System and method for restricting call setup to a fixed subscription area in a cellular telecommunications network

Claim 2

A cellular telecommunications system having a plurality of cells and a plurality of subscribers, said plurality of subscribers including at least one fixed subscriber, said system comprising: a mobile switching center (MSC); a plurality of base stations electronically connected to said MSC, each of said base stations transmitting radio frequency signals over a coverage area defining one of said cells; a plurality of cellular telephones of approximately the same radio frequency transmitter power which are utilized by said subscribers to access said cellular system; a home location register HLR) for storing a subscriber profile for each of said plurality of subscribers, each subscriber profile identifying whether an associated subscriber is a fixed subscriber; a fixed subscription area (FSA) defined in said HLR, said FSA including at least one of said cells, said fixed subscriber being allowed to access said system only through said at least one cell included in said FSA; means for sending an inquiry from said M.C. to said HER to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a normal subscriber or fixed subscriber; means for determining whether said fixed subscriber attempts to access said telecommunications system through a serving cell excluded from said FSA; and a redirection access function for redirecting said fixed subscriber to access said at least one cell included in said FSA upon determining that said fixed subscriber attempts to access said telecommunications system through a serving cell excluded from said FSA.

Claim 3

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the redirection access function is located within the MSC.

Claim 4

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the redirection access function includes means for determining if the redirection access function is active in said serving cell.

Claim 5

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 3 further comprising an access denial function for denying access of said fixed subscriber to said system upon determining that the redirection function is not active in said serving cell.

Claim 6

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 4 wherein the redirection access function includes means for determining if at least one neighbor cell to said serving cell is one of the cells in said FSA.

Claim 7

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 5 wherein the redirection access function includes means for redirecting fixed subscriber access from said serving cell to said at least one neighbor cell when said at least one neighbor cell is one of the cells in said FSA.

Claim 8

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 5 wherein the means for determining if said at least one neighbor cell is one of the cells in said FSA involves checking cells surrounding said serving cell.

Claim 9

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 5 wherein said access denial function includes means for denying access of said fixed subscriber to said system upon determining that the signal strength from said fixed subscriber to said neighbor cell is not sufficient for satisfactory call setup.

Claim 10

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 6 wherein the means for redirecting fixed subscriber access includes sending a message to said cellular telephone of said fixed subscriber identifying channels of said at least one neighbor cell.

Claim 11

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 6 wherein the means for redirecting fixed subscriber access includes sending a message to said cellular telephone of said fixed subscriber listing said at least one neighboring cell that is part of the subscriber's FSA.

Claim 12

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 6 wherein the redirection access function includes means for determining if signal strength from said fixed subscriber to said neighbor cell will result in satisfactory call setup.

Claim 13

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 6 further including notification means for notifying the fixed subscriber it is out of its FSA when no neighbor cells to the serving cell form part of its FSA.

Claim 14

A cellular telecommunications system serving a plurality of normal subscribers and a plurality of fixed subscribers, said normal and fixed subscribers having cellular telephones of approximately the same radio frequency transmitter power for accessing the system through a plurality of cells and a plurality of base stations electronically connected to a mobile switching center (MSC), each of said base stations transmitting radio frequency signals over a coverage area defining one of said cells; said system comprising: a home location register (HLR) for storing a subscriber profile for each of said plurality of subscribers, each subscriber profile identifying whether an associated subscriber is a fixed subscriber; means for sending an inquiry from said MSC to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a normal subscriber or a fixed subscriber; means for permitting said normal subscriber to setup a call in the system through any one of said plurality of cells; means within said HLR for defining at least one of said plurality of cells to form a fixed subscription area (FSA); means for permitting said fixed subscriber restricted call setup to the system through said FSA; and a redirect access means for redirecting access to the system by said fixed subscriber to one of said cells in said FSA when said fixed subscriber initially accesses the system through a serving cell excluded from the FSA.

