Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W8/00—Network data management
  • H04W8/18—Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W8/00—Network data management
  • H04W8/18—Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
  • H04W8/20—Transfer of user or subscriber data
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W8/00—Network data management
  • H04W8/26—Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
  • H04W8/265—Network addressing or numbering for mobility support for initial activation of new user

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of and system for updating subscriber records corresponding to devices in a telecommunications system, and is particularly, but not exclusively, suited to updating subscriber records when a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is activated.
• SIM Subscriber Identity Module
• the Home Location Register is a central database that contains details of each mobile phone subscriber that is authorized to use network services provided by a given GSM network operator.
• the HLR stores details of every SIM card issued by the network operator in the form of subscriber records that are keyed by a unique identifier associated with the SIM card called an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI).
• IMSI International Mobile Subscriber Identity
• network operators typically have millions of active subscribers and a commensurate number of subscriber records in the HLR.
• the HLR additionally stores data relating to SIM cards that have been issued but have not yet been utilised by subscribers (commonly referred to as unactivated SIMs) so that a subscriber can utilise the network resources as soon as a SIM card is activated.
• the HLR contains wasted storage.
• This problem is particularly acute when network operators provision unactivated SIM cards with a range of services such as teleservices, bearer services, supplementary services etc., since each service is identified by means of a record against the SIM.
• International patent application having publication number WO2007/039277 describes a system in which records corresponding to unactivated SIM cards are stored in a SIM waiting room, from which data are pulled by the HLR in the event that a previously unactivated SIM is activated.
• a problem with this method is that the HLR needs to pull data from the SIM waiting room and/or the network requires a node dedicated to detecting the triggers and provisioning the HLR accordingly.
• the HLR In addition to storing subscriber data that are accessed by network elements when serving requests for network services from mobile devices, the HLR is a system which receives and processes Mobile Application Part (MAP) transactions and messages so as to provide location information in relation to subscribers of its network. Since, by definition, mobile phone subscribers move, having the ability to identify the location of a subscriber is fundamental to the provision of mobile network services. In this respect the HLR is essentially a centralised administrator, managing the mobility of subscribers by updating their recorded position within the network; if the HLR fails, then the mobile network is effectively disabled.
• MAP Mobile Application Part
• the method involves provisioning subscriber records corresponding to devices in a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system having a storage system holding a plurality of sets of data records, each set of data records corresponding to a network subscription associated with a said device and being capable of providing the device with access to network services provided by the telecommunications system, the method comprising: providing the storage system with a first processing system capable of generating a first set of standard Mobile Application Part (MAP) responses and of generating at least one non-standard response, the non-standard response comprising notifying the set of data records corresponding to said network subscription as a set of data records to be transferred to a further storage system, wherein the further storage system is in operative association with a second processing system capable of generating a second set of standard Mobile Application Part (MAP) responses, the second set of standard Mobile Application Part (MAP) responses being greater than the first set of standard Mobile Application Part (MAP) responses.
• MAP Mobile Application Part
• subscribers are classified according to their activation state and subscriber records are populated on the basis of this classification.
• the MAP processing capabilities-alternatively referred to as a set of MAP responses-made available to execute these sets of subscriber records is less than is provisioned to the fully activated subscriber records.
• the processing capabilities involve the processing of Location Update MAP messages together with basic authentication of a given activation request; this enables configuration of a bespoke HLR for these unactivated subscriber records that is considerably smaller, and thus cheaper, than the processing system that is required by a fully- equipped HLR to process and respond to MAP messages for fully activated subscribers.
• the records corresponding to the unactivated subscribers can conveniently be stored in a separate storage portion of an operator's HLR, and in another arrangement the records can be stored separate from the operator's HLR, for example in a storage system associated with the bespoke HLR.
• the subscriber records can be supplemented with fields corresponding to services commensurate with their updated status and moved to a different storage system, or portion. The movement of subscriber records is triggered by the above-mentioned, paired down, HLR.
• the bespoke HLR is configured to generate a non- standard response.
• the non-standard response can comprise sending a message to a provisioning system and monitoring for instructions therefrom, and/or it can comprise notification of a storage portion of the fully-equipped HLR to which the subscriber records are to be transferred.
• the identity of the storage portion of the fully-equipped HLR to which the now-activated records are to be transferred is typically received from the provisioning system, along with details of supplementary services to which the now-activated subscriber can gain access.
• This fully-equipped HLR comprises the second processing system and can generate responses to the full range of standard MAP messages.
