Patent Application
20150257044
The present invention generally relates to telecommunication. More specifically, the invention relates to method and system for redirecting roaming traffic to preferred operators across multiple telecommunication networks.
As telecommunication technology has progressed, numerous mobile communication standards have been developed. These standards are broadly categorized into second generation (2G), third generation (3G) and the future, fourth generation (4G) technologies. Examples of 2G/3G technologies include Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and the like. The UMTS standard further evolved to LTE technology under the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). LTE technology offers a wireless broadband system with higher data rates, lower latency, and higher spectrum efficiency.
To keep up with the competition, more and more operators are adapting the newer LTE technology standard. These network operators provide voice and data services to their own subscribers and to subscribers from other networks. When the network operator provides service to a subscriber from a foreign country, it is referred to as “international roaming”. When the network operator provides service to a subscriber from another network in the same country, it is referred to as “domestic roaming.”
An operator always has a preference for one or more operators over another set of operators. Various network operators have partnership agreements with each other that include more favorable roaming charges than non-partners receive. Partner networks are “preferred” networks for the network operator's subscriber to register with when roaming. Non-partner networks are “non-preferred” networks to the subscriber. Network operators can maximize their margins and the roamers can get more attractive roaming rates and services if roamers roam on their home mobile operator's preferred partner networks.
Over the last few years, the revenues to network operators from home subscribers have consistently declined due to increased competition and resulting pricing pressures. On the other hand, revenues from roamers have consistently grown in the same period due to increased mobile penetration in local markets and an increase in travel. Hence, protecting the existing roaming revenues and growing them further has become an important priority for the network operators worldwide.
Some operators also own networks in various countries. These operators would like to make sure their out-roamers stay within the group properties, or stay on preferred networks, in order to gain the best service experience even when roaming. They will also be able to offer geography based price plans (for example, a single rate all across Western Europe or South East Asia) to users who have subscribed to such plans. In addition, as new technologies like LTE keep rolling out, operators can control the rollout schedule across their own properties and also make sure interoperability issues are taken care of. Keeping roaming subscribers on preferred networks gives the best service experience to the subscriber. However, current methods of controlling which network a subscriber registers on when roaming have disadvantages.
One previous patent from the inventors of this application was directed towards a method and system for facilitating redirection of network traffic towards a preferred network. However, that patent was focusing on GSM network.
Another patent from the inventors was directed to a system and method facilitating redirection of network traffic across multiple networks including LTE and GSM. However, since in some cases the redirection to LTE network is not always successful but redirection is more successful within legacy Radio Access Technology network like 2G or 3G. Hence, there is a need in the art to have a system and method for facilitating redirection of network traffic in both LTE and legacy network environments.
The present invention is directed towards a method and system for redirecting roaming network traffic in an LTE network. The method includes observing a registration process of a subscriber in a visited network. The method further includes sending one or more messages to the visited network to induce a re-registration attempt by the subscriber to another Radio Access Technology (RAT) network of the same visited network. The method further includes applying one or more legacy steering techniques to move the subscriber to a target visited network.
The present invention in another embodiment also provides a method for redirecting roaming network traffic in an LTE network. The method includes intercepting a Diameter registration request of a subscriber in a visited network. The method further includes sending InsertsubscriberDataRequest (IDR) message or Cancel Location Request (CLR) message network to the visited to induce a re-registration attempt by the subscriber to another Radio Access Technology (RAT) network of the same visited network. The method further includes sending MAP Process Unstructured SS Request and MAP Provide Subscriber Information messages followed by a MAP Cancel Location message to move the subscriber to a target visited network.
The present invention in another embodiment also provides a system for redirecting roaming network traffic in a telecommunication network. The system includes a Network Traffic Redirection (NTR) module that observes a registration process of a subscriber in a visited network. The NTR module further sends one or more messages to the visited network to induce a re-registration attempt by the subscriber to another Radio Access Technology (RAT) network of the same visited network. The NTR module further applies one or more legacy steering techniques to move the subscriber to a target visited network.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, the NTR module is capable of steering roamers across LTE and non-LTE (GSM) networks. This solution of implementing NTR is hereinafter, interchangeably, referred to as NTR LTE or NTR solution.
In the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers identify similar elements or acts.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified, so as not to obscure the present invention. Furthermore, reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic, described in connection with the embodiment, is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The appearance of the phrase “in an embodiment”, in various places in the specification, does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
The present invention provides a system and a method for redirecting roaming traffic across multiple telecommunication networks. The general idea of this invention is to allow an operator to apply NTR solution across LTE and non-LTE (GSM) networks (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as “legacy networks”). The HPMN operator deploys an NTR module to implement the solution as described in the present invention. This module enables the operator to steer away its subscribers from a non-preferred VPMN to a preferred VPMN.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a group of operators may deploy the NTR solution to steer their subscribers to a set of preferred operators. In such an embodiment, the NTR module is deployed at a centralized location that is connected to a host network. In its various implementation of the present invention, the NTR solution is implemented in monitoring mode or in-signaling mode
HPMN 105 further includes an MSC-H/VLR-H 120, an SGSN-H 122, a GGSN-H 124, an SMSC-H 126 and an STP-H 128. These network elements communicate with each other over a Signaling System 7 (SS7) link. System 100 further includes in VPMN 108 an SGSN-R 130, a GMSC-R 132, and an STP-R 134 that connects to STP-H 128 over SS7 link.
