KR20110113052A - Mobile communication system and its method for roaming service restriction - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile communication system for roaming service restriction and a method thereof are disclosed. The mobile communication system includes a gateway location register for storing a block list of an inbound roaming terminal and an exchange for acquiring a block list according to a location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal and blocking a communication call of the inbound roaming terminal according to the block list.

Description

Mobile communication system and method for restricting roaming service {Mobile Communication System and Method for restricting roaming service}

The present invention relates to a mobile communication system, and more particularly, to a method and a mobile communication system that can limit roaming services for inbound roaming subscribers.

Roaming service refers to a service that can communicate with other operators in other regions outside the service area of the telecommunication company to which the user subscribes without relying on a single service provider. Overseas roaming service extends this concept to countries and uses mobile terminals in foreign countries by using networks of foreign operators that have contracts with domestic mobile operators. For example, assume that there is a company B that provides a mobile communication service in the United States by contracting with A company that provides mobile communication service in Korea. At this time, a user subscribed to Company A may go to the United States and receive a mobile communication service through Company B's mobile communication system.

Domestic mobile communication systems provide a function to block calls to specific called numbers. However, inbound roaming subscribers who are roaming in-country (in-bound roaming) are provided with a function of blocking a call to a specific called number like domestic subscribers.

That is, the conventional mobile communication system did not provide a separate call blocking function applied only to inbound roaming subscribers.

According to the present invention, the roaming service of the inbound roaming terminal may be restricted by blocking an outbound call of the inbound roaming terminal according to a set condition.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a mobile communication system is disclosed.

The mobile communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention obtains the block list according to a gateway location register for storing a block list of an inbound roaming terminal and a location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal, and the inbound roaming terminal according to the block list. It includes an exchange to block the communication call.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for limiting roaming services of an inbound roaming terminal in a mobile communication system is disclosed.

Roaming service restriction method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of the gateway location register to transmit the block list of the inbound roaming terminal to the exchange and the exchange block the communication call of the inbound roaming terminal according to the block list. Include.

The present invention can block a call to a called number which may cause a problem by blocking an outbound roaming terminal according to a set condition.

1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a mobile communication system for providing a roaming service.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a location registration procedure according to a location registration request of an inbound roaming terminal in the mobile communication system of FIG.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a location registration procedure of an inbound roaming terminal performed for roaming service restriction for an inbound roaming subscriber;
4 is a flowchart illustrating an outgoing call procedure of an inbound roaming terminal performed for roaming service restriction for an inbound roaming subscriber;

The present invention may be variously modified and have various embodiments, and specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In describing the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related known technology may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, numerals used in the description of the present invention are merely an identifier for distinguishing one component from another.

In addition, in the present specification, when one component is referred to as "connected" or "connected" with another component, the one component may be directly connected or directly connected to the other component, but in particular It is to be understood that, unless there is an opposite substrate, it may be connected or connected via another component in the middle.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, the same reference numerals will be used for the same means regardless of the reference numerals in order to facilitate the overall understanding.

1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a mobile communication system providing a roaming service.

Referring to FIG. 1, a mobile communication system is divided into a visited network 100 and a home network 200. In the following description, the visited network 100 may be a communication network of an inbound roaming subscriber using a roaming service, and the home network 200 may be an overseas third party network to which an inbound roaming subscriber subscribes to a communication service.

The visited network 100 includes an inbound roaming terminal 10, a switcher / visitor location register (hereinafter referred to as a VLR) 20 and a gateway location register (hereinafter referred to as a GLR) 30 It includes.

The inbound roaming terminal 10 is a terminal connected to a mobile communication network to perform incoming and outgoing functions of voice calls. For example, the inbound roaming terminal 10 may be a cellular phone, a personal communication service (PCS) phone, a PDA phone, a GSM phone, a WCDMA phone, a CDMA-2000 phone, a DMB phone, or the like.

Exchange / VLR 20 consists of an exchange and a VLR. The exchange may include a VLR inside or be connected to an externally located VLR. General functions of the exchange and the VLR are obvious to those skilled in the art, and thus a separate description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the exchange / VLR 20 will be collectively described as the exchange 20.

