WO2010061118A1

WO2010061118A1 - Location and access control for a terminal in a network

Info

Publication number: WO2010061118A1
Application number: PCT/FR2009/052271
Authority: WO
Inventors: Emmanuelle Bernard; Vincent Jonack
Original assignee: France Telecom
Priority date: 2008-11-25
Filing date: 2009-11-24
Publication date: 2010-06-03

Abstract

A service is provided for a terminal subscribed to a communication network wherein a register of network subscribers (HLR) is located, as well as a server (10) to which a database (11) is associated. The register of subscribers stores an association between a public identifier and a private identifier for a network corresponding to the terminal. A request to subscribe to said service for said terminal is received on the server, said subscription request indicating the public identifier of the terminal. The public identifier associated with the terminal is then stored in the database. Next, a private identifier for the terminal is requested from the register of network subscribers. Then, a private identifier of the terminal is received from the register of network subscribers. Next, the private identifier of the terminal is stored in association with the public identifier of the terminal in the database associated with the server.

Description

LOCATION AND CONTROL OF ACCESS TO A TERMINAL IN

A NETWORK

The present invention relates to services offered in a network on the basis of a public identifier and a private terminal identifier, and more particularly a service such as the location of a terminal in a network or access control. to a network for a terminal.

As a general rule, a terminal in a network is identified, on the one hand, by a public identifier, such as for example the MSISNDN (for "Mobile Integrated Services Network Digital Station" in English) which corresponds to its public telephone number that it is necessary to compose to initiate a communication with him, and, on the other hand, a private identifier, such as for example NMSI (for "International Mobile Subscriber Identity ¹ in English) which, it is used to identify the terminal in the messages exchanged in the network, in particular for the management of a communication with this terminal.

In general, the private identifier is known only within the network and the public identifier, rarely used within the network, is known outside the network.

Therefore, within the message exchanges made in the network, the private number of a terminal is accessible, but it can sometimes be complicated to recover the corresponding public identifier. In a network of GSM (for "Global System for Mobile Communication") or UMTS (for "Universal Mobile Telecommunication System") type, it is intended to use a network subscriber register which contains an association between the network. public identifier and the private identifier of a terminal for all network subscribers. This subscriber register is referenced under the terms HLR for "Home Location Register".

One could therefore consider recovering the public identifier corresponding to a private identifier accessible in the network, from an association between private identifier and public identifier stored at an HLR. But, no exchange protocol on this subject is available with the HLR. Therefore, this search for a public identifier in the network can be complex to implement. However, certain communication network services rely on the knowledge of the public and private identifiers of the terminal. This is particularly the case for terminal location services or for access control services from a terminal to a network. Thus, in some network architectures, it can be complex, if not impossible, to provide a relevant location service. This is particularly the case in a "hybrid" network that offers both radio coverage via conventional radio cells of a GSM or UMTS type network, and radio coverage via Home Node B UMTS type radio cells, such as as defined for example in the document 3GPP TR 25.820 V8.2.0 (2008-09)) or Wi-Fi according to an IEEE 802.11 standard (for "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers" in English) or Bluetooth type.

Indeed, in this case the location of a subscriber terminal can be correctly managed on the basis of the HLR, but when the terminal enters a radio coverage zone of the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type, its localization is lost since the network architecture of UMTS or GSM type is not adapted to locate a terminal located in such a zone.

Indeed, it should be recalled here that GSM or UMTS type radio networks are networks whose deployment, and therefore the geographical position of the various network equipment, have been carefully planned by a telecommunication operator. Such a planning concerns in particular the prior allocation of values to configuration parameters, such as those defined in the 3GPP specification TS 23.002, for example for a UMTS network: the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) code, which identifies the network mobile operator for a country;

the Location Area Code (LAC), code assigned to a cell or a group of cells and used to manage the mobility of a user terminal, this code defining a location area (in English, "Location Area "); and

- the Service Area Code (SAC), code assigned to a cell or a group of cells and used to define a service area (in English, "Service Area"). The concatenation of the first two parameters forms a parameter referenced "Location Area Identifier" (LAI). In a Home Node B UMTS-type network, for example, such a parameter can be used for access control, particularly in the context of roaming (or "roaming" in English), so as to prohibit certain network changes, for example forbid the transition from a 2G network to a 3G network. Such a parameter can also be used for mobility management between the terminal and the network.

The concatenation of these three parameters forms a parameter referenced "Service Area Identifier" (SAI). In a UMTS network for example, such a parameter can be used by services based on the location of the mobile terminal, such as routing an emergency call to the nearest local emergency treatment center. It is also possible to use the location information provided by this SAI parameter in other use cases; for example when implementing a service allowing a user to find the cinemas closest to him from his current location. To do this, the value of the SAI corresponding to the location of the mobile subscriber is recovered at the network level, translated into geographical area, which is correlated with the cinemas.which are in the same district or in the same city for example. In addition to these GSM or UMTS type networks, some operators plan to offer their customers, whether individuals or businesses, radio coverage (second generation: 2G, third generation: 3G or beyond: LTE or E-UTRAN for "Enhanced UTRAN ') in their home or on the premises of the company, for example in the form of a private radio access terminal (residential or restricted to the company), which would be connected to an ADSL-type modem (for "Asynchronous Digital Subscriber One") or other access equipment to a high-speed network (for example of the FTTH type for "Fiber To The Home"). Such a private radio access terminal is notably called Home Node B (3G radio coverage) in the technical report 3GPP TR 25.820 above, or home eNode B (LTE radio coverage).

