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US5915220A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

System and method for maintaining profile information in a telecommunications network

Assignee: Apple Inc
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Filing: 1997-05-05
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Granted: 1999-06-22
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Expires: 2017-05-05
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Abstract

Abstract A system and method is implemented within a telecommunications network, such as a cellular telephone network, for maintaining updated profile information for each mobile subscriber registered within the network. Updated profile information about each mobile subscriber is maintained within a particular mobile switching center currently communicating with the particular mobile subscriber. This process is performed with minimal utilization of bandwidth between the various mobile switching centers in the telecommunications network by maintaining subscriber service profile information within mobile switching centers, even though the associated mobile subscriber has roamed from that mobile switching center. When the subscriber service profile information is updated, then the subscriber service profile information is downloaded to a mobile switching center currently serving the mobile subscriber.

Inventors

  • 👤 Sivananthan Chelliah

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 22:24
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W8/00; H04W8/18

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim 223 words
In a telecommunications network including a plurality of systems for serving a telecommunications device, wherein said plurality of systems are coupled to a home system, a method comprising the steps of: receiving a message from a first one of said plurality of systems at said home system when said telecommunications device registers with said first one of said plurality of systems after roaming from a second one of said plurality of systems to said first one of said plurality of systems; determining if said telecommunications device had registered with said first one of said plurality of systems during a predetermined period of time preceding said registration of said telecommunications device with said first one of said plurality of systems; not sending a profile associated with said telecommunications device in response to receipt of said message by said home system if said telecommunications device had previously registered with said first one of said plurality of system; and sending said profile associated with said telecommunications device from said home system to said first one of said plurality of systems, in response to receipt of said message if said telecommunications device had not previously registered with said first one of said plurality of systems within said predetermined period of time preceding said registration of said telecommunications device with said first one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 223 words
In a telecommunications network including a plurality of systems for serving a telecommunications device, wherein said plurality of systems are coupled to a home system, a method comprising the steps of: receiving a message from a first one of said plurality of systems at said home system when said telecommunications device registers with said first one of said plurality of systems after roaming from a second one of said plurality of systems to said first one of said plurality of systems; determining if said telecommunications device had registered with said first one of said plurality of systems during a predetermined period of time preceding said registration of said telecommunications device with said first one of said plurality of systems; not sending a profile associated with said telecommunications device in response to receipt of said message by said home system if said telecommunications device had previously registered with said first one of said plurality of system; and sending said profile associated with said telecommunications device from said home system to said first one of said plurality of systems, in response to receipt of said message if said telecommunications device had not previously registered with said first one of said plurality of systems within said predetermined period of time preceding said registration of said telecommunications device with said first one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 60 words
The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of: maintaining a list of one or more of said plurality of systems that have recently registered with said telecommunications device within a predetermined time period, wherein said step of not sending said profile is performed when said first one of said plurality of systems is in said list.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 161 words
The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of: receiving an update to said profile of said telecommunications device to form an updated profile; sending said updated profile by said home system to said first one of said plurality of systems; tagging all entries in said list, except an entry associated with said first one of said plurality of systems, to generate a plurality of tagged entries to indicate that a portion of said plurality systems associated with said plurality of tagged entries do not comprise said updated profile; and sending said updated profile to a third one of said plurality of systems by said home system when said telecommunications device roams from said first one of said plurality of systems to said third one of said plurality of systems and registers with said third one of said plurality of systems, wherein said third one of said plurality of systems has an associated tagged entry in said list.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said list maintains a record of a last N systems with which said telecommunications device had registered, wherein N is a positive integer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 60 words
The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said step of sending said profile associated with said telecommunications device by said home system to said first one of said plurality of systems, in response to receipt of said message, is performed when said first one of said plurality of systems is not one of said N systems in said list.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of: maintaining a record of said profile in said second one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 52 words
The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said record of said profile is maintained in said second one of said plurality of systems in response to receipt of a message from said home system to cancel a registration of said telecommunications device with said second one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said telecommunications network comprises a cellular network, and wherein said telecommunications device is a cellular telephone.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 106 words
The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: receiving a message from said second one of said plurality of systems by said home system when said telecommunications device registers with said second one of said plurality of systems after roaming from said first one of said plurality of systems to said second one of said plurality of systems; and not sending said profile associated with said telecommunications device by said home system in response to receipt of said message from said second one of said plurality of systems when said telecommunications device registers with said second one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 91 words
The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: receiving an update to said profile of said telecommunications device; sending said updated profile by said home system to said first one of said plurality of systems; and sending said updated profile to a third one of said plurality of systems by said home system when said telecommunications device roams from said first one of said plurality of systems to said third one of said plurality of systems and registers with said third one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 173 words
A telecommunications network comprising: a plurality of systems operable for serving communication needs of a telecommunications device; a home system operable for controlling said telecommunications network, said plurality of systems coupled to said home system, wherein said home system further comprises: circuitry operable for maintaining a record of a portion of said plurality of systems with which said telecommunications device had previously registered; and circuitry operable for sending a profile associated with said telecommunications device to a first one of said plurality of systems in response to receipt of a message from said first one of said plurality of systems that said telecommunications device has registered with said first one of said plurality of systems after roaming from a second one of said plurality of systems to said first one of said plurality of systems, wherein said profile is sent to said first one of said plurality of systems when said first one of said plurality of systems is not one of the record of said portion of said plurality of N systems.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 173 words
