KR20110129049A - Method and system for restricting roaming service - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for blocking a roaming service and a system thereof are provided to block a roaming service of an in-bound roaming terminal. CONSTITUTION: A communication unit(210) receives a location registration request including the terminal identification information of an in-bound roaming terminal. An information obtaining unit(220) obtains a subscriber profile including a communication service type about the in-bound roaming terminal according to the location registration request. A call processing unit(240) determines whether to block the location registration of the in-bound roaming terminal according to a communication service type. A storage unit(230) stores a roaming service block list about the in-bound roaming terminal.

Description

Method and system for restricting roaming service

The present invention relates to a mobile communication system, and more particularly, to a method and system for blocking roaming services to 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 is a service that allows a user to provide communication service through a communication network of a third-party carrier in a foreign country by using a network of a foreign third-party carrier that has a roaming agreement with its own carrier by extending such a concept among countries.

For example, assume that a telecommunication service provider that provides its own telecommunications service is a first telecommunication service provider, and that a telecommunication service provider that provides third party telecommunications services in the United States is a second telecommunication service provider. Assume that the first and second carriers are each contracted by a roaming agreement. In such a state, when the subscriber of the second communication service provider stays in Korea for the purpose of travel, etc., the subscriber can be connected to the communication network of the first communication service provider and provided with the communication service by the roaming agreement.

However, among the subscribers roaming inbound from abroad, the malicious subscribers do not pay the communication service usage fee after using the communication service in Korea, causing the leakage of billing. Accordingly, there is a need for a method for limiting (or blocking) roaming services for inbound roaming subscribers.

The present invention provides a method and system for blocking roaming services for inbound roaming terminals.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system capable of selectively blocking roaming services for malicious communication users by blocking roaming services for inbound roaming terminals according to a set condition.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for blocking roaming service for an inbound roaming terminal in a mobile communication system is provided.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for blocking a roaming service for an inbound roaming terminal in a mobile communication system, the method comprising: (a) receiving a location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal, wherein the location registration request is the inbound roaming; Including terminal identification information of the terminal; (b) acquiring a subscriber profile for the inbound roaming terminal according to the location registration request, the subscriber profile comprising a communication service type; And (c) determining whether to block location registration for the inbound roaming terminal according to the communication service type.

By providing a roaming service blocking method and a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is an advantage that the roaming service for the malicious communication user can be selectively blocked by blocking the roaming service for the inbound roaming terminal according to the set conditions. .

For this reason, the present invention can prevent charge leakage by a malicious communication user in advance.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a mobile communication system that provides a roaming service to an inbound roaming terminal.
2 is a block diagram schematically showing an internal configuration of a roaming service blocking system.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of registering a location for an inbound roaming terminal in a general mobile communication system.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of blocking roaming services of an inbound roaming terminal in a mobile communication system;

The present invention is capable of various modifications and various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated and described in the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, it should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, components, or a combination thereof.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Description of Fig. 1]

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a mobile communication system that provides a roaming service to an inbound roaming terminal.

Referring to FIG. 1, a mobile communication system includes a user terminal 10, a visited network communication system 20, and a home network communication system 30.

The user terminal 10 is a device for using a mobile communication service. Examples of the type of user terminal 10 include, for example, a personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a personal communication service (PCS) phone, a hand-held PC, and a global network (GSM). System for Mobile (Phone), WCDMA phones, CDMA-2000 phones, MBS (Mobile Broad and System) phones and the like can be included.

The user terminal 10 is an inbound roaming terminal, which will be collectively described as an inbound roaming terminal.

The visited network communication system 20 interlocks with the home network communication system 30 according to a roaming agreement and provides a roaming service to an inbound roaming terminal. The visited network communication system 20 obtains the subscriber profile including the communication service type from the home network communication system 30 according to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal, and adds to the communication service type and the roaming service block list of the obtained subscriber profile. Accordingly, roaming service can be restricted by blocking location registration for the inbound roaming terminal.

In the present specification, the roaming service blocking list includes one or more blocking information set for blocking of a roaming service. The blocking information may be any one of country-specific identification information, operator identification information, or subscriber identification information of the inbound roaming terminal.