Individuals could have their own home radio access point, which would be associated with a list of authorized subscribers to access (family members, friends, and so on). An access control mechanism may prohibit access to this private terminal to users not on this list.

Similarly, in the professional context, a company could have one or more radio access points located on its site, and access to which would be limited to employees of the company, and banned for example to visitors.

It is easy to understand that the deployment of these radio cells managed by a home base station is of a very different nature from that of conventional GSM or UMTS networks, since it is not particularly planned by the operator, and is likely to be carried out on a very large scale. Consequently, the LAC and SAC location parameters associated with the different cells result from an automatic configuration, which does not necessarily translate the true geographical position of the network equipment, and which could even be "reused" if the space of LA and SA codes are not sufficient to address all deployed terminals. As a result, the location information does not make it possible to locate in a "direct" manner, as in a planned cellular network, the equipment considered, that is to say the domestic base stations.

The present invention improves the situation. A first aspect of the present invention provides a method of managing a service for a terminal subscribed to a communication network comprising a first subnetwork with associated scheduled location information and a second subnet with associated information. unplanned location, said first and second sub-networks being connected by a gateway, said communication network further comprising a subscriber register of the network and a server associated with a database, said subscriber register storing a association between a public identifier and a private network identifier corresponding to said terminal; said method comprising the following steps at the server level: / a / receive a subscription request to said service for said terminal, said subscription request indicating the public identifier of the terminal;

IbI store the public identifier associated with the terminal in said database associated with the server;

Here, ask the network subscriber register for a private identifier of the terminal;

Receiving from the subscriber register of the network a private identifier of the terminal; and IeI store the private identifier of the terminal in association with the public identifier of the terminal in the database associated with the server.

By doing so, it is possible, at the server level, to access, easily and at any time, the public identifier of the terminal from the private identifier of the latter, without having to interrogate the user's registry. network subscribers. The database thus managed, associated with the server, advantageously makes it possible to store information relating to the service offered to the subscriber terminal, such as a terminal location service or even access control to a network in an efficient and simple manner.

Thanks to these arrangements, such a service can be advantageously offered in a network offering to the same subscriber terminal both a radio coverage according to a first conventional UMTS sub-network or

GSM and a radio coverage according to a second sub-network of the type Home

Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi. This is the case when a network of GSM or UMTS type includes a mobile service switch MSC (for "Mobile Services Switching Centet" in English) which is in charge of managing on the one hand controllers of UMTS or GSM base stations and secondly access points of the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type, the access points being connected to the controller via a suitable gateway.

In this type of prior art network, a terminal location service as well as an access control service for this terminal may be offered when the terminal is located in a radio coverage area of the type

UMTS or GSM, but can not be offered when the terminal is located in a Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type radio coverage area. Indeed, the access point of the second sub-network, intended to offer a radio coverage of the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type, can not be located as can the UMTS and GSM base stations of the first sub-network. - network. Thus, in the prior art, it is not possible to set up a location of a terminal in a radio coverage area of the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type.

For similar reasons, it is also not possible to set up an access control service in a Wi-Fi type radio coverage area. Thanks to the introduction of a server and its base data, it is here advantageously able to manage the storage of information specific to a given service, while allowing compatibility with the conventional network architecture type GSM and UMTS. Indeed, the database associated with the server can appropriately store such information specific to a service, since it contains the association of public and private identifiers.

The term "subscriber terminal" here refers to any terminal having private and public identifiers that are stored in the subscriber register of the network. Such a terminal may be for example a mobile phone in which is inserted a SIM card (for "Subscriber Identity Module" in English) containing subscriber information.

In one embodiment of the present invention, in the step Here, the private identifier of the terminal is required when registering the subscription to the service, and in step IdI, the private identifier of the terminal is received. via a registration acknowledgment.

Thus, it is advantageous to use an exchange between the server and the subscriber register of the network which is performed for the registration of the terminal to the service in question, in order to recover the private identifier of the terminal and to store it in the database. associated. In one embodiment of the present invention, the network further comprises global switching equipment, said management method further comprising the following steps after step IeI: IM receiving, from said global switching equipment, an update message of a location information of the terminal; and

121 store said location information in association with the private identifier of the terminal. Thanks to these arrangements, it is possible to store this location information in the database relative to the subscriber terminal to offer on this basis a terminal location service. This service can advantageously be implemented in a network offering different types of radio coverage of UMTS / GSM type and type Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi.

The network further comprises an access point and global switching equipment, connected by a gateway; said management method further comprising the following steps after step Ie: / 1 / receiving, from said gateway, an update message of a location information of the terminal; and

121 store said location information in association with the private identifier of the terminal.

Here, the global network switching equipment, which may be in charge of different radio coverage as stated above, is adapted to provide the server with location information from any type of radio coverage. Hybrid network architecture is here advantageously used.

In this alternative, a direct interface between the server and the gateway is advantageously implemented, allowing easy implementation of such a method in an already existing network.

