CAMEL CONCEPT

CAMEL stands for:

Customized Application for Mobile-Network Enhanced Logic.

CAMEL is a mechanism which allows:

• Flexible creation of operator specific services,
• Each subscriber to have customised services,
• Deployment of those services to roaming subscribers.

CAMEL is sometimes referred to as GSM IN (Intelligent Networks).

CAMEL Phase 1 was defined in GSM '96 Release.

CAMEL has been included as a mandatory feature on MoU requirements

list.

CAMEL phase 1 is being followed by CAMEL phase 2 and phase 3 in

GSM'97 Release and GSM '99 Release respectively.
 CAMEL Nodes And Interfaces

HLR MAP
gsmSCF

CAMEL
Home Location Register -
HLR can store CAMEL Application Part
Subscription Information (CSI) CAP
on a per subscriber basis
GSM Service
Control Function -
MAP GSM SCF Contains the
service logic and provides
instructions on how to
SSF continue call processing

Mobile Station - MS
VMSC/
does not require any GMSC
CAMEL functionality

GSM Service Switching

Function - gsmSSF, suspends
call processing and takes
instructions from the SCF
 Normal Mobile to Mobile GSM Call Setup

HLR B
3
5

VLRA VLRB

VMSC GMSC VMSC

A B B
8
2 7
1
B
A
 CAMEL DETECTION POINTS (DPs) - 1B/4

• Detection Points are points in processing at which notifications (to the

service logic) can occur and transfer of control (to the gsmSCF) is possible.

• 3 Different types of DPs exist:

• TDP-R: Trigger Detection Point - Request

This DP is statically armed and initiates a CAMEL control relationship
when encountered. Processing is suspended when the DP is
encountered.
• EDP-R: Event Detection Point - Request
This DP is dynamically armed within the context of a CAMEL control
relationship. Processing is suspended awaiting instructions from the
gsmSCF when encountering the DP.
• EDP-N: Event Detection Point - Notification
This DP is dynamically armed within the context of a CAMEL control
relationship. Processing is not suspended when encountering the DP.
 CAMEL DPs and BCSMs - 2B/4

• Detection Points are associated with the concept of Basic Call State
Machines (BCSMs).

• BCSM is a high level model used to describe the actions in a GMSC or

MSC/VLR during originating, forwarded or terminated calls.
• BCSM identifies the points in basic call processing when
Operator Specific Service logic instances (accessed through DP
the gsmSCF) are permitted to interact with basic call control Point In Call
(PIC)
capabilities.
• BCSM processing is suspended when encountering a DP
until further instruction is given from the gsmSCF.

BCSM DP
gsmSSF gsmSCF
MSC/ GMSC

Call processing Switching Centre Control Centre

 CAMEL Originating-BCSM - 3B/4

O-Null & Authorise_Origination_ O-Exception

Attempt_Collect_Info

DP2 Collect_Info
Analyse, Routing & Alerting

O-BCSM in the MSC/ GMSC

O_Disconnect DP7 O_Answer

DP9 O-Active

CAMEL Detection Point DP Type Description

DP2 Collect_Info TDP-R Indication that the O-CSI is analysed
DP7 O_Answer EDP-N Indication that the call is accepted and
answered by the terminating party
DP9 O_Disconnect EDP-N, A disconnect indication is received from
EDP-R the originating party or from the
terminating party
 CAMEL Terminating-BCSM - 4B/4

T-Null T-Exception

DP12 Terminating_Attempt_Authorised
Terminating Call Handling

T-BCSM in the GMSC

T_Disconnect DP15 T_Answer

DP17 T-Active

CAMEL Detection Point DP Type Description

DP12 Terminating_ TDP-R Indication that the T-CSI is analysed
Attempt_Authorised
DP15 T_Answer EDP-N Call is accepted and answered by the
terminating party
DP17 T_Disconnect EDP-N, A disconnect indication is received from
EDP-R the originating party or from the
terminating party
 CAMEL SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION (CSI) - 1A/3

I would like my calls

OK to be directed to my mobile
every afternoon
• To provision
CAMEL, CSI is
User profile for Time provided by the
Dependent Routing
entered into SCF
HPLMN operator by
Administrator administrator means.

gsmSCF
Info sent to HLR to
provision CSI data for
HLR
TDR for this subscriber

• CSI identifies if the subscriber requires CAMEL support.

• CSI identifies which gsmSCF to use for that CAMEL support.
• CSI contains information related to the Operator Specific Service
(OSS) of the subscriber, for example the Service Key.
 Originating and Terminating CSI - 2A/3

CSI in Location Update

HLR
• Originating-CSI identifies
subscriber as having originating
CAMEL Services. O-CSI is stored
in the VLR as part of subscriber S
data for roaming subscriber in the S VLRA
F
VLR area. VMSC
GMSC
B
A

HLR HLR sends CAMEL

profile - CSI - in
SRI Ack to the GMSC • Terminating-CSI identifies subscriber
as having terminating CAMEL Services.
T-CSI is fetched by the GMSC when the
HLR of the called subscriber is being
VLRA SSF interrogated by the GMSC.
VMSC GMSC
• Originating-CSI is sent to the GMSC
A B for forwarding.
 CSI CONTENT - 3A/3

• gsmSCF address
as an E.164 number

• Service Key
which identifies to the gsmSCF the service logic that should be
used.

