Access control for roaming radio devices

A method for supporting operation of a roaming wireless device operating on a visited radio system, the method comprising:

• identifying, by the visited radio system, the roaming wireless device within the visited radio system;
• obtaining, by the visited radio system, a first set of permissions for the roaming wireless device from a home radio system associated with and as a function of at least one of (i) the roaming wireless device and (ii) a radio group of which the roaming wireless device is a member;
• obtaining, by the visited radio system, a second set of permissions for the roaming wireless device from within the visited radio system associated with and as a function of at least one of (i) the roaming wireless device and (ii) the radio group of which the roaming wireless device is a member;
• obtaining, by the first radio system, field permissions indicator data identifying the permissions in the second set of permissions that can be controlled by the first set of permissions and the permissions in the second set of permissions that cannot be controlled by the first set of permissions;
• determining, by the visited radio system, a merged set of permissions for the roaming wireless device based on the first set of permissions, the second set of permissions, and the field permissions indicator data;
• and
• applying the merged set of permissions to the roaming wireless device.

A radio system comprising:

• a visitor location register;
• a roaming provisioning register including a first set of permissions for one of a wireless device and a radio group operating within the radio system of which the wireless device is a member;
• and
• a processing module coupled to the visitor location register and the roaming provisioning register, wherein the processing module is configured to, responsive to receiving a request from the wireless device:
• obtain the first set of permissions from the roaming provisioning register system associated with and as a function of at least one of (i) the wireless device and (ii) the radio group of which the wireless device is a member;
• obtain a second set of permissions for the wireless device from a home radio system associated with and as a function of at least one of (i) the wireless device when the wireless device is roaming and (ii) the radio group of which the wireless device is a member;
• obtaining field permissions indicator data identifying the permissions in the second set of permissions that can be controlled by the first set of permissions and the permissions in the second set of permissions that cannot be controlled by the first set of permissions;
• merge the first set and the second set of permissions, as a function of the field premissions indicator data, to obtain a merged set of permissions for the wireless device;
• and
• store the merged set of permissions in the visitor location register.