Proxy Network for Roaming Device Home Call Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users incur high costs for voice communication while roaming due to international incoming calls, and existing solutions do not allow seamless access to roaming devices using their home call number without additional roaming charges.
Innovation Solution
A method employing a proxy network that interfaces between home, visited, and alternative roaming provider networks, maintaining parallel connections and re-routing signaling messages to enable access to a roaming device using its home call number without additional roaming costs, by registering and re-transmitting subscription identifiers and temporary addresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a user subscribes to an Alternative Roaming Provider (ARP) network to reduce roaming costs, then the price of voice and SMS services while roaming is reduced, but the user cannot be reached on her/his home call number (MSISDN)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy network as an intermediary between the home network, ARP network, and visited network. This proxy network maintains mappings between the home call number (MSISDN) and the active subscription identifier, enabling calls to the home number to be routed through the proxy to the device even when it's registered on the ARP network. The proxy network acts as a mediator that translates the home number into the appropriate routing information for the currently active subscription.
2Adaptability or versatility
If only one subscription is active at a time in a subscriber device, then the device can operate on a single network at a given time, but the subscriber loses the ability to be reached on her/his home call number when switching to ARP network
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary registration actions where the proxy network pre-establishes the relationship between the home call number (MSISDN) and both the home network subscription identifier and the ARP network subscription identifier during the initial setup phase. This preliminary action ensures that when the user switches networks, the proxy network already has the necessary routing information to maintain reachability via the home number without requiring real-time reconfiguration.
3Ease of operation
If CAMEL solution is used to transfer phone calls to a roaming device, then the device can receive calls while roaming, but the user has to pay an international incoming call charge each time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the call routing function into separate components: the proxy network handles the intelligence of determining which network the device is currently registered on and which subscription identifier to use, while the home network and ARP network handle their respective authentication and service functions. This segmentation allows the system to route incoming calls through the appropriate network (ARP network when active) rather than always routing through the home network as CAMEL does, thereby avoiding international incoming call charges.
Data Source
AI summary
A roaming device sends, through a visited network and a proxy network, to a home network, an identifier for a first subscription. The home network sends, through the proxy network, to the visited network, data relating to the first subscription. The proxy network sends to the home network a first temporary address. The visited network sends to the proxy network a second temporary address. The device activates a second subscription. The device sends, through the visited network and the proxy network, to the roaming provider network, an identifier for the second subscription. The roaming provider network sends, through the proxy network, to the visited network, data relating to the second subscription. The proxy network registers the first subscription identifier, the second subscription identifier, the first temporary address and the second temporary address. The proxy network sends to the roaming provider network the first temporary address.