Method and system for providing roaming services to inbound roamers using visited network gateway location register

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for providing roaming services to one or more subscribers, correspondingly associated with the one or more HPMNs, while the one or more subscribers are registered with the VPMN. The method includes allocating a pool of GTs to a Gateway Location Register (GLR) that is associated with the VPMN, where the pool of Global Titles (GTs) corresponds to at least one of: one or more VLRs associated with the VPMN, one or more SGSNs associated with the VPMN, one or more HPMNs, and one or more HLRs associated with an HPMN from the one or more HPMNs. The method further includes facilitating mobile communication of the one or more subscribers in the VPMN using the allocated pool of GTs.

1 . A method for providing roaming services to one or more subscribers associated with a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) the one or more subscribers being registered with a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN), the HPMN having one or more Home Location Registers (HLRs), the VPMN having one or more associated Serving General Packet Radio System (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSNs), one or more associated Visited Location Registers (VLRs) and an associated Gateway Location Register (GLR), the method comprising:
 allocating a pool of Global Titles (GTs), the pool of GTs including a plurality of GTs, to the GLR, the pool of GTs corresponding to at least one selected from the group consisting of one or more of the VLRs, one or more of the SGSNs, one or more of the HPMNs, and one or more of the HLRs; and   facilitating, via the GLR, a mobile communication of the one or more subscribers;   wherein more than one selected from the plurality of GTs from the pool of GTs is allocated to the GLR; and   wherein the GLR communicates with each one of the one or more VLRs via a different one selected from the plurality of the GTs in the pool.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the VPMN having an associated Signal Transfer Point (STP), wherein the STP is configured to redirect to the GLR signaling messages corresponding to the one or more subscribers. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, upon detecting a failure of the GLR, the STP is configured to route the signaling messages to a corresponding VLR of one of the one or more subscribers associated with the HPMN. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , each of the one or more HLRs having at least one associated subscriber of the one or more associated subscribers, wherein a RESET of one of the one or more HLRs affects mobile communications of the one or more subscribers associated with the one HLR. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GLR is coupled to a plug-in module that facilitates exchange of signaling messages between the GLR and the HPMN, and between the GLR and the VPMN, by applying application logic to the signaling messages. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GLR is coupled to a module selected from a group consisting of a configurable module and a roaming Signaling System #7 (SS7) node, the selected module configured to respond to selected signaling messages, intended for the HPMN and originating from the VPMN so as to facilitate the mobile communication of a subscriber associated with the HPMN. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GLR shares the pool of GTs with a partner VPMN of the VPMN. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , the HPMN having Third Generation of mobile (3G) support, the VPMN having no roaming agreement with the HPMN, wherein the GLR allows one of the one or more subscribers to register with the 3G support at the VPMN. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GLR facilitates General Packet Radio System (GPRS) registration of a subscriber at the VPMN that has no GPRS roaming agreement with the HPMN. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A system for providing roaming services to a subscriber of a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN), the subscriber being registered with a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN), the HPMN having one or more Home Location Registers (HLRs), the VPMN having one or more associated Serving General Packet Radio System (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSNs), one or more associated Visited Location Registers (VLRs) and an associated Gateway Location Register (GLR), the system comprising:
 an allocator for allocating a pool of Global Titles (GTs), the pool of GTs including a plurality of GTs, to the GLR, the pool of GTs corresponding to one selected from a group consisting of the one or more VLRs, the one or more SGSNs, the one or more HPMNs, and the one or more; and   a facilitator for facilitating, via the GLR, a mobile communication of the subscriber;   wherein more than one GT selected from the plurality of GTs is allocated to the GLR; and   wherein the GLR communicates with each one of the one or more VLRs via a different one from the selected one of the plurality of GTs in the pool.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising:
 one module selected from a group consisting of a configurable module and a roaming SS7 node, the selected module being coupled to the GLR for responding to signaling messages, intended for the HPMN and originating from the VPMN. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the GLR shares the pool of GTs with at least one partner VPMN of the VPMN. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , each of the at least one partner VPMN having an associated gateway switching center, the gateway switching center communicating with the GLR via a leased line connection. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , the at least one partner VPMN having an associated add-on SS7 node, the SS7 node communicating with the GLR by exchanging signaling messages using an encapsulation/de-capsulation technique. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including a computer usable program code stored thereon, for providing roaming services to a subscriber of a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN), the subscriber being registered with a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN), the HPMN having one or more Home Location Registers (HLRs), the VPMN having one or more associated Serving General Packet Radio System (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSNs), one or more associated Visited Location Registers (VLRs) and an associated Gateway Location Register (GLR), the computer program product comprising:
 allocating a pool of Global Titles (GTs), the pool of GTs including a plurality of GTs, to the GLR, the pool of GTs corresponding to at least one selected from the group consisting of one or more of the VLRs, one or more of the SGSNs, one or more of the HPMNs, and one or more of the HLRs; and   facilitating, via the GLR, a mobile communication of the one or more subscribers;   wherein more than one selected from the plurality of GTs from the pool of GTs is allocated to the GLR; and   wherein the GLR communicates with each one of the one or more VLRs via a different one selected from the plurality of the GTs in the pool.   
     
     
         26 . A gateway Location register apparatus for providing roaming services to a subscriber of a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN), the subscriber being registered with a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN), the HPMN having one or more Home Location Registers (HLRs), the VPMN having one or more associated Serving General Packet Radio System (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSNs), one or more associated Visited Location Registers (VLRs) and an associated Gateway Location Register (GLR), the apparatus comprising:
 an allocator for allocating a pool of Global Titles (GTs), the pool of GTs including a plurality of GTs, to the GLR, the pool of GTs corresponding to at least one selected from the group consisting of one or more of the VLRs, one or more of the SGSNs, one or more of the HPMNs, and one or more of the HLRs; and   a facilitator for facilitating, via the GLR, a mobile communication of the one or more subscribers;   wherein more than one selected from the plurality of GTs from the pool of GTs is allocated to the GLR; and   wherein the GLR communicates with each one of the one or more VLRs via a different one selected from the plurality of the GTs in the pool.