Passing information in a communication system

• US 20040088419A1
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Westman, Ilkka
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method for transferring information in a communication system whereby one or more subscriber units may communicate, the system comprising a network having a connection controller, one or more subscriber information stores and at least one application provider, the method comprising registering a subscriber unit with the network, including transmitting from the subscriber information store associated with that subscriber unit to the connection controller information indicative of the access of that subscriber unit to application services: and in order to enable access to services of the application provider, transmitting from the connection controller to the application provider at least one of: a. an indication of the address of at least one unit from which the application provider may retrieve subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider; and b. subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider.

Claims

1. A method for transferring information in a communication system whereby one or more subscriber units may communicate, the system comprising a network having a connection controller, one or more subscriber information stores and at least one application provider, the method comprising:

registering a subscriber unit with the network, including transmitting from the subscriber information store associated with that subscriber unit to the connection controller information indicative of the access of that subscriber unit to application services; and

in order to enable access to services of the application provider, transmitting from the connection controller to the application provider at least one of;

a. an indication of the address of at least one unit from which the application provider may retrieve subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider; and

b. subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider; and

c. a notification of registration; and

d. nothing until the subscriber requests a service from the application provider.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the application provider is in the same network as the connection controller information a and not information b is transmitted.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein if the application provider is in the same network as the connection controller information a, wherein the unit from which the application provider may retrieve subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider is the connection controller and/or at least one information store, and not information b is transmitted.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein if the application provider is not in the same network as the connection controller information b and not information a is transmitted.

5. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein if the application provider is not in the same network as the connection controller information a, wherein the unit from which the application provider may retrieve subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider is a proxy unit arranged to interface between the application provider and the connection controller and/or at least one information store, and not information b is transmitted.

6. A method as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, comprising the step of determining whether the application provider is in the same network as the connection controller by means of one or more of:

a name of the application provider and a network address of the application provider.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the address is an internet protocol (IP) address.

8. A method as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the system is arranged to, on registering a subscriber unit with the network, determine the application providers to which the subscriber unit has access and for at least one of those application providers perform the step of registering that application provider with the network for providing services to the subscriber unit.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider is at least partially derived from a subscriber service profile and/or a user profile associated with the subscriber unit.

10. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider is at least partially derived from a service profile that is not specific to an individual subscriber.

11. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the network is under the control of a single operator.

12. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the network is under the control of a plurality of operators operating in a trusting relationship.

13. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein information a and/or b and/or c and/or d is transmitted to the application provider by means of at least one SIP message.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the message is a REGISTER or a SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY message.

15. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the system is a third generation (3G) telecommunication system.

16. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the subscriber unit is a user equipment (UE).

17. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the application provider is an application server (AS).

18. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the application provider is capable of providing an application service to the subscriber unit.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the application service is a multimedia service or call, a session or call forwarding service, a session control service, a messaging or presence or group service.

20. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the connection controller is a serving call state control function (S-CSCF).

21. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the subscriber information store is a home subscriber server (HSS) or a HTTP server.

22. A method for transferring information in a communication system substantially as herein described with reference to the included drawings.

23. A connection controller for transferring information in a communication system whereby one or more subscriber units may communicate, the system comprising a network having a connection controller, one or more subscriber information stores and at least one application provider, the connection control unit comprising:

a store arranged to register a subscriber unit with the network by receiving from the subscriber information store associated with that subscriber unit information indicative of the access of that subscriber unit to application services, and storing that information; and

a service access unit arranged to, in order to enable access to services of the application provider, transmit from the connection controller to the application provider at least one of;

a. an indication of the address of at least one unit from which the application provider may retrieve subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider; and

b. subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider; and

c. a notification of registration; and

d. nothing until the subscriber requesting a service from the application provider.

24. A connection controller as claimed in claim 23, wherein if the application provider is in the same network as the connection controller information a and not information b is transmitted.

25. A connection controller as claimed in claim 24, wherein if the application provider is in the same network as the connection controller information a, wherein the unit from which the application provider may retrieve subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider is the connection controller and/or at least one information store, and not information b is transmitted.

26. A connection controller as claimed in any of claims 23 to 25, wherein if the application provider is not in the same network as the connection controller information b and not information a is transmitted.

27. A connection controller as claimed in any of claims 23 to 25, wherein if the application provider is not in the same network as the connection controller information a, wherein the unit from which the application provider may retrieve subscriber specific information related to the services of the application provider is a proxy unit arranged to interface between the application provider and the connection controller and/or at least one information store, and not information b is transmitted.

28. A connection controller as claimed in any of claims 23 to 27, wherein the connection controller is arranged to determine whether the application provider is in the same network as the connection controller.

29. A connection controller as claimed in claim 28, wherein the said determination is performed by means of one or more of:

a name of the application provider and a network address of the application provider.

30. A connection controller as claimed in any of claims 23 to 29, wherein information a and/or b and/or c and/or d is transmitted to the application provider by means of at least one SIP message.

31. A connection controller as claimed in any of claims 23 to 29, wherein the message is a REGISTER or a SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY message.