Claim 15

A cellular telecommunications system serving a plurality of normal subscribers and a plurality of fixed subscribers, said normal and fixed subscribers having cellular telephones of approximately the same radio frequency transmitter power for accessing the system through a plurality of cells and a plurality of base stations electronically connected to a mobile switching center (MSC), each of said base stations transmitting radio frequency signals over a coverage area defining one of said cells; said system comprising: a home location register (HLR) for storing a subscriber profile for each of said plurality of subscribers, each subscriber profile identifying whether an associated subscriber is a fixed subscriber; means for sending an inquiry from said MSC to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a normal subscriber or a fixed subscriber; means for permitting said normal subscriber to setup a call in the system through any one of said plurality of cells; means within said HLR for defining at least one of said plurality of cells to form a fixed subscription area (FSA); means for permitting said fixed subscriber restricted call setup to the system through said FSA; and a redirect access means for redirecting access to the system by said fixed subscriber to one of said cells in said FSA when said fixed subscriber initially accesses the system through a serving cell excluded from the FSA.

Claim 16

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 13 wherein the redirection access function further includes means for determining if the redirection access function is active in said serving cell.

Claim 17

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 13 wherein the redirection access function further includes means for determining if at least one neighbor cell to said serving cell is one of the cells in said FSA.

Claim 18

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 15 wherein the redirection access function includes means for determining if signal strength from said fixed subscriber to said neighbor cell will result in satisfactory call setup.

Claim 19

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 15 wherein the redirection access function includes means for redirecting fixed subscriber access from said serving cell to said neighbor cell when said at least one neighbor cell is one of the cells in said FSA.

Claim 20

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 17 wherein the means for determining if said at least one neighbor cell is one of the cells in said FSA involves checking cells surrounding said serving cell.

Claim 21

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 17 wherein the means for redirecting fixed subscriber access includes sending a message to the cellular telephone of said fixed subscriber identifying channels of said at least one neighbor cell.

Claim 22

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 17 wherein the means for redirecting fixed subscriber access includes sending a message to the cellular telephone of said fixed subscriber listing said at least one neighboring cell that is part of the subscriber's FSA.

Claim 23

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 17 further comprising an access denial function for denying access of said fixed subscriber to said system upon determining that none of said neighbor cells is one of the cells in said FSA.

Claim 24

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 21 further including notification means for notifying the fixed subscriber when the fixed subscriber is out of the FSA when none of said neighbor cells is one of the cells in said FSA.

Claim 25

In a cellular telecommunications system having a plurality of cells and a plurality of subscribers utilizing a plurality of cellular telephones of approximately the same radio frequency transmitter power to access said cellular system, said plurality of subscribers including at least one fixed subscriber and being assigned restricted access to said system through a fixed subscription area (FSA) including at least one of said cells, a method of redirecting access of said fixed subscriber to said at least one cell included in said FSA when said fixed subscriber attempts to access said telecommunications system through a serving cell not forming part of the FSA, the method comprising the steps of: defining in a home location register (HLR) which of said plurality of cells is included in said FSA; determining whether at least one neighbor cell to the serving cell is one of the cells in the FSA; defining, in a subscriber profile stored in said HLR, whether each of said plurality of subscribers is assigned to said FSA; sending an inquiry from a serving mobile switching center (MSC) to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a fixed subscriber assigned to said FSA; denying access of said fixed subscriber to said system upon determining that the at least one neighbor cell is not one of the cells in the FSA; and redirecting access of said fixed subscriber from the serving cell to the at least one neighbor cell upon determining that the at least one neighbor cell is one of the cells in the FSA.

Claim 26

In a cellular telecommunications system having a plurality of cells and a plurality of subscribers utilizing a plurality of cellular telephones of approximately the same radio frequency transmitter power to access said cellular system, said plurality of subscribers including at least one fixed subscriber and being assigned restricted access to said system through a fixed subscription area (FSA) including at least one of said cells, a method of redirecting access of said fixed subscriber to said at least one cell included in said FSA when said fixed subscriber attempts to access said telecommunications system through a serving cell not forming part of the FSA, the method comprising the steps of: defining in a home location register (HLR) which of said plurality of cells is included in said FSA; determining whether at least one neighbor cell to the serving cell is one of the cells in the FSA; defining, in a subscriber profile stored in said HLR, whether each of said plurality of subscribers is assigned to said FSA; sending an inquiry from a serving mobile switching center (MSC) to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a fixed subscriber assigned to said FSA; denying access of said fixed subscriber to said system upon determining that the at least one neighbor cell is not one of the cells in the FSA; and redirecting access of said fixed subscriber from the serving cell to the at least one neighbor cell upon determining that the at least one neighbor cell is one of the cells in the FSA.

