Method and system for providing wireless-specific services for a wireless access network

• US 20060140151A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kachhla, Rasik, Dantu, Ramanamurthy, Yin, Haochih Paul, Chiang, Shihlung
• Granted Patent: US 7,639,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/147 Signalling methods or messages providing extensions to protocols defined by standardisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for providing wireless-specific services for a wireless access network includes receiving at a call agent of a wireless access network a call origination for a mobile device. Whether the device is registered on the wireless access network is determined. If the mobile device is not registered, whether the mobile device is active is determined at a mobility control function (MCF). If the mobile device is active, the call is connected to the mobile device with a call agent based on a temporary line directory number (TLDN) assigned by the MCF and passed to the call agent in an extended session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

Claims

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22. An apparatus for providing call handling for a wireless access network, comprising:

a call agent of the wireless access network operable to receive a call origination for a call associated with a mobile device, wherein the call agent is further operable to determine whether the mobile device is registered on the wireless access network and if the mobile device is not registered, a determination is made as to whether the mobile device is active, if the mobile device is active then the call is connected to the mobile device based on a temporary line directory number (TLDN) that was passed to the call agent in an extended session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein if the mobile device is not active, the call is connected to a voice mail server identified by profile information for the mobile device.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein if the mobile device is registered, profile information for the mobile device is retrieved, whereby the call is routed to the mobile device in the wireless access network using a SIP message.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the call agent comprises wireless-specific interfaces.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the call agent is operable to support wireless-specific location based services.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a bearer path associated with the call is anchored at a gateway associated with a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a bearer path associated with the call is anchored in a wireless-specific access gateway.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein events detected at a mobility control function (MCF), which is operable to communicate with the call agent, serve as a basis for intelligent network (IN) triggers.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the call supports a selected one or more services that can be enabled by wireless-specific extensions, the services being part of a group of services and the group consisting of:

a) feature activation;

b) feature deactivation;

c) calling number identification;

d) call forwarding unconditional;

e) call forwarding no answer;

f) call forwarding default;

g) call forwarding busy; and

h) voice mail waiting notification.

31. A method for enlisting one or more end users in a network environment in which call handling for a wireless access network occurs, comprising:

enlisting one or more end users in a billing plan associated with network communications;

generating a bill associated with one or more of the end users, the bill being based on the billing plan; and

facilitating network communications for one or more of the end users in response to the end users being enlisted in the billing plan, whereby the network communications includes a protocol that comprises;

receiving at a call agent of the wireless access network a call origination for a mobile device;

determining whether the mobile device is registered on the wireless access network;

if the mobile device is not registered, determining at a mobility control function (MCF) whether the mobile device is active; and

if the mobile device is active, connecting the call to the mobile device with a call agent based on a temporary line directory number (TLDN) assigned by the MCF and passed to the call agent in an extended session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

if the mobile device is not active, connecting the call to a voice mail server identified by profile information for the mobile device.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

if the mobile device is registered, retrieving profile information for the mobile device at the call agent; and

routing the call to the mobile device in the wireless access network through the MCF using a SIP message.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

allocating bandwidth to one or more of the end users based on the billing plan.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

anchoring a bearer path associated with the call at a gateway associated with a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

anchoring a bearer path associated with the call at a gateway associated with a wireless-specific access gateway.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

detecting events at the MCF, which is operable to communicate with the call agent, that serve as a basis for intelligent network (IN) triggers.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the triggers are associated with voice or wireless Internet communications.

39. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

providing location based services to the mobile device via the call agent.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein location specific information is passed in an Invite message.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the location based services comprise a location identification restriction (LIR) feature and a location identification presentation (LIP) feature.