In more detail, the visited network communication system 20 includes a switching center 110 and a gateway location register 120. Of course, the visited network communication system 20 may further include other components, but the description thereof may obscure the subject matter of the present invention, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The switching center 110 has a control function and an interworking function with the switching center of another network such as a public telephone network so that the wireless base stations can be efficiently operated. In addition, the exchange 110 may include a visitor location register (VLR) or a subscriber of the user terminal 10 in response to a location registration request of the user terminal 10 in connection with the visitor location register. A profile can be obtained and stored in the visitor location register.

In addition, the exchange 110 may obtain and store a roaming service block list from the gateway location register 120 in response to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal. Accordingly, the switching center 110 stores the subscriber profile and the roaming service block list in the switching center 110 after the first location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal (ie, from the second location registration request). The roaming service blocking list may be used to determine whether to block the location registration of the inbound roaming terminal.

For example, when a location registration request is requested from an inbound roaming terminal, the switching center 110 registers a location with a corresponding gateway location register 120 through translation of terminal identification information (eg, MIN, IMSI, MSISDN) of the inbound roaming terminal. The request can be routed. For example, the location registration request may be routed to the gateway location register 120 using a Location Update Request, which is a GSMMAP message.

The switching center 110 may be a mobile switching center (MSC) when the communication network connected to the inbound roaming terminal is a circuit network, and a packet switching support node (SGSN) when the communication network connected to the inbound roaming terminal is a packet network. May be).

The gateway location register 120 is a device that serves as a gateway for roaming services between mobile operators using different Mobile Application Part (MAP) protocols. The gateway location register 120 may perform the function of a virtual subscriber location register (not shown) for the roamed network. For example, the gateway location register 120 may be a gateway location register (GLR).

In addition, the gateway location register 120 stores a roaming service blocking list, which is blocking information on location registration of the inbound roaming terminal. Accordingly, the gateway location register 120 routes the location registration request to the home network communication system 30 when a location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal is obtained, and obtains and stores a subscriber profile from the home network communication system 30 in response thereto. The subscriber profile may be obtained using Insert Subscriber Data, which is a GSMMAP message. The subscriber profile may include a communication service type as described above. The communication service type may be included in a CAMEL subscription information (CSI) parameter of the ISD message.

Accordingly, the gateway location register 120 extracts the communication service type included in the CSI parameter of the subscriber profile, and if the communication service type is a prepaid service, the terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal is included in the roaming service blocking list. Location registration for inbound roaming terminals may be blocked (ie, gateway location register 120 may fail to register location for inbound roaming terminals). This will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings below.

The home network communication system 30 is interworked with the visited network communication system 20 through a roaming agreement, and the subscriber profile for the inbound roaming terminal corresponding to the location registration request for the inbound roaming terminal from the visited network communication system 20. To serve as a visited network communication system 20.

More specifically, home network communication system 30 includes a Home Location Register (HLR).

The home location register 130 is a master database for user information and stores subscriber profiles for supporting network entities dealing with actual calls or / and sessions. Accordingly, the home location register 130 performs a function of providing the visitor network communication system 20 with a subscriber profile for the corresponding inbound roaming terminal according to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal.

In addition, the home location register 130 visits the roaming service block list set to the home location register 130 according to a roaming agreement according to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal from the visited network communication system 20. 20 may be provided.

[Description of Fig. 2]

2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an internal configuration of a roaming service blocking system. The roaming service blocking system may be a gateway location register of the mobile communication system of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the roaming service blocking system includes a communication unit 210, an information acquisition unit 220, a storage unit 230, and a call processing unit 240.

The communication unit 210 performs a function of transmitting and receiving data with various devices (for example, the switching center 110, the home network communication system 30, etc.) through a communication network.

For example, the communication unit 210 may receive a location registration request for the inbound roaming terminal from the switching center 110. In addition, the communication unit 210 may transmit the subscriber profile to the switching center 110 under the control of the call processing unit 240.

The information obtaining unit 220 routes the location registration request to the home network communication system 30 according to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal and acquires a subscriber profile. Here, the subscriber profile may include a communication service type, as described above. The communication service type may be a prepaid service.

