Patent Application
20090129371
This invention is related to the field of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and mobile telecommunications, and interfaces between traditional mobile phone networks and next generation VoIP networks (NGNs).
Mobile or fixed wireless telephony services provide a means to transmit voice and data using radio waves from a mobile device to base station antennas, switches and the conventional public switched telephone network (PSTN), and back along the chain to the mobile or fixed wireless device. These types of wireless telephone communication can be analogue or digital. The digital mobile telephone standards are currently grouped according to the method by which bandwidth is according between mobile devices, the most popular being: time divisional multiple access (TDMA) systems, such as that offered throughout much of the world according to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard; and code division multiple access (CDMA), exemplified by various standards from QUALCOMM or in use in Japan and Korea, and frequency divisional multiple access (FDMA) systems. Each type of device is band limited to certain frequency ranges allocated by governments. In addition to the voice services offered through the mobile telephone device, it is increasingly common for data transmission features to be enabled on these devices. A particularly common feature on digital mobile telephone devices is the Short Message Service (SMS), which forms part of current GSM standards.
One common feature of mobile telephony is that users of the service (i.e. subscribers) obtain subscriptions from mobile service providers, so that they may use the mobile telephone infrastructure to send and receive calls in association with a mobile telephone number.
Another common feature of mobile telephone devices is that the devices contain transponders to send and receive signals to and from local base station antennas and to register in the cell associated with the base station from which they receive the strongest signal. When a mobile telephone device, registered through a particular mobile service provider, is in a geographic region serviced by another mobile service provider, a protocol is used to determine how to authorize the mobile telephone device for communication and how to connect and bill for any calls, and this functionality is commonly referred to as roaming. Roaming requires both technical compatibility and an agreement between the two mobile service providers; and the cost to subscribers that is associated with roaming calls tends to be quite high. The technical details of roaming in CDMA based mobile telephone networks are different at the signalling level, but the principles at the authorization level remain the same.
Roaming pursuant to the GSM standard, being roaming by a single GSM enabled device between two GSM based mobile telephone networks, allows the convenience of a single number and a single bill.
Even within the GSM standard, there is a high transactional cost associated with roaming, as each GSM operator is required to enter into separate agreements with at least one GSM operator in a geographic region in which roaming is desired. This comes at a very high cost to subscribers since the cost of multiple international roaming agreements is ultimately passed on to them. This model also requires GSM operators to continuously update their roaming agreements as new providers come on board, leaving the consumer stranded if they travel abroad to a country where no roaming agreement is in place with the local operator. Mobile operators are continuously struggling with the complexity and high risk associated with roaming services.
Currently many roaming operators are using the Customized Applications for Mobile network Enhanced applications (CAMEL) system for authenticating calls on a Real-time basis. However, since there is revenue sharing, the price to the consumer is inflated as compared to what would be available in a competitive telecommunications market. A system which eliminates at least some of the transactional costs, without additional undue implementation costs, would provide a competitive advantage to mobile operators who employ such a system. Ideally, mobile operators could enter into an agreement with a single internet based roaming call completion clearinghouse.
The usual roaming signaling is made of the following steps, as shown in prior art
In the instance of a call to be received by the MS,
The IMSI is a unique non-dialable number allocated to each mobile subscriber in the GSM system that identifies the subscriber and his or her subscription within the GSM network. The IMSI resides in the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), which is transportable across mobile phones—referred to as Mobile Station Equipment (MSE) or simply Mobile Station (MS) in the GSM standard. The IMSI is a number comprising a three digit mobile country code (MCC), a two digit Mobile Network Code (MNC), and a Mobile Subscriber Identity Number (MSIN) with up to 10 digits. Other standards use analogous serial numbers for the identification of devices and subscribers.
This protocol allows the home operator to know the location of the MS and for calls to the mobile telephone number associated with the MS to be correctly routed.
The appearance of public switched packet data networks, most notably the Internet, and the emergence of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) as a means to route voice data over these networks creates the potential for cost and resource savings by both mobile service providers and their subscribers. Since these public switched packet data networks are primarily Internet Protocol based networks, the document refers to them generally as IP networks, without loss of generality.
