Patent ID: 8223717

Claim:
A roaming gateway comprising at least one IP network interface, and at least one cellular network interface, and an inter-working means for inter-working between a wireless IP network and a cellular network, wherein: the inter-working means is adapted to communicate with user devices in an IP network according to a machine-level subscribe-and-notify event package protocol for managing handover of mobile devices roaming between IP and cellular networks, in which the gateway is adapted to conduct a SIP subscribe and notify method with a device, and said method causes the device to notify the gateway, receive an acknowledgement from the gateway, and to then subscribe by sending a mobility event package with payload content including details of calls in progress, current bearers, and both WiFi and cellular signal strengths, and in which the gateway is adapted to use a subscribe method to trigger a device handover to a specified bearer; the inter-working means is adapted to poll a cellular network for subscriber status on that cellular network in the absence of a mobility event package; the inter-working means comprises HSS functionality adapted to access data on a HLR of a cellular network and to perform HSS operations using said data; the inter-working means is adapted to apply routing policies specific to call types, allowing or disallowing the anchoring of calls originating in either an IP network or a cellular network based on number prefixes; the inter-working means comprises an application server adapted to communicate with a user device as a client of the server; wherein the inter-working means is adapted to communicate with an SMSC in a cellular network to indicate a preference to receive messages for particular subscribers for whom it may subsequently attempt delivery of messages; wherein the inter-working means is adapted to translate user-originating requests for configuration of stored supplementary service data into a format recognizable by a cellular network acting as a primary data store for that subscriber, or by intelligent network equipment; wherein the server is adapted to receive in a mobility event package from a user device capability data for the device, and the inter-working means is adapted to use said data for delivery of messages to said device.