• the bespoke HLR can be arranged to update the existing records in its storage system so as to temporarily include data indicative of the supplementary services identified from the provisioning system.
• the records in the separate storage portion can be deleted once they have been transferred, and updated, by means of supplement, in the further storage system associated with the fully-equipped HLR.
• Embodiments of the invention thus effectively optimise the amount of storage required for subscribers to receive network services on the basis of the relationship of the subscriber with the network.
• the bespoke HLR is arranged to monitor for MAP processing points of the MAP state machine on the basis of the type of MAP message received.
• the MAP message in question is typically a Location Update message
• the processing point is the start of processing of the Location Update message; accordingly, when a Location Update message is received, the HLR sends a control message to a provisioning system at the start of conventional handling of the LU message so as to trigger the change to subscriber records and provide information to the subscriber commensurate with the change of activation state.
• Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network environment within which embodiments of the invention operate;
• Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the environment shown in Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a block diagram showing components of a Home Location Register portion of Figure 2;
• FIG 4 is a timing diagram showing steps performed by the components shown in Figure 1 when operating in accordance with an embodiment of the invention
• FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing components of further Home Location Register portion of Figure 2 when configured according to another aspect of the invention.
• Figures 6 and 7 are timing diagrams showing steps performed by the components shown in Figure 5 when operating in accordance with an embodiment of the further aspect of the invention
• Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an alternative configuration of components of the Home Location Register portion shown in Figure 3;
• Figure 9 is a timing diagram showing steps performed by the components shown in Figure 1 when the Home Location Register portion is configured as shown in Figure 8.
• Embodiments of the invention are concerned with the distribution and allocation of subscriber records in a telecommunications system. More specifically, embodiments are concerned with allocation of subscriber records within a Home Location Register (HLR) depending on their activation status, that it to say, activation of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).
• HLR Home Location Register
• SIM Subscriber Identity Module
• the processing involved in managing subscriber records according to embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below, but first an overview of an environment within which embodiments can operate will be described with reference to Figure 1, which shows a cellular communications network 10, such as a GSM network, comprising mobile switching centre (MSC) 2 connected via communications links to a number of base station controllers (BSCs) 4.
• MSC mobile switching centre
• BSCs base station controllers
• the BSCs 4 are dispersed geographically across areas served by the MSC 2 and, as is known in the art, each BSC 4 controls one or more base transceiver stations (BTSs) 6 located remote from, and connected by, further communications links to, the BSC 4.
• BTSs base transceiver stations
• Each BTS 6 transmits radio signals to, and receives radio signals from, mobile stations 8 which are in an area (known as a "cell") served by that BTS 6.
• the MCS 2 is also connected via communications links to other MSCs (not shown), in the remainder of the communications system 10, and to a public switched telephone network (PSTN), public data network (such as the Internet), etc. which are not illustrated.
• PSTN public switched telephone network
• PSTN public data network
• the network is provided with a home location register (HLR) 12, which is arranged to provide the MSC 2 with data relating to a user upon request (typically populating a visitor location register (VLR), which is part of, or accessible by, the MSC 2).
• HLR home location register
• VLR visitor location register
• the MSC 2 is capable of handling service provision for both post-pay or contract users and prepaid users of the network in the area it serves.
• users may originate or receive a range of data, including multimedia, video, voice, data or fax calls or sessions, short messages using the Short Message Service (SMS), email messages, enhanced or multimedia messages, and may access data resources over private or public data networks such as the Internet.
• SMS Short Message Service
• MSC 2 Mobile Communications Service
• SMSC 20 store-and-forward nodes
• the telecommunications network 10 comprises a provisioning system 16, which is capable of independently accessing various network control nodes (such as the HLR 12), triggering updates and modifications to the data stored therein.
• the provisioning system 16 can be implemented as an intelligent network node in the form of a Service Control Point (SCP) or as an Open Services Architecture (OSA) node; accordingly it can be configured to receive request messages using the INAP, CAMEL, XML or LDAP protocols. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the configuration, and thus messaging protocols, is a design choice.
• the Home Location Register is a central database that contains details of each subscriber that is authorized to use the GSM network 10 in the form of subscriber records.
• HLR 12 As is known in the art, the Home Location Register is a central database that contains details of each subscriber that is authorized to use the GSM network 10 in the form of subscriber records.
• FIG 2 whilst Figure 1 depicts HLR 12 as a single database it can be, and typically is, maintained as separate databases 12a ... 12f.