The steps IM and 121 may be triggered when the terminal enters the second subnet.

It should be noted that the term "subnetwork with associated planned location information" means a subnetwork whose deployment has been planned by an operator, so that the actual geographic position of the operator can be obtained. these devices directly from the location information associated with the different equipment of the sub-unit. network. Conversely, the term "sub-network associated with unplanned location information" means a sub-network whose deployment is not planned by the operator and can in particular be carried out on a very large scale, so that the location information associated with the different devices in the subnet is configured automatically and therefore does not necessarily correspond to the actual geographical position of these devices.

Thus, as soon as the terminal is detected as being supported in the radio sense by a second sub-network cell, that is to say, for example a cell of the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type, it can advantageously here to be located. Thus, for example in the case where the terminal leaves a cell of the first sub-network, that is to say of the conventional GSM / UMTS network, to enter a radio cell of the second sub-network, it is possible to keep as location information, that which was provided when the terminal was in a cell of the first subnet. Indeed, as mentioned above, the home base station type equipment does not provide relevant location information, because given their number and the lack of planning for their deployment by the network operator , the configuration of their location parameters is an automatic configuration that leads to associating with the domestic equipment location information that does not reflect their actual location.

More precisely, in this type of architecture, each access point supports the radio resources and therefore plays a role of base station controller type such as an RNC in a conventional network of UMTS type for example. In this context, the gateway acts as an access point concentrator, so that a global switching equipment, such as a mobile service switch, or MSC, sees only one base station controller per port. gateway, the gateway, which can handle a plurality of access points.

Thanks to the characteristics stated above, the server can be quickly informed of the location of the terminal in question. In one embodiment, the network comprises an access point and a global switching equipment, connected by a gateway; said method further comprising the steps of:

IM receive from the gateway a terminal access control message at the database, said message indicating the private identifier of the terminal;

121 decide whether the terminal has access to the network via said access point; and

/ 3 / transmitting a message in response to the gateway indicating the result of step 121.

With the provisions set out, access control, even in a hybrid radio coverage network, is easily implemented because the storage structure of the information relating to this access control is implemented. No limitation is attached to the manner used to store access control information in advance.

It can also be provided that the access control message is received beforehand by the server before being received by the database.

Steps IM to / 3 / can be triggered when the terminal enters the second subnet. Access control is thus performed at the earliest and is easily triggered in an already existing network.

In one embodiment, upon receipt of a message informing that the terminal enters the Wi-Fi radio coverage area, the gateway may then require the private identifier of the terminal. So she is then able to provide it to the database for control.

It should be noted here that a direct interface between the gateway and the database is provided. Thus, the implementation of such steps is facilitated.

It can be expected that upon receipt of a message informing that the terminal enters the second subnet, the gateway requires the private identifier of the terminal. It should be noted here that the private identifier of the terminal may be required at any relevant time during the exchange of messages in the network in question. A second aspect of the present invention provides a server adapted to implement a method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a database adapted to implement a method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a global network switching equipment adapted to implement a method according to the first aspect of the present invention. A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a computer program including instructions for implementing the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the program is executed by a processor.

A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a recording medium on which is stored the computer program according to the fifth aspect of the present invention.

Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description of one of its embodiments.

The invention will also be better understood from the drawings, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates the main steps of a method of managing a service according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a location service implemented according to one embodiment; FIG. 3 illustrates the location service implemented according to the embodiment of FIG. 2, but in a more complex communication network; FIG. 4 illustrates a location service implemented according to another embodiment; FIG. 5 illustrates an access control service implemented according to one embodiment; and Figure 6 illustrates a server, an associated database, an MSC, and a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 illustrates the main steps of a method of managing a service in a communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention. A communication network portion, as illustrated in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises an operator equipment 12, a server 10, a database 11 and a subscriber register of the network. HLR 13. The server 10 may correspond to a server of the type gsmSCF (for "Global System for Mobile Communication

Service Control Function ".

It is intended, first of all, to receive a subscription request 101 from a terminal to the service. No limitation is attached to the format of such a request. This subscription request indicates the public identifier of the terminal. Indeed, outside the network the terminal is identified under its public identifier, or the operator equipment is here an equipment outside the own network. Such an identifier may in particular be of MSISDN type.

This request can be sent from the operator point 12 to which the user subscriber of the terminal considered has asked to subscribe to the service. In this scenario, the terminal in question is already subscribed to the network and, as such, is identified as such in the subscriber register of the network.

HLR. At this stage, this terminal also subscribes to the service.

Upon receipt of this subscription request 101, the server updates the database 11 associated with it. For this purpose, it stores the public identifier associated with the terminal that is indicated in the received request, by sending an update message 102. At this step, the server 10 does not have a priori knowledge of the private identifier. of the terminal. However, he may already have known about it during a previous subscription to the same type of service. Then, the server 10 carries out an exchange of messages with the subscriber register of the HLR network, during which it is informed of the private identifier of the terminal in question. In one embodiment of the present invention, it transmits a message 103 to request from the HLR a modification of the profile registering the terminal by indicating the public identifier of the terminal that is being subscribed to the service. The HLR here stores the fact that the subscriber terminal requires this service.

