Method and system for enabling usage of mobile telephone services on a donor device
A system and method can allow a first subscriber who is unable to use his mobile device due to theft, damage, loss, or any other reason to authenticate himself on a telecommunications network using a second subscriber's mobile device. The system and method can also allow the first subscriber to continue to make and receive calls and messages with the second subscriber's mobile device. Any charges incurred by usage of the second subscriber's mobile device by the first subscriber can be billed to an account associated with the first subscriber.
1. A method for providing communication services to a device loser via a donor device of a device lender, after a mobile device of the device loser is lost or stolen, the method comprising:
a system server providing the functions of a Visitor Location Register (VLR) in a telecommunications network;
the system server authenticating the device loser using authentication credentials comprising one or more of a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Digital Network (MSISDN) number of the user, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the lost or stolen device and a secret key of the device loser;
the system server making an association, between the MSISDN and IMSI of the device loser and the MSISDN and IMSI belonging to the device lender, using the donor device; and
the system server interacting with the Home Location Register (HLR), Visitor Location Register (VLR), Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Gateway MSC (GMSC), and a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) of an operator's network such that the device loser may successfully utilize communication services on the donor device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
charging communication services provided to the device loser via the donor device to a personal billing account, held with a mobile operator, of the device loser.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication services comprise one or more of: voice calls, video calls, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) messages sent or received, Short Message Service (SMS) messages sent or received, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages sent or received and Instant Messages sent or received.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the system server receiving Mobile Terminated SMS messages and storing said SMS messages for later delivery.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication is performed using Interactive Voice Response.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication is performed using Short Message Service (SMS).
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication is performed using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication is performed using Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication is performed using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
10. A method for a system server to enable a user to access a telecommunications network via a donor device, the method comprising:
establishing an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) dialog with the donor device;
receiving an authentication request from the donor device, wherein the authentication request comprises a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) of the user and a secret key of the user;
determining if authentication is successful by comparing the MSISDN and secret key from the authentication request to a stored MSISDN and a stored secret key that are stored in a database in the telecommunications network; and
providing the user access to the telecommunications network using the donor device after successful authentication.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising billing an account of the user for charges incurred while accessing the telecommunications network using the donor device.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the user access the telecommunications network using the donor device after successful authentication comprises:
receiving a first Short Message Service (SMS) message from the donor device, the first SMS message containing message text;
generating a second SMS message containing the message text and indicating the stored MSISDN as an originating address; and
submitting the second SMS message to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) of the telecommunication network.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a delivery success or failure indication from the SMSC; and
forwarding the delivery success or failure indication to the donor device.
14. A method for enabling a user to access a telecommunication network via a donor device, the method comprising:
responsive to a call to a device, other than the donor device, of the user, receiving, at a Home Location Register (HLR) of the telecommunication network, a Send_Routing_Info message from the donor device via a Gateway MSC (GMSC), the Send_Routing_Info message including a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Digital Network (MSISDN) of the user;
the HLR sending a Provide_Roaming_Number message to a system server of the telecommunication network, the Provide_Roaming_Number message including an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the device of the user;
receiving at the HLR a Send_Routing_Info_for_SM message from the system server;
responsive to receiving the Send_Routing_Info_for_SM message, the HLR sending an IMSI of the donor device to the system server;
receiving from the system server a Mobile Station Roaming Number MSRN of the donor device, the MSRN of the donor device retrieved by the system server from a Visitor Location Register (VLR) of the telecommunication system; and
sending the MSRN of the donor device to the donor device via the GMSC,
whereby the call from the foreign network to the device of the user is routed to the donor device.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
sending an ISDN User Part (ISUP) Initial Address Message (IAM) to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of the telecommunication network using the MSRN of the donor device; and
MSC responding with the ISUP Answer_Message when a call is answered.
16. A method for enabling a user to access a telecommunication network via a donor device, the method comprising:
the donor device establishing a connection with a system server of the telecommunication network via a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of the telecommunication network;
the user authenticating themselves to the system server using authentication credentials comprising one or more of a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Digital Network (MSISDN) number of the user, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of a user device other than the donor device, and a secret key of the user; and
the donor device sending Small Message Service (SMS) message to a recipient via the system server and a SMS controller of the telecommunication network, wherein the originating address of the SMS message is changed, by the system server, to the MSISDN of the user device if the user authentication is successful.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
the donor device receiving an SMS message via the system server, wherein the destination address of the SMS message is changed, by the system server, from the address of the user device to the address of the donor device if the user authentication is successful.
18. The method of claim 16 , where the connection comprises an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) connection.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising billing an account of the user for charges incurred while accessing the telecommunications network using the donor device.
20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
the donor device receiving a message indicative of SMS message delivery success or failure via the system server, wherein a destination address of the message is changed, by the system server, from the address of the user device to the address of the donor device if the user authentication is successful.