It will also be apparent to a person skilled in the art that HPMN 104 and VPMN 108 may also include various other network components (not shown in
NTR module 102 connects with various components within HPMN 104 and VPMN 108 to implement the NTR solution for its roaming subscriber, like roamer 106. The primary objective of NTR module 102 is to be able to do SoR across multiple telecommunication networks and move roamer 106 to target visited network VPMN 140's MME 142.
In one embodiment of the present invention, roamer 106 registers to an LTE network and the messages are Diameter messages. In one embodiment of the present invention, NTR module 102 sends these messages, while being deployed in monitoring mode. In another embodiment of the present invention, NTR module 102 sends these messages, while being deployed in in-signaling mode. In another embodiment of the present invention, at step 208, NTR module 102 sends the target visited network as current location information to the roamer 106 while being in VPMN 108 to induce a re-registration attempt by the roamer 106 to target visited network 140. These messages are sent directly to roamer 106's SIM card modifying the current location information stored with the identifiers of the target VPMN 140, to induce a re-registration attempt by the subscriber to the target VPMN 140.
The roamer 106 now attempts to register to another RAT legacy network 2G or 3G within VPMN 108. Now, while the roamer 106 attempts to register to the legacy network, NTR module 102 uses one or more legacy steering techniques to move the roamer 106 to the target VPMN 140's MME 142. These legacy steering techniques involve NTR module sending one or more MAP messages and rejecting roamer 106's four GSM LUP messages and forcing the roamer 106 to register to target VPMN 140.
The Diameter LTE steering enables to control the radio access technology. In other words, it enables the deploying operator of favoring preferred partner or controlling the traffic distribution between networks but also between Radio Access Technologies (RAT).
The rejection of the Diameter Registration procedures results in various error codes in the radio interface of the mobile of roamer 106. In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, the NTR module 102 is able to induce the following new error codes on the radio interfaces:
The NTR module 102 also follows the usual rejection principles available in SS7 steering. For example,
Since the NTR solution intercepts the DIAMETER Update Location Request, it can respond with the correct Diameter Update Location Answer (Reject) leading to the expected radio error code and handset behavior.
The mapping table to be applied is Table 1, shown below.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the NTR module 102 performs OTA based steering. There are some mobile devices which do not maintain an SMS stack in LTE networks. Hence, they need an applet to open an IP channel for specific events. For example, the SIM card in the handset may detect the entry in a new PMN or handset may restart. In such a scenario, the SIM card may open an IP channel with OTA server. The OTA server may then request for a dynamic preference list. This request is intercepted by the NTR module 102. At this stage, the NTR module 102 sends the list of preferred networks where it wants to steer its subscriber. The NTR module 102 sends the current location information stored with the identifiers of the target VPMN 140, to induce a re-registration attempt by the roamer 106 to target VPMN 140. Upon receiving the list, the OTA server sends relevant EF files to the handset.
In accordance with various other embodiment of the present invention, the NTR module 102 is also able to redirect network traffic across multiple networks from different RAT. E.g. NTR solution can steer a roamer from LTE to GSM or vice versa.
In the context of coexistence of LTE with pre-LTE technology, the mobility management of outbound roamers may happen in different fashions, from a core network perspective:
One challenge of the previous steering solution is to identify the current registration status of the subscriber. In other words, the NTR solution determines whether the subscriber is attached to an E-UTRAN or UTRAN/GERAN network access.
This information is required to correctly apply the rejection principles linked to the observed GSM UL. In some cases, GSM UL may happen for combined EPS/Non-EPS registration but also as a standalone scenario, in case of MO/MT call occurring under a new coverage area. It is therefore required to identify in the scenario of the subscriber as a GSM UL does not provided any information.
In specific scenario of ‘Circuit-Switched Fallback’ (CSFB), the legacy (GSM) and evolved core network protocol (LTE), MAP and Diameter, respectively coexist. When a registration process including CSFB happens, the order of messages observed at HSS/HLR is fully determined. The GSM UL registration only happens after a successful Diameter UL procedure (ULR/ULA).
In other words, observed messages will follow the sequence:
Now if standard SoR is applied on MAP it would mark the Diameter registration as successful but with failure on non-EPS domain. This would lead to ineffective SoR or new steering attempts but with counter rules associated with the EPS domain and not the GSM domain. This misleads the NTR module that would assume a possible manual registration of the subscriber. The observed behavior will vary on handset type (data- or voice-centric), but would be likely to end up in an ineffective steering of roaming action.
It should be obvious for a person skilled in the art that an independent MAP based NTR platform is likely to interfere with the MAP message as it would be unaware of a previous Diameter registration. This would affect negatively the user experience at a time of a call activity. Hence, the NTR solution of the present invention is enhanced with Diameter-handling capabilities like the NTR solution must have information about the two sets of registration procedures (Diameter and MAP).
