Patent ID: 7136646

Claim:
A method for selecting, by a network element, an identification confirmation information used for confirming a user identity, comprising the steps of: a) requesting, by the network element, an identification confirmation information from a register; b) receiving, by the network element, the identification confirmation information from the register; c) deciding, by the network element, based on a type of identification confirmation information obtained from said register whether to use said identification confirmation information obtained from said register or identification confirmation information from a user database; and d) retrieving, by the network element, said identification confirmation information from said user database if the network element decides to use the identification confirmation information from the user database; wherein said type of identification confirmation information is determined based on a negotiation result of a MAP version negotiation, said identification confirmation information being retrieved from said user database if said negotiation leads to a result that use of the MAP version required by the network element is not supported by the register.