There is a need for mobile service providers, also referred to as mobile operators, to be able to route calls to subscribers over the less expensive IP network. There is also a need for mobile subscribers to be able to use their mobile numbers in association with both outbound and incoming calls, even when they prefer to route the calls through the IP network or simply to a different telephone device.
There is also a need to properly account for and bill calls routed to mobile numbers connected over the IP network.
One attempt to create a mobile to internet communications regime is disclosed in the US Patent Application published under publication number US 2003/0224795 A1 by Wilhoite et al. In that solution, a full set of replica mobile user data is maintained on an IP side server which takes control of the IP side call, and appears to the existing MSC (for all intents and purposes) as a peer on the network. This configuration disclosed in that application requires a pre-configured mapping on the IP server to correctly map calls between a subscriber ID on the VoIP domain and IMSI/MSISDN in the GSM circuit switched mobile phone network. This requires a duplication of resources on the IP side. Furthermore, the Wilhoite et al. method replicates the GSM standard in a manner that could result in congestion at the HLR. According to the disclosure in the Wilhoite et al. application, multiple requests by the IP server to the HLR would be made in instances where a new IP address is assigned to the internet protocol enabled telephone device. The Wilhoite et al. application does not disclose a method to dynamically obtain a SIM serial number from an IP device.
There is a need for a system which addresses the market needs of a secure and efficient interface between mobile phone networks and VoIP networks. Such a system should preserve a subscriber's mobile identity and correctly handle local number portability (LNP) and short message service (SMS) correctly.
There is a need for a system to authorize and/or route calls to and from a VoIP enabled device using the mobile telephone network, and to correctly account for and bill such calls without undue burden on the existing mobile switching network.
In one aspect, the invention is an improved system to permit MSISDN bound calls to be connected to an IP address comprising two devices: a mobile to internet gateway (MIG) and a virtual mobile network (VMN). The MIG performs the dual tasks of (1) voice and data traffic switching from the SS7 layer of the GSM mobile network layer to the IP network according to some VoIP standard and (2) mobile operator command translation from the IP network to the mobile network and vice versa. The VMN is a class 5 IP server with additional computer implemented functionality (either hardware or software) to emulate certain features of a roaming operator VLR and roaming operator MSC, but with automatic population of databases using data supplied from the mobile network and with the assignment of a virtual mobile subscriber roaming number (vMSRN) at the authorization stage rather than the call initiation stage.
In another aspect, the invention is a system designed to authenticate softphones with access to the Internet over the mobile telephone network by combining VoIP functionality with a novel implementation of the GSM roaming protocol. A softphone is interpreted broadly to mean any IP telephone enabled device with access to an IP network, and includes fixed access devices, or mobile telephone devices with distinct wireless internet access capabilities. The system receives authentication requests from softphone users that contain at least a serial number associated with a mobile account in packet form. In the GSM context, the softphone comprises an interface to read the IMSI, or some other unique identifier, from the SIM and transmit it to the VMN. The interface can be any type of USB SIM card reader or other types of smart card readers to connect to the softphone or even any public IP phone equipped with such reader technology. The method is an improvement on the EAP-SIM (Extensible Authentication Protocol with Subscriber Identity Module) standard currently used for authenticating mobile phone over Wi-Fi networks using SIM cards. The improvement involves internet registration over a Class 5 Server, in the VMN, and using the SS7 protocol, as translated from IP by the MIG, as opposed to Wi-Fi networks using the remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS). The softphone client or payphone access point will read the data from the additional SIM card provided by the home mobile operator in order to authenticate with the server using techniques and encryptions currently utilized in GSM networks, but not currently implemented in IP using class 5 soft switches.
Typically, a start message is sent by the client (IP softphone or IP payphone device) to a session initiated protocol (SIP) server, or some other VoIP server, based on the A3 algorithm of the GSM standard where the Signature Response (SRES) is calculated independently on both the MS and the network side from the Ki and a Random Number offered by the network and then compared. The MS is only registered if the responses are equal.
