Account creation system and call processing system

• US 20080046580A1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lafuente, Javier, Niemi, Aki, Vehmanen, Kai
• Application Number:
  US11/653,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/715 Activating new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7027 Activate new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7464 : Select transport technology for a given service, e.g. use for data connection WLAN rather than GSM/UMTS/GPRS or use company's communication network rather than a public network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42246 : where the subscriber uses a multi-mode terminal which moves and accesses different networks with at least one network having a wireline access including cordless PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 : in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The present invention generally describes a method and a corresponding system and network entities to create an account for a terminal capable to establish a call via at least a first and second access technology at a server entity, the server being enabled to handle calls via the at least first and second access technologies. The present invention further generally describes a method and a corresponding system and network entities of routing a call originating from a calling terminal registered to a server, the calling terminal is configured to establish a call via at least a first and second access technologies, to a called terminal configured to be called via at least the first and second access technologies.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

configuring a terminal to be operative to establish calls via at least a first access technology and a second access technology;

configuring a server to handle calls via the at least first and second access technologies;

composing, by the terminal, an account creation request message containing an identification of the terminal to create an account for the terminal at the server;

receiving, at the server, the account creation request message from the terminal based on the messaging system of the first access technology;

creating, at said server, the account for the terminal based on the second access technology responsive to receiving the account creation request message; and

associating, at the server, the identification of the terminal with the account for the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

basing the identification of the terminal on the first access technology.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the server, an information message to the terminal based on the first access technology to inform the terminal of settings of the account based on the second access technology for the terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

conforming at least one of the account creation request message and the information message to the first access technology.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

conforming the first access technology to one group of global system for mobile communication (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), IS-95 telephony and messaging.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

conforming the second access technology to telephony and messaging over transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) networks.

5. A method, comprising:

configuring a calling terminal registered to a server via second access technology to establish calls via at least a first access technology and a second access technology to a called terminal;

configuring the called terminal to handle calls via said at least first and second access technologies;

receiving, at a server, a call request from said calling terminal registered to the server according to the second access technology to the called terminal including an identification of the called terminal;

determining, whether the requested identification is associated with an account maintained in the server and the respective called terminal is registered to the server via the second access technology; and

if the requested identification is associated with an account maintained in the server and the respective called terminal is registered to the server via the second access technology;

routing the call request based on the second access technology to the called terminal associated with the respective account.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

replying from the server to the calling terminal, if the requested identification is not associated with the account maintained in the server or the respective called terminal is not registered to the server via the second access technology.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein upon receipt of the reply from a server, the method further comprises:

initiating a call by the calling terminal based on the first access technology.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

initiating the call based on the first access technology after confirmation by the user.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

initiating the call based on the first access technology by the terminal dependent on a result of a tariff check.

10. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

deciding, at the server, whether the call is to be routed based on the first access technology or based on a fixed telephone network gateway, if the requested identification is not associated with the account maintained in the server or the respective called terminal is not registered to the server via the second access technology.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

routing the call based on the first access technology or based on the fixed telephone network gateway, based on a result of the decision.

12. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

displaying which route is used for routing the call on a display of the terminal.

15. A server, comprising:

a multi access transceiver configured to receive an account creation request message comprising an identification of a terminal composed by the terminal;

a creator configured to create an account for the terminal composing the account creation request message;

an associator configured to associate the identification of the terminal received at the server with the account of the terminal created by the creator, wherein the multi access transceiver is further configured to receive a call request from a calling terminal registered to the server according to a second access technology to an identification of a called terminal; and

a determinator configured to determine whether the requested identification is associated with an account maintained in the server and a respective called terminal is registered to the server via the second access technology, wherein the multi access transceiver is further configured to route the call request based on the second access technology to the called terminal associated with the respective account.

16. The server according to claim 15, wherein the multi access transceiver is further configured to send an information message to the terminal based on a first access technology to inform the terminal of settings of the account based on the second access technology.

17. The server according to claim 16, further comprising a registerer configured to register the terminal, for which an account has been created, to the server.

18. The server according to claim 17, wherein the multi access transceiver is further configured to reply to the calling terminal, if the requested identification is not associated with the account maintained in the server or the respective terminal is not registered to the server.

19. The server according to claim 17, further comprising:

a decider configured to decide, whether a call is to be routed based on the first access technology or based on a fixed telephone network gateway, if the requested identification is not associated with the account maintained in the server or the respective terminal is not registered to the server.

20. The server according to claim 19, wherein the multi access transceiver is further configured to route the call based on the first access technology or based on the fixed telephone network gateway, based on the result of the decider.

21. A terminal, comprising:

a composer configured to compose an account creation request message containing an identification of the terminal to create an account for the terminal at a server;

a multi access transceiver configured to transmit the account creation request message to the server;

a generator configured to generate a call request to an identification of a called terminal, wherein the multi access transceiver is further configured to receive a reply from the server, if the requested identification is not associated with the account maintained in the server or not currently registered to the server based on a second access technology; and

an initiator configured to initiate a call based on a first access technology upon receipt of the reply from the server.

22. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the multi access transceiver is further configured to receive an information message based on the first access technology from the server containing account information.

23. The terminal according to claim 21, further comprising:

a detector configured to detect a confirmation by a user prior to initiating the call based on the first access technology upon receipt of the reply from the server.

24. The terminal according to claim 21, further comprising:

a tariff checker configured to perform a tariff check prior to initiating the call based on the first access technology upon receipt of the reply from the server.

25. The terminal according to claim 21, further comprising:

a display, configured to display which route is used for routing the call.

26. A server, comprising:

multi access transceiver means for receiving an account creation request message comprising an identification of a terminal composed by the terminal;

creator means for creating an account for the terminal composing the account creation request message;

associator means for associating the identification of the terminal received at the server with the account of the terminal created by the creator, wherein the multi access transceiver means receives a call request from a calling terminal registered to the server according to a second access technology to an identification of a called terminal; and

determinator means for determining whether the requested identification is associated with an account maintained in the server and a respective called terminal is registered to the server via the second access technology, wherein the multi access transceiver means routes the call request based on the second access technology to the called terminal associated with a respective account.

27. A terminal, comprising:

composer means for composing an account creation request message containing an identification of the terminal to create an account for the terminal at a server;

multi access transceiver means for transmitting the account creation request message to the server;

generator means for generating a call request to an identification of a called terminal, wherein the multi access transceiver means receives a reply from the server, if the requested identification is not associated with the account maintained in the server or not currently registered to the server based on a second access technology; and

initiator means for initiating a call based on a first access technology upon receipt of the reply from the server.