Roaming Service Control via Intermediary Network Node
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Solution Overview
Problem
In GSM networks, customers are limited to using services from their home network provider while roaming, lacking the ability to choose alternative providers for voice, data, and messaging services, which restricts service flexibility and revenue opportunities for both users and operators.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Profile Exchange Function network node and a Control Dispatch Function (CDF) that intercepts authentication parameters to redirect signaling to an alternative roaming provider, allowing users to choose different service providers and enabling the alternative provider to manage and bill for services, thereby decoupling visited and home networks from the alternative provider's systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a customer uses a standard contract with one network provider, then service control and billing are simplified, but the customer cannot choose alternative providers while roaming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the service control function from the network infrastructure by introducing a separate service control entity that can be independently selected by customers. This allows the network architecture to remain relatively simple while enabling multiple service providers to offer services to roaming customers through a standardized interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary service control entity that mediates between the customer equipment and the visited network. This intermediary handles service control and billing independently from the network infrastructure, allowing customers to choose alternative providers while maintaining simplified network operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the home network handles all roaming services, then service control is centralized, but the visited network cannot provide alternative services
Solution Approach 1:
The service control entity acts as an intermediary that receives service control information from the home network and makes it available to alternative service providers in the visited network. This intermediary approach enables alternative services while managing information exchange efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by establishing service control arrangements and information exchanges before the customer actually uses roaming services. This allows the visited network to have alternative services ready and available without requiring complex real-time information exchange during service delivery.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple service providers are enabled, then customer choice increases, but signaling traffic and billing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the service control and billing functions from the traditional network signaling path and places them in a separate service control entity. This extraction reduces signaling traffic on the network infrastructure while maintaining the ability to support multiple service providers through standardized interfaces.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for using a user equipment in a coverage area of a first public land mobile network, the first public land mobile network serving as a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN) to the user equipment, the user equipment having a second public land mobile network as a home public land mobile network (HPLMN), wherein, for a predetermined roaming service requested by the user equipment, a dedicated network node assigned to the second public land mobile network is addressed, transferring the roaming service request of the user equipment to a predetermined service provider, wherein the method comprises the following steps: -- the dedicated network node is registered with the second public land mobile network with respect to the user equipment, -- in case the predetermined roaming service is requested by the user equipment, the roaming service request is transferred to the dedicated network node, -- the dedicated network node determines the predetermined service provider associated with the user equipment, and transfers the roaming service request to the predetermined service provider.