The storage unit 230 includes an algorithm required to operate the roaming service blocking system 200. In addition, the storage unit 230 includes a roaming service block list for the inbound roaming terminal. The roaming service blocking list may be stored (or updated) in the storage 230 by an administrator of the roaming service blocking system 200. In addition, the roaming service block list may be obtained through the home network communication system 30 and then stored in the storage 230.

For example, when a roaming agreement is concluded between the visited network communication system 20 and the home network communication system 30, the visited network communication system 20 is provided with a roaming service blocking list from the home network communication system 30. It may be stored at (200).

The call processor 240 controls the internal components of the roaming service blocking system 200 of FIG. 2 (eg, the communication unit 210, the information acquisition unit 220, and the storage unit 230). do.

In addition, the call processor 240 determines whether to block the location registration of the inbound roaming terminal according to the communication service type and the roaming service blocking list included in the subscriber profile obtained corresponding to the inbound roaming terminal.

For example, if the communication service type of the subscriber profile obtained through the information acquisition unit 220 is a prepaid service, the call processing unit 240 includes a part or all of the terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal in the roaming service block list. You can decide whether to block location registration. If part or all of the terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal is included in the roaming service blocking list, the call processing unit 240 may block location registration (ie, fail processing) in response to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal. .

On the other hand, if the communication service type is not a prepaid service or the terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal is not included in the roaming service block list, the call processing unit 240 generates a subscriber profile in a normal response in response to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal. May transmit to the switching center 110.

[Description of Fig. 3]

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of registering a location for an inbound roaming terminal in a general mobile communication system.

In step 310 the switching center 110 routes the location registration request to the gateway location register according to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal. Here, the location registration request may be a Location Update Request of a message of a GSMMAP message. Also, the location registration request may include terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal.

In step 315, the gateway location register 120 routes the location registration request to the home network communication system 30 upon receipt of the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal from the switching center 110.

Subsequently, in step 320, the gateway location register 120 obtains a subscriber profile from the home network communication system 30 in response to the routing of the location registration request. Here, the subscriber profile may be obtained using an Insert Subscriber Data (ISD) message which is a GSMMAP message.

In step 325 the gateway location register 120 routes the subscriber profile obtained via the home network communication system 30 to the switching center 110.

Accordingly, in step 330, the switching center 110 stores the subscriber profile of the inbound roaming terminal routed through the gateway location register 120 and responds to it (hereinafter referred to as subscriber profile reception response for convenience of understanding and explanation). Collectively) to the gateway location register 120. Here, the response may be an ISD Ack which is a GSMMAP message.

In step 335, the gateway location register 120 transmits the subscriber profile reception response to the home network communication system 30.

Subsequently, in step 340, the gateway location register 120 receives a location registration completion response from the home network communication system 30 in response to the subscriber profile reception response, and routes the location registration completion response to the switching center 110.

Through the above-described process, the location registration for the inbound roaming terminal may be performed. After that, the inbound roaming terminal may receive various communication services through the visited network communication system 20.

[Description of Fig. 4]

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of blocking roaming services of an inbound roaming terminal in a mobile communication system.

In step 410, the switching center 110 routes the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal to the gateway location register 120. At this time, the exchange 110 may route the location registration request to the gateway location register 120 using the Location Update Request of the GSMMAP message. Here, the location registration request may include terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal.

In step 415, the gateway location register 120 routes the location registration request to the home network communication system 30 upon receipt of the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal from the switching center 110.

In step 420, the gateway location register 120 receives a subscriber profile of the inbound roaming terminal from the home network communication system 30 in response to the location registration request. Here, the subscriber profile may include a communication service type, as described above.

As described above, the subscriber profile may be provided from the home network communication system 30 using an ISD message, which is a GSMMAP message.

In step 425, the gateway location register 120 analyzes the subscriber profile to determine whether the subscriber of the inbound roaming terminal is a prepaid service subscriber.

For example, the gateway location register 120 may analyze the communication service type included in the subscriber profile of the inbound roaming terminal obtained through the home network communication system 30 to determine whether the subscriber of the inbound roaming terminal is a prepaid service subscriber. Can be. That is, if the communication service type included in the subscriber profile is a prepaid service, the gateway location register 120 may determine that the subscriber of the inbound roaming terminal is a prepaid service subscriber.

