, at the SG, a local profile of the subscriber corresponding to each IMSI activated in the SIM;
a module for associating the one or more MSISDNs with the HPMN MSISDN to facilitate mobile communications corresponding to the one or more MSISDNs assigned to the subscriber;
a module for receiving, at the SG, mobile communications originating at the HPMN, directed to the one or more FPMNs, wherein the mobile communications include a Signaling Connection and Control Part (SCCP) message;
a module for registering the subscriber with one of the one or more FPMNs;
a module for receiving a mobile communication from the subscriber, the mobile communication having a location address, wherein the location address is selected from a group consisting of a VLR address, a Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC) address, and a SGSN address;
a module for replacing the location address with the SG address, wherein the SG address is associated with the HPMN; and
a module for issuing, at the SG, a cancel registration message to at least one selected from the group consisting of the VLR and the SGSN.
18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a module for storing the association of the one or more MSISDNs with the HPMN MSISDN in a subscription a data repository accessible by the SG.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the HPMN has a Home Location Register (HLR), the system further comprising:
a module for issuing, at the SG, a routing query to the HPMN HLR for retrieving the HPMN IMSI corresponding to the subscriber.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the subscription activation message is selected from a group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message, a customer care call, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) interaction, a World Wide Web interaction, and an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) message.
21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the subscription activation message is received from a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN).
22. The system of claim 17 , the system further comprising:
a module for registering the subscriber with one of the one or more FPMNs;
a module for receiving a mobile communication from the subscriber, the mobile communication having a calling party address; and
a module for replacing the calling party address with the SG address, wherein the SG address is associated with the HPMN.
23. The system of claim 17 , wherein the subscriber has a Customized Applications for Mobile networks Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) profile at the HPMN, the system further comprising:
a module for facilitating receipt of the subscriber CAMEL profile at the SG;
wherein the subscriber is registered at one of the one or more FPMNs; and
wherein the subscriber is a pre-paid subscriber.
24. A method for mobile communications for a subscriber roaming in a Visited Public Mobile (VPMN) Network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a Home Public Mobile Network, a single subscription activation message from a subscriber at a Signaling Gateway (SG) having a SG address, the subscriber being associated with the Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) and having a HPMN Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) with a corresponding HPMN International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and a corresponding HPMN Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN);
assigning one or more MSISDNs to the subscriber based on the single subscription activation message, wherein each of the one or more MSISDNs is associated with one or more IMSIs stored in the SIM and corresponds to one or more Friendly Public Mobile Networks (FPMNs) coupled to a Visited Location Register (VLR) and a Serving General packet radio service Support Node (SGSN), and wherein the subscription activation message is received from one of the one or more FPMNs;
maintaining, at the SG, a local profile of the subscriber corresponding to each IMSI activated in the SIM;
associating the one or more MSISDNs with the HPMN MSISDN to facilitate mobile communications corresponding to the one or more MSISDNs assigned to the subscriber;
receiving, at the SG, mobile communications originating at the HPMN, directed to the one or more FPMNs, wherein the mobile communications include a Signaling Connection and Control Part (SCCP) message;
registering the subscriber with one of the one or more FPMNs;
receiving a mobile communication from the subscriber, the mobile communication having a location address, wherein the location address is selected from a group consisting of a VLR address, a Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC) address, and a SGSN address;
replacing the location address with the SG address, wherein the SG address is associated with the HPMN; and
issuing, at the SG, a cancel registration message to at least one selected from the group consisting of the VLR and the SGSN;
wherein the HPMN has a roaming relationship with the VPMN.