The exchange 20 acquires a block list from the GLR 30 while the location registration of the inbound roaming terminal 10 is performed, and then performs the communication call blocking of the inbound roaming terminal 10 according to the block list. Here, the blocking list is a list including information of the blocking target set to block the communication call of the inbound roaming terminal 10. The blocking target may be a target to which an inbound roaming subscriber attempts to receive an incoming call.

The block list may include a block number set for the general inbound roaming subscriber. The blocking number is set for a called number that can be sent by a general inbound roaming subscriber. The block list may be configured by setting a block number for each general inbound roaming subscriber. In addition, the block list may be configured by setting the block number for each nationality of the general inbound roaming subscriber. That is, a general inbound roaming subscriber or a specific general inbound roaming subscriber of a specific nationality may be restricted from calling to a set blocking number.

The exchanger 20 storing the block list for the general inbound roaming subscriber may block an outgoing call of the inbound roaming terminal 10 when the called number sent from the inbound roaming terminal 10 is the blocking number.

In addition, the exchange 20 may block the outgoing call of the inbound roaming terminal 10 for each service using a block list. In this case, the block list may include a service identification number as a block number set for the corresponding inbound roaming subscriber.

For example, as an intelligent network service providing a specific service, when a service corresponding to a service identification number such as 060 or 080 is set to be blocked, the blocking number may be a service identification number such as 060 or 080. Thus, the exchange 20 may block the transmission to the corresponding intelligent network service when the called number sent from the inbound roaming terminal 10 includes service identification numbers such as 060 and 080.

The GLR 30 is a home location register located in the visited network 100. The GLR 30 may store information of home network subscribers (inbound roaming subscribers) roamed to the visited network 100, and perform location management of the corresponding roaming subscribers. In this case, the home network 200 may not recognize the presence of the GLR 30. Thus, the interface between the GLR 30 and the HLR 40 follows the interface specification defined between the HLR 40 and the VLR, and the interface between the GLR 30 and the VLR is defined between the VLR and the HLR 40. Follow the interface specifications.

When the location registration is requested for the inbound roaming terminal 10 through the exchange 20, the GLR 30 queries the HLR 40 of the home network 200 to obtain subscriber information for the inbound roaming terminal 10. Transmit to the exchange 20.

In addition, the GLR 30 may transmit a block list together when transmitting subscriber information to the switch 20.

For example, the GLR 30 may store a block list defined at the roaming agreement between the communication service providers of the home network 200 and the visited network 100. Here, the block list may be configured by setting a block number for each nationality of the general inbound roaming subscriber.

For example, when the location registration is requested for the inbound roaming terminal 10 to obtain the subscriber information from the HLR 40 of the home network 200, the GLR 30 inserts the subscriber information including the subscriber information (Insert). Subscriber Data) request message can be obtained through the block list. Here, the block list may be configured by setting a block number for each general inbound roaming subscriber.

The home network 200 includes a home location register (hereinafter referred to as HLR) 40.

The HLR 40 is generally a subscriber's master database, which stores various information about the subscriber (eg, subscriber information), and performs location management for the inbound roaming terminal 10. For example, when the HLR 40 of the home network receives a Location Update request message transmitted from the inbound roaming terminal 10 located in the visited network 100, the subscriber information of the inbound roaming terminal 10 is received. Insert Subscriber Data (Insert Subscriber Data) request message including a may be transmitted to the switch 20 of the visited network 100 through the GLR (30).

The HLR 40 stores a block list set for the inbound roaming subscriber in the subscriber information. The HLR 40 may transmit subscriber information including a block list to the GLR 30 and provide the block list to the exchange 20 while location registration of the inbound roaming terminal 10 is performed.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a location registration procedure according to a location registration request of an inbound roaming terminal in the mobile communication system of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, in step S210, the inbound roaming terminal 10 transmits a location registration request to the exchange 20.

In operation S215, the switch 20 routes the received location update request message to the GLR 30 when the subscriber information for the inbound roaming terminal 10 does not exist in the visited network 100.

