FR2828625A1 - Mobile telephone different geographic area access management system having server adapting identifier name providing geographic zone and access management recognizing/network connecting. - Google Patents

Abstract

The mobile terminal access management system has a communications network (40,41,42) with the mobile terminal (10) wishing to communicate in a different geographic zone to that to which it subscribes. The network connection (62) is established by access management (61) equipment towards a name identified network. There is a server (70) providing the identifier name and adapted to recognize the mobile telephone geographic zone, so that it is recognized by the access management and network connection can be made.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a system and method for managing access from a mobile terminal to a communication network.

 The invention applies more particularly to the management of access to a communication network offering a set of services, from a mobile terminal located in a public mobile network managed by an operator different from that to which the user is subscriber.

 Currently, access outside the public mobile network of its operator is possible from a mobile terminal connected to mobile telecommunications networks, such as the GPRS system (General Packet Radio Service, or general radiocommunication service in packet mode) or the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).

 In these so-called mobile networks, to select a communication network offering services, it is necessary to select a name identifying said communication network. To establish a connection between a mobile terminal and a determined communication network, said identifying name is transmitted through service support equipment of the mobile network to an access management equipment for said communication networks. Said identifying name, coming from the mobile terminal, allows said mobile network service support equipment to determine said access management equipment offering access to the communication network and associated with said identifying name.

 In current GPRS and UMTS networks, the name identifying a communication network is called an APN (Access Point Name). In these same systems, the service support equipment is called a SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) and the equipment for managing access to the various communication networks is called GGSN (Gateway GPRS Service Node, i.e. transit GPRS service node).

 An APN identifier name mainly includes the domain name corresponding to the selected communication network, the

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 the operator who manages said communication network and an identifier of the technology of the mobile network, for example GPRS or UMTS. The format of an APN identifier name is standardized by the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute, or European Telecommunications Standardization Institute).

 Among other functions, an SGSN service support device receives a name identifying the APN from a mobile terminal and transmits it for recognition to the name server identifying the APN to which it is connected.

Said name server identifying APN responds to the service support equipment SGSN by transmitting the list of access management equipment GGSN associated with the name identifying APN. Said service support equipment SGSN establishes a connection to an access management equipment GGSN belonging to said list. Said GGSN access management equipment establishes the connection to a communication network corresponding to the name identifying the APN. This SGSN and GGSN equipment is also standardized by ETSI.

 To facilitate understanding, the invention is described with the names used in the terminology of GPRS or UMTS systems.

However, the invention applies to all communication systems using identical techniques for identifying a communication network.

 To access a communication network offering a set of services, the user selects a name identifying the APN in the mobile terminal, so as to establish the connection with the corresponding communication network.

 After agreement between the operators who manage the different public mobile networks, a mobile terminal, located in a public mobile network managed by a different operator from that to which the user is subscribed, abroad for example, can access the services of a communication network connected to the operator's mobile network to which the user is subscribed.

 Take the example of a user, subscribed in France, who is on the move in New York. In this case, the request for access to a communication network is made from the public mobile network in which the mobile terminal is located, ie in New York. The service support equipment SGSN of said public mobile network in New York receives the name APN

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 identifying the selected communication network. This SGSN equipment searches for the GGSN access management equipment which manages said name identifying the APN.

 This GGSN access management equipment, managing said name identifying APN, is located in the public mobile network managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed, ie in France. As a result, the connection from the mobile terminal to the selected communication network passes through the public mobile network, in France, managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed, from the public mobile network in which the mobile terminal is located. At New York.

 The connection between the different public mobile networks managed by the different operators is carried out by a mobile interconnection network serving as an intermediary.

 As we have just seen, for all the communication networks selected, managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed, the connections of the mobile terminal, located in a public mobile network managed by an operator different from that to which the user is subscribed, pass through the interconnection mobile network to the public mobile network managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed.

 In the example, to access from New York a communication network in New York, whose access is managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed, the connection is established from the public mobile network of the operator in New York. Then, the communication passes through the mobile interconnection network to reach the GGSN equipment in France, which allows connection to said communication network. Finally, the user accesses said communication network, offering localized services in NewYork. As a result, the communication transits from New York to France, then returns to New York.

 With the current system, the quality of service is reduced due to the connection to the communication network by the interconnection network and by the mobile network to which the user is subscribed. Indeed, transit times and data transit costs are increased given the increase in distance.