• the Home Location Register stores details of every SIM card issued by the network operator; each SIM has a unique identifier called an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) which is one of the primary keys to each subscriber record.
• IMSI International Mobile Subscriber Identity
• the IMSI is an identifier that is internal to the network 10 and used to identify one or more devices within the network 10.
• each HLR record includes the telephone numbers used to make and receive calls to the mobile phone, known as Mobile Subscriber ISDN (MSISDNs).
• MSISDNs are external identifiers for use outside of the network to route communications to one or more said devices within the network.
• the HLR stores data identifying network services accessible by a given subscriber.
• the telecommunications network also comprises a secondary HLR 14, that is to say, secondary to HLR 12 in the sense that it stores data relating to SIM cards other than those relating to fully enabled and activated subscribers of the network 10.
• the secondary HLR 14 holds data relating to SIM cards that have not yet been activated by a subscriber (i.e. those that have not been inserted into a device 8 and used to register with the network 10), and is distinguished from a conventional HLR 12 in several ways.
• the HLR 12 holds a subset of subscriber data held by the HLR 12 (specifically a configurable set of data that allows the device 8 to interact with the network so as to receive a basic set of network services); secondly it is capable of responding to a subset of MAP messages configured on a fully-activated HLR, and thus is provisioned with a fraction of the processing capabilities required to be implemented in a fully functioning HLR. Thirdly it communicates with the provisioning system 16 via a non- standardised response mechanism and under certain predetermined conditions so as to change the state of the previously unactivated SIM to activated, and thereby enable the device 8 to receive a more advanced set of services. In a preferred arrangement this change of state is accompanied by moving the records held in the secondary HLR 14 to the HLR 12, as will be described in more detail below.
• the telecommunications network 10 also comprises a Service Location Register (SLR) 15, which intercepts all Mobile Application Part (MAP) messages destined for HLR 12, 14 and determines to which physical database (or portion 12a ... 12f) of the Home Location Register the MAP message should be directed.
• SLR Service Location Register
• the SLR 15 performs a look-up function based on the IMSI contained within the MAP request message so as to identify which physical HLR 12a ... 12f holds subscriber records corresponding to the requesting device 8.
• the SLR 15 Since the IMSIs corresponding to unactivated SIMs are stored in the secondary HLR 14 and are thus unknown to the SLR 15, the SLR 15 needs to be provisioned with the network identity of the HLR 14 together with a rule that causes the SLR 15 to send request messages corresponding to all unknown IMSIs to the secondary HLR 14. Whilst the secondary HLR 14 is shown as a separate database in the Figures it will be appreciated that it is a specific portion of the network's overall Home Location Register. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that routing to HLR portions 12a ... 12f can be performed by other network nodes such as a Signalling Transfer Point (STP).
• STP Signalling Transfer Point
• the secondary HLR 14 comprises a combination of processing components (standard operating system components, memory, processor, Input/Output interfaces, permanent storage, MAP processing software component 301 and bespoke records processing software component 303) and subscriber records relating to unactivated SIMs (DBl).
• the MAP processing software component 301 comprises software routines arranged to execute the processes defined within GSM standard MAP 29.002 Phase 2+ Specification for 3 G networks.
• the MAP processing software component 301 is configured to respond to a subset of the full specification of these standard MAP messages, in particular the Location Update (LU) message, and also comprises conventional means for authenticating devices with the network.
• LU Location Update
• the database DBl stores data identifying services accessible by devices associated with newly activated SIM cards (keyed by IMSI associated with the SIM cards), and these data are queried by the MAP processing software component 301 in accordance with standard MAP processing methods when the secondary HLR 14 receives a message originating from a device associated with a previously unactivated SIM card.
• These services data relate to a predetermined and limited set of voice and messaging services; the set can either be standardised for all unactivated SIM cards, or standardised based on type of subscription (e.g. post-pay, pre-pay).
• the records processing software component 303 is responsive to certain MAP messages so as to notify the provisioning system 16 that a previously unactivated SIM card relating to an IMSI stored in DBl has been activated.
• a particularly advantageous configuration of the records processing software 303 will be described later with reference to Figures 5 and 6, in conjunction with the description relating to the second aspect of the invention.
• the provisioning system 16 can be embodied as a Service Control Point (SCP), in which case the records processing software 303 sends an Initial Detection Point (IDP) to the provisioning system 16 to activate management of updates to the subscriber records; the IDP message includes, as parameters, the IMSI and/or the IMSI and MSISDN of the SIM in question.