On the other hand, when the communication service type included in the subscriber profile is not a prepaid service or the communication service type is not included in the subscriber profile, the gateway location register 120 may determine that the subscriber of the inbound roaming terminal is not a prepaid service subscriber.

That is, the gateway location register 120 may obtain a subscriber profile from an ISD message, which is a GSMMAP message, and extract a value of an O-CSI parameter included in the ISD message to confirm a communication service type.

If the subscriber of the inbound roaming terminal is not a prepaid service subscriber, proceed to step 440.

However, if the inbound roaming terminal is a subscriber prepaid service subscriber, in step 430 the gateway location register 120 determines whether the inbound roaming terminal is roaming allowed.

For example, the gateway location register 120 may determine whether some or all of the terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal is included in the roaming service block list, and determine whether or not the roaming allowance is a target.

That is, when a part or all of the terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal is included in the roaming service block list, the gateway location register 120 may determine that the inbound roaming terminal is not the roaming permission target. On the other hand, if the terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal is not included in the roaming service block list, the gateway location register 120 may determine that the inbound roaming terminal is a roaming allowance. As described above, the terminal identification information may be any one of MIN, IMSI, and MSISDN.

If the inbound roaming terminal is not roaming target, the gateway location register 120 performs location registration failure processing for location registration for the inbound roaming terminal (i.e., the gateway location register 120 performs inbound roaming terminal). To block location registration for. That is, the gateway location register 120 transmits the location registration failure in response to the location registration request of the inbound roaming terminal of the switching center 110.

However, if the inbound roaming terminal is subject to roaming, in step 440 the gateway location register 120 transmits the subscriber profile of the inbound roaming terminal obtained via the home network communication system 30 to the switching center 110.

Subsequently, in step 445, the gateway location register 120 receives a response message according to the subscriber profile transmission from the switching center 110 and transmits the response message to the home network communication system 30 (step 450).

Subsequently, at step 455, the gateway location register 120 receives the location registration completion from the home network communication system 30 and routes it to the switching center 110.

Meanwhile, the method for blocking roaming service for an inbound roaming terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in a program command form that can be executed through various electronic means for processing information and recorded in a storage medium. The storage medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination.

Program instructions to be recorded on the storage medium may be those specially designed and constructed for the present invention or may be available to those skilled in the art of software. Examples of storage media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magnetic-optical media such as floppy disks. hardware devices specifically 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 devices that process information electronically using an interpreter, for example, high-level language code that can be executed by a computer.

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: user terminal
20: visit network communication system
30: home network communication system

Claims (7)

A method for blocking roaming services for inbound roaming terminals in a mobile communication system,
(a) receiving a location registration request including terminal identification information of the inbound roaming terminal;
(b) acquiring a subscriber profile including a communication service type for the inbound roaming terminal according to the location registration request; And
(c) determining whether to block location registration for the inbound roaming terminal according to the communication service type.
The method according to claim 1,
Whether to block the location registration is determined in consideration of whether the inbound roaming terminal belongs to a roaming service block list,
The roaming service blocking list is blocking information for blocking roaming service of the inbound roaming terminal. The roaming service blocking method is identification information according to any one of countries, operators and subscribers.
The method of claim 2,
If the communication service type is a prepaid service, step (c) may include:
And blocking a location registration for the inbound roaming terminal when some or all of the terminal identification information is included in the roaming service block list.
A communication unit for receiving a location registration request of including terminal identification information of an inbound roaming terminal;
An information obtaining unit obtaining a subscriber profile including a communication service type for the inbound roaming terminal according to the location registration request; And
And a call processing unit for determining whether to block location registration for the inbound roaming terminal according to the communication service type.
The method of claim 4, wherein
Further comprising a storage for storing a roaming service block list for the inbound roaming terminal,
The call processor determines whether to block the location registration in consideration of whether the inbound roaming terminal belongs to a roaming service block list.
The roaming service blocking list is roaming service blocking system that is identification information according to any one of country, communication service provider and subscriber as blocking information for blocking roaming service of the inbound roaming terminal.
The method of claim 5,
If the communication service type is a prepaid service,
And the call processing unit blocks a location registration for the inbound roaming terminal when a part or all of the terminal identification information is included in the roaming service block list.
The method of claim 4, wherein
And the subscriber profile is obtained through a home network communication system.

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