MXPA00012776A - Method in a radio telecommunications network of providing signal strength and mobile station information to a monitoring agency - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of automatically providing information regarding a monitored mobile station (11) and subscriber to a monitoring center (17) in a cellular telecommunications network having a mobile switching center (MSC) (13), a home location register (HLR) (15), a base station (12) serving the monitored mobile station, and a plurality of neighboring base stations. The information includes one or more of the following:signal strength measurements (27), call-related information (51) from the MSC, and subscriber categories (61) from the HLR. The MSC automatically sends the information to the monitoring center at predetermined times. The information may be sent continuously as (33) it is received in the MSC, periodically (31) at predetermined time intervals, or when triggering events (35), such as a large change in signal strength or a handoff request by the monitored mobile station, are detected by the MSC. The information may be sent as a data printout or as a User Service Sigaling Data (USSD) or Short Message Service (SMS) message on the digital traffic channel (DTC) if the center is a mobile terminal or other terminal that has data messaging capabilities.

Description

METHOD IN A RADIO TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK TO PROVIDE SIGNAL AND STATION FORCE INFORMATION MOBILE TO A MONITORING AGENCY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to telecommunications systems and, more particularly, to a method in a radio telecommunications network of providing signal strength information and mobile station information to a monitoring agency. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART It is sometimes desirable for agencies such as legal agencies to monitor telephone calls to a mobile station (MS) and from a mobile station (MS) in a radio telecommunications network. It may also be desirable for the monitoring agency to obtain information regarding the signal strength of the MS, information about the categories of subscribers or other information relating to the call. Nowadays, if an MS is being supervised by a monitoring agency, the agency can obtain the location of the cell and other information related to the call by initiating an access to the switching center that is serving the mobile station and interrogating the data Calling MSC. While the information relating to the call can be obtained during the call, in order to obtain the signal strength information, the agency's monitoring center must wait until the call ends and the log files are generated. There is no process in existing networks to automatically provide a monitoring center with the information of the signal strength for the supervised MS, or information on the subscriber categories. Additionally, there is no process to automatically send this information or other information relating to the call in a Signaling Data User Service (USSD) or Short Message Service (SMS) message to a monitoring center during the call in time. real. Although there is no data in the prior art of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency as mentioned herein, there are a large number of patents which disclose methods for locating a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network. For example, U.S. Patent 5,564,079 to Olsson, U.S. Patent 5,406,275 to Hassett et al., U.S. Patent 5,293,642 to Lo, U.S. Patent 5,208,756 to Song, and U.S. Patent 4,891,650 a Seffer all reveal methods for locating mobile stations in a radio telecommunications network. However, no prior art reference discloses a process for automatically providing information regarding the signal strength of a supervised MS, information about subscriber categories or other information related to the call to a monitoring center during a call in time. real . In order to overcome the disadvantages of existing solutions, it would be advantageous to have a method of providing a monitoring center with signal strength information for a supervised MS, and information on subscriber categories. Additionally, the method would automatically send this information or other information related to the call in an SMS message to the monitoring center during a call in real time, without having to wait until the call is terminated. The present invention provides said method. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the present invention is a method for automatically providing to a monitoring center, measurements of signal strength taken between a mobile station and a service base station in a cellular telecommunications network. The method comprises the steps of measuring the signal strength between the mobile station and the service base station, sending the signal strength measurements from the service base station to a mobile switching center (MSC), and automatically send the signal strength measurements from the MSC to a monitoring center at predetermined times. In another aspect, the present invention is a method for automatically providing information regarding a mobile station and a subscriber to a monitoring center in a cellular telecommunications network having a mobile switching center (MSC) m a location record of home (HLR), a base station serving the mobile station and a plurality of neighboring base stations. The method starts by measuring in the service base station, the signal strength measurements between the mobile station and the service base station, and sending the signal strength measurements from the service base station at predetermined times. The information related to the call is also stored in the MSC and at predetermined times, the method automatically sends the measurements of signal strength and information relative to the call from the MSC to the "supervision center".