• the provisioning system 16 can be embodied as an Open Services Architecture (OSA) node, with which the records processing software component 303 can communicate via XML or LDAP so as to notify the provisioning system 16 of the SIM in question.
• OSA Open Services Architecture
• the provisioning system 16 identifies a portion of the HLR 12 (e.g.
• provisioning system 16 can trigger delivery of certain message types to the device 8, e.g. welcoming the subscriber to the network 10.
• the provisioning system 16 identifies and configures certain network service nodes, e.g. SMS platforms, Prepaid billing platforms, Voicemail platforms, CRM platforms, etc., in accordance with the subscription associated with the IMSI received thereby so as to enable the device 8 to receive network services associated therewith.
• the steps involved in configuring such nodes in this manner are well known to those skilled in the art.
• FIG. 4 is a timing diagram illustrating an embodiment of the invention when a previously unactivated SIM card is activated by device 8.
• the device transmits an Attach message, which is transposed to a MAP Send Authentication Information, Send Parameters in MAPvI (SAI) message by the MSC 2, and transmitted to the secondary HLR 14 at step S4.1.3 via the SLR 15.
• SAI MAP Send Authentication Information
• SAI Send Parameters in MAPvI
• the SLR 15 is configured with a look-up table linking all activated IMSIs associated with the network 10 and HLR portions 12a ... 12f, together with a default condition directing the SLR 15 to the secondary HLR 14 in response to receipt of an SAI message identifying an unlisted IMSI).
• the MAP processing component 301 receives the SAI message and performs conventional authentication routines, returning an SAI acknowledgement message to the MSC (S4.1.5, S4.1.7).
• the device 8 transmits a Location Update (LU) message (S4.2.1), which is again forwarded to the secondary HLR 14 via the SLR 15.
• LU Location Update
• the records processing software component 303 is configured to monitor for receipt of certain MAP messages, one such message being a Location Update (LU) message, and perform certain steps in response to receipt thereof.
• the records processing software component sends a notification message to the provisioning system 16 upon receipt of a LU message (step S4.3.1).
• the format of the notification message will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7; suffice to say at this point that the notification message comprises data identifying the IMSI and optionally the MSISDN corresponding to the SIM associated with the device 8.
• the notification message can also include data indicative of instructions identifying the type of action required on the part of the provisioning system 16 (e.g. in the event that the provisioning system 16 receives messages from network nodes in addition to the secondary HLR 14).
• the LU message causes the MAP processing software component 301 to retrieve, from the DBl, data indicative of services accessible by the newly activated device 8. These services are then notified to the MSC 2 and stored in a VLR thereon in accordance with conventional HLR MAP processing procedures via a series of MAP Insert Subscriber Data (ISD) messages (steps S4.2.5 ... S4.2.11).
• ISD MAP Insert Subscriber Data
• the provisioning system 16 sends a response message back to the secondary HLR 14 via the provisioning interface (step S4.3.4) so as to cause the set of subscriber records corresponding to the IMSI identified at step S4.1.1 to be modified in accordance with data contained within the response message.
• This modification might, for example, involve the secondary HLR portion 14 removing barrings to certain services, provisioning additional teleservices and bearer services etc.; these changes to the subscriber records cause the conventional MAP processing software 301 to send a series of further ISD MAP messages to the MSC/VLR 2, as shown by steps S4.4.1 ... S4.4.n in Figure 4.
• the provisioning system 16 manages the migration of the newly activated subscriber so as to move the subscriber records from the database portion DBl associated with the secondary HLR 14 to a storage portion associated with the HLR 12, updating the SLR 15 and other nodes involved in the routing of MAP messages accordingly.
• step S4.3.3 could involve the provisioning system 16 allocating a portion of the HLR 12 to the IMSI of the newly activated subscriber and updating the SLR 15 in real time.
• the provisioning system 16 sends a provisioning request to the allocated HLR portion (e.g. 12a) at step S4.3.4 and deletes the subscriber records in DBl.
• the ISD MAP messages sent at Steps S4.4.1 ... S4.4.3 would then be sent by allocated HLR portion 12a to the MSC 2.
• Figure 5 a further aspect of the invention, relating to the functionality of any of the HLR portions 12a ... 12f, 14, will now be described in relation to HLR portion 12a.
