DE4307123A1 - Communication system and system components therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

In conventional communication systems, such as the GSM mobile radio system, a connection is set up between a calling subscriber and a called mobile subscriber by means of a so-called Home Location Register. The last known location of the called mobile subscriber is stored in this register. The object of the invention is to design a communication system in which a called subscriber can be contacted even if the location last linked within the communication system with the personal subscriber number is not the actual location of this called subscriber. The communication system (UMTS) according to the invention has a memory device (MEM) in which a plurality of possible locations (LOC1, LOC2 and LOC3) are stored. The called subscriber (B) has already been contacted by the calling subscriber (A) at these locations. A connection is set up successively between the calling subscriber (A) and one of these possible locations (LOC1, LOC2 and LOC3). The called subscriber (B) can be contacted at a location (LOC1) which is not identical to the location (LOC2) recorded in the Home Location Register. The memory device is advantageously incorporated in the subscriber authorisation card SC or the subscriber terminal of the calling subscriber (A), thereby enabling direct connection set-up. Accordingly, the connection can ... Original abstract incomplete. <IMAGE>

Description

A communication system for mobile participants and System components for this are from the "mobile radio Handbook "by J. Kedaj and G. Hentschel, 1991, Neue Mediengesellschaft Ulm m.b.H. known. There is in Chapter 4 the digital mobile radio system GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication). In the Subchapters 4.1.5.20 and 4.1.5.24 is the Establishing a connection from a calling subscriber to a called, mobile subscriber. To signaling traffic takes place first between the requesting exchange, the the calling subscriber is assigned, and the Radio switching center (MSC: Mobile Switching Center), where the called, mobile subscriber is Participant ratio. This also as a Home MSC designated radio exchange has one so-called home file (HLR: Home Location Register), in the most recently registered lounge area (Location Area) of the called, mobile subscriber is saved. This lounge area where the mobile subscriber called was last recorded,  is called the Mobile Station Roaming Number (MSRN) from the home file to the requesting Switch signals. After that the Connection from the calling subscriber to that party Radio exchange set up this Lounge area controlled. The call from this referred to as Visited MSC radio exchange at mobile subscriber then happens via all radio base stations in this area using a so-called residence file (VLR: Visited Location Register) in which the called, mobile Participant is recorded as a visitor. To the Connection establishment must be signaling traffic between the requesting exchange and the so-called home MSC, d. H. the radio exchange, via the home file of the called subscriber decreed, even if another Mobile switching center (Visited MSC) the registered Lounge area managed. Another Localization, d. H. the selection of the base station, the radio connection to the called, mobile Does not produce participants.

From EP 0 179 898 is a communication system for one Paging service known in which the connection to a called subscriber unit (pager) as follows is built: a device (paging executive) for Maintain a file of addresses from remote Units and equivalent Localization information initially causes one Connection to that designated as a central office Lounge area in which the called unit last was located. Then using a  Device (Network Control Processor) to choose from of the radio coverage area this Lounge area, most likely the called unit contains a connection to the corresponding base station. It will successively radio coverage areas and the appropriate base stations selected until actually connect to the called Participant unit succeeds. As a measure of that Probability of successful Establishing a connection and determining the sequence this selection serves a list of the Radio field strengths that occurred during the last Transmission of the called unit in the individual Base stations were measured. To the Connection establishment is first of all via the so-called Home Central Office (Home Site) die Localization information retrieved and used to build the Connection to the central site used where the called unit was last located has been. This is followed by a selection list Selection of the base station that the Establishes radio connection to the called unit.

A signaling traffic between the requesting Exchange and a switching device on The called subscriber's home town is in both wireless communication systems above for one Connection establishment necessary. This Signaling traffic claims access to the Switching device at home even if the called party is at a distant Stay area that is not of this Switching device is managed.  

In the article "Third Generation of Mobile Communication" by Dr. -Ing. H. Armbruster, 1992, Telcom Report 15, Issue 2, Siemens AG presents future communication systems in which wireless and wired communication networks are integrated. Accordingly, the following advantages of the so-called UMTS concept and the so-called UPT concept should characterize a future communication system: According to the UMTS concept (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), end device-related mobility, i.e. complete and extensive mobile phone coverage, is achieved by means of different radio cell types and satellite radio. Personal mobility is achieved according to the UPT (Universal Personal Telecommunications) concept. By linking the terminal identification with the personal number of a subscriber, the subscriber can be reached under his number on any terminal within the communication network. For future communication systems with mobile participants, an intelligent network infrastructure is shown in the above article (see Figures 1 and 3), which separately monitors logical connections (call) and physical connections (connection). "Here the connections that are optimal for the actual location of the communication partners can be switched and the corresponding cheaper charges can be charged (e.g. a" de facto "local call instead of two long-distance connections)". How to locate a subscriber, establish and monitor a connection is not described in detail.

