Apparatus and method for enabling optimized gateway selection for inter-working between circuit-switched and internet telephony

• US 20030137991A1
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Murakami, Kazutaka, Xiong, Ming, Lennox, Jonathan Michael, Haase, Oliver, Doshi, Parag M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

An optimized gateway selection process of the present invention is based on a universal mobility manager (UMM), a component for inter-technology location management. The UMM is capable of holding location information for diverse cellular networks, as well as for Internet telephony systems. For cellular networks, UMM acts as a traditional HLR; for an Internet telephony network, it acts as the entities that are responsible for user/terminal registration (registrar in SIP, gatekeeper in H.323) and address resolution (proxy server in SIP, gatekeeper in H.323). An optimal gateway selection is possible based on location related information provided by the UMM which had not previously been available. Utilizing the newly available information enables a gateway to be selected which may, for example, enable the circuit switched portion of a call to now be minimized.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a gateway for interworking between a first and second network supporting different network protocols, said method comprising the steps of:

querying a unified location management device having location information stored therein for users of said different network protocols;

relaying mobile user location related information from said unified location manager regarding a user of said one of said first and second network; and

selecting said gateway based on said location information provided.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting is optimized by providing a selection that minimizes triangle routing, minimizes a PSTN call leg and minimizes an Internet call leg.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selection of said gateway is optimized by selecting a gateway that minimizes a circuit switched portion of a call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said location related information is used to assign a location dependent routable temporary telephone number for use in said gateway selection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein for an internet telephony call to a mobile user, said unified location manager operates as an inbound proxy for a given domain.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile location information can correspond to an internet telephony user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said location related information provides assignment of a GSM/UMTS temporary phone number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said unified location manager is operable as a home location register for cellular networks and as a user registration and address resolution device for internet telephony networks.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said universal location manager uses a current Care-of-Address for providing said location related information for a mobile Internet telephony user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said first and second networks is circuit switched network and one of said first and second networks is an internet telephony network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network protocols comprises at least two of ANSI-41, GSM MAP, SIP, H.323.

12. A method used for selecting a gateway for a call from a first network to a mobile user in a second network, said first and second network supporting different network protocols, said method comprising the steps of:

querying a unified location management device having location information for multiple mobile network technologies stored therein; and

providing location related information for said mobile user in said second network for use by said first network in selection of said gateway.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said selecting is optimized by providing a selection that minimizes triangle routing, minimizes a PSTN call leg and minimizes an Internet call leg.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein selection of said gateway is optimized by selecting a gateway that minimizes a circuit switched portion of a call.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said location related information is used to assign a location dependent routable temporary telephone number for use in said gateway selection.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein for an internet telephony call to a mobile user, said unified location manager operates as an inbound proxy for a given domain.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said mobile location information can correspond to an internet telephony user.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said unified location manager is operable as a home location register for cellular networks and as a user registration and address resolution device for internet telephony networks.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said universal location manager uses a current Care-of-Address for providing said location related information for a mobile Internet telephony user.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein one of said first and second networks is circuit switched network and one of said first and second networks is an internet telephony network.

21. An apparatus for enabling optimized gateway selection for interworking between a first and second network, said apparatus comprising

a data server for storing location and service profile data for multiple differing network technologies;

at least two network protocol gateways for translating incoming location information requests into a protocol independent format;

a processor for interfacing between said data server and said protocol gateways, wherein mobile user location related information is able to be provided by said apparatus for use in selection of said gateway.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said selection is optimized by providing a selection that minimizes triangle routing, minimizes a PSTN call leg and minimizes an Internet call leg.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein selection of said gateway is optimized by selecting a gateway that minimizes a circuit switched portion of a call.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said location related information is used to assign a location dependent routable temporary telephone number for use in said gateway selection.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein for an internet telephony call to a mobile user, said unified location manager operates as an inbound proxy for a given domain.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said mobile location information can correspond to an internet telephony user.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said unified location manager is operable as a home location register for cellular networks and as a user registration and address resolution device for internet telephony networks.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said universal location manager uses a current Care-of-Address for providing said location related information for a mobile Internet telephony user.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein one of said first and second networks is circuit switched network and one of said first and second networks is an internet telephony network.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of network protocols comprises at least two of ANSI-41, GSM MAP, SIP, H.323.