System and method for addressing a mobile device in an ip-based wireless network

• US 20040205233A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Dunk, Craig A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,581,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for addressing a mobile device in an IP-based wireless network is provided. Push service providers prepare data for transmission to the mobile device using a first IP address. The addressed data is then transmitted to a push proxy. The push proxy obtains a network identifier that is permanently associated with the wireless mobile device using the first IP address. The network identifier is then used by the push proxy to obtain a second IP address that is temporarily associated with the wireless mobile device. Using this second IP address, the data from the push proxy is then addressed and transmitted to the wireless mobile device via a tunnel created through the wireless network using the second IP address.

Claims

1. A method of addressing data for delivery to a wireless mobile device via an IP-based wireless network, comprising the steps of:

addressing data using a first IP address that is permanently associated with the wireless mobile device and transmitting the addressed data to a push proxy server;

obtaining a network identifier for the wireless mobile device using the first IP address;

obtaining a second IP address that is temporarily associated with the wireless mobile device from the IP-based wireless network;

addressing the data using the second IP address; and

transmitting the data to the wireless mobile device using the second IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a push service provider that addresses the data using the first IP address; and

transmitting the addressed data from the push service provider to the push proxy server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the addressed data from the push service provider to the Internet; and

receiving the addressed data at the push proxy server via an Internet connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is electronic mail.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is financial data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is voice data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first IP address is an IPV6 address and the second IP address is an IPV4 address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a network identifier step further comprises the steps of:

providing the first IP address to an address resolution component associated with the IP-based wireless network;

performing an address lookup step at the address resolution component to match the first IP address with a database of network identifiers; and

transmitting the network identifier that is associated with the first IP address in the database from the address resolution component to the push proxy server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the IP-based wireless network is the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, and the network identifier is the IMSI of the wireless mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a network identifier step further comprises the steps of:

providing the first IP address to a DNS server associated with the IP-based wireless network; and

accessing a database of network identifiers at the DNS server based on the first IP address.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the obtaining a second IP address further comprises the steps of:

transmitting the network identifier from the push proxy server to the IP-based wireless network;

accessing a database associated with the IP-based wireless network in order to determine whether the second IP address has been associated with the network identifier, and

if the second IP address has been associated with the network identifier, then transmitting the second IP address from the IP-based wireless network to the push proxy server.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the obtaining a second IP address further comprises the steps of:

transmitting the network identifier from the DNS server to the IP-based wireless network;

accessing a database associated with the IP-based wireless network in order to determine whether the second IP address has been associated with the network identifier, and

if the second IP address has been associated with the network identifier, then transmitting the second IP address from the IP-based wireless network to the DNS server, and from the DNS server to the push proxy server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

opening a connection between the push proxy server and a network access point of the IP-based wireless network;

using the network identifier to initiate a tunnel between the network access point and the wireless mobile device; and

transmitting the data using the second IP address from the push proxy server to the wireless mobile device using the connection between the push proxy server and the network access point, and the tunnel created between the network access point and the wireless mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tunnel is a PDP-context.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

preparing data at the wireless mobile device;

addressing the data at the wireless mobile device using the second IP address; and

transmitting the addressed data from the wireless mobile device to the push proxy server.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a network firewall between the push proxy server and the IP-based wireless network.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the first IP address in a memory of the wireless mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the memory is a SIM card.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a second IP address step further comprises the step of:

checking a cache memory associated with the push proxy server to determine if an association is present between the first IP address and a second IP address.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identifier is embedded within a portion of the first IP address.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the obtaining a network identifier step further comprises the step of extracting the network identifier from the portion of the first IP address.