In the known communication systems basically a mobile subscriber only then reachable if the registered location of this Participant is identical to the real one Location of this participant. The following three Case studies may illustrate this problem:

• a) The last registered in a UPT network The location of a participant is, for example his office. Accordingly, this participant has last on the terminal of his office in the UPT network booked using a chip card. Arriving Calls are routed to this terminal. Located the participant is actually on another Whereabouts, such as B. in a conference room, so he can only be reached if he is on the has logged in there or a device has initiated the corresponding call diversion. Of the mobile subscribers in the UPT network must always be responsible for his Accessibility care.
• b) In a communication system with paging service will be a message for a subscriber is determined at its last registered Whereabouts, d. H. on the so-called Home radio area (home site) or to the so-called visited radio area (visited site), mediated. Then the message is over Radio broadcast. If no confirmation of receipt the message is ready to be called in the Switching device of the last registered Stored location. Has the participant for example, his pager last in "City A" radio area switched on and located  the participant is currently in another Radio area "City B", so all messages, intended for him to the radio area "City A" conveyed. Switches the participant on his actual location "City B" his pager becomes one Signaling causes a new one Registration and forwarding of the saved messages from "City A" "City B" causes. Direct accessibility a mobile subscriber is with one Change of location with switched off Pager not given.
• c) In a communication system with a integrated cellular network and with one integrated UPT network can be a mobile subscriber himself using his personal authorization card on any device in the Check in communication system. Is the last registered location of the participant z. B. the location of his car, so all arriving Call to his using his home location file (HLR) Car phone headed. The participant is actually in another location, like e.g. B. in a hotel, it is not direct reachable. A participant is within the Communication system only under constantly his personal subscriber number can be reached, if it is not automatically removed from the system by everyone registered change of location a manual Rebooking using his authorization card prompted.

As these examples illustrate, the known communication systems a mobile subscriber only then using his personal participant number can be achieved if its actual Location the last registered location corresponds, d. H. if its actual Location is identical to the location, the last one with his personal participant number was linked.

The object of the invention is to design a Communication system in which a called subscriber is also reachable if the whereabouts, the within the communication system last with the personal subscriber number was not linked the actual location of that called Participant is.

The task is solved by a communication system with the features of claim 1 or claim 2.

Another object of the invention is for Building such a communication system individual To provide system components.

This task is solved by both Subscriber terminal with the features of claim 5, as well as with a participant authorization card the features of claim 6.

According to claim 1 or claim 2 is a Communication system with a storage device provided in the data on at least two of the Whereabouts are stored at a  called, mobile subscriber was already while connected to a calling party was standing. Accordingly, for a connection establishment such data is available between the two participants, which is an empirical link of Location information about the called party and the subscriber identification of the call end The participant. Represent this data hence several connections between the two certain communication partners already successful were switched. The evaluation of this data enables the calling party, the called, mobile subscriber to its actual Whereabouts with a high probability to reach. The probability increases with the number of the saved connections. Current data also increase the likelihood that the corresponding attempt to establish a connection succeeds. Data on a successfully switched connection, such as e.g. B. the subscriber identifiers, the terminal device identifiers and the identifiers of those involved Switching facilities are used during the existing connection to the storage device transferred and stored there as a logical data field.

According to claim 5 and claim 6 are a Subscriber terminal or a Participant authorization card presented in which such a memory device is integrated in each case is.  

Advantageous embodiments of the invention Communication system are to the subclaims remove.

The invention will now be apparent from the following three Figures and with the help of more advantageous Exemplary embodiments described in detail:

Fig. 1 shows a known mobile radio system according to the GSM standard;

Fig. 2 shows an inventive wireless communication system, and

Fig. 3 shows an inventive communication system comprising wired and wireless subscriber terminals.

The GSM mobile radio system shown in simplified form according to FIG. 1 consists of three interconnected radio switching centers MSC, to each of which a base station BS is connected. Furthermore, two mobile stations MS are shown, each of which is assigned to a subscriber A or B.

In Fig. 1, the establishment of a connection from the calling subscriber A to the called subscriber B is shown as follows: The calling subscriber A is in the radio field area of one of the base stations BS. The called party B is in the radio field area of one of the other base stations. The radio field areas are referred to below as whereabouts. At the current location VLOC of the called subscriber B, the subscriber B only has a temporary subscriber relationship, ie the called subscriber is entered in a so-called location file VLR, which the MSC that controls this location accesses.

Within the mobile radio system, the subscriber is entered in the location file to which the location is assigned at which the subscriber has switched on his mobile station. The location at which the called subscriber has a fixed subscriber relationship is designated HLOC in FIG. 1. The location HLOC is checked by means of a so-called home file HLR from the corresponding radio switching center.