 Also, the technical problem to be solved by the object of the present invention is to propose a system and a method for managing access of a

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 mobile terminal to a communication network via a mobile network, said mobile terminal communicating with said mobile network in a different geographical area from that in which said mobile terminal is subscribed, which would make it possible to remedy the drawbacks of existing systems by eliminating the connection by the public mobile network managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed and by promoting local access to said communication network.

 The solution to the technical problem posed consists, according to the present invention, in that, the connection to said communication network being established by an access management equipment managing a name identifying said communication network, said access management system d a mobile terminal comprises at least one identifying name server, of the operator to which the mobile terminal is subscribed, capable of analyzing at least one identifying name originating from the mobile terminal, capable of recognizing the geographical area in which said terminal is located mobile, able to search for a mobile network allowing access to said communication network in said recognized geographical area and able to recognize access management equipment making it possible to establish the connection with said communication network in said recognized geographical area.

 The name server identifying APN, of the operator to which the mobile terminal is subscribed, analyzes the name identifying APN to recognize the communication network to which the mobile terminal wishes to access. Thanks to the recognition of the geographical area in which said mobile terminal is located, said name server identifying APN searches for a mobile network and GGSN access management equipment located in the recognized geographical area and allowing connection to said communication network. Connection to the communication network by the public mobile network, managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed, is then avoided.

 According to the invention, said identifying name server, of the operator to which the mobile terminal is subscribed, recognizes the geographical area in which said mobile terminal is located from the identification information transmitted by an identifying name server, of the network. mobile in which said mobile terminal is located.

 The name server identifying APN, installed in the mobile network in which said mobile terminal is located, transmits the identification information

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 making it possible to recognize said geographical area towards the name server identifying APN, located in the public mobile network managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed.

 According to the invention, said identifier name server, of the operator to which the mobile terminal is subscribed, has at least one correspondence table between the identification information originating from the identifier name server, of the mobile network in which is located said mobile terminal, and a list of geographic areas.

 The name server identifying APN, located in the public mobile network managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed, searches in a correspondence table for the name of the geographical area in which said mobile terminal is located.

 According to the invention, said identifying name server, of the operator to which the mobile terminal is subscribed, has at least one correspondence table between an identifying name and a list of geographical areas to check whether said identifying name allows processing of the geographic area by using a mobile network, located in the recognized geographic area and allowing connection to said communication network.

 Depending on the name identifying the APN received, said name server identifying the APN, located in the public mobile network managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed, recognizes whether the mobile terminal is located in a geographical area which allows connection to said network. communication via a mobile network located in said recognized geographic area.

 According to the invention, said identifying name server, of the operator to which the mobile terminal is subscribed, has at least one correspondence table between a list of geographic areas and a list of access management equipment corresponding to these geographic areas.

 In the case where a mobile network exists in the recognized geographical area, said name server identifying APN determines the list of GGSN access management equipment, installed in said mobile network allowing access to said communication network.

 The invention also relates to a method for managing access from a mobile terminal to a communication network via a mobile network, said mobile terminal communicating with said mobile network in an area.

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 geographic area different from that in which said mobile terminal is subscribed, remarkable in that said method comprises the steps consisting in: storing in memory in an identifier name server, of the operator to which the mobile terminal is subscribed, at least one table of correspondence between identification information of an identifying name server, of the mobile network in which said mobile terminal is located, and a list of geographic areas, a correspondence table between an identifying name and a list of geographic areas, and a correspondence table between a list of geographic areas and a list of access management equipment; - analyze at least one identifying name coming from the mobile terminal in said identifying name servers; - recognize the geographic area in which is located said mobile terminal, at least from the identification information transmitted by said identifying name server, from the network to the mobile in which said mobile terminal is located; - search, from at least one of said correspondence tables, for a mobile network allowing access to said communication network in said recognized geographical area; - to recognize, from at least one of said correspondence tables, access management equipment making it possible to establish the connection with said communication network in said recognized geographical area; -transmit to the identifying name server, the mobile network in which the mobile terminal is located , at least the references of an access management equipment making it possible to establish the connection with said communication network in said recognized geographical area; - Establish the connection between said mobile terminal and said communication network through said mobile network and said access management equipment located in the recognized geographical area.