Such a message 103 may be issued according to the standard "3GPP TS 29.002 Mobile Application Part (MAP) specification". In this case, the message 103 may correspond to the message or to the "MAP-ANY-TIME-MODIFICATION" procedure defined by this standard.

Then, the server 10 receives from the HLR a message 104 acknowledging receipt of the message 103 and informing it of the registration of the subscription to the terminal service, this message 104 indicating the private identifier associated with the terminal. The message 104 may correspond to the "MAP-NOTE-SUBCRIBER-DATA-MODIFIED" message according to the "3GPP TS 29.002 Mobile Application Part (MAP) specification".

At this stage, the server 10 advantageously has the private identifier of the terminal. It then stores by issuing an update message 105, in its associated database 11, the private identifier of the terminal in association with its previously stored public identifier.

The server 10 can then easily implement a service based on both the private identifier and the public identifier of the terminal. It can for this purpose have in its database a storage structure indexed by the public and private identifiers of the subscriber terminal, in which it can easily store data to come allowing it to implement any type of service that requires the knowledge of these identifiers.

Subsequently, it designates a radio cell offered by a base station connected to a controller of a conventional UMTS type network architecture or

GSM by the terms "cell of the first sub-network" and a radio cell offered by an access point of the type Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi by the terms "cell of the second sub-network".

FIG. 2 illustrates a communication network according to one embodiment of the present invention, adapted to provide a terminal location service. More specifically, such a network architecture according to one embodiment of the present invention makes it possible to provide a location service to a terminal that is adapted to communicate in a zone cover of a radio cell of the first sub-network and also in a radio cell coverage area of the second sub-network, whereas in a network of the prior art of this type, it is not possible to provide a location of the terminal when it is located in a radio cell coverage area of the second sub-network.

In a mobile communication network, a terminal is identified at the same time by a public identifier, which corresponds to the number of the subscriber, and which can be of type MSISDN, and by a private identifier which is used within the considered network and which is not known outside, of type IMSI. The location of a terminal thus identified in a mobile communication network is performed on the basis of location information of the LAI type (for "Location Area Identification" in English), as defined in the document 3GPP TS 23.003 "Numbering , Addressing and Identification ". This information consists of a country code type MCC (for "Mobile Country Code" in English) and a network code type MNC (for "Mobile Network Code" in English), as well as a code Location Area Code (LAC) for the "Location Area Code" in the identified network. The MCC and MNC identifiers forming a network identifier of the PLMN-id type. An LAI location area may correspond to a geographical area covered by several cells. Thus, it is sometimes possible, in the GSM radio coverage context, to provide more precise information indicating the cell corresponding to the radio coverage in which the terminal is located, in the form of a CGI type cell identifier. (for "CeII Global Identification" in English). Information similar to a CGI identifier is referenced SAI (for "Service Area Identification" in English) in the context of a UMTS radio coverage.

In one embodiment of the present invention, it is intended to consider, when a terminal enters a cell of the second subnet, the location information that is attached to the previous cell that covered it when that previous cell is a classic cell of the first subnet. Subsequently, the term "base station" denotes an access entity to the first subnet of the network, and "access point" means an access entity to the second subnet.

In a radio coverage area of the first subnet, the location of a terminal is based on the fact that the network knows the geographic location of the base stations that compose it, according to an established schedule. Therefore, when the terminal is located in the radio coverage area of a base station, it is able to locate it. But when the terminal is located in a radio coverage area of an access point of the second subnet, the network equipment does not know the geographical location of the access point, they are not able to locate the terminal considered. Thanks to the provisions of the present invention, and notably thanks to the server 10 and its associated database 11 which stores the pair of private and public identifiers, it is possible to offer in a simple way a location service for a terminal, even if when it is located in a Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi radio coverage area.

The hybrid network illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises the network part illustrated in FIG. 1, this first network part being connected both via the server 10 and via the subscriber register HLR 13 to a second network part. The second network portion includes an MSC which is associated with a VLR ("Visitors Location Register") in which information relating to the terminals which are located in the radio coverage areas of the base stations of the network managed by the network is stored. the MSC. The MSC / VLR set is referenced 21.

This MSC / VLR 21 is adapted to communicate both with the subscriber register HLR 13 and the server 10 on one side, and with the network equipment of the first subnet, such as BSC controllers (for "Base"). Station Control / "in English) or RNC (" Radio Network Controller "in English), and with network equipment of the second subnet, on the other hand. It is expected that a gateway 25 allows the exchange of messages between MSC / VLR and access point of the second subnet. Thus, the network illustrated here in FIG. 2 corresponds to a hybrid network offering both a conventional radio coverage of GSM or UMTS type according to the first sub-network and a radio coverage of Wi-Fi or Node B UMTS type according to the second sub-network. -network. A terminal 200 can communicate in both the first and second subnets.

In the case where the second sub-network offers a Wl-Fl type access point, UMA technology, for "Unlicensed Mobile Access" in English, can be implemented to allow continuity between GSM or UMTS technology of the first sub-network and the Wi-Fi type technology. More specifically, the UMA technology makes it possible to replace the physical layer, used by the GSM / UMTS networks, with free frequency bands such as than those used by Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in particular.