Parallel to the security features involving the signature response, the system identifies the correct HLR on the basis of the IMSI and communicates with the HLR via a MSC on the HLR network using the SS7 protocol. The system comprises an emulation of a MSC/VLR combination on the IP side (the VMN) with a translation device for voice traffic and command data between packet data and dedicated circuit signalling at the mobile operator (the MIG). In an optional embodiment of the system, the VMN and the MIG are implemented together as a unit at the location of a mobile operator.
Since the VMN performs the HLR query and may also perform the secure registration procedures required by the GSM standard, the system of the current invention appears as a traditional MSC, authentication centre (AUC) and VLR on the mobile operator's network. The address of the VMN appears as an SS7 address associated with the MIG. The MIG translates the commands to and from IP and sends them to and from the VMN without requiring additional functionality of the HLR or MSC of the mobile operator's network.
An improvement is that the system of the current invention assigns a vMSRN during authorization, and maps this vMSRN to future IP addresses associated with the softphone, until such time as the softphone is unauthorized. This change of procedure goes unnoticed by the HLR, but results in a reduction in the requests to update the VLR placed to the HLR.
The present invention is capable of achieving a low cost roaming solution to allow telecommunications service providers (whether mobile, fixed line, VoIP or otherwise) to allow users access to whichever wireless telecommunications protocol is available, by implementing a virtual roaming protocol compatible with the existing GSM roaming protocol. The present invention also provides means to allow preferred wireless protocols to be chosen in situations where the telecommunications service provider offers a call forward or preferred dialing rules feature.
The telecommunications service provider's users, or subscribers, thereby have the ability to use the internet as the communications media for data and voice transmission and reception, even where calls are initially directed to a traditional mobile phone number or mobile phone roaming number. Where available, and enabled by a user and the telecommunications service provider, the cost effective Internet Protocol (IP), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other data transmission protocols capable of Internet communications are used to handle a user's in bound and out bound calls. Similarly, where a wireless or fixed Internet connection is not available, the normal dialing rules for the user will direct calls based on the existing technology.
Traveling subscribers will be able to avoid having to use a particular local GSM telephone connection where a wireless internet connection is available, and thereby avoid having to pay fees (either directly or indirectly) to the local GSM provider.
HLRs will be able to benefit by reducing or eliminating the amount of roaming charges they pay to VLRs.
The method and system of the present invention also benefits HLRs in that they do not need to implement new or untested protocols over their existing telephone service, as the present invention emulates an existing protocol.
These advantages exist on both in bound and out bound calling for both users and the telecommunications provider supplying the service.
The invention disclosed herein is suitable for either CDMA or GSM mobile communications systems, but given the prevalence of GSM systems, the most preferred embodiments are discussed in relation to that standard. A person of skill in the art can easily adapt the technical aspects of this disclosure to the related CDMA protocols. This disclosure assumes a basic understanding of the GSM system, including the Mobile Application Part (MAP) specification and the Functional description of the ISDN user part of the Signalling System No 7 (SS7 or SS7/C7) which can be obtained from ETSI at www.etsi.org.
In a VoIP mobile roaming system comprising the MIG and the VMN, the VMN simulates the traditional MSC/VLR without the need of a separate pre-populated database. A mobile subscriber has a MS with an IMSI, but also has a softphone application, a virtual mobile station (vMS) or an integrated access device, which comprises a record of the IMSI and/or a fixed link to the SIM. Together, for convenience and without loss of generality, this document refers to all such softphones, vMS and integrated access devices capable of packet switched calls as softphones, although packet phone or IP phones are also acceptable synonyms. Authentication of a softphone over the IP network, is necessary when such a mobile subscriber first logs onto the internet using the softphone and makes a service request. Authentication comprises at least the following steps:
During interrogation of the HLR when a call to the MSISDN associated with the same IMSI is being set up, the HLR is able to request a MSRN and MSC from the vVLR for routing purposes. In fact, the vVLR returns the vMSRN and vMSC which are in a compatible format satisfactory to the HLR. The vMSC has an actual address of the MIG. The vVLR then maps the vMSRN to the IP address of the softphone also stored in the temporary softphone location record.
