Patent ID: 6603968
Filing Date: 2003-08-05
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A method for operating a cell-phone roaming from its home location served by a home location cell-phone switching center to a visiting location served by a visiting location cell-phone switching center distinct from the home location cell-phone switching center, the method operating in a system including a visiting location roaming service provider node servicing the visiting location cell-phone switching center, the visiting location roaming service provider node including a database containing the local identifier number assigned to the roaming cell-phone while in the visiting location, the method comprisingregistering the cell-phone with the visiting location cell-phone switching center as a roaming cell-phone using cell-phone identification information originally assigned to the cell-phone, and re-registering the cell-phone with the visiting location cell-phone switching center as a local cell-phone using a local identifier number assigned to the cell-phone in place of the original cell-phone information while in the visiting location, wherein the re-registering includes communicating roaming-related information identifying the roaming cell-phone from the roaming cell-phone to the visiting location roaming service provider node, and sending the local identifier number, determined by the visiting location service provider node with reference to the roaming-related information, from the visiting location roaming service provider node to the roaming cell-phone via the visiting location cell-phone switching center to dynamically configure the roaming cell-phone with the local identifier number to thereby convert the roaming cell-phone to a local cell-phone in the visiting location.