Additionally, the method may include sending subscriber categories for the supervised subscriber from the HLR to the MSC, and automatically sending the subscriber categories from the MSC to the monitoring center at predetermined times. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention may be better undood and its numerous objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction with the accompanying specifications, in which: FIGURE 1 is a simplified block diagram of a cellular telecommunications network in which the present invention has been implemented. FIGURES 2A and 2B are flow charts illustrating the steps of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIGURE 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps of the method of the present invention when retrieving other information related to the call from the MSC and sending the information to the monitoring center; and FIGS. 4A to 4C are flow charts illustrating the steps of the method of the present invention when recovering subscriber categories and sending the subscriber categories to the monitoring center. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MODALITIES The present invention automatically provides measurements of signal strength, subscriber categories or other information relating to the call to a monitoring center during a free time call. The monitoring agency does not have to wait until the call is completed to access the log files. The information may be provided to the monitoring center continuously as received by the MSC, periodically such as regist or when triggered by certain trigger events such as large or rapid changes in signal strength attenuation. When the triggering event is used, the present invention implements a triggering within the MSC wherein the measurements of the signal strength are accumulated to transmit the measurements to the monitoring center when certain predefined criteria are detected. The criteria may include changes in the MS signal strength that exceeds a defined threshold. The monitoring center can receive the information through Service Signaling Data of User (USSD) or by messages Short Message Service (SMS) in the digital traffic channel (DTC) if the center is a mobile terminal or another terminal that has data message capability. A data link can provide the monitoring center with printed information if the center is not capable of USSD or SMS, and an output device is defined in that center. In the prior art, the MSC has information on which MS cell it is. The present invention uses changes in the attenuation of signal strength to provide more accurate information within each cell. The signal strength measurements of the service base station provide a circle of likely locations centered on the service base station, since the antennas of the base station are generally omni-directional. If the signal strength is increased, the MS is probably moving towards the base station. If the signal strength decreases, the MS is probably moving away from the base station. More precise estimates of the location of MS are also made by comparing the signal strength from neighboring cells. For example, if the signal strength of the service base station decreases, then the MS is moving away from the service base station. Concurrently, if the signal strength - in a neighboring cell, located to the east is increased, then the MS is located on the east side of the service base station. The monitoring agency may have maps which overlap the cell coverage area on physical maps. In this wayIf a main road runs from one cell to another, a probable location can be deduced on the main road. The MSC can send to the monitoring center only the signal strength measurements between the MS and the base service station. These measurements are available at the service base station, and they only have to be retrieved by the MSC and sent to the monitoring center. In this case, the monitoring center will generally be able to deduce the distance of the mobile station from the base station. The signal information from adjacent cells is maintained on the MS until a transfer is requested. Normally, this information is not shared. However, in the transfer, the MS provides intensity measurements of the service cell and the neighboring cell. In existing systems, measurements are used only internally within the MS to determine if a transfer should be carried out, and if so, to which cell. The signal strength information is not sent to other nodes. In the present invention, a monitoring function is added to the MSC in order to pass all the signal strength information to the monitoring center. In order to recover the signal strength information from the adjacent MS cell at other times than transfer requests, a new air interference signal is implemented between the MSC and the MS. The new signal triggers the MS to transmit the signal strength measurements from neighboring cells at different times to the transfer requests. Alternatively, the MSC can send only signal strength measurements from the service cell to the transfer, at which time the time measurements are supplied with the signal strength information of adjacent cells. provided to the monitoring center continuously as per the MSC (eg, to the MS register), periodically at a predetermined interval or when triggered by certain trigger events such as large or rapid changes in intensity attenuation For example, if the supervised MS is moving within a cell, and the signal strength changes by 5 dBm or 10 dBm from a reading to the next, this information is passed to the monitoring agency. has been selected because it provides the best indication of the location of an MS within the cell without adding a load to additional processing to the MSC. Other trigger events can be used. In the preferred embodiment, the signal strength measurements are provided to the monitoring center each time the MS performs periodic recording if the MS is not currently involved in a call. When the MS is involved in a call, the triggering event may be, for example, a change in signal strength. For simplicity, a signal