Method and system for providing piggyback roaming for sponsoring split roaming relationships
View Patent ↗A method for facilitating exchange of one or more signaling messages between a client network and an HSRP network. The method includes identifying by an SPRS router associated with a client network, one or more parameters in the received signaling messages so as to determine from the parameters one or more roaming agreements that are required between the client network and the HSRP network, to allow exchange of the signaling messages. The method further includes facilitating by the SPRS router, exchange of the signaling messages between the client network and the HSRP network via one or more SPRS hubs, when the SPRS router determines absence of the required roaming agreements. The method further includes facilitating by the SPRS router, direct exchange of the signaling messages between the client network and the HSRP network, when the SPRS router determines presence of the required roaming agreements.
1. A method for facilitating exchange of a signaling message, the method comprising:
identifying, via a Signal Packet Relay System (SPRS) router associated with a client network, at least one parameter in the signaling message received at the SPRS router so as to determine from the at least one parameter one or more roaming agreements between the client network and a Host Supported Roaming Partner (HSRP) network, and so as to allow exchange of the signaling message between the client network and the HSRP network;
when the SPRS router determines absence of any of the one or more roaming agreements, facilitating, via the SPRS router, exchange of the signaling message between the client network and the HSRP network via one or more SPRS hubs;
when the SPRS router determines presence of at least one of the one or more roaming agreements, facilitating, via the SPRS router, direct exchange of the signaling message between the client network and the HSRP network;
detecting, via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs or the SPRS router, a registration attempt of an inbound roamer at the client network incoming via the HSRP network;
holding, at the SPRS router, a registration message received from the inbound roamer;
encapsulating the registration message and transmitting the encapsulated registration message to the HSRP network, either directly or via the one or more SPRS hubs;
upon receiving an indication that the inbound roamer is not redirected away from the client network, transmitting, via the SPRS router, the held registration message or subsequent registration messages from the inbound roamer directly to the HSRP network; and
upon receiving an indication that the inbound roamer is being redirected away from the client network, transmitting, via the SPRS router, the held registration message or the subsequent registration messages to the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the at least one parameter includes:
detecting Signaling Connection Control part (SCCP) Called Party Address (CdPA), Sub System Number (SSN) and Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) content in the signaling message.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
encapsulating the signaling message, via the SPRS router, prior to transmitting the signaling messages to the one or more SPRS hubs.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
de-capsulating the encapsulated signaling message, via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs, prior to relaying the encapsulated signaling message to the HSRP network.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
allowing selective exchange of the signaling message between the client network and the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs, wherein each of the one or more SPRS hubs selectively exchanges the signaling message based on blacklisting and white-listing criteria.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a Signaling Transfer Point (STP) is associated with the client network, the STP being configured to route the signaling message to the SPRS router.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein an STP is associated with the client network, the STP being configured to route the signaling message to an International STP (ISTP) associated with an International Service Carrier (ISC), upon detecting a failure of the SPRS router.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs, a registration attempt of an outbound roamer of the client network at the HSRP network, when the outbound roamer uses an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with the client network to register with the HSRP network.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein, when the signaling message is routed to a client network or at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs, the HSRP network performs one selected from the group consisting of:
configuring a Visitor Location Register (VLR) and a Serving General Packet Radio System Support Node (SGSN) to use IMSI analysis on a Mobile Country Code (MCC) or a Mobile Network Code (MNC) of the client network, both the VLR and the SGSN being associated with the HSRP network;
configuring an STP associated with the HSRP network or a third party network to examine Sub System Number (SSN) associated with both a Calling Party Address (CgPA) and a Called Party Address (CdPA) of the client network destined signaling messages; and
configuring the STP associated with the HSRP network to route the client network destined signaling message to the one or more SPRS hubs.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in order to facilitate an MT SMS to an outbound roamer of the client network, when a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) transmitting the MT Short Message Service (SMS) to the outbound roamer's MSISDN is a non-client network SMSC, modifying, via the SPRS router, one selected from a group consisting of:
when the outbound roamer uses a dual IMSI SIM to register with the HSRP network, an IMSI of the outbound roamer to the host IMSI of the outbound roamer; and
a Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC)/SGSN address to a VMSC/SGSN address associated with at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
holding, at the SPRS router, a registration message received from the inbound roamer when the SPRS router determines, from the registration message, presence of a roaming support at the client network and absence of at least one of the one or more roaming agreements between the client network and the HSRP network;
encapsulating the registration message and transmitting the encapsulated registration message to the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs; and
receiving, at the SPRS router, an indication of whether the inbound roamer is a preferred roamer or a non-preferred roamer.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
when the inbound roamer is indicated as the non-preferred roamer, performing one selected from a group consisting of:
transmitting an error message to the client network in response to the received registration message; and
transmitting a subsequent registration message from the inbound roamer directly to the HSRP network.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
when the inbound roamer is indicated as the preferred roamer, performing one selected from a group consisting of:
transmitting an error message to the client network in response to the received registration message; and
transmitting a subsequent registration message from the inbound roamer to the HSRP network via the one or more SPRS hubs.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
when the inbound roamer is indicated as the preferred roamer,
transmitting, via the SPRS router, the held registration message to the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
when the inbound roamer is indicated as the non-preferred roamer, transmitting, via the SPRS router, the held registration directly to the HSRP network.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein an STP associated with the client network is configured to route the signaling message, destined for the HSRP network, to the SPRS router when the HSRP network attempts to redirect traffic of the inbound roamer away from the client network.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SPRS router transmits the subsequent registration messages to at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs until a successful registration is detected by the SPRS router or all of the one or more SPRS hubs fail to complete the inbound roamer's registration with the client network.
18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the inbound roamer's registration message to the HSRP network either directly or via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs;
determining whether the inbound roamer is a prepaid roamer or a postpaid roamer;
when the inbound roamer is determined to be a prepaid roamer, transmitting the registration message or a subsequent prepaid roamer registration message from the inbound roamer to the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs; and
when the inbound roamer is determined to be a postpaid roamer, transmitting the registration message or a subsequent postpaid roamer registration message to the HSRP network.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SPRS router routes the signaling message to the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs in a format that is recognizable by the HSRP network.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs support at least one of the one or more roaming agreements, the at least one of the one or more roaming agreements being among a plurality of client networks and a plurality of HSRP networks.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
storing at the one or more SPRS hubs at least one selected from a group consisting of
a blacklist or a white-list of the plurality of the HSRP networks; and
identity mappings associated with each of the plurality of client networks.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client network maintains a plurality of roaming agreements with a plurality of host networks corresponding to each of the one or more SPRS hubs, and wherein the SPRS router stores information related to each of the one or more roaming agreements between the client network and the plurality of HSRP networks and each of the plurality of roaming agreements with the plurality of the host networks corresponding to each of the one or more SPRS hubs.
23. A method for facilitating exchange of a signaling message, the method comprising:
identifying, via an SPRS router associated with a client network, one or more parameters in the signaling message received at the SPRS router so as to determine from the identified parameters one or more roaming agreements with the client network to allow exchange of the signaling message from the client network;
when the SPRS router determines absence of any of the one or more roaming agreements, facilitating, via the SPRS router, indirect exchange of the signaling message from the client network;
when the SPRS router determines presence of at least one of the one or more roaming agreements, facilitating, via the SPRS router, direct exchange of the signaling message from the client network;
detecting, via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs or the SPRS router, a registration attempt of an inbound roamer at the client network incoming via the HSRP network;
holding, at the SPRS router, a registration message received from the inbound roamer;
encapsulating the registration message and transmitting the encapsulated registration message to the HSRP network, either directly or via the one or more SPRS hubs;
upon receiving an indication that the inbound roamer is not redirected away from the client network, transmitting, via the SPRS router, the held registration message or subsequent registration messages from the inbound roamer directly to the HSRP network; and
upon receiving an indication that the inbound roamer is being redirected away from the client network, transmitting, via the SPRS router, the held registration message or the subsequent registration messages to the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs.