 The name server identifying APN, located in the public mobile network managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed, transmits at least the references of the GGSN access management equipment corresponding to the communication network to the name server APN identifier, installed in the mobile network of the geographic area in which said mobile terminal is located. Thanks to the GGSN equipment existing in the geographical area in which said mobile terminal is located, the connection between said mobile terminal and said communication network is established through the

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 mobile interconnection network and the mobile network corresponding to said communication network.

 The description which follows with reference to the appended drawing, given by way of nonlimiting example, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be implemented.

 Figure 1 is a diagram of the general architecture of the access management system of a mobile terminal to a communication network, according to the invention.

 Let's take the example of a user, subscribed in France, who is on the move in New York.

 The mobile terminal 10, used in New York with a mobile network A, dialogs with a radio terminal of the mobile network A, connected to the equipment 21 called BSS (Base Station Sub-system, or sub-system of base stations). The equipment 21 called BSS are responsible for managing the radio access of the mobile terminal 10 to the mobile network. These equipments 21 called BSS are standardized by t'ETSt.

 The radio access management equipment 22 called SGSN, connected to the BSS in New York, receives from said mobile terminal 10 an APN name identifying a communication network 62, offering a set of services to which the mobile terminal 10 wishes to access . Said equipment 22 searches for which access management equipment, called GGSN, manages said name identifying APN.

 The equipment 22 called SGSN transmits the name identifying the APN to the server 23 with the name APN to which it is connected, which has a correspondence table between the names APN and the access management equipment called GGSN.

 If the mobile terminal 10 is a subscriber to the mobile network A managed by an operator in New York, the server 23 with the name APN knows the name identifying the APN received. In this case, the access management equipment 30 of the mobile network A establishes the connection with a communication network 40, 41, 42.

 In the case of a movement in New York of the user subscribed in France, said APN name server 23 does not know the name identifying the APN received.

 As mentioned above, the name identifying the APN includes, among other things, the identifier of the operator who manages said communication network.

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As a result, the APN name server 23 transmits the name identifying the APN received to the server 70 of the name identifying the APN installed in the mobile network B, located in the geographical area of the operator which manages the subscriber in France.

 As the two mobile networks A and B are not managed by the same operator, the transmission transits through a mobile interconnection network 50, thanks to connection gateways 51, 53 called BG (Border Gateway).

 The server 23 with the name APN in New York also transmits at least identification information making it possible to know the geographical area, corresponding to the mobile network A, in which said mobile terminal 10 is located.

 In France, the server 70 of name identifying APN searches in a correspondence table for the name of the recognized geographical area A, from identification information transmitted by the server 23 of name APN located in New York.

 Then, thanks to a correspondence table between a name identifying APN and a list of geographical areas, the server 70 of APN name checks whether the name identifying APN corresponds to a communication network 62 accessible from the recognized geographical area A.

 If said communication network, to which the mobile terminal 10 wants to be connected, is only accessible by the mobile network B in France, the access management equipment 30 ′ called GGSN establishes the connection with a network 40 ′, 41 ', 42' of communication in France.

 If said name identifying the APN corresponds to a communication network 62 accessible from the recognized geographical area A, a processing of the geographical area is carried out so as to know which mobile network 60, managed by the operator of the subscriber and located in the geographic area A, allows access to said communication network 62 selected by said mobile terminal 10.

 Finally, thanks to a correspondence table between a list of geographic areas and a list of access management equipment called GGSN, the name server 70 identifying APN determines the access management equipment 61 installed in the mobile network. 60, located in geographic area A, providing local access to said communication network 62.

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 The server 70 of name identifying APN, of the operator to which the user is subscribed, transmits to the server 23 of name identifying APN, in geographical area A in New York, at least the references of said equipment 61 for managing access to the mobile network 60, located in the geographical area A and managed by the operator to which the user is subscribed.

 Since the two mobile networks are not managed by the same operator, the transmission is carried out via the mobile interconnection network 50, using connection gateways 51, 52 called BG (Border Gateway).

 Said GGSN access management equipment 61 establishes the connection to said communication network 62, located in geographical area A. The connection is established between the mobile terminal 10, communicating with the mobile network A in New York, and the network mobile 60, located in geographic area A in New York and allowing access to said selected communication network 62, via said mobile interconnection network 50.

