Distributed subscriber data management in wireless networks from a central perspective

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further including the step of: if said data required parameter is present and indicates data is required, modifying second register data to indicate said visited first register received data and sorting said second register data chronologically.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 further including the steps of: sending update location confirmation to said visited first register; and optionally sending a clear location request to a previous predetermined first register.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 further including the step of: modifying said second register data to update said visited first register received data if said second register contains data concerning said visited first register, and sorting said second register data chronologically if said data required parameter is present and indicates data is not required.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 further including the steps of: sending an update location acceptance to said visited first register; and optionally sending a clear location request to said previous predetermined first register.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 further including the steps of: sending subscriber data to said visited first register if said second register does not contain data concerning said visited first register and if said data required parameter is present and indicates data is not required; and sorting said second register data chronologically.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 further including the step of sending a clear location request to said previous first register if said second register does not contain information concerning data concerning said previous first register.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 further including the step of determining whether said second register data exceeds a predetermined threshold N, where N is a positive whole number of chronologically ordered data.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8 further including the step of removing the oldest chronologically ordered data from said second register when said predetermined threshold N is exceeded.

Claim 11

A cellular communication system comprising: a gateway central switching controller operably connected to a public switched telephone network; a plurality of central switching controllers operably connected to said gateway central switching controller; a plurality of transceiver stations for communicating with a mobile station traveling among predetermined geographic areas, each transceiver station associated with one of said geographic areas and operably connected to one of said central switching controllers; a registration processor, including a home location register, associated with the gateway central switching controller, for storing mobile station related data including a list of geographic areas visited by said mobile station; a plurality of visitor location registers, each visitor location register corresponding to a particular one of said central switching controllers, for storing temporary mobile station data; means for receiving a location update request from a visited visitor location register at said home location register; means for downloading subscriber data to said visited visitor location register if a data required parameter is present and indicates data is required and modifying said home location register data to indicate said visited visitor location register received data and sorting said home location register data chronologically; and, means for modifying said home location register data to indicate said visited visitor location register received data and sorting said home location register data chronologically without downloading subscriber data to said visited visitor location register if said data required parameter indicates data is not required.

Claim 12

A cellular communication system comprising: a gateway central switching controller operably connected to a public switched telephone network; a plurality of central switching controllers operably connected to said gateway central switching controller; a plurality of transceiver stations for communicating with a mobile station traveling among predetermined geographic areas, each transceiver station associated with one of said geographic areas and operably connected to one of said central switching controllers; a registration processor, including a home location register, associated with the gateway central switching controller, for storing mobile station related data including a list of geographic areas visited by said mobile station; a plurality of visitor location registers, each visitor location register corresponding to a particular one of said central switching controllers, for storing temporary mobile station data; means for receiving a location update request from a visited visitor location register at said home location register; means for downloading subscriber data to said visited visitor location register if a data required parameter is present and indicates data is required and modifying said home location register data to indicate said visited visitor location register received data and sorting said home location register data chronologically; and, means for modifying said home location register data to indicate said visited visitor location register received data and sorting said home location register data chronologically without downloading subscriber data to said visited visitor location register if said data required parameter indicates data is not required.

Claim 13

The cellular communication system of claim 10 further including: means for sending update location confirmation to said visited visitor location register; and means for optionally sending a clear location request to a previous predetermined visitor location register.

Claim 14

The cellular communication system of claim 10 further including means for determining whether said home location register data exceeds a predetermined threshold N, where N is a positive whole number of chronologically ordered data.

Claim 15

The cellular communication system of claim 10 further including means for removing the oldest chronologically ordered data from said home location register when said predetermined threshold N is exceeded.

Claim 16

The method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of: if said data required parameter is not included, then downloading subscriber data to said visited first register.

Claim 19

The method as claimed in claim 15, including the step of: if the data required parameter is not included, then downloading subscriber data from said home location register to said visited visitor location register.

Claim 20

The method as claimed in claim 16, including the step of: sending update location results to said visited visitor location register.

Claim 21

The method as claimed in claim 17, including the steps of: determining if a next previous visited visitor location register is in said list; and, sending a cancel location request to said next previous visited visitor location register.

Claim 22

The method of claim 15, wherein said step of updating said list includes the step of: marking said visited visitor location register in said list as the most recently visited visitor location register and sorting said list chronologically.

Claim 23

The method as claimed in claim 19, including the further step of: if said data required parameter is included in said location update request, determining if said visited visitor location register is in said list.

Claim 24

The method as claimed in claim 20, including the step of: if said visited visitor location register is in said list, marking said visited visitor location register in said list as the most recently visited visitor location register; and, sorting said list chronologically.

Claim 25

The method as claimed in claim 20, including the steps of: if said visited visitor location register is not in said list, downloading subscriber data from said home location register to said visited visitor location register; marking said visited visitor location register in said list as the most recently visited visitor location register; and, sorting said list chronologically.

Claim 26

The method as claimed in claim 19, including the step of: determining if said visited visitor location register is in said list.

Claim 27

The method as claimed in claim 23, including the step of: if said visited visitor location register is in said list, marking said visited visitor location register in said list as the most recently visited visitor location register; and, sorting said list chronologically.

Claim 28

The method as claimed in claim 23, including the steps of: if said visited visitor location register is not in said list, downloading subscriber data from said home location register to said visited visitor location register; adding said visited visitor location register to said list; marking said visited visitor location register in said list as the most recently visited visitor location register; and, sorting said list chronologically.

Claim 29

The method as claimed in claim 25, including the step of: determining whether said list includes a number of visited visitor location registers greater than a predetermined a positive whole number N.

Claim 30

The method as claimed in claim 26, including the step of: removing the oldest chronologically ordered visited visitor location register from said list when said number N is exceeded.

Claim 31

The method as claimed in claim 27, including the step of: sending a clear location request from said home location register to said oldest chronologically ordered visited visitor location register.