Subscriber interface module for mobile telecommunications systems

• US 20020119765A1
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Markport Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Markport Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aitken, James, Boyden, Paul
• Application Number:
  US09/995,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20020119765A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• 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 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1315 Call waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13274 Call rejection, call barring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0033 customer-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 : Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/00 : Interfaces specially adapted for wireless communication networks

Abstract

An interface system (1) interacts on one side in a TCP/IP environment with a client application via an API 3. On the other side the system (1) interacts in a mobile network environment with an HLR 4 via a TCAP API 5, a signalling interface unit (6) and an SS7 network (7). It allows subscribers to use functionality such as feature code services in a more comprehensive and versatile manner.

Claims

1. An interface system comprising means for interfacing between a subscriber (2) and a mobile network element (4), in which communication with the subscriber is in a subscriber protocol, characterized in that:

the system comprises a request server (10) for receiving subscriber requests for services on the network element, and for transmitting responses to the subscriber (2);

the system comprises a network service provider (11);

the system comprises a request controller (10) comprising means for;

receiving a client request from the request server (10),

invoking an operation on the network element (4) in response to the client request and using the service provider (12), and

delivering a network element response to the request server (10).

2. An interface system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request server (10) comprises means for communicating with a subscriber using a Web server (20) Servlet with IIOP protocol between the request server (10) and the Web server (20) and HTML protocol between the Web server and the subscriber.

3. An interface system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request server (10) has an object-oriented structure (FIG. 2) and comprises an object associated with each network element service.

4. An interface system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the request server (10) comprises a pool thread object comprising means for routing received requests to appropriate service objects.

5. An interface system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the request server comprises a thread filter object comprising means for filtering requests for the pool thread object.

6. An interface system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the thread filter and the pool thread objects comprises means for allowing concurrent connections to subscribers.

7. An interface system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request controller comprises a MAP User (11) connected to the service provider for connection to an SS7 network, and wherein the service provider is a MAP service provider.

8. An interface system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the MAP User (11) comprises a message router and a dialogue manager, the message router comprising means for interfacing with the MAP service provider (12), and the dialogue manager comprising means for sending MAP messages for transfer to the MAP service provider.

9. An interface system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the dialogue manager comprises means for assigning resources to handle a MAP dialogue for each subscriber request and for maintaining a dialogue with the network element until the request has been resolved.

10. An interface system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the dialogue manager comprises means for recognizing trigger messages as indicating a new dialogue.

11. An interface system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the dialogue manager comprises means for managing a MAP-based dialogue associated with each of a plurality of different types of trigger message.

12. An interface system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the MAP User (11) has an interface with the request server (10) for receiving requests, said interface comprising means for providing request services.

13. An interface system as claimed in claim 12, wherein a service is a registration service to register required information for a request.

14. An interface system as claimed in claim 12, wherein a service is an erasure service to erase information associated with a request.

15. An interface system as claimed in claim 12, wherein a service is an activation service to activate a request and subsequent invocation of an operation on the network element, and another service is a deactivation service to deactivate the request.

16. An interface system as claimed in claim 12, wherein a service is an interrogation service to query the status of a request.

17. An interface system as claimed in claim 12, wherein a service is a register password service to change subscriber security codes.

18. An interface system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request controller comprises means for invoking an operation on a mobile network HLR.

19. An interface system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the request controller (11) comprises mean for invoking an operation associated with feature or supplementary services such as call barring, call forwarding, or call waiting.

20. A method for subscriber interfacing with a network element, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a subscriber request in a subscriber protocol from a subscriber system to a request server;

the request server delivering said request to a request controller;

the request controller invoking an operation on the network element according to the request; and

the request server delivering a response to the request.

21. A computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer and comprising software code portions for performing the steps of claim 20.