 In this way, it is not necessary to transit through the geographic area B of the subscriber in France to establish the connection to said communication network, selected from the mobile terminal 10 located in the geographic area A in New York.

Claims (7)

 CLAIMS 1. System for managing access from a mobile terminal (10) to a communication network (40,41, 42, 40 ', 41', 42 ', 62) via a mobile network, said mobile terminal (10 ) communicating with said mobile network in a different geographic area from that in which said mobile terminal (10) is subscribed, characterized in that, the connection to said communication network (62) being established by an equipment (61) for managing access managing a name identifying said communication network (62), said system comprises at least one server (70) of identifying name, of the operator to which the mobile terminal (10) is subscribed, capable of analyzing at least one identifying name in coming from the mobile terminal (10), capable of recognizing the geographical area in which said mobile terminal (10) is located, capable of searching for a mobile network (60) allowing access to said communication network (62) in said recognized geographical area and able to recognize the e access management equipment (61) making it possible to establish the connection with said communication network (62) in said recognized geographical area. 2. Access management system of a mobile terminal (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said server (70) of identifying name, of the operator to which the mobile terminal (10) is subscribed, recognizes the geographic area in which said mobile terminal (10) is located from the identification information transmitted by an identifier name server (23), of the mobile network in which said mobile terminal (10) is located. 3. Access management system of a mobile terminal (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said server (70) of name identifying, of the operator to which the mobile terminal (10) is a subscriber, has at least one correspondence table between the identification information originating from the server (23) of identifying name, from the mobile network in which said mobile terminal (10) is located, and a list of geographic areas. <Desc / Clms Page number 11>  1 4. Access management system of a mobile terminal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said server (70) of identifier name, of the operator to which the mobile terminal (10) is a subscriber, has at least one correspondence table between an identifying name and a list of geographic areas to check whether said identifying name allows processing of the geographic area by using a mobile network, located in the recognized geographic area and allowing connection to said communication network.

5. Access management system of a mobile terminal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said server (70) of identifier name, of the operator to which the mobile terminal (10) is a subscriber, has at least one correspondence table between a list of geographic areas and a list of access management equipment corresponding to these geographic areas. 6. Server (23,70) of identifying name, associated with a system for managing the access of a mobile terminal (10) to a network (40,41, 42, 40 ', 41', 42 ', 62) of communication via a mobile network, according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that it comprises at least means for storing at least one correspondence table , means for receiving and processing at least the identification information transmitted by at least one server (23) with an identifying name, means for analyzing the content of the correspondence tables to recognize the geographic area in which is located said mobile terminal (10) and for searching and recognizing a mobile network (60) and access management equipment (61) making it possible to establish the connection with said communication network (62) in said recognized geographical area, means transmission and dialogue between servers (23,70) of identifying name. 7. Method for managing access from a mobile terminal (10) to a communication network (40,41, 42,40 ', 41', 42 ', 62) via a mobile network, said mobile terminal (10) communicating with said mobile network in a different geographic area from that in <Desc / Clms Page number 12>  - storing in a server (70) of identifying name, of the operator to which the mobile terminal (10) is subscribed, at least one correspondence table between identification information of a server (23) of identifying name , of the mobile network in which the mobile terminal (10) is located, and a list of geographic areas, a correspondence table between an identifying name and a list of geographic areas, and a correspondence table between a list of geographic areas and a list of access management equipment, - analyze at least one identifying name from the mobile terminal (10) in said servers (23,70) of identifying name, - recognize the geographical area, in which said mobile terminal is located (10), at least on the basis of the identification information transmitted by said server (23) of identifying name, of the mobile network in which said mobile terminal (10) is located, - searching, from at least one of said tables correspondence, a mobile network (60) allowing access to said communication network (62) in said recognized geographical area, - recognizing, from at least one of said correspondence tables, equipment (61) for managing access making it possible to establish the connection with said communication network (62) in said recognized geographical area, - transmit to the server (23) of identifying name, of the mobile network in which the mobile terminal (10) is located, at least the references of an access management equipment (61) making it possible to establish the connection with said communication network (62) in said recognized geographical area, - to establish the connection between said mobile terminal (10) and said network (62) communication through said mobile network (60) and said access management equipment (61) located in the recognized geographical area.

 which said mobile terminal (10) is subscribed, characterized in that said method comprises the steps consisting in: