Patent ID: 8934894
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method operational in a roaming gateway for facilitating inter-standard network roaming, comprising: receiving a location update message from an access terminal that is performing inter-standard network roaming into a visited network, wherein the location update message includes a currently activated mobile subscriber identity for the access terminal; determining, at the roaming gateway, whether a current roaming sponsor for the access terminal is a preferred roaming sponsor in the visited network from among a plurality of available roaming sponsors; determining whether the access terminal is using the preferred roaming sponsor for the visited network from among the plurality of available roaming sponsors based on the currently activated mobile subscriber identity; obtaining, at the roaming gateway, a new mobile subscriber identity for the access terminal if the current roaming sponsor is not the preferred roaming sponsor from among the plurality of available roaming sponsors, where the new mobile subscriber identity is associated with the preferred roaming sponsor; and sending the new mobile subscriber identity to the access terminal so that it can establish wireless service in the visited network using the preferred roaming sponsor.