In step S220, the GLR 30 stores the VLR number and the exchange number included in the received location update request message, the home network to the location update request message including the GLR number (GLR number is a VLR number) and the exchange number Transmit to the HLR 40 (200).

Here, the HLR 40 may check whether the inbound roaming terminal 10 requesting the location update is subscribed to the roaming service. When the inbound roaming terminal 10 is subscribed to the roaming service, the HLR 40 stores the GLR number and the exchange number included in the received location update request message, and then performs a subscriber information insertion procedure (S225 to S240) to be described later. Perform.

In step S225, the GLR 30 receives an Insert Subscriber Data request message including subscriber information of the inbound roaming terminal 10 from the HLR 40 and stores corresponding subscriber information.

In step S230, the GLR 30 transmits the subscriber information insertion request message received from the HLR 40 to the switch 20. At this time, the exchange 20 receiving the subscriber information insertion request message may store the received subscriber information.

In operation S235, the switch 20 that receives the subscriber information insertion request message from the GLR 30 transmits an Insert Subscriber Data response message to the GLR 30.

In step S240, the GLR 30 receiving the subscriber information insertion response message transmits the received subscriber information insertion response message to the HLR (40).

In step S245, the HLR 40 receiving the subscriber information insertion response message from the GLR 30 generates a location update response message in response to the location update request message received in step S220, and transmits the location update response message to the GLR 30.

In step S250, the GLR 30 transmits a location update response message received from the HLR 40 to the exchange 20.

In operation S255, the switch 20 that receives the location update response message from the GLR 30 transmits the location update response message through a wireless access network to which the inbound roaming terminal 10 is connected (the wireless access network includes a base station and a base station controller). Transmit to inbound roaming terminal 10. When the inbound roaming terminal 10 receives the location update response message, the location registration procedure of the inbound roaming terminal 10 is terminated.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a location registration procedure of an inbound roaming terminal performed for roaming service restriction for an inbound roaming subscriber. Hereinafter, a description overlapping with the location registration procedure described above with reference to FIG. 2 will be omitted.

In steps S310 to S320, the HLR 40 receives a location update request message from the GLR 30 routed to the GLR 30 by the switch 20 that receives the registration request from the inbound roaming terminal 10.

In step S325, the HLR 40 receiving the location update request message confirms that the inbound roaming terminal 10 requesting location registration is subscribed to the roaming service, and transmits a subscriber information insertion request message to the GLR 30. . In this case, when the HLR 40 stores the block list corresponding to the subscriber, the HLR 40 may provide the block list to the GLR 30 through the subscriber information insertion request message.

In step S330, the GLR 30 that receives the subscriber information insertion request message inserts a block list into the subscriber information insertion request message. In this case, the block list may be inserted in the subscriber information, and the GLR 30 may insert the block list generated by the subscriber in the subscriber information. For example, the GLR 30 may store a block list defined at the roaming agreement between the communication service providers of the home network 200 and the visited network 100.

In addition, when the GLR 30 receives the subscriber information including the block list from the HLR 40, the GLR 30 may transmit the block list to the switch 20 as it is and transmit the block list to the switch 20.

The block list may include a block number set for the general inbound roaming subscriber. The blocking number is set for a called number that can be sent by a general inbound roaming subscriber. The block list may be configured by setting a block number for each general inbound roaming subscriber or by setting a block number for each nationality of the general inbound roaming subscriber.

In step S335, the GLR 30 transmits a subscriber information insertion request message including a block list to the switch 20.

In operation S340, the exchange 20 that has received the subscriber information insertion request message may store the block list together with the subscriber information.

Thereafter, the switch 20 transmits the subscriber information insertion response message to the HLR 40 in steps S345 to S350, and the HLR 40 transmits the location update request to the inbound roaming terminal 10 in steps S355 to S365. Send a location update response message in response.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an outgoing call procedure of an inbound roaming terminal performed for roaming service restriction for an inbound roaming subscriber. The switch 20 shown in FIG. 4 stores a block list obtained through the location registration procedure of FIG. 3. That is, the exchange 20 receives the block list from the GLR 30 and stores the block list. Here, the block list may include a block number set for the general inbound roaming subscriber. That is, the block list may be configured by setting a block number for each general inbound roaming subscriber or by setting a block number for each nationality of the general inbound roaming subscriber. In addition, according to applicable conditions, the blocking number may be set for each condition set for the inbound roaming subscriber.