Since the VoIP gateway component of the MIG is connected to the IP network, it is able to exchange packet-based telephone calls with the vMS over the IP network using known protocols, such as H.323, session initiated protocol (SIP) or media gateway control protocol (MGCP) or others.
Actual roaming rules at the HLR or at the operational level within the mobile service provider can determine when to permit IP roaming. The system of the immediate invention is implemented using HLR identification and authentication rules that do not require a pre-existing subscriber database, and is therefore an improvement over the method disclosed in Wilhoite et al. The MIG can be implemented as a plug in to the existing GSM architecture model without additional database configuration or set up without any loss of the desired benefits.
It is a solution which exhibits seamless integration at the MSC layer, and overcomes the additional integration costs that is otherwise associated with a traditional mobile roaming service provider having to implement or fit non-standard equipment or protocols into its network.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the VMN also comprises a virtual home location register (vHLR) for subscribers to the networks of one or more Mobile Operators, to permit global local number portability. The vHLR acts as a mirror of the data contained in the HLRs of all of a subscriber's local accounts in different jurisdictions, and links these accounts internally so that the preferred vMSRN or MSRN (as the case may be) currently authenticated and active on the network is passed to the appropriate switching centre for call completion. The only preconditions are that each of subscriber's mobile operators must enter into an agreement with the VMN operator. The VMN can act as a clearinghouse for all calls destined for an MSISDN, even if they are notionally forwarded to another device; and even if that device is connected over the IP network. This creates an administrative savings, as each mobile operator only needs a single agreement with the VMN operator which allows intercommunication with all other mobile operators similarly engaged.
A detailed description of the embodiments of the invention will now be provided with specific reference to the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention.
Also at the home operator network is a home location register (HLR), 43, and a gateway mobile switching centre (G-MSC), 42, connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), 31.
Since the solution (i) connects to the home operator by means of an SS7 link, 61, (ii) has a normal SS7 address, and (iii) acts as any other GSM operator; the home operator's, 40, hardware cannot differentiate between the simulated MSC/VLR in the VMN, 70, and a MSC/VLR belonging to any other GSM operator.
The softphone, 100, optionally employs the session initiation protocol (SIP) to connect to the VMN, 70, for authentication or the MIG, 50, to exchange voice and data packets. To authorize as an active mobile subscriber on the mobile network or receive SMS messages, the softphone, 100, must provide an IP address to the VMN, 70, which creates a mapping to a virtual mobile subscriber roaming number (vMSRN). Once authorized, communication to the softphone, 100, is directed first to the MIG, 50, on the basis of the vMSRN, and then the MIG, 50, is able to translate the vMSRN to a current IP address by virtue of the data record stored in the vVLR, 74.
The following steps are taken by the software residing on the softphone, 100, VMN, 70, or MIG, 50, at the start of roaming:
The following steps are taken by the software at the conclusion of a roaming session:
Since each call comprises a signalling path and a media path a traffic bottle neck occurs in the mobile operator's circuit-switched communication network. The method of the current invention off-loads this bottle neck from the operator's circuit-switched network to the IP network—access to which is in abundance at most of mobile operator facilities at a much lower cost per port than a traditional circuit-switch. Also, the media path would be routed directly to the subscriber from VoIP gateway 51 without having to pass through the VMN 70 where all the core components on the internet cloud are located. This keeps the bandwidth consumption at a minimum and minimizes latency by using the inherent internet characteristics that already optimize communications by taking optimum and reliable paths between backbone networks. The method of the immediate invention achieves the implementation goals of reducing network bottle necks and reducing the consumption of limited resources at operator's facilities. This, in turn, helps achieve the collateral goal of reducing the associated costs and charges to subscribers.