To provide radio coverage of the first sub-network, the MSC 21 is connected with a controller 22 of the UMTS type, or RNC 22, which itself is connected to a base station of UMTS type, denoted Node B 23. D ' on the other hand, the MSC 21 is also connected, via an access gateway 25, to an access point 24 offering a radio coverage of the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type, or Bluetooth. According to the mobility scenario of a terminal 200 described below, the terminal 200 is initially located in the radio coverage area offered by the UMTS base station 23. It therefore has a first subnet radio coverage.

At this stage, it is assumed that the registration of the terminal 200 is already done by the operator as described above with reference to FIG. 1. Therefore, the database 11 associated with the server 10 already stores the data. association private and public identifiers of this terminal 200. It therefore contains a storage structure ready to receive information relating to the location of the terminal 200. It is here provided, as an illustration, that the terminal 200 performs an update of its location according to a mobility management procedure, ie a procedure of the "Mobility Management Procedure" type as defined by the standard "3GPP TS 24.008 Mobile radio interface signaling layer 3 specification; Core Network protocols; Stage 3".

Such an update can be triggered periodically, or when the terminal is turned off or turned on. Whatever the trigger, the terminal can then issue for this purpose a message 205 of type "MM_Location_Update" as defined by 3GPP TS 24.008.

This message is transmitted to the base station 23, which transmits it to the RNC 22, which in turn transmits it to the MSC / VLR 21.

Then, the MSC / VLR 21 requires an update of the location of the terminal in the HLR subscriber register 13. For this purpose, the MSC and the HLR can use messages according to the 3GPP TS 29.002 standard. Thus, the VLR can send a message 201 of "MAP_UPDATE_LOCATION" type and receive in response a message 202 of "MAP-UPDATE-LOCATION- CNF" type. The VLR can also receive from the HLR a message of the type

"MAP-INSERT-SUBSCRIBER-DATA" according to 3GPP TS 29.002. This message indicates the profile of the subscriber, that is to say in particular the services to which the subscriber has subscribed and the information required for the various operations permitted to the terminal in question, according to the services to which the subscriber has subscribed. Upon receipt of this message, the VLR updates the profile of the subscriber corresponding to the terminal 200.

When the HLR confirms to the MSC / VLR the update of its data by the message 202, the MSC / VLR 21 transmits, to the server 10, a message 203 of the "MAP_NOTE_MM_EVENT" type, according to the 3GPP TS 29.002 standard, indicating the public and private identifiers of the terminal 200, as well as location information, such as LAI "Location Area Information" or SAI

"Service Area Information", and RAI type location information for

GPRS (for "General Packet Radio Service" in English), if it is a location update in the context of the PS domain (for "Packet Switched System" in English).

When retrieving the pair private identifier and public identifier by a procedure of the type "MAP-ANY-TIME-MODIFICATION" as mentioned above, the subscriber profile can be modified by adding marks to it CAMEL type M-CSI and MG-CSI. These marks make it easy to trigger, at each terminal mobility event, the transmission of a notification to the server, this notification indicating the new location information of the terminal by the query "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT". This notification indicating the new location information is issued by the MSC / VLR.

Upon receipt of the message 203, the server 10 then advantageously updates its database 11 associated with the location information of the terminal 200 on the basis of the content of this message 203. This location information is stored in the storage structure corresponding to the public and private identifiers of the terminal 200. It may be advantageous to also provide to store a time indication of the moment of receipt of this information to date the movements of the subscriber terminal 200. Then, the terminal 200 enters the coverage area of type Home

Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi second subnet. A cell reselection mechanism is then implemented. A new location management procedure is therefore performed, according to 3GPP TS 24.008 for example. A message 206 of the type "MM_LOCATION_U PDATE" is sent from the terminal 200 to the access point 24, the latter transmitting it to the gateway 25 which is adapted to finally transmit it to the MSC / VLR 21.

At this time, the VLR and the HLR are updated via a procedure according to 3GPP TS 29.002 as described above when the terminal was in the UMTS radio coverage area. The data updated here are relative to the location of the terminal. Then, as above, the VLR updates the subscriber profile associated with the terminal 200, on reception from the HLR of a message of the type "MAP_INSERT_SUBSCRIBER_DATA".

Then, upon receipt of the HLR update confirmation message, as in the case of the location update procedure described above, a message of type "MAP_NOTE_MM_EVENT" is sent from the MSC / VLR 21 to the server 10. On receiving this last message, the server 10 updates its database 11 with regard to the location of the Terminal 200. Here, provision can be made to keep the history of the movements of the terminal 200. Thus, under the information previously stored in the database 11, it is advantageous to store the new location information received by associating them with a new indication. time.

It is therefore easy to maintain the location of a terminal, even if the latter has access to both the first and second subnets of the network.

FIG. 3 illustrates a communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the terminal 200 is adapted to access a first GSM type subnetwork according to a conventional GSM architecture, as well as a second sub-network. UMTS type network according to a classical UMTS architecture and to a third subnet of the type Home

Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi. With the provisions of the present invention, during a mobility of a terminal in such a network, it is easy to provide a terminal location service, even when the latter enters or leaves from the radio coverage of the third subnet.

A base station 35 of the BTS type provides the terminal 200 with a radio coverage 33 of the first subnet, a base station 23 of the RNC type provides a radio coverage 32 of the second subnet and in the third subnetwork a point access 24 of type Home Node B UMTS or

Wi-Fi offers radio coverage 31.

