Signaling Gateway for Multi-IMSI Mobile Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile communication systems face challenges in facilitating seamless communication for roaming subscribers across multiple networks, as they need to swap SIMs to access local rates and services, leading to service disruptions and complex billing procedures.
Innovation Solution
A system that enables Multiple IMSI Multiple MSISDN (MIMM) service, allowing subscribers to maintain active IMSIs and MSISDNs across networks, using a single SIM with a Signaling Gateway (SG) that manages registrations and routing, enabling local rate benefits and service access without the need for frequent SIM swaps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a roaming subscriber buys a new SIM card for each VPMN to access local rates and services, then the subscriber can enjoy local rate benefits and use local services, but the subscriber must swap SIM cards frequently which causes service disruption and loss of access to HPMN services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple VPMN IMSIs and their corresponding MSISDNs into a single SIM card, allowing the subscriber to maintain multiple active identities simultaneously. This eliminates the need to physically swap SIM cards while accessing different VPMN networks, thereby maintaining service continuity and reliability while enabling access to local rate benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The single SIM card is designed to perform multiple functions by storing and activating different VPMN IMSIs as needed. The SIM card becomes a universal access tool that can operate across multiple VPMNs without requiring separate physical cards for each network, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and service reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the HPMN reserves a special range of HPMN IMSIs and VPMNs reserve special ranges of VPMN MSISDNs for the MIMM service, then the service can be provided to roaming subscribers, but the network configuration becomes complex and requires special billing procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The Signaling Gateway (SG) acts as an intermediary between the HPMN and VPMNs, managing the MIMM service operations. The SG receives SCCP messages from VPMNs, determines whether they are MIMM service requests, and routes them appropriately. This intermediary approach enables service provision without requiring complex configurations in the core network elements of HPMN and VPMNs, thereby reducing overall network complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex service logic and billing procedures from the core network elements and places them in the Signaling Gateway. By taking out the MIMM service management functions from the HPMN and VPMN core networks, the system reduces configuration complexity in the main network elements while maintaining the adaptability to provide services across multiple networks.
3Extent of automation
If the VPMN configures network elements to route SCCP messages to a Signaling Gateway, then the MIMM service can be managed centrally, but the signaling path becomes longer and message routing becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The Signaling Gateway is pre-configured with the necessary information to handle MIMM service requests efficiently. The SG maintains a database of associated IMSIs and MSISDNs, allowing it to quickly determine whether an incoming SCCP message is an MIMM service request and route it appropriately without requiring complex real-time decision-making, thereby reducing signaling delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The Signaling Gateway serves as an intelligent intermediary that simplifies the signaling path. Rather than requiring complex configuration in multiple network elements, the SG centralizes the routing logic and uses pre-established associations between IMSIs and MSISDNs to efficiently route messages, reducing the overall complexity and time of message routing while maintaining centralized management.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system, method, and computer product are provided for, facilitating mobile communication corresponding to Multiple MSISDNs associated with Multiple IMSIs of a subscriber. The system includes a Signaling Gateway (SG) coupled to a first network. The SG receives one or more association messages from a subscriber for associating a first IMSI, corresponding to the first network, with one or more other IMSIs, corresponding to one or more VPMN networks. The first and other IMSIs are associated with the subscriber using at least one SIM. The SG associates MSISDNs corresponding to the associated IMSIs. Further, the SG facilitates mobile communication corresponding to any associated IMSI and the corresponding associated MSISDN, irrespective of the IMSI being activated in the SIM.