Calls may be placed to the mobile device, 301, may come from any number of sources, including the mobile device, 302, on a roaming network, traditional telephones, 305, or faxes, 306, connected to the traditional PSTN, 340, or from other mobile phone, 307, authorized at the GSM home operator, 330. In each instance, the call is directed to an MSISDN associated with the mobile device, 301, and the PSTN, 340, MSC, 313, or MSC, 333, contact the HLR at MSC, 333, to determine the VLR which has most recently registered the location of the mobile device, 301. Where the most recent VLR is that associated with MSC, 313, the call is directed in the usual way. However, according to the current invention, the mobile device, 301, or any of the devices 303 or 304 with access to the SIM of the mobile device, 301, may register a current location via the IP domain, as discussed above, using VMN, 317, having a billing records database, 318, an emulation of VLR functionality (vVLR), 319, and an emulation of MSC functionality (vVLR), 320. The roaming module will permit the authentication protocol where the user has logged in to the IP network, 341, and where a valid and activated VoIP roaming subscription is in place.
If the subscriber is not currently on the network for any reason, such as internet unavailability, temporary loss of internet connection or is simply not logged into the network, the call would be routed the traditional way. In one embodiment of the current invention, SMS messages can be transmitted over the existing SS7/C7 links and held for the subscriber in a caching facility.
The following steps outline calling the roaming user currently registered to an IP address via the VMN:
In order to route calls through the home operator network, the home operator needs an interconnection to the MIG. This is typically through the assignment of an SS7 point code/address by the home operator. If the MIG is controlled by the home operator, no agreement is required. If the MIG is controlled by a next generation VoIP network (NGN) or other third party provider, the NGN or third party provider must enter into a roaming agreement with the home operator.
It may be desirable for the softphone user to direct a call through the home operator network. One reason may be to take advantage of pre-purchased call minutes, or free calling to another mobile subscriber on the same network. The steps to connect such a call are as follows:
The VMN 317 is able to route other calls according to normal VoIP routing preferences. In such instances, the home operator's mobile network is never used, but the VMN is optionally permitted to send the billing info to the home operator's network if home operator is responsible for billing.
At the end of every call, the VMN emulates a billing database 318 of a roaming operator and sends CDR and/or call event detail (CED) for billing purposes to the home operator 330 as if it were a standard MSC.
The VMN is optionally able to temporarily disable a user, during the period between user login to the VoIP network with a SIM and a response back from the home operator on whether the SIM is to be authorized for this type of roaming.
The VMN is optionally able to provide CDR and/or CED info by (1) file transfer, web services, database access, or (2) through real time access, or is able to instruct the MIG to send the CDR and/or CED in either of those ways.
The SS7/C7 signalling equipment that is at the home operator's cloud, allows the implementation of all the GSM mobile services such as SMS via the MIG, since the SS7 signaling does not differentiate the MIG from circuit switched elements on the GSM network. In this scenario, the extensive IP network is utilized fully for a complete solution which is transparent to the subscriber by offering a true roaming environment with the flexibility to roam on other mobile operator's networks freely.
To implement the security protocol: either the mobile device 703 itself is able to read the SIM Card 702, or any of the IP softphone enabled devices 704, 705 or 706 can rely on an internal or external SIM Reader 701 to extract the necessary data. Typically, the necessary data is the IMSI. The IMSI is transmitted by the device at issue to the VMN 720, either directly over the IP network 711, or over the IP network 711 via a radio frequency connection 710. Typical radio frequency connections include Bluetooth, infrared- or other wireless access standards. The VMN 720 must be able to handle requests to the Authentication Center (AUC) of the GSM network switching subsystem for the invention to function independently in GSM. The vVLR 730 identifies the HLR 780 as the home location register of the SIM on the basis of the IMSI, or perhaps on the basis of the MSISDN number and the Personal Unblocking Key (PUK) if the IMSI is corrupted or unavailable. During the request to the HLR 780 for authentication, the AUC 770 generates a random number as a challenge 760 to the SIM 702. The SIM 702 responds to the challenge by combining the Ki of the SIM Card 702 with the random number according to the A3 algorithm to generate a signature response (SRES) unique to the SIM Card 702. The SRES is returned to the AUC 770, which contains the only other copy of Ki for verification. An optional final check could be made to the EIR register for blacklisted stolen mobile devices. Further encryption using the cipher keys (Kc) for traffic is not needed, since the IP traffic can be encrypted using specific tunneling software between the softphone and the MIG 740 sitting on home operator's SS7 network. Optionally, the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP-SIM) can also be used, with the challenges being used to create a 64-bit Kc which acts as a longer session key.