Referring to FIG. 4, in step S410, the inbound roaming terminal 10 requests an outgoing signal to the exchange 20.

In step S420, the exchange 20 checks the called number and the stored blocking list of the requested call.

In operation S430, the switch 20 determines whether the called number of the inbound roaming terminal 10, from which the outgoing call request is requested, through the block list. That is, the exchange 20 compares the blocked list with the called number to determine whether the called number is set as the blocked number in the blocked list.

In step S440, when the called number of the inbound roaming terminal 10 is a blocking number, the switch 20 stops the outgoing call processing of the inbound roaming terminal 10.

In step S450, the exchange 20 that has stopped the outgoing call processing transmits a guide message for the call connection failure to the inbound roaming terminal 10. The guide message may include information indicating that the called number for which the call is requested is a called number that is set to be blocked.

In step S460, when the called number of the inbound roaming terminal 10 is not the blocking number, the switch 20 performs the outgoing call processing of the inbound roaming terminal 10.

Through this procedure, roaming services for inbound roaming subscribers may be restricted.

Meanwhile, the roaming service restriction method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer means and recorded in a computer readable medium. Computer-readable media may include, alone or in combination with the program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like.

The program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium may be those specially designed and constructed for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magnetic disks, such as floppy disks. Hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions such as magneto-optical media and ROM, RAM, flash memory and the like. In addition, the above-described medium may be a transmission medium such as an optical or metal wire, a waveguide, or the like including a carrier wave for transmitting a signal specifying a program command, a data structure, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

Although the above has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below It will be appreciated that modifications and variations can be made.

10: inbound roaming terminal
20: exchanger / VLR
30: GLR
40: HLR

Claims (12)

Gateway location register for storing the block list of the inbound roaming terminal; And
And a switch configured to obtain the block list according to a location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal, and block a communication call of the inbound roaming terminal according to the block list.
The method of claim 1,
And the exchange intercepts the communication call when the called number is included in the blocking list when the communication call request includes the called number of the inbound roaming terminal.
The method of claim 1,
And the exchange transmits a guide message informing that the communication call is blocked before blocking the communication call request.
The method of claim 1,
And the gateway location register obtains a block list included in subscriber information received from a home location register of a home network when a location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal is requested.
The method of claim 1,
The block list is a mobile communication system, characterized in that the block number is set to block the transmission to the intelligent network service.
The method of claim 1,
The block list is a mobile communication system, characterized in that configured for each subscriber, nationality or service.
In the method for limiting roaming services of an inbound roaming terminal in a mobile communication system,
Transmitting, by the gateway location register, a block list of the inbound roaming terminal to the exchange; And
And the exchange intercepts the communication call of the inbound roaming terminal according to the block list.
The method of claim 7, wherein
Interrupting, by the exchange, the communication call of the inbound roaming terminal according to the block list;
When the communication call request includes the called number of the inbound roaming terminal, the exchange block the communication call request when the called number is included in the blocking list.
The method of claim 7, wherein
Interrupting, by the exchange, the communication call of the inbound roaming terminal according to the block list;
And the exchange sending a guide message informing of blocking of the communication call before blocking the communication call request.
The method of claim 7, wherein
The gateway location register transmitting the block list of the inbound roaming terminal to the exchange;
The gateway location register searches for a home location register of a home network according to a location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal, acquires subscriber information including a block list of the inbound roaming terminal, and transmits the subscriber information to the exchange. Way.
The method of claim 7, wherein
The blocking list is a roaming service restriction method characterized in that a block number is set for blocking the transmission to the intelligent network service.
The method of claim 7, wherein
The blocking list is roaming service restriction method, characterized in that set by the subscriber, nationality or service.

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