• Default call handling

that indicates how to proceed the call in case of error in the
gsmSSF - gsmSCF dialogue (release or continue).

• TDP list
that indicates on which Detection Point (DP) triggering shall take
place. Only DP2 for O-CSI and only DP12 for T-CSI.
 Mobile Originated Call Setup With CAMEL

gsmSCF

2
S VLRA SSF
S
F VMSC GMSC
A B

A
 Mobile Terminated Call Setup With CAMEL

5 9 10

HLR

gsmSCF 11
gsmSCF

3 12 6 7
8
2
S VLRA SSF VLRB
S
F VMSC GMSC VMSC
A B B

4 13

1 14

B
A
 Complete Call Setup With CAMEL Invoked By Both Parties

5 9 10

HLR

gsmSCF 11
gsmSCF

3 12 6 7
8
2
S VLRA SSF VLRB
S
F VMSC GMSC VMSC
A B B

4 13

1 14

B
A
 OK MO CAMEL Call Setup - VPN Example
User profile I would
for VPN entered like VPN Info sent to HLR to
into SCF provision CSI data for
VPN for this subscriber
Administrator

gsmSCF
HLR

CSI in Location Update

2 S VLRA
S
F VMSC GMSC
A B

1 4

VPN is Virtual
A Mobile Originated (MO) Private Network
 MT CAMEL Call Setup - 1/2 Invocation of CAMEL - TDR Example
Info sent to HLR to OK
I would like my calls
provision CSI data for to be directed to my mobile
TDR for this subscriber every afternoon

Administrator

HLR gsmSCF

5
7
6
User profile
HLR sends CAMEL for TDR entered
profile in SRI Ack into SCF
to the GMSC
8
VLRA SSF VLRB

VMSC GMSC VMSC

A B B

TDR is Time
B
Dependent Routing Mobile Terminated (MO)
 MT CAMEL Call Setup - 2/2 End of Call Setup after use of CAMEL

10

HLR gsmSCF
9
11
12

8
SSF
VLRB

Once CAMEL has GMSC

VMSC
B
provided the service, B

Call Setup can 14

13
proceed making sure
routing information is
returned in the SRI
B
Mobile Terminated (MO)
 CAMEL OPERATIONS: SSF - SCF MESSAGE FLOWS - 1C/3

gsmSSF gsmSCF

INITIAL DP
When a trigger is detected at a DP in the BCSM, Initial DP is
sent to request instructions from the gsmSCF

CONNECT
To request the gsmSSF to perform the call processing actions, to
route the call to a specific destination

RELEASE CALL
gsmSCF tears down an existing call at any phase of the call for
all parties involved in the call

CONTINUE
To request the gsmSSF to proceed with the call processing at the DP at
which it previously suspended the call processing to await gsmSCF
instructions. There is no change made to basic call
 CAMEL OPERATIONS: SSF - SCF MESSAGE FLOWS - 2C/3

gsmSSF gsmSCF

ACTIVITY TEST
Checks for the continued existence of a relationship between the SSF and SCF

ACTIVITY TEST RESPONSE

Sent when a relationship still exists between the SSF and SCF

REQUEST REPORT BCSM EVENT

Requests the SSF to monitor for a call-related event
(i.e dynamically arms EDPs)

EVENT REPORT BCSM

Notifies the SCF of a call-related event
(i.e an armed EDP is encountered)
 CAMEL OPERATIONS: SCF - HLR MESSAGE FLOWS - 3C/3

VLR HLR gsmSCF

ANY TIME INTERROGATION REQUEST

To request subscriber state and location
from the HLR at any time
PROVIDE SUBSCRIBER INFO
To request subscriber state and
location from the VLR at any time

PROVIDE SUBSCRIBER INFO ACK

Provides the requested
information to the HLR ANY INTERROGATION RESPONSE
Provides the requested
information to the gsmSCF
 CAMEL interaction with GSM Call forwarding - 1D/4

• CAMEL treats the forwarding of a call in a

similar way to a call origination, hence it is
possible to trigger DP2 when a call is forwarded
due to GSM Call Forwarding.

• If the subscriber is provisioned with O-CSI it is

possible to invoke CAMEL as part of GSM Call
Forwarding at both the GMSC and VMSC.
 CAMEL and GSM Call Forwarding at the GMSC - 2D/4

The originating
T-CSI + O-CSI The terminating service can be
+ Forward-To- service is applied to the
Number (C address) activated first outgoing leg of
the call forwarding.

SCF
HLR T-CSI

SCF
O-CSI

SSF GSM Call

Forwarding invoked
GMSCB
 CAMEL and GSM Call Forwarding at the VMSC - 3D/4

The originating
service can be
applied to the
SCF
outgoing leg of
O-CSI the call forwarding.

GSM Call
Forwarding invoked

SSF

VMSCB
Applying O-CSI to a call forwarded by CAMEL (T-CSI) - 4D/4

The terminating
service forwards The originating
T-CSI + O-CSI the call. service can be
applied to the
outgoing leg of
the call forwarding.

SCF
HLR T-CSI

SCF
O-CSI

SSF

GMSCB