In instances where the IMSI is not available, and the AUC challenges for Ki not used, the PUK and MSISDN can be used to perform limited authentication. In such instances, the VMN creates a Temporary IMSI (TMSI) which is used for the communication with the virtual subscriber, so that the confidential IMSI is never improperly passed.
Call Detail Records (CDRS) are produced every time a user makes a call or sends a text message. The CDRs are produced in the MSC where the call or message originates. CDRs are then gathered in a centralized database and used for billing and other purposes.
In the GSM standard, each CDR contains the following information:
According to known methods on the GSM side, CDRs can be filtered on any of the above parameters. This means that one can not only obtain a list of all calls made to/from a certain SIM, but also to/from a certain phone, regardless of which SIM was used. By looking at the serving BTS, the location of the subscriber can be pinpointed to the accuracy of a cell at any time the subscribers sends or receives a call or a text message. The CDRs are an integral part of the GSM system, and it is an important improvement that the system of the immediate invention handles the billing records in an efficient way which interfaces correctly with both VoIP and GSM standards and conventional way. Important to this implementation in the context of inbound calls to the softphone is assigning the terminating MSISDN, terminating IMEI, type of service and initial serving BTS in a manner that is meaningful to the VoIP provider and at least not confusing to the GSM standard. Within the GSM network, higher application layers need to be able to correctly parse and assign mobile to IP network calls. This is only possible if the CDR is correctly formatted in a manner which does not duplicate previously assigned GSM codes for the various parameters. One method to uniquely identify IP side devices in the CDR is to use the unique medium access control (MAC) address of the IP device as part of the IMEI according to a rule which does not cause duplication with the IMEI number system.
Similarly, mobile device 804 and IP softphone 803 are within the connectivity region 811 of Mobile Network Operator B, may have either the ability to communicate with a GSM network base station tower, 831, or a wireless IP antenna, 821. Mobile device 804 and IP softphone 803 include some GSM network to IP network handoff rule, 817, and some IP network to GSM network handoff rule, 818, which may be the same or different from the rules 815 and 816. These devices also operate over a single SIM number for mobile roaming authentication. The network of Mobile Network Operator B also includes BTS 841, BSC 851, MSC 861, HLR/VLR unit 871, CDR Mediation Server 881, and MIG 891, and is similarly connect to the IP network 895.
Where a roaming agreement exists between Mobile Network Operator A and Mobile Network Operator B, calls to or from mobile station 810 registered through Mobile Network Operator B but within the footprint of Mobile Network Operator A, can be assigned roaming numbers over a traditional MSC to MSC connection, 852. However, where no such agreement is exists, the calls cannot currently be connected. Further, where both mobile stations 810 and 811 are registered to the same subscriber, there is currently no uniform rule to dynamically route calls to such subscriber. According to the immediate invention, the Mobile Operators A and B only need an agreement with the operator of transit IP server 899. The transit IP server 899 acts as a virtual home location register (vHLR) and a vVLR for all subscribers to the enhanced system. The subscriber, based on any MSISDN numbers associated with subscribers accounts, is considered to have the vHLR as the home location register for all accounts. Authorization requests by all devices are fielded by the vHLR and are also passed to the actual HLR as if the transit IP server 899 was a VLR. The vHLR contains records for all registered devices, and through an emulation of the HLR rules for each of them, is able to decide which devices are active and which of the active devices are preferred. This preferred routing information is shared with the HLR/VLR units 870 and 871 as necessary. When a call connection request to the subscriber is initiated, the receiving VLR is able to provide a vMSRN for a totally different device, and to generate the correct billing information for each device.
