# US 7,525,987 B2 · Changing a first subscriber identifier to a second identifier

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- Number: US 7,525,987 B2
- Document ID: US7525987B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/243,071
- Filed: 2002-09-12
- Published: 2003-03-13
- Granted: 2009-04-28
- Earliest claimed: 2000-03-31
- Assignees: Data Advisors LLC
- Inventors: Sami Ala-Luukko
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7525987B2

## CPC

- H04W 8/26: Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

The invention relates to telecommunications systems, in which a subscriber is identified in a network with a first identifier and with a second identifier in a server providing services to the subscriber through the network. In the invention, the first identifier is changed (3-3) in a message to be transferred to the server to a second identifier before transferring the message to the server. Thus the message received from the network can be associated with a particular subscriber in the server.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of associating a subscriber of a service provider with a message from the subscriber sent over a communications network, comprising:
receiving the message at a gateway of the communications network, the message including a first unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber and the communications network, wherein the first unique subscriber identifier comprises an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number or a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) number;
distinguishing, at the gateway, the first unique subscriber identifier from the message;
searching in storage, at the gateway, for a subscriber identifier pair, wherein the subscriber identifier pair comprises a correlation of the first unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber and the communications network and a second unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber and the service provider, wherein the second unique subscriber identifier comprises a Mobile Subscriber International ISDN (MSISDN) number;
replacing, at the gateway, the first unique subscriber identifier in the message with the second unique subscriber identifier; and,
sending the message from the gateway to a server of the service provider.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received at the gateway from a Home Location Register (HLR) or a Visiting Location Register (VLR).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein, based on the message, the server identifies the subscriber associated with the message.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) server.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the message further comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the WAP server is configured to store the IP address and the second unique subscriber identifier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the gateway and server are integrated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an acknowledgement of the received message from the gateway to a network node of the communications network.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a new subscriber message from the server at the gateway, the message including at least the second unique subscriber identifier;
storing the second unique subscriber identifier in the gateway;
requesting from a device on the communications network the first unique subscriber identifier, the request including at least the second unique subscriber identifier;
receiving the first unique subscriber identifier from the device at the gateway; and
storing the first unique subscriber identifier with the second unique subscriber identifier as the subscriber identifier pair.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising sending an acknowledgement of the new subscriber message from the gateway to the server.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the device comprises a database in the communications network.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the database comprises a Home Location Register (HLR).

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the database comprises a Visiting Location Register (VLR).

### Claim 14

A method of associating a subscriber of a service provider with a message from the subscriber sent over a communications network comprising:
receiving the subscriber message at a gateway of the communications network, the message including a first unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber and the communications network, wherein the first unique subscriber identifier comprises an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number or a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) number;
sending a request message, from the gateway, to a device on the communications network, the request including at least the first unique subscriber identifier;
receiving, at the gateway, a response message including the second unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber and the service provider from the device to the gateway, wherein the second unique subscriber identifier comprises a Mobile Subscriber International ISDN (MSISDN) number;
distinguishing, at the gateway, the second unique subscriber identifier from the response message;
replacing, at the gateway, the first unique subscriber identifier in the subscriber message with the second unique subscriber identifier; and
sending the subscriber message from the gateway to a server of the service provider.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the second unique identifier is a default value MSISDN.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the default value MSISDN is the same for all servers.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the default value MSISDN is specific to the server.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the request message comprises data about the server.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the request message comprises data about the service for which the second unique subscriber identifier is requested.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the gateway and server are integrated.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising sending an acknowledgement of the subscriber message from the gateway to a network node of the communications network.

### Claim 22 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the device comprises a database in the communications network.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the database comprises a Home Location Register (HLR).

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the database comprises a Visiting Location Register (VLR).

### Claim 25

A method of associating a subscriber of a service provider with a message from the subscriber sent over a communications network, comprising:
receiving, at a gateway, a new subscriber message from the service provider, the message including at least a second unique subscriber identifier;
storing the second unique subscriber identifier in the gateway;
requesting from a device on the communications network a first unique subscriber identifier, the request including at least the second unique subscriber identifier;
receiving the first unique subscriber identifier from the device at the gateway;
storing the first unique subscriber identifier with the second unique subscriber identifier as the subscriber identifier pair;
receiving the message including the first unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber and the communications network;
distinguishing the first unique subscriber identifier from the message;
searching in storage for the subscriber identifier pair, wherein the subscriber identifier pair comprises a correlation of the first unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber and the communications network and the second unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber and the service provider;
replacing in the message the first unique subscriber identifier with the second unique subscriber identifier; and
sending the message to the service provider.