strength measurement is always sent. Any calculation to be carried out with the measurements of signal strength can be carried out in the supervision center. If in the monitoring center it is an MS or another terminal having data message capability such as USSD or SMS, the measurement of signal strength or cell location can be provided to the monitoring center by DTC data message. Therefore, if the monitoring center is an MS capable of SMS, a conversation between the mobile subscribers A and B can be monitored while the signal strength measurement information is received via SMS message in the same mobile station. The monitoring center can receive the information on a screen instead of on an impression. In addition, the MSC stores signal strength information for the mobile monitoring terminal as well, and this information can be provided to the mobile monitoring terminal for the purpose of comparing it with the signal strength of the subscribers and B. This is, the mobile monitoring terminal can compare its own signal strength of the service base station with the signal strength information for the monitored MS involved in the call. Alternatively, the difference can be calculated in the MS and sent to the mobile monitoring terminal. In some cells, a preliminary estimate can be determined based on the difference in signal strength. Any call information that the MSC has on a call can be sent by SMS message or other means to the monitoring center. For example, the information provided to the monitoring center may include the location of the MS in the cell, signal strength between the service base station and the monitored MS, subscriber identity in the call, date and time of the call , etc. In addition to the signal strength information, the supervising agency may be interested in the supervised subscriber categories. The categories that can be passed include activated features, current redirection number, etc. In addition, the monitoring center can be notified when any change is made to the subscriber's categories. Each time the system operator changes a subscriber category in the subscriber's home location register (HLR), the monitoring center is notified. If the monitored MS is located in a visited MSC (V-MSC) which includes a visitor location record (VLR), the HLR sends a message to the VLR to change a temporary record each time a change is made to the HLR. . In this case, the HLR also sends a message to the oversight agency notifying it of the changes that have been made. - The mobile subscriber can also use his MS to make changes to his categories in the HLR or the VLR. When the MS enters V-MSC for the first time, all its categories are downloaded from the HLR to the VLR. At that time, all categories are sent to the monitoring center. As of that moment, only changes are sent. When a mobile subscriber uses its MS to make changes in its categories, the changes are first entered into the subscriber's temporary record in the VLR, and then they are sent to the HLR to update the categories in the subscriber's profile. At this time, a message is also sent by the V-MSC to the monitoring center notifying them of the changes that have been made. Therefore, the changes made in both the HLR and the VLR are reported. The V-MSC sends the message to the monitoring center when changes are made to the VLR. The V-MSC is the trigger point because it contains the temporal information. The HLR is also a trigger point because it always contains all the information as well as the changes. Changes made by the system operator are made in the HLR and then passed to the VLR. The changes made by the subscriber in the VLR are updated in the HLR. FIGURE 1 is a simplified block diagram of a cellular telecommunications network 10 in which the present invention has been implemented. A mobile station (MS) 11 operating in cell 1 (Cl) having a base station 12 is shown. The base station is connected by means and methods known in the art to a visited mobile switching center (V-MSC) 13. The V-MSC is connected by signaling links to a visitor location register (VLR) 16 which stores subscriber records for visiting MSs in the service area of the V-MSC. The VLR 16 is also connected to a home location register (HLR) 15. A monitoring center 17, which can be mobile or fixed, is connected to each of the aforementioned network nodes. The link 18 connects to the monitoring center with the V-MSC 13. The link 20 connects the monitoring center with the HLR 15. The link 21 connects the monitoring center with the VLR 16. The link 18 between the V-MSC 13 and the monitoring center can be a data link as, for example, an x.25 data link, or it may be a USSD or SMS message link. In the preferred embodiment, if the monitoring center is capable of USSD or SMS, the V-MSC and the monitoring center are connected by means of a data link, and either a digital control channel (DCCH) or a channel digital traffic (DTC) to carry USSD or SMS messages. FIGURES 2A and 2B are a flowchart illustrating the steps of the preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention. In step 25, the MS to be monitored is identified in the network. The system operator defines at 26 what information will be sent to the monitoring center 17, the operator can indicate only signal strength measurements (SS) must be sent, only other information related to the call must be sent, or both. In step 27 it is indicated that the signal strength information must be sent. If signal strength information is sent, the method proceeds to step 28 where the service base station reports to V-MSC, measurements of signal strength between 1 base station and the supervised MS. The method proceeds to step 29 where it is defined when the signal strength measurements should be sent to the monitoring center. The measurements can be sent periodically, continuously or in trigger events. In a first alternative in step 31, it is defined that the measurements will be sent periodically. The method proceeds to step 32 wherein the MSC sends a cell ID for the service cell and absolute signal strength measurements at predetermined intervals. In