Predictive intelligence based automated camel testing

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a method for facilitating roaming tests for a club network. The method includes simulating a roamer's profile by a signaling gateway and associating with either a club network or a roaming partner network of the club network. The club network and the roaming partner network correspond to a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) and a Visited PMN, respectively, in case the roamer is an outbound roamer. In case the roamer is an inbound roamer, the club network corresponds to the VPMN and roaming partner network corresponds to the HPMN. The method further includes performing by the signaling gateway, one or more CAMEL capability tests on the roamer. The roaming subscriber is associated with either the club network or the roaming partner network.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 267,169 titled “Predictive Intelligence as the Basis of Automated CAMEL Testing for Voice Roaming” filed on Dec. 7, 2009, and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 361,136 titled “Advanced Predictive Intelligence” filed on Sep. 30, 2010. This application is also a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 219,622 titled “Predictive Intelligence” filed on Jul. 24, 2008. Each of the preceding applications is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to mobile communication. More specifically, the invention relates to proactive roaming tests for CAMEL voice roaming.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Roaming traffic contributes a significant percentage of an operator's revenue and even a better percentage of the operator's margin. With increasing competition and regulator...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for facilitating roaming tests for a club network. The method involves simulating a roamer's profile and associating it with either a club network or a roaming partner network of the club network. The club network and the roaming partner network correspond to a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) and a Visited PMN, respectively, in case the roamer is an outbound roamer. The system performs one or more CAMEL capability tests on the roamer and the roaming subscriber is associated with either the club network or the roaming partner network. The technical effects of the invention include facilitating roaming tests for a club network and ensuring compatibility between different networks."

Problems solved by technology

However, roaming partners may constantly change network configuration, upgrade new software, add new number ranges, introduce new inter-connection routing or add new network elements.

These changes or incomplete or incorrect execution of changes could affect roaming services.

Also, while roaming represents a substantial revenue source for the operators, it is also subjected to frauds like Subscriber identity module (SIM) box and interconnection frauds.

However, establishing camel roaming is very difficult for operators.

This causes significant delays for many operators.

However, this takes a lot of times although it's a cheaper alternative for some countries.

Automated testing is preferred but generally expensive and even more problematic for continued testing.

However, there are several issues with the remote probes approach.

First is coverage issue, as despite increasing coverage in multiple countries and major cities, this approach does not assure covering of home operator's roamer's services in the part that are not covered by these remote probes.

The coverage problem also applies to a visiting operator for inbound roamers when the country's expanse is huge such as China, India etc.

Moreover, the operator often cannot afford to continuously test its inbound roaming service availability to accommodate constant changes of network infrastructures including network elements (e.g. VLR / VMSCs) and routing.

Another drawback is cost as remote probe vendors need ways to recuperate the cost (e.g. remote probe hardware cost, data center collocation cost including bandwidth and maintenance etc.) for the vast amount of investment for extended coverage.

It is unlikely that the number of test scenarios is multiplied by the number of profiles because of the costs of these tests, thus making it is hard for the operator to control the quality of service offered to any of the subscribers.

Further, due to its lack of network signaling, remote probe approach is also not quite effective in detecting various revenue affecting services like mentioned above.

However, since remote probes are bottlenecked by their coverage area, unfortunately many countries that are out of the coverage cannot gain benefit of these tests.

Further, remote probe approach cannot perform integrated camel testing with operator / network initiated services such as on-demand Operator Determined Barring (ODB), Cancel Location, InsertSusbcriberData (ISD), Immediate Service Termination (IST) and on-demand profile changes.

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