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EP0544448A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Arrangement for implementing a visitor location register in a cellular mobile telecommunications switching system

Assignee: AT&T Inc
•
Filing: 1992-11-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-11-19
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Abstract

Abstract This invention relates to apparatus and methods for providing cellular mobile telecommunication service in accordance with the requirements of the Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard. A modular switching system is provided which performs the functions of the mobile switching center (210) plus those of a home location register (212), authentication center (216), visitor location register (214), and equipment identity register (218). The latter functions are advantageously spread among the modules of the switching system, thus avoiding the getting started cost of expensive dedicated data bases. A wireless global switching module advantageously switches mobile communications control messages among the modules of the system and between the modules and the base station systems (204), and terminates signaling links between the mobile switching center and the base station systems.

Inventors

  • 👤 Wayne Clifford La Forge
  • 👤 Chinmei Chen Lee
  • 👤 James Joseph Phelan

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 10:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W8/00; H04W8/02; H04W8/06

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 54 words
In a mobile telecommunications switch, a method of storing a Visitor Location Register (VLR) for a mobile station comprising: determining when the mobile station is within the serving area of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC); and responsive to said determination, storing a VLR for that mobile station in a memory location of said MSC.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: as said mobile station moves from one location area served by said MSC to another location area served by said MSC, retaining said VLR in said memory location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 45 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: maintaining a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identification (TMSI) for said mobile station while said mobile station is in an idle, power on state, as said mobile moves from one location area to another location area served by said MSC.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 49 words
The method of claim 1 wherein if a particular VLR is stored in the same MSC as a Home Location Register (HLR) of a mobile station, said particular VLR is stored in association with said HLR so that common data is not duplicated within a basic VLR/HLR combined record.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said MSC is modular and wherein a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identification (TMSI) comprises a subfield for identifying a module of said MSC for storing said VLR.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 69 words
In a cellular mobile telecommunications network, apparatus for storing and accessing visitor location register data comprising: a plurality of switching modules in said mobile switching center, each module for storing a subset of VLR data stored in said mobile switching center; and means for processing a VLR data request message to determine which module contains VLR data requested in said message and for routing said message to said module.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 31 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means comprises a table to determine which module contains a VLR for an International Mobile Subscriber Identification (IMSI) specified in said data request message.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 33 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein a module stores both the VLR and Home Location Register (HLR) for mobile stations which are in the coverage area of the MSC that stores the HLR.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the common data of HLR and VLR in a module is stored in common for the VLR and HLR.

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