a second alternative, it can be defined in step 33 that the measurements must be sent continuously (this being immediately when the MSC receives the measurements). The method proceeds to step 34 wherein the MSC sends a cell ID for the service cell and an absolute signal strength measurement (such as in periodic MS records) to the center when receiving the service base station measurements . In a third alternative, it can be defined in step 35 that the measurements should be sent to the monitoring center when predefined trigger events are detected. The predefined trigger elements may include, for example, a change in the measured signal strength of more than a defined threshold such as 5 dBm. In this case, the method proceeds to step 36 where the MSC sends a cell ID for the service cell and an initial absolute signal strength measurement when monitoring is initiated. Hereinafter, when the MSC detects a trigger event at 37, the method proceeds to step 38 and sends an updated signal strength measurement, as defined. Alternatively, predefined trigger events can be defined at 35 to include, for example, a transfer request by the monitored MS. In step 41, the MS requests a transfer and sends signal strength information from its service cell and neighboring cells to the MSC. In step 42, the MSC sends all reported signal strength information to the monitoring center. From steps 32, 34, 38 or 42 the method proceeds to step 43 of FIGURE 2B. In step 43, it is determined whether the monitoring center is capable of receiving USSD or SMS messages. If the monitoring center is capable of USSD or SMS, the method proceeds to step 44 wherein the signal strength information is sent in a USSD message or in a SMS Point-to-Point Transfer Point (SMDPP) message to the monitoring center . Additionally, in step 45, the signal strength information is sent in the data link 18 (FIGURE 1) to a printer or other output device defined in the monitoring center. If the monitoring center is not capable of USSD or SMS, the method goes directly from step 43 to step 45 and sends the signal strength information on the data link 18 to the printer or to another output device defined in the center of supervision. The method proceeds to step 46 where it is determined if other information is also being sent to the monitoring center. If not,, the method ends in step 47. If signal strengths are being sent, the method returns to FIGURE 2A, step 28. If subscriber categories are being sent, the method returns to FIGURE 2A, step 61. With reference again to FIGURE 2A, the system operator can define, in step 26, that other information related to the call should be sent to the monitoring center. In this case, the method goes from step 26 to step 51. If measurements of signal strength and information related to the call to the monitoring center are to be sent, the method goes from step 27 to step 51. In step 51, the other information related to the call can be defined as the information maintained within the MSC such as the mobile identification number (MIN), the date and time of the call, the duration of the call, etc. The other information related to the call may also be defined as information maintained within the HLR such as subscriber identification, or other subscriber profile information such as subscriber categories. For information maintained within the MSC, the method is passed on to FIGURE 3. FIGURE 3 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the method of the present invention when retrieving other information related to the MSC call and sending the information to the supervision center. In step 52, the MSC retrieves the information related to the call defined from internal files. At 53, it is defined when the information related to the call must be sent. If it is defined that the information related to the call must be sent to the start of each call origin or termination in which the supervised MS is a person, the method proceeds to step 54. In step 55, the MSC sends an ID of cell and the information related to the call to the supervision center the start of each origin or call termination. If it is defined at 53 that the information related to the call must be sent at the end of each origin or termination at which the supervised MS is a person, the method proceeds to step 56. In step 57, the MSC sends an ID of cell and the information related to the defined call to the monitoring center at the end of each origin or call termination. After step 55 or step 57, the method returns to FIGURE 2B. Referring again to FIGURE 2A, the other information related to the call may be defined in step 61 to include subscriber categories. If so. The method passes FIGURE 4. FIGURES 4A through 4C are a flow chart illustrating the steps of the method of the present invention when retrieving subscriber categories and sending the subscriber categories to the monitoring center. In FIGURE 4A, the supervised subscriber is operating in the service area of V-MSC 13 (FIGURE 1). In step 65, the system operator defines the supervised subscriber in the HLR 15. At 66, the HLR sends the initial subscriber categories to the monitoring center 17. Hereinafter, changes can be made to the subscriber categories in the HLR. by the system operator, or through V-MSC / VLR 13 and 16 by the supervised subscriber. If a change is made in the HLR by the operator of a and in step 67, the method proceeds to step 68 where the HLR sends the changes to the monitoring center. If the subscriber uses his MS to change his categories through the V-MSC / VLR at 69, the method goes to step 70 where the VLR updates the HLR with the changes. At 71, the HLR sends the changes to the monitoring center. Following step 68 or 71, the method returns to FIGURE 2A. In FIGURE 4B, the supervised subscriber is operating in the service area of V-MSC 13, and the subscriber categories are sent to the monitoring center each time the categories change. In step 75, VLR 16 retrieves the categories of the HLR subscriber when the supervised subscriber travels in the V-MSC service area. In 76, the VLR sends the initial subscriber categories