Communication protocol preferences

• US 10,251,162 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2015
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Shah, Mehul Jayant
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsegaye, Saba
• Application Number:
  US14/973,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

Systems and methods for the management of communications related to telecommunications-based devices are provided. Telecommunications-based devices initiate requests to gateway computing devices corresponding to a radio communication network to establish data communications. The gateway computing device accepts the communication request and specifies an ordered preference of one or more communication protocols that will be used telecommunications-based devices accessing the wireless communication network. The telecommunications-based device processes the acceptance and selects a communication protocol from the ordered preference provided by the gateway computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing communication in a communication network, comprising:

obtaining, at a gateway computing device, a communication request to establish data communications with a mobile device over the communication network, wherein the communication request is transmitted from the mobile device to the gateway computing device, and wherein the gateway computing device and the mobile device correspond to different physical computing devices interconnected via the communication network;

determining, at the gateway computing device, an ordered set of communication protocols for data communications with the mobile device;

modifying, at the gateway computing device, the ordered set of communication protocols based at least in part on an attribute associated with the communication request; and

transmitting, from the gateway computing device to the mobile device, an acceptance of the communication request to form a data communication channel, the acceptance including an indication of the modified ordered set of communication protocols, wherein the mobile device initiates communication via the data communication channel in accordance with at least one communication protocol selected from the modified ordered set of protocols.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ordered set of communication protocols include two or more communication protocols and wherein the mobile device selects the at least one communication protocol based, at least in part, on an order of the two or more communication protocols in accordance with the modified ordered set.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein the ordered set of communication protocols indicates at least one primary communication protocol.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 3, wherein the ordered set of communication protocols further indicates at least one secondary communication protocol.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the mobile device attempts to establish data communications in accordance with the at least one communication protocol prior to attempting to establish data communication in accordance with the at least one secondary communication protocol.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 3, wherein the ordered set of communication protocols comprise at least one of an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) or Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) protocol.

7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ordered set of communication protocols corresponds to an ordered set of network addressing protocols.

8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication request to establish data communications includes information regarding a level of service associated with the communication request.

9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein the level of service is associated with at least one of a device type, roaming status, roaming plan, supported operating system, user descriptor, supported application, or executed application.

10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acceptance of the communication request corresponds to an attach accept acknowledgement or attach accept notification.

11. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the attribute comprises an application being executed by the mobile device.

12. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the attribute comprises one or more of a roaming status, roaming plan, supported operating system, or data usage.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that direct a computer system comprising one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining, at a gateway computing device, a communication request to establish data communications with a mobile device over a communication network, wherein the gateway computing device and the mobile device correspond to different physical computing devices interconnected via the communication network;

determining, at the gateway computing device, an ordered priority of two or more communication protocols for data communications with the mobile device ;

modifying the ordered priority of the two or more communication protocols based at least in part on an attribute associated with the communication request; and

transmitting, from the gateway computing device to the mobile device, an indication of the two or more communication protocols, wherein the mobile device initiates communication via the gateway computing device in accordance with at least one communication protocol selected from the two or more communication protocols responsive to the modified ordered priority determined at the gateway computing device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise maintaining a table defining associations among various communication protocols preferences and one or more mobile device attributes.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein determining the ordered priority of the two or more communication protocols comprises selecting the two or more communication protocols from the table based, at least in apart, on an attribute associated with the mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise dynamically modifying the table.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise obtaining, at the gateway computing device, a communication initiation request from the mobile device, in response to the indication of the two or more communication protocols.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the communication initiation request corresponds to a received attach acknowledgement.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the communication initiation request includes an indication of the at least one communication protocol selected from the two or more protocols.

20. A system comprising:

an electronic data repository that stores data of associations between a plurality of communication protocols with respect to one or more mobile device attributes, the electronic data repository comprising a computer memory; and

a computer system comprising one or more processors, the computer system configured to at least;

determine, at a gateway computing device, an ordered set of communication protocols for data communications with a mobile device, wherein the gateway computing device and the mobile device correspond to different physical computing devices interconnected via a communication network;

modify the ordered set of communication protocols based at least in part on an attribute associated with a request to establish communications with the mobile device over the communication network; and

transmit, from the gateway computing device to the mobile device, an acceptance of a request to form a data communication channel, the acceptance including an indication of the modified ordered set of communication protocols, wherein the mobile device initiates communication via the data communication channel in accordance with a first communication protocol selected from the modified ordered set of protocols.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the communication network corresponds to a visited network where the mobile device corresponds to a roaming device.

22. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the computer system is further configured to determine, at the gateway computing device, that the mobile device is not able to establish communication in accordance with the first communication protocol selected from the modified ordered set of protocols.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the computer system is further configured to determine, at the gateway computing device, whether the mobile device is able to establish communication in accordance with a second communication protocol selected from the modified ordered set of protocols.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the first communication protocol is selected prior to the second communication protocol in accordance with the modified ordered set of communication protocols.