Method and system for address translation and aliasing to efficiently utilize UFMI address space

• US 20060063542A1
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Choksi, Ojas Thakor
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/507
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/385 Uniform resource identifier for session initiation protocol [SIP URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/618 Details of network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4527 Voicemail attached to other kind of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

An address server comprising a UFMI server application adapted to allocate an inter-working UFMI to an iDEN subscriber unit and map the inter-working UFMI to an external subscriber address. The inter-working UFMI is associated with an iDEN network, and the external subscriber address is associated with an external network. The address server includes an iHLR, a data storage storing a pool of reusable iDEN UFMIs and mapped pairs of iDEN UFMIs to external subscribers. The mappings are stored on a per user, per fleet or per account basis. The data storage also stores a pool of global iDEN UFMIs. Use of the inter-working UFMIs facilitates dispatch communications between the iDEN subscriber unit and the external subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating dispatch communications between a first subscriber on a first network and a second subscriber on a second network, the method comprising:

providing the first subscriber with an inter-working UFMI; and

mapping an address of the second subscriber on the second dispatch network to the UFMI, wherein the UFMI represents an address of the second subscriber on the first network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first subscriber is one of a plurality of subscribers on the first network, and wherein each of the plurality of subscribers is provided with a pool of inter-working UFMIs.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network includes an iDEN network and the second network includes a non-iDEN network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the UFMI is local to at least one of the first subscriber, a fleet associated with the first subscriber, and an account associated with the first subscriber.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first subscriber is provided access to a set of global inter-working UFMIs, and wherein the step of mapping further comprises mapping the address of the second subscriber to a select one of the global UFMIs when the address of the second subscriber has been mapped by a predetermined number of users of the first network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing an inter-working UFMI comprises:

establishing a subscription for the first subscriber on the first network; and

determining a number of available UFMIs for the first subscriber in accordance with the subscription.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a dispatch call request from the first subscriber to the UFMI of the second subscriber;

translating the UFMI of the second subscriber to the address of the second subscriber; and

transmitting to the second network a request from the first subscriber to the address of the second subscriber.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a dispatch call request from the second network, the call request identifying the second subscriber unit as a source and the first subscriber unit as a target;

allocating the UFMI to the first subscriber unit; and

forwarding the received dispatch call request to the first subscriber unit, the received dispatch call request including the UFMI.

9. An address server comprising:

a UFMI server application adapted to allocate an inter-working UFMI to an iDEN subscriber unit and map the inter-working UFMI to an external subscriber address.

10. The address server of claim 9 wherein the inter-working UFMI is associated with an iDEN network, and wherein the external subscriber address is associated with an external network.

11. The address server of claim 10 further comprising an iDEN Home Location Register (iHLR).

12. The address server of claim 9 further comprising a data storage storing a pool of reusable iDEN UFMIs and mapped pairs of iDEN UFMIs to external subscribers, wherein the mappings are stored on a per user basis and wherein the inter-working UFMI is a reusable iDEN UFMI from the pool.

13. The address server of claim 9 further comprising a data storage storing a pool of global iDEN UFMIs, wherein the inter-working UFMI is a global UFMI.

15. The address server of claim 9 wherein the UFMI server application is further adapted to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request for the inter-working UFMI from an iDEN gateway, the request including the external subscriber address and a target iDEN subscriber address;

allocating the inter-working UFMI to the target iDEN subscriber address;

mapping the inter-working UFMI to the external subscriber address; and

returning the UFMI-external subscriber address mapping to the iDEN gateway.

16. The address server of claim 9 wherein the UFMI server application is further adapted to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request for the inter-working UFMI from the iDEN subscriber unit, the request including the external subscriber address;

allocating the inter-working UFMI from a pool of inter-working UFMIs to the iDEN subscriber unit; and

returning a mapping of the inter-working UFMI and external subscriber address to the iDEN subscriber unit.

17. The address server of claim 16 wherein the UFMI server application is further adapted to perform steps comprising:

allocating a global UFMI to the external subscriber address if a number of mappings to the external subscriber address exceed a predetermined threshold;

notifying the iDEN subscriber unit of the global UFMI mapping; and

releasing reusable UFMI mappings associated with the external subscriber address.

