Telecommunications network and method of transferring user data in signalling messages from a communication unit to a data processing centre

• US 10,419,910 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Inventors: Busropan, Bryan Jerrel, Van Loon, Johannes Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US15/176,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method of transferring user data from a communication module to a data processing center over a telecommunications network. A signalling message is wirelessly received from the communication module in the telecommunications network. The signalling message contains the user data that is subsequently transferred to the data processing center. By inserting the user data in the signalling message(s), it is possible to rapidly transmit data to the telecommunications network, while resources can be saved since it not required to establish a complete circuit-switched or packet switched connection between the communication module and the telecommunications network. The user data may comprise application data of a program run by the communication module, e.g. alarming data, measurement data or derivatives thereof.

Claims

1. A method of transferring data from a communication module to a data processing centre over a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless signalling message from the communication module, the received wireless signalling message containing non-signalling application data generated for a machine-to-machine function, wherein the wireless signalling message is of a message type specified for carrying signalling data in the telecommunications network; and

transferring the non-signalling application data to the data processing centre,

wherein the telecommunications network is configured for retrieving the non-signalling application data from the received wireless signalling message, while avoiding to establish a complete circuit-switched or packet-switched connection between the communication module and the telecommunications network.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the non-signalling application data from the received wireless signalling message in the telecommunications network.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless signalling message is a network attach request message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the network attach request message is a location updating request message with a location updating type information element indicating an IMSI attach.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the network attach request message is an attach request with an attach type information element indicating one of a GPRS request or a combined GPRS/IMSI attach.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting a network attach accept message to the communication module;

transmitting further data to and/or receiving further data from the communication module; and

receiving a network detach message from the communication module.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising transmitting an attach reject message to the communication module, the attach reject message comprising data for the communication module.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the communication module is not authenticated in the telecommunications network.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein normal location updating procedure is not performed in the communication module.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the non-signalling application data is encrypted.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received wireless signalling message contains address information indicative of the data processing centre.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application data is transferred to the data processing centre using one or more SMS messages.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application data is transferred to the data processing centre using one or more XML messages.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-signalling application data comprises alarming data.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-signalling application data comprises measurement data.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the communication module comprises one or more sensors, and wherein the measurement data comprises measurement data obtained using the one or more sensors.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless signalling message is received prior to completing or aborting an attach procedure.

18. A telecommunications network for transferring data from a communication module to a data processing centre, the telecommunications network comprising:

one or more processors and program code that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to carry out operations including;

receiving a wireless signalling message from the communication module, the received wireless signalling message containing non-signalling application data generated for a machine-to-machine function, wherein the wireless signalling message is of a message type specified for carrying signalling data in the telecommunications network; and

transferring the non-signalling application data to the data processing centre,

wherein the telecommunications network is configured for retrieving the non-signalling application data from the received wireless signalling message, while avoiding to establish a complete circuit-switched or packet-switched connection between the communication module and the telecommunications network.

19. The telecommunications network according to claim 18, wherein the wireless signalling message is received prior to completing or aborting an attach procedure.

20. A node in a telecommunications network, the telecommunications network being configured for transferring data from a communication module to a data processing centre, the node comprising:

one or more processors and program code that when executed by the one or more processors cause the node to carry out operations including;

receiving a wireless signalling message from the communication module, the received wireless signalling message containing non-signalling application data generated for a machine-to-machine function, wherein the wireless signalling message is of a message type specified for carrying signalling data in the telecommunications network; and

transferring the non-signalling application data to the data processing centre,

wherein the telecommunications network is configured for retrieving the non-signalling application data from the received wireless signalling message, while avoiding to establish a complete circuit-switched or packet-switched connection between the communication module and the telecommunications network.

21. The node according to claim 20, wherein the node is a Mobile Switching Centre.

22. The node according to claim 20, wherein the node is a serving GPRS support node.

23. The node according to claim 20, wherein the node is a signalling monitor.

24. The node according to claim 20, wherein the wireless signalling message is received prior to completing or aborting an attach procedure.

25. A communication device comprising (i) a processor for processing non-signalling application data of a program run by the communication device for a machine-to-machine function, (ii) an encapsulation module configured for encapsulating the non-signalling application data in one or more signalling messages from the communication device to a telecommunications network, wherein the one or more signalling messages are of a message type specified for carrying signalling data in the telecommunications network, and (iii) a transmitter configured for transmitting the signalling messages containing the non-signalling application data of the program run by the communication device to the telecommunications network,

wherein the transmitter is configured for transmitting the signalling messages containing the non-signalling application data to the telecommunications network, while avoiding to establish a complete circuit-switched or packet-switched connection between the communication device and the telecommunications network.

26. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein the non-signalling application data comprises alarming data.

27. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein the non-signalling application data comprises measurement data.

28. The communication device according to claim 27, further comprising one or more sensors, wherein the measurement data comprises measurement data obtained using the one or more sensors.

29. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein the one or more signalling messages are transmitted prior to completing or aborting an attach procedure.