In the scenario described below, the terminal 200 is initially in the radio coverage area 33. Then it enters the radio coverage area 32 to ultimately enter the radio coverage area 31.

When this terminal 200 enters the radio coverage area 32, a location update procedure is initiated. This part of the scenario corresponds to that described above with reference to FIG.

Then, the terminal 200 leaves the coverage area 32 of the second subnet. It is therefore found in the radio coverage area 33 of the first sub-network.

It transmits a message to the base station 34 which transmits it to the MSC / VLR 21. Then, after updating according to the standard 3GPP TS 29.002 as described above between VLR and HLR, the VLR sends a message of type "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT" to the server 10. On receipt of the latter message, the server updates its database 11 by storing, in the corresponding structure indexed by the public and private identifiers, the new location information of this terminal 200 received in this message "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT".

Then, the terminal 200 continues its movement and leaves the radio coverage area 33 to enter the radio coverage area 31 of the third sub-network. The terminal then initiates a location update procedure with the AP 24 access point, similar to that described with reference to Figure 1 or 2. Therefore, the VLR and the HLR are updated, and then a Message of type "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT" is sent from the VLR to the server 10. Thus, the server 10 can update its database 11 in the storage structure indexed with the public and private identifiers.

More specifically, in one embodiment, the database 11 includes the following storage structure for storing information for the subscriber profile attached to the terminal 200:

- couple identifiers private and public; - time indication of the reception of the location information;

a number referencing the location (or "Location Numbei" in English), that is to say a telephone number according to the standard E 164, the format of which can indicate the postal code from which an appeal has been made;

- location information;

- Location update event.

When the terminal 200 is located in the radio coverage area of the first subnet, the location information is of the CGM type. When the terminal 200 is located in the radio coverage area of the second subnet, the location information is of SAM type.

When the terminal 200 is located in the radio coverage area of the third sub-network, the location information is of type SAI2. It is here planned to store in the profile of the subscriber 200, all location information relating to the subscriber terminal, so as to ultimately have a history of its movements. It can be provided to specify, for each reception of location information, whether the terminal 200 is at this time in a radio coverage area of the first and second sub-networks or if it is in a radio coverage area of the third sub - network.

Then, the terminal 200 leaves the radio coverage area 31 and then has the radio coverage 33. It can be expected to keep in the storage structure of the subscriber terminal 200, separately the location information relating to the cell of the third sub network, and the location information of the subscriber terminal 200 relating to the other cells.

Alternatively, provision can be made for the location information relating to a radio coverage of the third sub-network to be erased when the subscriber terminal leaves it. Indeed, a location relative to a cell of the first and second sub-networks can then be sufficient.

In one embodiment, when the terminal 200 leaves the radio coverage of the network, it is intended to manage a timer, such as the timer T3231 defined in the standard "3GPP TS 24.008 Mobile Radio

Interface Layer 3 Specification, Core Networks Protocols, Stage 3 ".

When no message according to a transaction as defined by the standard

3GPP TS 24.008 was not received during the timer period, the

MSCVVLR 21 then triggers a so-called procedure 7MS / detach procedure "during which the disappearance of the subscriber terminal is recorded.

The VLR then sends to the server 10 a MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT message indicating that the terminal 200 is in the process of 7MS / detach procedure ".

In the case where the message of type "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT" indicates the last location information available to the VLR relative to the terminal 200, the server 10 updates its database with this information. In case this message "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT" does not indicate no location information, so the server does not modify the location information already stored.

In the scenarios described above, the server 10 is able to determine whether the location update message 203 relates to a radio coverage of the first or second sub-network, or a radio coverage of the third sub-network. This is the case when the location information allows this server 10 to make this difference. As stated above, the location information indicates at least the LAI consisting of a PLMN-id type network identifier and a LAC location area code. Thus, for example, in the case where a set of LAC values is reserved to identify the UMTS / GSM standard radio coverage areas and another set of LAC values, distinct from the previous one, is reserved to identify the zones of Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type radio coverage, the server 10 can easily determine what type of radio coverage the LAI information received in a message 203 is relative.

One can alternatively, or in combination, provide that the PLMN-id identifying a part of conventional UMTS / GSM type cell network is different from the PLMN-id identifying part of network type Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi. In this case also, the server 10 can make the difference between a LAI information relating to a conventional radio coverage area of the GSM / UMTS type and a relative to a radio coverage area of the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type.

In one embodiment of the present invention, it can be provided that, when the terminal enters a radio coverage zone of the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type, a management mobility procedure is triggered. as described above except that the location update message is directly sent to the server 10 by the gateway 24, for example based on the mechanism of the CAMEL marks. Figure 4 illustrates such an embodiment. In this case, the terminal

200 sends a message of the type "MM-LOCATION-UPDATE" to the access point 24 which transmits it to the gateway 25. Here, the gateway 25 determines a location information for the terminal 200 and transmits it to the server 10 via a message 501 of type "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT". This location information may correspond to an SAI that has been allocated to the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type radio cell.

Upon receipt of this location update message 501, the server 10 updates the location information of the terminal 200 with respect to the Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type radio coverage. More specifically, the server learning that the terminal considered has just entered a Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi type cell, stores in location information that which corresponds to the previous cell which it was a conventional GSM / UMTS type cell and thus indicated relevant way the location of the terminal.