• Embodiments of this aspect of the invention are referred to herein as a MAP trigger engine, and this refers to the combined functionality provided by MAP trigger software component 501, a data structure 502 defining MAP trigger points, and plugin software components 503, 505, 507 shown in Figure 5.
• This aspect of the invention makes use of the fact that each MAP operation performed by the MAP processing software component 301 comprises a plurality of state machine points of triggering, in particular a "start point” and an "end point”, and uses the various trigger points to perform MAP-specif ⁇ c functions.
• the trigger points are conveniently stored in a structure 502 for each MAP message type, and are keyed on IMSI.
• An example of a structure 502 is shown in Table 1 below:
• the plugins 503, 505, 507 are triggered to send data to an information source 18 at one or a plurality of MAP processing points, as specified in the structure 502, and under the control of the MAP trigger software component 501. More specifically, the numbers “0", “1", “2" identify the plugin that is to be invoked in response to a particular state point in respect of a MAP message received from a particular IMSI. For example, referring to Table 1, in relation to the Location Update (LU) MAP message the structure 502 specifies that plugin 1 (503) should be triggered at the "End" point of the state machine corresponding to processing of a LU message by the HLR portion 12a for IMSI 1.
• LU Location Update
• the structure 502 specifies that plugin 2 (505) should be triggered at the "End" point of the state machine corresponding to processing of a SSREQ message by the HLR portion 12a for both IMSI 1 and IMSI 2. Whilst the trigger points data 502 are shown as being held separate from the subscriber data DB2, the skilled person will appreciate that these data can be stored as part of the subscriber records.
• Each plugin 503, 505, 507 is preferably a self-contained software component that is optionally configured to communicate with an information source 18; the information source 18 stores data used to supplement conventional processing of MAP messages, and is configured to either return selected data to the plugin or to perform a certain function in response to receipt of a message, as will be described below with reference to various example MAP messages.
• a particularly advantageous feature of this aspect of the invention is that the plugins 503, 505, 507 - or control functionality - are local to the HLR portions 12a ... 12f, 14 rather than being embedded in an SCP such as is described in WO99/60800.
• the plugins 503, 505, 507 are not restricted to communicating via IN protocols and can instead use for example XML, which is a particularly flexible mechanism for embedding requests for data, processing instructions and the like, when communicating with the information source 18.
• XML is a particularly flexible mechanism for embedding requests for data, processing instructions and the like, when communicating with the information source 18.
• the HLR can request data in a more flexible manner than would be possible if the plugins were implemented as part of a Service Control Point SCP, since data would then have to be requested and received within the constraints of Intelligent Network protocols and procedures.
• the plugins 503, 505, 507 are configured in light of the functionality and messaging requirements of the information sources 18 with which they interact, and all processing units are equipped with the requisite XML parsers in accordance with conventional methods. In the event that the action taken by the information source 18 involves sending response messages to the plugins, these can take one of three responses: CONTINUE, indicating that the HLR portion 12a should continue processing according to the MAP state machine with no modifications; CONTINUE + arguments, indicating that processing of the MAP state machine should be restarted, with arguments provided within the CONNECT message; and RELEASE, which causes the HLR portion 12a to terminate processing according to the MAP state machine.
• CONTINUE indicating that the HLR portion 12a should continue processing according to the MAP state machine with no modifications
• CONTINUE + arguments indicating that processing of the MAP state machine should be restarted, with arguments provided within the CONNECT message
• RELEASE which causes the HLR portion 12a to terminate processing according to the MAP state machine.
• the RELEASE response message can include data indicative of the reason for instructing termination of the processing; conveniently this can be specified by selection of an appropriate RELEASE protocol.
• An example of this response from the information source 18 will be described with reference to Figure 6.
• the information source 18 can transmit messages destined for nodes other than the HLR portion 12; an example of this will be described with reference to Figure 7.
• the SLR 15 has been omitted since the SLR 15 has merely an entirely conventional role in this aspect of the invention.
• this relates to the handling of SMS messages: a short message is sent from the device 8, via the MSC 2 to the SMSC 20 (step S6.1), to a destination terminal.
• the SMSC 20 sends a MAP message to the HLR portion 12a (this being the HLR portion corresponding to the IMSI of the CdPN) at step S6.2.
• the MAP message is captured by the MAP trigger software component 501, which accesses the data structure 502 in order to identify the trigger points, if any, corresponding to this MAP message for this Called Party (i.e. MSISDN corresponding to the destination terminal, from which the IMSI can be identified: step S6.3).