Routing for subscribers registered to different MSC's can also be optimized by the following method which takes advantage of the lower cost of transmission over the packet based IP network as opposed to the dedicated circuit network. A Subscriber registered to Mobile Operator A has moved from the range 810 of radio tower 830 into range 811 of radio tower 831 in the network of Mobile Operator B, and a location update message is sent to the HLR/VLR 871 acting as VLR which generates a TMSI and a LAI according to GSM rules sends it to either the vHLR/vVLR unit in the VMN 899 or the HLR/VLR unit 870 acting as HLR. The location update message contains a MSRN assigned to the subscriber by the VLR 871. If the subscriber is entitled to service, the VMN 899 or the HLR 870 sends a subset of the subscriber information to the new VLR 871 and sends a message to the VLR 870 to unregister the location. An additional improvement is each of Mobile Operator A and Mobile Operator B have set their respective MIG 890 and MIG 891 as the first in route preferred choice instead of the traditional dedicated circuit 852. The decision on whether IP routing of the mobile call is possible is made by transit IP server 899, which, in this embodiment, comprises a database of information about IP enabled local routing options at each MSC (preferably the local MIG). If the MSC address matches an IP serviceable area then the transit IP server 899 advises that a call from mobile device 802, for instance, should be routed from MSC 860 to MIG 891 through MIG 890 instead of directly to MSC 860 over high cost dedicated circuit link 852.
The steps to achieve the low cost routing comprise:
To avoid problems in billing any of the above calls, such as where transit IP server 899 is not owned by the billing operator or where Operator A and Operator B do not have roaming agreements, CDR records are transmitted from either of CDR Mediation Servers 880 or 881 to the transit IP server 899 where they are collected in the central billing database 898, and from where they are transmitted to the appropriate CDR Mediation Servers 880 or 881.
Billing a call from mobile device 802 to mobile device 804 where the voice traffic is passed over the IP network 895 instead of the dedicated circuit line 852 involves 5 legs: a first leg from mobile device 802 to MSC 860; a second leg from MSC 860 to MSC 890, which is normally internal to the Mobile Operator A's network; a third leg from MIG 890 to MIG 891, which avoids the MSC 860 to MSC 861 connection over the traditional network 852; a fourth leg from MIG 891 to MSC 861, which is internal to Mobile Operator B's network; and a fifth leg from MSC 861 to mobile 804.
There are at least three scenarios for which this call may be billed in accordance with the immediate invention. First, mobile device 802 is calling mobile device 804 at an MSISDN number issued by Mobile Operator B. As an outbound call from mobile device 802, the first and fifth legs are billed and reported in the traditional way. Each of Mobile Operator A and B will decide how to bill the second and fourth legs to their respective MSCs and MIGs. The VMN is involved to the extent it handles the third leg between MIG 890 and MIG 891, and the cost of this leg is reported to Mobile Operator A for billing to mobile device 802 and Mobile Operator B for billing to mobile device 804.
In the second scenario, mobile device 802 is calling mobile device 804 at an MSISDN number issued by Mobile Operator A, and mobile device 804 is roaming. Mobile device 802 is billed for a local call for the first leg, mobile device 804 is billed for the second, third, fourth and fifth legs. Billing can occur in one of two ways, VMN 899 operator reports the cost of the third leg to Mobile Operator B, which bundles the bills and reports the charges to Mobile Operator A. Or, Mobile Operator A can report the charges to VMN 899, which stores the data in the billing database 898, and which acts as a clearinghouse for reporting the charges back to mobile device 804. Preferably, VMN 899 has also preformed the authentication and handled the call routing details between the MIGs 890 and 891.