It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, that the present invention can also be applied to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)/American National Standards Institute #41D (ANSI-41D), and various other technologies such as, but not limited to, VoIP, WiFi, 3GSM and inter-standard roaming. In one exemplary case, a CDMA outbound roamer travels with an HPMN CDMA handset. In another exemplary case, the CDMA outbound roamer travels with an HPMN GSM SIM and a GSM handset. In yet another exemplary case, GSM outbound roamer travels with an HPMN CDMA RUIM and a CDMA handset. To support these variations, system 100 will have a separate SS7 and network interfaces, corresponding to both the HPMN and VPMN networks. It will also be apparent to a person skilled in the art that these two interfaces in different directions may not have to be the same technologies. Moreover, there could be multiple types of interface in both directions.
An exemplary list of the mapping between GSM MAP and ANSI-41D is described in Table 2 below as a reference.
The present invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, software, including but not limited to, firmware, resident software, and microcode, implements the invention.
Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer program product, accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providing program code for use by, or in connection with, a computer or any instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
The medium can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) or a propagation medium. Examples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disk-read only memory (CDROM), compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W) and Digital Versatile Disk (DVD).
The components of present system described above include any combination of computing components and devices operating together. The components of the present system can also be components or subsystems within a larger computer system or network. The present system components can also be coupled with any number of other components (not shown), such as other buses, controllers, memory devices, and data input/output devices, in any number of combinations. In addition, any number or combination of other processor-based components may be carrying out the functions of the present system.
It should be noted that the various components disclosed herein may be described using computer aided design tools and/or expressed (or represented), as data and/or instructions embodied in various computer-readable media, in terms of their behavioral, register transfer, logic component, transistor, layout geometries, and/or other characteristics. Computer-readable media in which such formatted data and/or instructions may be embodied include, but are not limited to, non-volatile storage media in various forms (e.g., optical, magnetic or semiconductor storage media) and carrier waves that may be used to transfer such formatted data and/or instructions through wireless, optical, or wired signaling media or any combination thereof.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but may not be limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the word “or” is used in reference to a list of two or more items, it covers all of the following interpretations: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list.
The above description of illustrated embodiments of the present system is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present system to the precise form disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the present system are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the present system, as those skilled in the art will recognize. The teachings of the present system provided herein can be applied to other processing systems and methods. They may not be limited to the systems and methods described above.
The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made in light of the above detailed description.
Provided above for the edification of those of ordinary skill in the art, and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention, are detailed illustrations of a scheme for proactive roaming tests, discoveries of roaming partner services and discoveries of frauds in roaming using simulated roaming traffic. Numerous variations and modifications within the spirit of the present invention will of course occur to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the embodiments that have been disclosed. For example, the present invention is implemented primarily from the point of view of GSM mobile networks as described in the embodiments. However, the present invention may also be effectively implemented on GPRS, 3G, CDMA, WCDMA, WiMax etc., or any other network of common carrier telecommunications in which end users are normally configured to operate within a “home” network to which they normally subscribe, but have the capability of also operating on other neighboring networks, which may even be across international borders.
The examples under the system of present invention detailed in the illustrative examples contained herein are described using terms and constructs drawn largely from GSM mobile telephony infrastructure. However, use of these examples should not be interpreted as limiting the invention to those media. The system and method can be of use and provided through any type of telecommunications medium, including without limitation: (i) any mobile telephony network including without limitation GSM, 3GSM, 3G, CDMA, WCDMA or GPRS, satellite phones or other mobile telephone networks or systems; (ii) any so-called WiFi apparatus normally used in a home or subscribed network, but also configured for use on a visited or non-home or non-accustomed network, including apparatus not dedicated to telecommunications such as personal computers, Palm-type or Windows Mobile devices; (iii) an entertainment console platform such as Sony Playstation, PSP or other apparatus that are capable of sending and receiving telecommunications over home or non-home networks, or even (iv) fixed-line devices made for receiving communications, but capable of deployment in numerous locations while preserving a persistent subscriber id such as the eye2eye devices from Dlink; or telecommunications equipment meant for voice over IP communications such as those provided by Vonage or Packet8.
In describing certain embodiments of the system under the present invention, this specification follows the path of a telecommunications call, from a calling party to a called party. For the avoidance of doubt, such a call can be a normal voice call, in which the subscriber telecommunications equipment is also capable of visual, audiovisual or motion-picture display. Alternatively, those devices or calls can be for text, video, pictures or other communicated data.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and the figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur, or to become more pronounced, are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all of the claims.
The entirety of each of the technical references listed below is incorporated by reference herein.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/694,095 entitled STEERING OF ROAMING IN LTE AND LEGACY NETWORK ENVIRONMENT, filed on Aug. 28, 2012. This application is also a continuation of PCT Application No. PCT/US2012/045780 entitled “NETWORK TRAFFIC REDIRECTION (NTR) IN LONG TERM EVOLUTION (LTE)” filed on Jul. 12, 2012. The previous patent applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US13/57090 | 8/28/2013 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61694095 | Aug 2012 | US | |
| 61708499 | Oct 2012 | US |