A telecommunications network comprising: a plurality of systems operable for serving communication needs of a telecommunications device; a home system operable for controlling said telecommunications network, said plurality of systems coupled to said home system, wherein said home system further comprises: circuitry operable for maintaining a record of a portion of said plurality of systems with which said telecommunications device had previously registered; and circuitry operable for sending a profile associated with said telecommunications device to a first one of said plurality of systems in response to receipt of a message from said first one of said plurality of systems that said telecommunications device has registered with said first one of said plurality of systems after roaming from a second one of said plurality of systems to said first one of said plurality of systems, wherein said profile is sent to said first one of said plurality of systems when said first one of said plurality of systems is not one of the record of said portion of said plurality of N systems.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 24 words
The network as recited in claim 11, further comprising: circuitry operable for storing said profile in said second one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 58 words
The network as recited in claim 12, wherein storage of said profile in said second one of said plurality of systems is maintained when a message is received by said second one of said plurality of systems from said home system to cancel a registration of said telecommunications device with said second one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 24 words
The network as recited in claim 11, wherein said telecommunications network includes a cellular network, and wherein said telecommunications device is a cellular telephone.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 114 words
The network as recited in claim 11, wherein said home system further comprises: circuitry operable for receiving a message from said second one of said plurality of systems when said telecommunications device registers with said second one of said plurality of systems after roaming from said first one of said plurality of systems to said second one of said plurality of systems; and circuitry operable for not sending said profile associated with said telecommunications device to said second one of said plurality of systems in response to receipt of said message from said second one of said plurality of systems when said telecommunications device registers with said second one of said plurality of systems.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 89 words
The network as recited in claim 11, wherein said home system further comprises: circuitry operable for receiving an update to said profile of said telecommunications device; circuitry operable for sending said updated profile to said first one of said plurality of systems; and circuitry operable for tagging all entries in said record to form a plurality of tagged entries, except an entry associated with said first one of said plurality of systems, as indicating that systems associated with said plurality of tagged entries do not comprise said updated profile.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 80 words
The network as recited in claim 16, wherein said home system further comprises: circuitry operable for sending said updated profile to a third one of said plurality of systems when said telecommunications device roams from said first one of said plurality of systems to said third one of said plurality of systems and registers with said third one of said plurality of systems, wherein said third one of said plurality of systems has an associated tagged entry in said list.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 43 words
The network as recited in claim 11, wherein said home system further comprises: circuitry operable for not sending said profile from to said first one of said plurality of systems when said first one of said plurality of systems is in said record.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 23 words
The network as recited in claim 11, wherein said record is of a last N systems with which said telecommunications device has registered.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 18 words
The network as recited in claim 11, wherein said network is coupled to a public switched telephone network.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 110 words
In a cellular communications network comprising first and second systems, a method comprising the steps of: receiving a registration message from a cellular telephone by said second system; sending a registration notification message indicating that said cellular telephone has registered with said second system from said second system to said first system; determining if said second system is included in a stored record in said first system to indicate that said cellular telephone has previously registered with said second system; and not sending a profile associated with said cellular telephone to said second system when said stored record indicates that said cellular telephone has previously registered with said second system.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 110 words
In a cellular communications network comprising first and second systems, a method comprising the steps of: receiving a registration message from a cellular telephone by said second system; sending a registration notification message indicating that said cellular telephone has registered with said second system from said second system to said first system; determining if said second system is included in a stored record in said first system to indicate that said cellular telephone has previously registered with said second system; and not sending a profile associated with said cellular telephone to said second system when said stored record indicates that said cellular telephone has previously registered with said second system.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 43 words
The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said profile is not sending in said second system when said stored record indicates that said cellular telephone has previously registered with said second system because said profile is already stored in said second system.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 45 words
The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising the step of: sending said profile associated with said cellular telephone from said first system to said second system when said stored record indicates that said cellular telephone has not previously registered with said second system.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method as recited in claim 23, wherein said stored record includes a last N systems within said network with which said cellular telephone has registered.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method as recited in claim 24, wherein when said second system is one of said last N systems.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said profile is sent to said second system from said first system when said second system is not one of said last N systems.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 128 words
The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said network further includes a third system coupled to said first system, and wherein said cellular telephone had been registered with said third system prior to registering with said second system, said method further comprising the steps of: receiving a registration message from said cellular telephone by said third system; sending a registration notification message indicating that said cellular telephone has registered with said third system from said third system to said first system; determining that said third system is included in said stored record in said first system to indicate that said cellular telephone has previously registered with said third system; and not sending said profile associated with said cellular telephone from said first system to said third system.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 62 words
The method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the steps of: sending a message to cancel said registration of said cellular telephone with said second system from said first system to said second system; and maintaining a record of said profile in said second system upon receiving said message to cancel said registration of said cellular telephone with said second system.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said registration notification message complies with an IS41 standard.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5642398A Cited
US5379451A Cited
US5390234A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-06-21 2002-12-21 2003-06-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-06-21 2006-12-21 2007-06-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-06-21 2010-12-21 2011-06-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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