As shown in FIG. 1, a connection is first established from the calling subscriber A to the radio switching center MSC, which manages the home file HLR of the called subscriber B. A pointer is stored in the home file HLR, which refers to the location file VLR of the called subscriber, ie data is stored in the home file HLR which specifies the radio switching center MSC which controls the last registered location VLOC of the called mobile subscriber B. The connection between the calling subscriber A and this radio switching center is then switched by means of this data. Then this radio switching center forwards the call of subscriber A to called subscriber B using the location file VLR.

The communication system UMTS according to the invention shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to a mobile communication system in which participants via wireless terminals, such as. B. Mobile stations, cordless phones and pagers communicate. The UMTS communication system shown here contains three radio switching centers MSC, which are interconnected. Furthermore, four base stations BS are shown, each of which is connected to one of the radio switching centers and which each supply a location LOCA, LOC1, LOC2 or LOC3. The communication system is constructed so that the location LOCA is controlled by one of the MSCs, that the locations LOC1 and LOC2 are controlled by one of the other MSCs, and that the location LOC3 is controlled by the remaining MSC.

A participant A is located in LOCA with a handheld mobile station. This participant A has by inserting his authorization card SC in the hand-held mobile station in the communication system logged in and wants a mobile subscriber B to reach. End the call from the call Subscriber A to called subscriber B has data available, the three locations LOC1, LOC2 and LOC3 on which the called party B has already been reached by the calling subscriber A. This data is in a memory device MEM filed in the authorization card SC of the calling Participant A is integrated. To be successful To switch connection to called party B, the data from the handheld mobile station of the calling Participant A to the requesting radio exchange signals.  

The data represent a list of possible ones Whereabouts of the called mobile subscriber B. In this example, data is about the three Locations LOC1, LOC2 and LOC3 saved which the called party B already has from the calling party Participant has been reached. Any location is by the identifiers of the corresponding Radio base station and radio switching center clearly certainly. Thus, a direct connection from calling participants to one of these locations possible. The called party B in one of these Reaching whereabouts is very much probably, especially if the data Represent whereabouts where the called subscriber B often and for a long time. Such locations are, for example Workplace, a customer location, an airport, a Motorway section or the private apartment.

The requesting switching center switches first the connection to one of the possible locations, in this example the location LOC1 where the called subscriber B last from calling subscriber A has been achieved. If the called party B is not reachable there, a connection to switched to one of the other locations, here z. B. to the location LOC2 where the called party B most frequently so far from calling subscriber A has been achieved. If the called party B is also not reachable there, a connection to another location, in this example for remaining third location LOC3, switched, on which the called subscriber B does his fixed Participant ratio leads, d. H. the connection will  switched to the home location of called party B. If this is not available there, a Establishing a connection in a known manner Home file and residence file are made.

In the communication system according to the invention there is a high availability of the called, mobile subscriber B given without known data storage, such as Home file or residence file. By storing several possible Called participant B's whereabouts correspondingly many connections, so that the called subscriber B can also be reached if it is not known which is its actual Whereabouts is. This can e.g. B. then be the case if the authorization card of the called subscriber B is not in its mobile station MS, so that a registration of the actual Location area LOC1 prevented in the home file becomes. By means of the designed according to the invention Memory device MEM, however, it is possible to Call via the corresponding base station discontinue and the mobile station MS by means of their To address device identification. This also as "international mobile equipment identity (IMEI)" designated identifier has already been used during a communication between the two participants stored in the storage device.

The communication system UMTS according to FIG. 1 is also designed for the transmission of message texts. Accordingly, so-called "short messages" can be exchanged between participants. The transmitted message text is displayed on an alphanumeric display of the called mobile station MS. If the called mobile station MS is not switched on, the actual location LOC1 of the called mobile subscriber B is not necessarily identical to the location last reported to the home file, such as B. LOC2. In a known manner, a message text, which is intended for the called subscriber B, was conveyed to this registered location LOC2. In the UMTS communication system according to the invention, however, this message text is conveyed in succession to several possible locations LOC1, LOC2 and LOC3. This message text can be stored in the appropriate base station BS ready for retrieval. Accordingly, the message text for the called subscriber B is very likely to be retrieved at his actual location LOC1.

The invention enables the construction of a Communication system with mobile participants in which without the use of known localization tools such as e.g. B. home file, residence file and signaling for a permanent location registration a high one Availability of a called, mobile subscriber is achieved.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is described below:

In Fig. 2 shows an inventive communication system UPT is represented by mobile subscribers A and B, which communicate with each other via wired or wireless terminals. In this example, the communication system shown comprises a fixed telephone network with a main switching center and three private branch exchanges PABX and four telephones, which are each set up at a location LOCA, LOC1, LOC2 and LOC3. Each telephone set is connected to the main exchange via one of the PABX private branch exchanges. Participant B is at location LOC1, but is logged in at location LOC2, where he has a temporary participant relationship. The subscriber B carries his fixed subscriber relationship at the location LOC3, where the telephone is located, which this subscriber preferably accesses.