to the monitoring center 17. Henceforth, changes in the subscriber categories can be made in the HLR by the system operator, or through the V-MSC 13 by the supervised subscriber. If a change is made in the HLR by the system operator in step 77, the method proceeds to step 78 where the HLR sends the changes to the VLR. In step 79, the VLR sends the changes to the monitoring center. If the subscriber uses his MS to change his categories through the V-MSC at 80, the method goes to step 81 where the V-MSC updates the VLR with the changes. At 82, the V-MSC sends the changes to the monitoring center. Following step 79 or step 82, the method returns to FIGURE 2A. In FIGURE 4C, the supervised subscriber is operating in the service area of V-MSC 13, and the subscriber categories are sent to the monitoring center each time the subscriber makes a call. In step 85, the V-MSC 13 retrieves the subscriber categories of the VLR 16 when the supervised subscriber makes a first call. At 86, the V-MSC stores the categories in a temporary register. At 87, the V-MSC sends the initial subscriber categories to the monitoring center 17. At 88, the V-MSC retrieves the subsequent subscriber categories from the VLR each time the supervised subscriber makes another call. In step 89, it is determined whether the subscriber categories differ from the initial subscriber categories. If not, the method goes to step 90 and waits for the next call from the supervised subscriber. Continuing with step 90, the method returns to FIGURE 2A. If there are changes in the subscriber categories in step 89, the method proceeds to step 91 where the V-MSC updates the subscriber categories in a temporary register. Finally, in step 92, the V-MSC sends the changes to the categories to the monitoring center. Continuing with step 92, the method returns to FIGURE 2A. It is believed that the operation and construction of the present invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. While the method presented and described has been characterized as being preferred, it will be readily apparent that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS A method for automatically providing information relating to a supervised mobile station and a subscriber to a monitoring center in a cellular telecommunications network having a mobile switching center (MSC), a home location register (HLR) that stores categories of subscriber, a base station serving the supervised mobile station and a plurality of neighboring base stations, said method comprises the steps of: determining the measurements of signal strength between the mobile station and the service base station; send signal strength measurements from the service base station to the MSC; storing the information related to the call in the MSC, said information related to the call includes an identity of each subscriber involved in the call; automatically send the signal strength measurements from the MSC to the monitoring center at predetermined times; and automatically send information related to the call from the MSC to the monitoring center at predetermined times. The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically sending the signal strength measurements from the MSC to the monitoring center includes sending the signal strength measurements in a message of Short Message Service (SMS). The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 1. wherein the step of automatically sending the signal strength measurements from the MSC to the monitoring center at predetermined times includes sending signal strength measurements. continuously when measurements are received in the MSC. The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 3 wherein the step of sending the signal strength measurements continuously includes sending signal strength measurements each time the mobile station performs a registration Newspaper. The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically sending the signal strength measurements from the MSC to the monitoring center at predetermined times includes periodically sending the intensity measurements of signal in a predetermined interval. The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically sending the signal strength measurements from the MSC to the monitoring center at predetermined times includes sending the signal strength measurements when a trigger event is detected by the MSC. The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 5 wherein the step of sending the signal strength measurements when a trigger event is detected by the MSC includes sending the signal strength measurements when the The signal strength of the mobile station changes more than the threshold amount of an initial signal strength level. The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 5 wherein the step of sending the signal strength measurements when a trigger event is detected by the MSC includes sending the signal strength measurements each time that the mobile station requests a transfer. 9. The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically sending the signal strength measurements from the MSC to the monitoring center includes sending the intensity measurements. signal in a data link to an output device in the monitoring center. 10. The method of automatically providing signal strength measurements to a monitoring center of claim 9 wherein the step of automatically sending the signal strength measurements from the MSC to the monitoring center includes sending the signal strength measurements as a data message on a digital traffic channel. 11. The method of automatically providing information related to a supervised mobile station and the subscriber to a monitoring center of claim 1 wherein the measurements of signal strength and information related to the call are automatically sent from the MSC to a center monitoring during a call by the mobile monitoring station. 