• the MAP trigger software component 501 identifies the plugin that is to be invoked when the trigger condition is met.
• the trigger point is determined to be "Start” and the Plugin is Plugin 2; the MAP trigger software component 501 is accordingly arranged to monitor for the start of SRI SM MAP processing by MAP processing software 301.
• the HLR portion 12a cannot locate routing instructions for the Called Party Number; as a result the MAP processing software 301 returns "Subscriber Absent" at the end of its routines. With conventional HLR configurations this would be transmitted back to the SMSC 20 in a SRI-ACK message, causing the SMSC 20 to repeat the delivery attempt at predetermined intervals and the HLR to store the pending SMS message in a queue.
• the MAP trigger software component 501 invokes plugin 2 505.
• the MAP processing component 301 looks up the dummy MSISDN; upon finding that the dummy MSISDN is unknown to the HLR portion 12a (step S6.13) the MAP processing component 301 returns "Unknown Subscriber" in a MAP SRI-ACK message transmitted to the SMSC 20 (step S6.15).
• the SMSC 20 discards the SMS message (step S6.17).
• FIG. 7 shows a further example of operation of the MAP trigger engine, in this case in relation to Location Update MAP messages.
• the steps largely progress as described with reference to Figure 6, but since the MAP message received from device 8 (having IMSI 1) is a LU message, the trigger point is identified from the data structure 502 to be "End" and to relate to plugin 1 503. Accordingly at step S7.15 (once the HLR has transmitted a series of ISD messages, as per conventional methods), the MAP trigger software component
• IMSI 1 network identifier of the device 8
• the information source 18 is configured to respond with the transmission of an SMS message Ml instead of sending a response back to the HLR portion 12a (steps S7.19, S7.21). Since the network node 18 is in receipt of mobility information (i.e. identity of the MSC/VLR 2), it can send the message Ml directly to the MSC 2 (thereby bypassing the SMSC 20).
• the MAP trigger engine is particularly well suited to registration requests from previously unactivated subscribers (and thus arrangements in which the HLR portion 12a is the secondary HLR 14), since the SMS message sent at step S7.19 can be a "Welcome" message, serving to introduce the subscriber to the network.
• the Records processing software component 303 is configured as shown in Figure 8.
• entries in the trigger data structure 502 would not necessarily require keying by IMSI, since by definition all IMSIs stored therein require notifying to the provisioning system 16, and the network operator might decide to send Welcome messages as a matter of course to all newly activated subscribers.
• Table 2 502 for the secondary HLR 14 is shown in Table 2, from which it can further be seen that only one set of trigger points is listed therein (for a Location Update MAP message). This is appropriate for arrangements in which subscriber records are moved to a HLR portion 12a ... 12f once the provisioning system 16 has completed its configuration procedure, since any subsequently received MAP messages will be directed to, and handled by, a HLR portion 12a ... 12f corresponding to a fully activated subscriber.
• FIG 9 shows an alternative form of the timing diagram shown in Figure 4 for the case in which the Records processing software component 301 is embodied as the MAP trigger engine.
• This arrangement includes the additional step of triggering transmission of a welcome message at the end of the conventional MAP processing.
• steps S4.2.5 - S4.2.9 involve the secondary HLR 14 transmitting data indicative of services, including the Short Messaging Service, to which the newly activated subscriber can take up access.
• these services data are transmitted to the MSC 2 (and thus VLR for the device 8) early in the conventional processing of the LU MAP message, when the Welcome message is delivered to the MSC 2 at step S7.19 by the information source 18 it can be successfully delivered to the device 8.
• Embodiments could, for example, be used in relation to network subscribers who report loss of a device (and thus SIM); for such subscribers, the corresponding network subscription could be tagged as the first type of network subscription and subscriber records associated with the lost SIM could be moved to the secondary HLR 14.
• the set of services with which such SIMs can have access is reduced, e.g. to a set commensurate with that allocated to an unactivated subscriber.
• the records processing component 303 can be configured to update the subscriber records according to embodiments of the invention by moving the records to another part of the HLR and upgrading the services to which the SIM can gain access.
• the associated subscriber records could be permanently deleted. In either case this constitutes a change in state of the network subscription and an update to the subscriber records according to embodiments of the invention.
• embodiments of the invention could be used to hold subscriber records corresponding to barred subscribers, at least for the period of time in which the subscribers are barred from receiving service. It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or any combination of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.

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