Controlling mobile-device roaming
AssigneeSprint Communications Company L.P.
InventorsJason Peter Sigg, Anoop Kumar Goyal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Media and systems for controlling roaming of a mobile device on a wireless-communications network are described. Wireless-communications systems along a coverage area border are designated as roaming border systems. A parameter value is communicated from wireless-communications systems of a home network to a mobile device. The parameter takes on a value indicating whether a mobile device is permitted to initiate a connection to a roaming network. A mobile device is restricted to use of home-network systems when a first parameter value is received. The mobile device is permitted to use home-network and roaming-network systems when a second parameter value is received. Thus, the mobile device can only roam when the second parameter value has been communicated thereto.
Claims11
A system for controlling a way that a mobile device selectively initiates communications with one of a home network versus a second network, the system comprising:
- a parameter-receiving component configured to receive a parameter value from a home-network system, wherein the parameter takes on a first value that indicates that the mobile device is not permitted to roam on the second network or a second value that indicates that the mobile device is permitted to roam on the second network;
- a system-identifying component configured to receive identification data communicated from the home network and the second network, and also configured to compare the received identification data to known identification data to identify a communicating system;
- a connection-enabling component configured to prevent communicating with the second network when the first parameter value is received and to enable communicating with the second network when the second parameter value is received,
- wherein at least one parameter value is received including a voice parameter value and a data parameter value, and wherein:
- the voice parameter has a first voice-parameter value that indicates that said mobile device is not permitted to roam on said second network for voice communications, or a second voice-parameter value that indicates that said mobile device is permitted to roam on said second network for voice communications, and
- the data parameter has a first data-parameter value that indicates that said mobile device is not permitted to roam on said second network for data communications, or a second data-parameter value that indicates that said mobile device is permitted to roam on said second network for data communications.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.