Method and element for service control

• US 20060270404A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tuohino, Markku, Westman, Ilkka
• Granted Patent: US 7,870,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release

Abstract

A service control element stores a user filter criterion. When it receives a session request identifying the user, it checks whether the session request matches the user filter criterion, and outputs the session request to a defined service platform when the session request matches the user filter criterion. The element is arranged to retrieve, before forwarding the request to the service platform, a capability information element that indicates the dynamic capability of a user to utilize the service provided by the service platform. If the information element indicates that the user is not capable to utilize the service provided by the service platform, the session is terminated. Incoming messages can be appropriately managed already in the network element responsible for service control, and thus additional load and unnecessary charging considerations can be avoided.

Claims

1. A service control element, comprising:

input means for receiving a session request identifying a user;

checking means for checking whether the session request matches a defined service control criterion; and

routing means for forwarding the session request to a defined service platform when the session request matches the service control criterion;

retrieving means for retrieving, before forwarding the session request to the defined service platform, a capability information element associated with the user, the capability information element indicating a capability of at least one user equipment of the user to utilize a service provided by the defined service platform; and

termination means for terminating a session in response to the capability information element indicating that none of the user equipment of the user is capable to utilize the service provided by the defined service platform.

2. A service control element according to claim 1, wherein the service control criterion is a user filter criterion and the capability information element is included in the user filter criterion.

3. A service control element according to claim 2, wherein the capability information element is included in a trigger point of the user filter criterion.

4. A service control element according to claim 3, wherein the capability information element is included in a service point trigger instance of a trigger point of the user filter criterion.

5. A service control element according to claim 1, further comprising:

interface means to a database for storing capability information elements received from users, wherein

the retrieving means are arranged to retrieve the capability information elements from the database.

6. A service control element according to claim 5, wherein the data-base is integrated in the service control element.

7. A service control element according to claim 5, wherein the retrieving means are arranged to identify from the database information within the session request.

8. A method for service control, comprising:

receiving a session request identifying a user;

checking whether the session request matches a defined service control criterion; and

forwarding the session request to a defined service platform when the session request matches the service control criterion;

retrieving, before forwarding the session request to the defined service platform, a capability information element associated with the user, the capability information element indicating a capability of at least one user equipment of the user to utilize a service provided by the defined service platform; and

terminating a session in response to the capability information element indicating that none of the user equipment of the user is capable to utilize the service provided by the defined service platform.

9. A subscriber server, comprising:

memory means for storing a service control criterion to be used for checking whether a session request associated with the user should be forwarded to a service platform, wherein

the service control criterion comprises a capability information element that indicates a dynamic capability of at least one user equipment of the user to utilize a service provided by the service platform.

10. A computer program of a service control element embodied within a computer readable medium, the computer program being configured to perform:

receiving a session request identifying a user;

checking whether the session request matches a defined service control criterion;

forwarding the session request to a defined service platform when the session request matches the service control criterion;

retrieving, before forwarding the session request to the defined service platform, a capability information element associated with the session request, the capability information element indicating a capability of at least one user equipment of the user to utilize a service provided by the defined service platform; and

terminating a session in response to the capability information element indicating that none of the user equipment of the user is capable to utilize the service provided by the defined service platform.

11. A computer program of a subscriber server embodied within a computer readable medium, the computer program being configured to perform:

storing a service control criterion;

using the service control criterion to check whether a session request associated with a user is to be forwarded to a service platform; and

indicating using a capability information element in the service control criterion a dynamic capability of at least one user equipment of the user to utilize a service provided by the service platform.