On the other hand, the gateway 25 proceeds as described above in the same context. It therefore sends to the MSC / VLR 21 a message 502 of the type "MM-LOCATION-UPDATE". The VLR is also updated. Then, the VLR sends a message of type "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT" to the server. However, unlike the scenarios described above, the server 10 ignores this update message from the VLR since it has already taken into account the location information transmitted by the gateway 25 in the message 501. The MSC / VLR 21 may indicate to the gateway 25 that the location update following receipt of the message 502 has been made or failed. In the latter case, the gateway informs the server to erase in the database 11 the latest location information received for the home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi radio coverage. For this purpose, the gateway may transmit destination of the server a message of type "MAP-NOTE-MM-EVENT" by not indicating any location information and specifying that it corresponds to a procedure of "IMSI detach". On receipt of such a message, the server erases the last location information relating to the radio coverage of the type Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi. In this latter embodiment, it is also possible to provide that the update message day 501 sent to the server 10 from the gateway is sent only once the gateway has received a message 503 from the MSC / VLR informing him of the actual update of the HLR. In this case, it is possible to avoid requiring the deletion of the last update of the database 11.

Thanks to these arrangements can be stored centrally at the database 11 location information of the terminals subscribers to a hybrid network as described above.

This location service can be advantageously used for emergency call management services for example.

FIG. 5 illustrates an implementation of a service for controlling access to a UMTS or Wi-Fi Home Node B radio coverage according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment, it is possible to implement access control for this type of radio coverage, distinguishing between terminals that are not allowed to use the UMTS Home Node B cells or

Wi-Fi of those who are generally allowed but do not have permission to use a specific access point.

For this purpose, it is possible to provide in the database 11 a first storage structure for storing the private and public identifiers, IMSI and MSISDN, of each subscriber terminal in the network, and a second storage structure for storing, for each subscriber UMTS or Wi-Fi Home Node B cell access, a list of private identifiers of subscriber terminals that are authorized to use the access point concerned. A specific access point may be located at a particular subscriber of the network, and the private identifiers listed in the second structure may correspond to other subscribers who are allowed to access the network via the access point in question, such as members of the network. family of the subscriber for example. In general, the subscription of other subscribers is a paid service. These first and second data structures can be filled by the server on receipt of a message from the operator equipment 12 for example. It should be noted that, in one embodiment of the present invention, an access control is implemented at the gateway 25.

The terminal 200 entering the radio coverage area 31 sends a message 206 of type "MM-LOCATION-U PDATE" to the point 24 on the gateway 25. Upon receipt of such a message, the gateway 25 sends a message 510 to request the identity of the terminal in order to implement an access control according to one embodiment of the present invention. Such a message may be of the type "MM-IDENTITY-REQUEST". The terminal 200 responds by sending a message 511 of type "MM-IDENTITY-RESPONSE" which indicates the private identifier of the terminal, such as I ¹ IMSI.

Based on this private identifier, the gateway 25 can query the database 11 to find out whether this subscriber is authorized to use this cell type Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi. For this purpose, the gateway 25 sends a message 512 to the database 11, and in response, the database 11 responds 513 indicating whether this subscriber is in the list of authorized subscribers.

It can be provided that the location update procedure "MM-LOCATION-UPDATE" triggered by the transmission of the message 206 by the terminal 200 is waiting at the level of the gateway 25 until the control procedure of access is completed at gateway 25.

Thus, in the case where the response of the database 11 indicates that the subscriber is authorized to access the radio cell provided by the access point 24, upon receipt of this message 513, the gateway 25 continues the procedure of location update with the MSC / VLR 21 as described above.

In the opposite case, that is to say when the gateway learns that the subscriber 200 is not authorized to use this cell 31, the gateway sends to the terminal 200 an access rejection message to the cell of type Home Node B UMTS or Wi-Fi and does not continue the location update procedure with the MSC / VLR 21. This access rejection message may be a message of type "MM-LOCATION-UPDATE-REJECT ".

The rejection of a subscriber for network access via the access point 25 may be related to the fact that the subscriber is present neither in the first storage structure nor in the second storage structure, ie that is, it has not subscribed to any access via an access point of the type of the access point 24, and therefore does not subscribe to a specific access via the access point 24 either. Such a rejection of a subscriber for network access via the access point 25 can simply come from the fact that, even if the subscriber is present in the first storage structure, it is not in the second storage structure. that is, this subscriber has subscribed to access via an access point but is not declared as having the ability to access the network through the specific access point 24.

In these implementation scenarios of an access control according to an embodiment of the present invention, a direct interface for exchanging messages between the gateway 24 and the server 10 is advantageously implemented.

Advantageously, an access control according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented independently of the conventional UMTS or GSM infrastructure.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the server 10 may be replaced by a presence server and the database 11 may be replaced by a list of resources of the presence server ("Presence Server Resource List").

FIG. 6 illustrates a server 10, according to one embodiment, which comprises: a reception unit 61 adapted to receive a request for subscription to said service for said terminal, said subscription request indicating the public identifier of the terminal; an interface unit 62 with the subscriber register of the network adapted to require a private identifier of the terminal; an interface unit 63 with the database adapted to store, on the one hand, the public identifier associated with the terminal and, on the other hand, the private identifier of the terminal in association with the public identifier of the terminal .