In a known manner, all incoming calls that are intended for subscriber B, initially to Location LOC3 mediated. Then in the Home file assigned to this location LOC3 is and z. B. in there Private branch exchange PABX is located, the whereabouts Retrieved LOC2 at which the participant B is logged on is. It then connects to this Location LOC2 switched. As exemplified here shown, called party B is then not reachable if this registered location LOC2 is not his actual location LOC1.

In this embodiment, this problem is like solved advantageously: At the location LOCA des Calling party A is within the call Private branch exchange PABX a memory device MEM Installed. There is data in this storage device over several locations, here over the three Locations LOC1, LOC2 and LOC3, indicated and with  the personal subscriber number of the called Participant B linked. On these three The called party B is already at the location has been reached by calling party A. The corresponding data were collected during each Connection stored in the memory device MEM. Using this data, it is possible to do one of these again To switch connections so that the call also to such Whereabouts LOC1 and LOC3 is directed, which is not in a known manner, d. H. e.g. B. within the Home file, are registered. One by one such connections without access to the home file switched until called party B is reached or until none of these connections succeed could be switched.

The accessibility of called party B. his actual location increases with the Number of MEM stored possible whereabouts. Farther this accessibility can be determined by a statistical Data selection can be increased. Through an empirical Evaluation of the already successfully mediated Telephone calls between the two participants A and B can e.g. B. such places of priority can be saved in which the called subscriber B reached very often or at certain times of the day has been.

The data stored in the memory device MEM represent links from the personal Subscriber number of called subscriber B with Localization data, such as B. identifier of Exchanges and private branch exchanges,  Terminal identification or radio area identification. These dates enable the direct establishment of a connection between participants A and B without consideration the current subscriber ratio of the called Participant B. Accordingly, the called subscriber is B e.g. B. via a terminal at its actual LOC1 can be reached even if he is there is not booked.

The following variant of the second exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 3: The memory device MEM is located at the possible location LOC3 of the called subscriber B at which he has his fixed subscriber relationship, ie at his home location. As a result, the home file of the called subscriber B can advantageously be stored in the memory device MEM. Furthermore, data can also be stored there which indicate those locations where the called subscriber B has already been reached by calling subscribers other than subscriber A. In addition, called party B can have other possible locations, e.g. B. by typing in appropriate terminal numbers in the memory device MEM. This concentrated storage of many possible locations ensures that the called subscriber B is easily accessible while accessing a single memory.

In addition to the embodiments of the Invention are numerous variants of the conceivable communication system according to the invention, especially complex communication systems with one wide coverage area that many  Include communication networks. Such Communication systems could e.g. B. a worldwide Enable mobile communication with a low Signaling effort, d. H. without access to a far removed home file.

Claims (6)

1. Communication system (UPT) with at least one switching center (PABX) and associated subscriber terminals (T1... T3) and With, a memory device (MEM) for Establishing a connection between a calling subscriber (A) and a called party (B) switching data, especially telephone numbers, has available that several of those subscriber terminals (T1... T3) and thus such whereabouts (LOC1... LOC3) on which the called party (B) already in connection with the calling subscriber (A) was standing. 2. Communication system (UMTS) with at least one Radio switching equipment (MSC) and related Radio base stations (BS) operating within their Radio field area wireless with subscriber terminals (MS) are connected and with a memory device (MEM) for Establishing a connection between a calling subscriber (A) and a called party (B)  mediation data, in particular Radio area identifiers, which provides several of those radio field areas and thus those Specify whereabouts (LOC1 ... LOC3) in or to to which the called party (B) is already connected with the calling party (A). 3. Communication system (UMTS, UPT) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the memory device (MEM) on Location (LOC A) of the calling subscriber (A), especially in the terminal or the Private branch exchange to which the calling subscriber (A) preferably accesses. 4. Communication system (UMTS, UPT) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the memory device (MEM) on Home location (LOC 3) of the called party (B) located, in particular in the terminal or the private branch exchange to which the called party Participant (B) preferably accesses. 5. Subscriber terminal for a communication system (UMTS, UPT) according to claim 1 or 2 with a memory device (MEM) for Establishing a connection between a calling subscriber (A) and a called party (B) provides transfer-related data, which specify multiple whereabouts (LOC1 ... LOC3) to them the called party (B) is already in connection with the calling party (A).   6. Participant authorization card (SC) for one Subscriber terminal of a communication system (UMTS, UPT) according to claim 1 or 2 with a memory device (MEM) for Establishing a connection between a calling subscriber (A) and a called party (B) provides transfer-related data, which specify multiple whereabouts (LOC1 ... LOC3) to them the called party (B) is already in connection with the calling party (A).