Claim 27

The method of redirecting access of said fixed subscriber to said system of claim 23 further including the step of: determining whether the step of redirecting the subscriber access is active in said serving cell after the step of determining whether the fixed subscriber is accessing the system through the serving cell.

Claim 28

The method of redirecting access of said fixed subscriber to said system of claim 24 further including the step of determining if signal strength from said fixed subscriber to said neighbor cell will result in satisfactory call setup.

Claim 29

The cellular telecommunications system of claim 5 wherein said access denial function includes means for denying access of said fixed subscriber to said system upon determining that none of said neighbor cells is one of the cells in said FSA.

Claim 30

In a cellular telecommunications system serving a plurality of normal subscribers and a plurality of fixed subscribers, said normal and fixed subscribers having cellular telephones of approximately equal radio frequency transmission power for accessing the system through a plurality of cells and a plurality of base stations electronically connected to a mobile switching center (MSC), each of said base stations transmitting radio frequency signals over a coverage area defining one of said cells; a method for accessing the system comprising the steps of: storing a subscriber profile in a home location register (HLR) for each of said plurality of subscribers, each subscriber profile identifying whether an associated subscriber is a fixed subscriber: sending an inquiry from said MSC to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a normal subscriber or a fixed subscriber: permitting said normal subscriber to setup a call in the system through any one of said plurality of cells; defining, within said HLR, at least one of said plurality of cells to form a fixed subscription area (FSA); determining whether said fixed subscriber is attempting to access said system through one of said plurality of cells in said FSA; permitting said fixed subscriber restricted call setup in the system upon determining that said subscriber is attempting to access said system through said FSA; and redirecting access to the system by said fixed subscriber to one of said cells in said FSA upon determining that said fixed subscriber initially accesses the system through a serving cell excluded from the FSA.

Claim 31

In a cellular telecommunications system serving a plurality of normal subscribers and a plurality of fixed subscribers, said normal and fixed subscribers having cellular telephones of approximately equal radio frequency transmission power for accessing the system through a plurality of cells and a plurality of base stations electronically connected to a mobile switching center (MSC), each of said base stations transmitting radio frequency signals over a coverage area defining one of said cells; a method for accessing the system comprising the steps of: storing a subscriber profile in a home location register (HLR) for each of said plurality of subscribers, each subscriber profile identifying whether an associated subscriber is a fixed subscriber: sending an inquiry from said MSC to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a normal subscriber or a fixed subscriber: permitting said normal subscriber to setup a call in the system through any one of said plurality of cells; defining, within said HLR, at least one of said plurality of cells to form a fixed subscription area (FSA); determining whether said fixed subscriber is attempting to access said system through one of said plurality of cells in said FSA; permitting said fixed subscriber restricted call setup in the system upon determining that said subscriber is attempting to access said system through said FSA; and redirecting access to the system by said fixed subscriber to one of said cells in said FSA upon determining that said fixed subscriber initially accesses the system through a serving cell excluded from the FSA.

Claim 32

The method of claim 27 further including the steps of: determining whether at least one neighbor cell to said serving cell is one of said cells in said FSA; and redirecting said fixed subscriber access to said at least one neighbor cell when said at least one neighbor cell is determined to be one of the cells in said FSA.

Claim 33

The method of claim 27 further including the step of determining if signal strength from said fixed subscriber to said neighbor cell will result in satisfactory call setup.

Claim 34

The method of claim 28 further including the step of determining whether the step of redirecting subscriber access is active in said serving cell after the step of determining whether the fixed subscriber is accessing the system through the serving cell.

Claim 35

The method of claim 28 wherein the step of determining whether said neighbor cell is one of the cells in said FSA includes the step of checking cells surrounding said serving cell.