The server 10 may further include an interface unit 601 with the MSC for receiving location information therefrom.

This FIG. 6 also illustrates a database 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention associated with the server 10 and which comprises an interface unit 64 with the server. This interface unit 64 is adapted to store in association the private and public identifiers of a subscriber terminal subscribing to the service in question.

The database may then comprise a service information storage structure 65, by terminal subscribing to the service, this storage structure being indexed by the private and public identifiers of the subscriber terminal.

The database may further comprise an interface unit 66 with the GW gateway (for "Gatewaf") for exchanging messages 512, 513 relating to an access control of the terminal 200. This same figure also illustrates a MSC global network switching equipment, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a transmission unit 67 adapted to send a location update message from the terminal to the server 10.

Claims

A method of managing a service for a terminal subscribed to a communication network comprising a first subnet to which associated location information is associated and a second subnet to which unplanned location information is associated, said first subnetwork and second subnetworks being connected by a gateway, said communication network further comprising a network subscriber register (HLR) and a server (10) associated with a database (11), said register of subscribers (HLR) storing an association between a public identifier and a private network identifier corresponding to said terminal; said method comprising the following steps at the server level:

/ a / receive a request for subscription (101) to said service for said terminal, said subscription request indicating the public identifier of the terminal;

IbI store (102) the public identifier associated with the terminal in said database (11) associated with the server;

Here, require (103) from the subscriber register of the network a private identifier of the terminal; law receive (104) from the subscriber register of the network a private identifier of the terminal; andIeI storing (105) the private identifier of the terminal in association with the public identifier of the terminal in the database (11) associated with the server.

2. Management method according to claim 1, wherein, in the step Here, the private identifier of the terminal is required when registering the subscription to the service, and in step IdI, the private identifier of the terminal is received via a registration acknowledgment.

The management method according to claim 1, wherein the network further comprises global switching equipment (MSC), said management method further comprising the following steps after the step IeI IM receiving, from said switching equipment global, a message (203) for updating a location information of the terminal (200); and

The management method according to claim 1, wherein the network further comprises an access point (24) and a global switching equipment (21), connected by a gateway (25); said management method further comprising the following steps after step IeI:

IM receiving, from said gateway, a message (501) for updating a location information of the terminal (200); and

The management method of claim 4, wherein the steps IM and 121 are initiated when the terminal (200) enters the second subnet.

The management method according to claim 1, wherein the network further comprises an access point (24) and a global switching equipment (21) connected by a gateway (25); said method further comprising the steps of:

IM receiving, from the gateway (25), a message (512) terminal access control (200) at the database (11), said message indicating the private identifier of the terminal;

121 decide whether the terminal has access to the network via said access point; and / 3 / transmitting a message (513) in response to the gateway indicating the result of step / 2 /.

7. Management method according to claim 6, wherein in step IM, the control message is received beforehand by the server before being received by the database.

8. Management method according to claim 6, wherein the steps / 1 / to / 3 / are triggered when the terminal (200) enters the second sub-network.

9. Management method according to claim 8, wherein, on receiving a message (206) informing that the terminal (200) enters the second subnet, the gateway (25) requires (510,511) the private identifier of the terminal.

A server (10) adapted to provide a service to a terminal that is subscribed to a communication network comprising a first subnet to which associated location information is associated and a second subnet to which non-localization location information is associated planned, said first and second sub-networks being connected by a gateway, said communication network further comprising a subscriber register of the network (HLR), said subscriber register (HLR) storing an association between a public identifier and a subscriber private network identifier corresponding to said terminal; said server (10) being associated with a database (11) and comprising:

a reception unit (61) adapted to receive a subscription request to said service for said terminal, said subscription request indicating the public identifier of the terminal;

an interface unit (62) with the subscriber register of the network adapted to require a private identifier of the terminal;

an interface unit (63) with said database (1 1) adapted to store, on the one hand, the public identifier associated with the terminal and, on the other hand, the private identifier of the terminal in association with the public identifier of the terminal.

A database (11) adapted to cooperate with the server (10) according to claim 10 and providing a service to a terminal that is subscribed to said communication network; said database comprising an interface unit (64) with the server and adapted to store in association the private and public identifiers of the subscriber terminal (200) subscribing to the service.

The database (11) of claim 11, the network further comprising an access point (24) and a global switchgear (21), connected by a gateway (25); the database further comprising an interface unit (66) with said gateway for exchanging messages (512, 513) relating to an access control of the terminal (200).

A global network switching equipment (MSC) adapted to provide a service for a subscriber terminal (200) to a communication network comprising a first subnet to which associated scheduled location information is associated and a second subnet to which associated non-planned location information, said first and second sub-networks being connected by a gateway, said communication network further comprising a network subscriber register (HLR) and a server (10) associated with a network base data (11), said subscriber register (HLR) storing an association between a public identifier and a private network identifier corresponding to said terminal; said global switching equipment (MSC) comprising a transmission unit (67) adapted to transmit a location update message from the terminal (200) to the server (10).

14. Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to claim 1, when this program is executed by a processor.

15. Recording medium on which the computer program according to claim 14 is stored.