24. A system for facilitating exchange of a signaling message, the system comprising:
a client network;
an HSRP network that is accessible via the client network;
one or more SPRS hubs accessible via the client network; and
an SPRS router associated with the client network for identifying at least one parameter in the signaling message received at the SPRS router so as to determine from the at least one parameter one or more roaming agreements between the client network and the HSRP network and so as to allow exchange of the signaling message between the client network and the HSRP network;
wherein, when the SPRS router determines absence of at least one of the one or more roaming agreements, the SPRS router facilitates exchange of the signaling message between the client network and the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs; and
wherein, when the SPRS router determines presence of at least one of the one or more roaming agreements, the SPRS router facilitates direct exchange of the signaling message between the client network and the HSRP network,
wherein when at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs or the SPRS router detects a registration attempt of an inbound roamer at the client network incoming via the HSRP network, the SPRS router holds a registration message received from the inbound roamer; the registration message is encapsulated and the encapsulated registration message is transmitted to the HSRP network, either directly or via the one or more SPRS hubs; upon receiving an indication that the inbound roamer is not redirected away from the client network, the held registration message or subsequent registration messages from the inbound roamer is transmitted, via the SPRS router, directly to the HSRP network; and upon receiving an indication that the inbound roamer is being redirected away from the client network, the held registration message or the subsequent registration messages is transmitted, via the SPRS router, to the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein at least one of the SPRS router or the one or more SPRS hubs is associated with an STP of the client network or an STP of a host network.
26. The system of claim 24 , wherein a host network operator or an Open Connectivity (OC) hub deploys at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs.
27. The system of claim 24 , wherein an OC hub deploys at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs, and wherein the deployed at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs is integrated with the SPRS router.
28. The system of claim 24 , wherein at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs communicates with the SPRS router using one selected from a group consisting of Signaling System #7 (SS7) protocol, Internet Protocol (IP) and Signalling Transport (SIGTRAN) protocol.
29. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium including a computer usable program code for facilitating exchange of a signaling message, the computer program product comprising:
computer usable program code for identifying, via an SPRS router associated with a client network, at least one parameter in the signaling message received at the SPRS router so as to determine from the at least one parameter one or more roaming agreements between the client network and an HSRP network, and so as to allow exchange of the signaling messages between the client network and the HSRP network;
computer usable program code for, when the SPRS router determines absence of any of the one or more roaming agreements, facilitating, via the SPRS router, exchange of the signaling messages between the client network and the HSRP network via one or more SPRS hubs;
computer usable program code for, when the SPRS router determines presence of at least one of the one or more roaming agreements, facilitating, via the SPRS router, direct exchange of the signaling messages between the client network and the HSRP network;
computer usable program code for detecting, via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs or the SPRS router, a registration attempt of an inbound roamer at the client network incoming via the HSRP network;
computer usable program code for holding, at the SPRS router, a registration message received from the inbound roamer;
computer usable program code for encapsulating the registration message and transmitting the encapsulated registration message to the HSRP network, either directly or via the one or more SPRS hubs;
computer usable program code for upon receiving an indication that the inbound roamer is not redirected away from the client network, transmitting, via the SPRS router, the held registration message or subsequent registration messages from the inbound roamer directly to the HSRP network; and
computer usable program code for upon receiving an indication that the inbound roamer is being redirected away from the client network, transmitting, via the SPRS router, the held registration message or the subsequent registration messages to the HSRP network via at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs.
30. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing an advanced service.
31. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
performing an advanced service.
32. The system of claim 24 , wherein the client network performs an advanced service.
33. The system of claim 24 , wherein at least one of the one or more SPRS hubs performs an advanced service.