METHOD AND APPARATUS REGARDING USE OF A SERVICE CONVERGENCE FABRIC

• US 20070097863A1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Venkitaraman, Narayanan, Lin, Peter, Smith, Patrick, Maurer, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/355 Application aware switches, e.g. for HTTP

Abstract

A service convergence fabric (103) is operably disposed between a plurality of independent access networks, control networks, and service networks (104) and a converged application layer (100). This service convergence fabric is then used (202) to receive a service request, process the service request, provide a corresponding response, and publish that response to facilitate the service request. Processing the service request can comprise processing the service request with respect to resources to support the service request, user session status as corresponds to the service request, and user preferences as correspond to the service request. Providing a response can comprise providing a response that comprises at least one of a processed service request and a converged response to the service request.

Claims

1. A method for use with:

a plurality of networks comprising any of independent access networks, control networks,

and services networks; and

multiple services end users;

the method comprising;

providing a service convergence fabric between the plurality of networks comprising any of independent access networks, control networks, and services networks and a converged application layer;

using the service convergence fabric to;

receive a service request;

process the service request with respect to;

resources to support the service request;

user session status as corresponds to the service request; and

user preferences as correspond to the service request;

provide a response comprising at least one of

a processed service request; and

a converged response to the service request;

publish the response to facilitate supporting the service request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a service request comprises receiving a service request from a services end user that is external to the service convergence fabric.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a service request comprises receiving a service request from an application that is external to the service convergence fabric.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a service request comprises receiving a service request from a service management element that comprises a part of the service convergence fabric.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the service request with respect to resources to support the service request comprises accessing a database.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein accessing a database comprises accessing a database to obtain information regarding at least one of:

information regarding at least potentially available resources to support the service request;

information regarding present availability of the at least potentially available resources to support the service request;

information regarding existing authorizations as correspond to the at least potentially available resources as may be relevant to supporting the service request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the service request with respect to user session status as corresponds to the service request comprises using information regarding substantially current session status for end users as relate to the service request.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the information regarding substantially current session status for end users as relate to the service request comprises at least one of:

information regarding whether a specific end user has a presently active session;

information regarding an application that is presently active on behalf of a specific end user

9. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the service request with respect to user preferences as correspond to the service request comprises using information regarding at least one of:

pre-established rules regarding how a service is to be facilitated on behalf of a given service beneficiary;

dynamically established rules regarding how a service is to be facilitated on behalf of a given service beneficiary.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the user preferences are established, at least in part, by at least one of:

an entity that initiated the service request;

a resource that may be employed to facilitate the service request;

an entity that may participate in the service request;

a beneficiary of the service request;

an application as will be employed to facilitate the service request.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the service request comprises routing at least portions of the service request to each of a resources processor, a session state processor, and a preferences processor.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein using the service convergence fabric to provide a response comprises providing information regarding the resources, the user session status, and the user preferences to a service management network element.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein providing the information to a service management network element further comprises processing the information to select a particular way to treat the service request from amongst a plurality of potential ways to treat the service request.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the processed service request to facilitate supporting the service request comprises providing enabling information regarding the processed service request to at least one of:

a service request requester;

at least one resource owner;

another service management network element within the service convergence fabric.

15. An apparatus for use in a service convergence fabric, which service convergence fabric is deployed between a plurality of networks comprising any of independent access networks, control networks, and services networks and a converged application layer, the apparatus comprising:

a service request receiver;

a service request router being operably coupled to the service request receiver;

a resource evaluator being operably coupled to the service request router and being configured and arranged to evaluate resource availability as corresponds to supporting the service request;

a user session status evaluator being operably coupled to the service request router and being configured and arranged to evaluate user session status as corresponds to supporting the service request;

a user preferences evaluator being operably coupled to the service request router and being configured and arranged to evaluate user preferences as correspond to supporting the service request;

a service request publisher being operably coupled to the resource evaluator, the user session status evaluator, and the user preferences evaluator and being configured and arranged to publish a processed service request response to facilitate supporting a service request as is received by the service request receiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the service request receiver is configured and arranged to receive a service request from any of a services end user, an application, and a service management network entity that comprises a part of the service convergence fabric.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a service management network element that receives information regarding resource availability from the resource evaluator, user session status from the user session status evaluator, and user preferences from the user preferences evaluator and which uses the information to process the service request and thereby provide a publishable processed service request response to the service request publisher.