Method and system providing support for location and service category service discovery in a SIP environment using a SIP event package, forking and AOR registration

• US 20060004924A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Trossen, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US10/881,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004924A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

In one aspect this invention provides a method to operate an event notification system that includes at least one event server, at least one device and a subscriber unit. The method includes registering an Address of Record (AOR) of the device with a system registrar for each service category in which the device offers a service, the AOR being based on a service category naming convention; sending a Subscribe message from the subscriber unit to the device for registering to receive an availability notification for a desired service, the Subscribe message comprising a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) based on the AOR service category naming convention. In response to a receipt of the Subscribe message, the method sends an initial Notify message from the device to the subscriber unit, the initial Notify message containing an indication of whether the desired service is currently supported by the device. Registering can further register a further AOR of the device with the system registrar for a location of the device, the further AOR being based on a location naming convention.

Claims

1. A method to operate an event notification system comprising at least one event server, at least one device and a subscriber unit, comprising:

registering an Address of Record (AOR) and a contact address of the device with a system registrar for each service category in which the device offers a service, the AOR being based on a service category naming convention;

sending a Subscribe message from the subscriber unit to the device for registering to receive an availability notification for a desired service, the Subscribe message comprising a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) based on the AOR service category naming convention; and

in response to a receipt of the Subscribe message, sending an initial Notify message from the device to the subscriber unit, the initial Notify message comprising an indication of whether the desired service is currently supported by the device.

2. A method as in claim 1, where the Subscribe message comprises a zero lifetime, and functions as a service discovery request message.

3. A method as in claim 1, where the Subscribe message comprises a non-zero lifetime, and further comprising establishing a subscription for the subscriber, and sending a further Notify message to the subscriber when the desired service becomes available.

4. A method as in claim 1, where registering further registers a second AOR of the device with the system registrar for a location of the device, the further AOR being based on a location naming convention.

5. A method as in claim 4, where the Subscribe message sent from the subscriber unit to the device registers to receive an availability notification for service provided by devices at a specified location, where the Notify message includes an identification of services provided by devices at the specified location, and where the Subscribe message comprises a non-zero lifetime, further comprising establishing a subscription for the subscriber, and sending a further Notify message to the subscriber when the availability of services provided by devices at the specified location changes.

6. A method as in claim 1, where the event notification system comprises a part of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) system, and where the Subscribe and Notify messages are SIP-compliant.

7. A method as in claim 1, where registering makes use of a registration function that comprises a naming scheme defining a hierarchy of service categories and locations.

8. A method as in claim 7, where a registering device registers at least two AORs, one AOR comprising a service category of the device and the contact address, and a second AOR comprising a location of the device and the contact address.

9. A method as in claim 8, further comprising subscribing to a registration state for a particular AOR, and receiving a notification based on at least one of an addition or a deletion of a device in a specific service category or location.

10. A method as in claim 8, where the location is provided by at least one of a user entering the location and a location sensor associated with the device.

11. A method as in claim 1, where the event notification system comprises a part of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) system, where the Subscribe and Notify messages are SIP-compliant, and where a subscription is based on a SIP availability event package that supports forking the subscription to a plurality of registered devices in at least one of a common AOR-defined service category and a common AOR-defined location, thereby providing device discovery within a service category or a location.

12. A method as in claim 1, where the Subscribe message is forked to a plurality of devices within a common domain.

13. A method as in claim 1, further comprising responding immediately to the Subscribe message by providing matching service parameters that are available, or responding to the Subscribe message at a later time when the matching service parameters become available.

14. A method as in claim 1, where the event notification system comprises a part of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) system, and the Subscribe message is sent to a SIP Proxy that is coupled between the device and an Internet Protocol network.

15. A device comprising an interface to a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy, said device comprising a controller for registering an Address of Record (AOR) of the device with the SIP proxy for each service category in which the device offers a service, the AOR being based on a service category naming convention and using a device Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) as a contact URI, said controller being responsive to a receipt of a Subscribe message originated from a subscriber for subscribing to an “

Availability”

event package for returning an initial Notify message containing an indication of whether a service is currently available at the device, where the service is specified in the Subscribe message, and if the Subscribe message indicates a non-zero lifetime, for returning a subsequent Notify message in the event that there is a change in the availability of the desired service at the device.

16. A device as in claim 15, where said controller also registers a further AOR of the device for indicating a location of the device, the further AOR being based on a location naming convention, and where said controller returns the initial Notify message to contain an indication of whether a service is currently available at the device in a particular location, where a service is specified in the Subscribe message, and if the Subscribe message indicates a non-zero lifetime, for returning a subsequent Notify message in the event that there is a change in the availability of services provided by the device.

17. A device as in claim 15, where there are a plurality of devices associated with a domain, and where the Subscribe message is forked so that it is received by the plurality of devices.

18. A domain registrar associated with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy for managing registration of at least an Address of Record (AOR) of devices associated with a domain, each AOR including at least one of an indication of a service provided by the device or a location of the device, in accordance with at least one of an AOR service and location naming protocol, said domain registrar being responsive to a receipt of a Subscribe message from a subscriber for subscribing to the registration state of at least one of the registered AORs, for returning an initial Notify message to the subscriber for indicating a current registration state of the at least one of the AORs, and for returning a subsequent Notify message to the subscriber in response to a change in state of the at least one of the AORs.

19. A subscriber unit operable in an event notification system, comprising logic to originate a Subscribe message to subscribe to a service “

Availability”

event package, said logic being responsive to a receipt of an initial Notify message to determine whether a desired service is currently available within a domain, where the desired service is specified in the Subscribe message using an Address of Record (AOR) naming convention, and for a Subscribe message that is originated with a non-zero lifetime indication, to receive a subsequent Notify message in the event that there is a change in the availability of the desired service within the domain.

20. A subscriber unit as in claim 19, where the event notification system comprises a part of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) system, and where the Subscribe and Notify messages are SIP-compliant.

21. A subscriber unit as in claim 19, where the subscriber unit comprises a mobile wireless communications device.

22. A subscriber unit operable in an event notification system, comprising logic to originate a Subscribe message to subscribe to a service “

Availability”

event package, said logic being responsive to a receipt of an initial Notify message to determine availability of services at a location, where the location is specified in the Subscribe message using an Address of Record (AOR) naming convention, and for a Subscribe message that is originated with a non-zero lifetime indication, to receive a subsequent Notify message in the event that there is a change in the services available at the location.

23. A subscriber unit as in claim 22, where the event notification system comprises a part of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) system, and where the Subscribe and Notify messages are SIP-compliant.

24. A subscriber unit as in claim 22, where the subscriber unit comprises a mobile wireless communications device.

25. A subscriber unit operable in an event notification system, comprising logic to originate a Subscribe message to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy that manages registration of at least an Address of Record (AOR) of devices associated with a domain, each AOR including at least one of an indication of a service provided by the device or a location of the device, in accordance with at least one of an AOR service and location naming protocol, said Subscribe message for subscribing to a registration state of at least one of the registered AORs, said subscriber unit being responsive to a receipt of an initial Notify message to determine a current registration state of the at least one of the AORs, and to a receipt of a subsequent Notify message to determine a change in state of the at least one of the AORs.

26. A subscriber unit as in claim 25, where the subscriber unit comprises a mobile wireless communications device.