12. The method of automatically providing information related to a supervised mobile station and of the subscriber to a monitoring center of claim 11 wherein the information related to the call includes the information of the time of day, and the step of automatically sending information related to the call from the MSC to the monitoring center includes sending information related to the call at the start of each call origin and call termination by the mobile station. 13. The method of automatically providing information related to a supervised mobile station and of the subscriber to a monitoring center of claim 11 wherein the information related to the call includes information of the time of day, and the step of automatically sending the information related to the call from the MSC to the monitoring center includes sending information related to the call at the end of the origin and call termination of the mobile station. The method of automatically providing information related to a supervised mobile station and of the subscriber to a monitoring center of claim 11 further comprising automatically sending subscriber categories for the supervised subscriber from the HLR to the monitoring center at predetermined times. The method of automatically providing information related to a supervised mobile station and of the subscriber to a monitoring center of claim 14 wherein the step of automatically sending the subscriber categories from the HLR to the monitoring center includes the steps of: sending categories of initial subscriber to the monitoring center when the monitoring center initiates supervision of the mobile station; and send the changes to the subscriber categories to the monitoring center each time the categories change. The method of automatically providing information related to a supervised mobile station and of the subscriber to a monitoring center of claim 11 wherein the cellular telecommunication network also includes a visitor location register (VLR), and the method further comprises the steps to: recover by the MSC, the VLR subscriber categories, and automatically send the subscriber categories of the MSC to the monitoring center each time the supervised mobile station makes a call. The method of automatically providing information related to a supervised mobile station and the subscriber to a monitoring center of claim 11 wherein the cellular telecommunications network also includes a visitor location register (VLR), and the method further includes the steps of: recovering by the VLR, the initial subscriber categories of the HLR when the MS travels within the area served by the VLR; and automatically send the initial subscriber categories from the VLR to the monitoring center. The method of automatically providing information related to a supervised mobile station and the subscriber to a monitoring center of claim 11 wherein the cellular telecommunications network also includes a visitor location register (VLR), and the method further includes the steps of: recovering by the MSC, the initial subscriber categories of the VLR when the supervised mobile station makes a first call; send by the MSC, the initial subscriber categories to the monitoring center; recover by the MSC, subsequent subscriber categories of the VLR when the supervised mobile station makes a second call; determine whether the subsequent subscriber categories differ from the initial subscriber categories; and sending by the MSC, the changes to the subscriber categories to the monitoring center when determining that the subsequent subscriber categories differ from the initial subscriber categories. A method for providing information relating to a supervised mobile station and subscriber to a monitoring center in a cellular telecommunications network having a mobile switching center (MSC), a home location register (HLR), a base station that serves the supervised mobile station and a plurality of neighboring base stations, said method comprising the steps of: measuring at the service base station, measurements of signal strength between the mobile station and the service base station; gathering in the mobile station, measurements of signal strength between the mobile station and the plurality of neighboring base stations; sending signal strength measurements between the mobile station and the service base station, and between the mobile station and the plurality of base stations neighboring the MSC; storing the information related to the call in the MSC, said information related to the call that includes an identity of each subscriber involved in the call; automatically sending the signal strength measurements from the MSC to the monitoring center at predetermined times during a call by the mobile station; automatically send information related to the call from the MSC to the monitoring center at predetermined times during a call; and automatically send subscriber categories from the HLR to the monitoring center at predetermined times. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION __ A method for automatically providing information from a monitored mobile station (11) and from a subscriber to a monitoring center (17) in a cellular telecommunication network having a mobile switching center (MSC) is presented. (13), a home location register (HLR) (15), a base station (12) serving the monitored mobile station and several neighboring base stations. The information includes one or more of the following parameters: signal strength measurements (27), call related information (51) of the MSC, and subscriber categories (61) of the HLR. The MSC automatically sends the information to the monitoring center at predetermined times. The information can be sent continuously according to (33) it is received at the MSC, periodically (31) at predetermined intervals of time, or else when triggering events (35) such as, for example, a large change as to the strength of the signal or a transfer request by the monitored mobile station, are detected by the MSC. The information can be sent in the form of a data printout either in the form of a User Services Signaling Data (USS) message or Short Message Service Message (SMS) on the digital traffic channel (DTC) if the center is a mobile terminal or another terminal that has capabilities to send "data messages,