14. The address server of Clam 13 wherein the UFMI server application is further adapted to perform steps comprising:

assigning a global UFMI to the external subscriber address when a number of reusable inter-working UFMIs mapped to the external subscriber address exceeds a predetermined threshold;

for each iDEN subscriber unit having an associated reusable UFMI mapped to the external subscriber address, notifying the iDEN subscriber unit of the global UFMI; and

releasing each associated reusable UFMI.

18. A mobile device including logic for performing steps comprising:

receiving a request to store user information associated with an external subscriber unit;

transmitting a request for an inter-working UFMI to an address server, the request including a mobile device identifier and the user information;

receiving a UFMI;

external address mapping; and

storing the mapping on the mobile device.

19. The mobile device of claim 18 further including logic to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request to delete stored user information, the user information having an associated inter-working UFMI;

transmitting a deallocation message to the address server, the message including the deleted UFMI; and

deleting the stored user information.

20. The mobile device of claim 18 further including logic to perform steps comprising receiving an update for dynamic allocation of a UFMI.

21. The mobile device of claim 20 further including logic to perform steps comprising receiving an update for allocation of a global UFMI.

22. A communications system comprising:

an address server including a data storage storing a pool of inter-working UFMIs and a memory storing program logic for instructing the address server to perform steps including;

allocating an inter-working UFMI to an iDEN subscriber; and

mapping the allocated inter-working UFMI to an external subscriber; and

storing the mapping in the data storage.

23. The communications system of claim 22 wherein the step of allocating an inter-working UFMI comprises:

receiving a request for the inter-working UFMI;

authenticating the request; and

allocating the inter-working UFMI only if the request is authenticated.

24. The communications system of claim 22 wherein the program logic further includes instructions for causing the address server to perform steps comprising:

receiving a deallocation message identifying the iDEN subscriber and the mapped inter-working UFMI; and

returning the allocated inter-working UFMI to the pool of inter-working UFMIs.

25. The communications system of claim 22 wherein the iDEN subscriber is allocated a number of inter-working UFMIs from the pool, the number of inter-working UFMIs being based on a pricing plan associated with the iDEN subscriber.

26. The communications system of claim 22 further comprising an iDEN network and an external network, wherein the inter-working UFMIs are associated with the iDEN network, and wherein the external subscriber communicates with the iDEN subscriber through the external network.

27. The communications system of claim 26 wherein the iDEN network further comprises:

a gateway facilitating push-to-talk communications between the iDEN network and an external network;

a dispatch call controller facilitating push-to-talk communications between the iDEN subscriber unit and the external subscriber; and

an iHRL storing subscriber service information.

28. The communications system of claim 27 wherein the gateway is adapted to:

receive a dispatch call request from the external network, the dispatch call request including a target address of the iDEN subscriber unit on the iDEN network, and a source address of the external subscriber on the external network; and

request the inter-working UFMI from the address server.

29. The communications system of claim 28 wherein the gateway is further adapted to:

receive the UFMI-source address mapping from the address server; and

prepare an iDEN dispatch call setup request message including the UFMI of the target iDEN subscriber unit and the inter-working UFMI of the external subscriber unit; and

forward the iDEN dispatch call setup request to the iDEN subscriber unit.

30. The communications system of claim 28 wherein the gateway is adapted to:

receive a dispatch call request from the iDEN subscriber unit, the dispatch call request including the inter-working UFMI for the external subscriber on the external network;

retrieve an external address associated with the inter-working UFMI; and

transmit an inter-working call request to the external network, the inter-working call request including an iDEN network address of the iDEN subscriber unit and the external address of the target subscriber unit.

31. The communications system of claim 30 wherein the gateway is further adapted to cache the received mapping.

32. The communications system of claim 27 wherein the address server is adapted to:

receive a request for the inter-working UFMI from the iDEN gateway;

allocate the inter-working UFMI to the target iDEN subscriber;

map the inter-working UFMI to the source address; and

return the UFMI-source address mapping to the gateway.

33. The communications system of claim 32 wherein the address server is further adapted to:

allocate a global UFMI and map the global UFMI to the source address when the number mappings associated with the source address exceeds a predetermined threshold.