IP Telephony Roaming via Location Update Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IP telephony systems do not effectively cater to the roaming needs of mobile telephony devices, as they lack a mechanism to seamlessly route communications through the internet when the device roams across different networks, leading to disruptions in call forwarding services.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining if a telephony device has access to an internet-based telephony system and sending a location update signal to the public land mobile network, including an identification of the internet-based telephony system as the visited network, thereby enabling the system to route incoming communications through the internet to the device's account, even when the device roams across different networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mobile telephony device roams across different networks, then the device can maintain connectivity and access communication services, but the existing IP telephony system cannot effectively route communications through the internet, leading to service disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary location updates by sending the device's current network location information to the home location register before communication is needed. This advance registration ensures that when the device roams, the routing information is already updated, enabling seamless call forwarding and maintaining service reliability without interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary routing mechanism where the home location register acts as a mediator between the roaming device and the IP telephony system. This intermediary receives location update signals, determines the appropriate routing path, and forwards communications through the internet to the device's current location, resolving the contradiction between maintaining service reliability and adapting to roaming conditions.
2Loss of energy
If the system uses traditional carrier routing for roaming devices, then calls can be forwarded through visited networks, but the device cannot capitalize on internet-based routing benefits
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the home location register continuously receives location update signals from roaming devices and automatically adjusts routing information. This feedback loop ensures that the system always has current location data, enabling automatic internet-based routing without manual intervention while reducing communication costs by prioritizing internet paths over traditional carrier routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The roaming device automatically sends location update signals to the home location register without requiring manual configuration or user intervention. The system self-updates its routing information by processing these signals, enabling automatic switching between internet-based and traditional carrier routing based on device location, thereby reducing costs and simplifying operation.
3Loss of information
If the system implements location update signaling for roaming, then incoming calls can be routed through the internet to the device's current location, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The home location register is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a traditional routing database and as a receiver of location update signals from roaming devices. This universal component handles multiple tasks including storing subscriber information, tracking device location, and determining routing paths, thereby maintaining location information accuracy without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the home location register as an intermediary that simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing location management functions. Instead of requiring complex distributed tracking systems, the intermediary HLR consolidates location update reception, processing, and routing determination in a single component, reducing system complexity while maintaining accurate location information for internet-based call routing.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating an internet-based telephony system (20) comprises determining that a telephony device (30) associated with a customer has access to service to the internet-based telephony system (20); and sending a location update signal to a public land mobile network (32) associated with the customer. The location update signal is configured to include an identification of the internet-based telephony system (20) as a network visited by the telephony device (30) associated with the customer. Upon the internet-based telephony system (20) receiving from the public land mobile network (32) an indication of an incoming communication directed to a called number associated with an account of the customer which includes the telephony device (30), the method further includes the internet-based telephony system (20) providing the public land mobile network (32) with a roaming number for the telephony device, and upon receiving the incoming communication and the roaming number from the public land mobile network (32), routing the communication through the Internet to a device included in the customer's account.