The third scenario is a most preferred embodiment of the invention. Mobile device 802 is calling a subscriber who owns mobile device 804 at a first MSISDN number issued by Mobile Operator A, but mobile device 804 has a second MSISDN number issued by Mobile Operator B. Mobile Operator A considers the call simply as a call along the first and second leg from mobile device 802 to the MIG 891. The VMN 899 is aware that the subscriber has two MSISDN numbers, and has obtained the HLR register information from each of Mobile Operator A and B. The VMN 899 supplies to MIG 890 the MSRN of mobile device 804, and the preferred IP route of MIG 891. At Mobile Operator B, the call appears as a local call from MIG 891 to mobile device 804, and the fourth and fifth legs are billed accordingly, without any need for Mobile Operators A and B to bill each other. The VMN has handled the third leg and the local number portability issue entirely. According to subscriber rules, the bill for the third leg and the services can be reported by the VMN to either the Mobile Operator A, the Mobile Operator B, or billed directly to the subscriber.
In each of the scenarios, overall costs are significantly reduced by eliminating the dedicated circuit leg 852. In the second scenario, further cost saving could be achieved for the subscriber, if the subscriber chose to use the IP phone device 803 instead of the mobile device 804 (as further discussed above). In the third scenario, each party is able to make substantial savings by treating the calls as local segments. Accordingly, billing for the first leg of the call gets billed back to Operator A and CDRs transmitted back to CDR Mediation Server 880 for processing to customer. Billing for the second leg of the call gets sent back to operator managing MIG 891 which may be either transit operator of transit IP server 899 or Operator B in this scenario.
Billing a call from IP softphone 801 to IP softphone 803, even where the call appear to the users to be between the associated MSISDN number of mobile devices 802 or 804 respectively, is handled entirely on the IP side. The VMN the Mobile Operators are only involved in the authentication, if authentication is somehow required. Technically, authentication would not be required in such a call, but practically and legally, the callers may require some assurance from the Mobile Operators that the MSISDNs have been used in association with the proper SIM.
Similarly, billing a call from either IP softphone to either mobile device will only involve the costs of transmission legs from the mobile device to the MSC, from the MSC to the MIG, and from the MIG along the SIP pathway to the IP softphone.
The method of the immediate invention creates a mechanism by which the difficulty of implementing a multitude of roaming agreements can be alleviated. An additional embodiment of the invention includes linking authentications between different GSM operators using MIG at each such operator and thereby avoiding the need for roaming agreements. An Alliance can be created where all existing GSM Operators would virtually roam (upon service activation by subscriber) to a platform sitting in the middle of the IP cloud transparent to the end user then it becomes one step closer to bridging the gap currently experienced by roaming agreements and settlements that could take months to execute and becomes very costly to maintain.
Routing between GSM operators pursuant to this additional embodiment improves call quality by reducing the number of routing legs involved, and by facilitating optimum routing. For example, if GSM operators in Countries A, B and C all employ the virtual roaming solution of the immediate invention with a common intermediate platform, or NGN operator that Country A utilizes, and Subscriber A has forwarded his E164 number in Country A to E164 number in Country B, then instead of the call going out to the PSTN network and carried over locally into Country B's network, it could be delivered directly to Country B's' network through the IP platform installed locally there through the SS7 interconnect. This ensures calling line identity (CLI) is completely preserved and quality is never degraded. The network server & soft switch combination (the VMN) that is sitting in the heart of the IP cloud and operated by a common virtual roaming partner, would automatically recognize that the subscriber has forwarded the E164 number from Country A to the E164 number to Country B. Since both E164 numbers reside on the same platform and database, it would be picked up immediately as a home call zone thus going out directly by IP all the way to the SS7 interconnect in Country B.
This results in more competitive costing. This technical solution requires one agreement with each GSM operator, rather than a web of agreements between each pair of operators, and for this reason is also a more practical solution to providing a global LNP database to contracting parties.
By implementing this methodology, operators can leverage the economics and prevalence of a homogenous telephony network whether it be GSM/IP/Wi-Fi.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2005/001772 | 11/22/2005 | WO | 00 | 12/15/2008 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60697559 | Jul 2005 | US |
