Communications Method and Apparatus, Database Information Retrieval Method and Apparatus

• US 20080052400A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ekberg, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment

Abstract

A method is provided of establishing a communications session between first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively. A session request message indicates a request to establish the session and comprises session information. In response to the session request message, further information is retrieved and included in the session request message. A session is established based on information in the resulting session request message. The session may be established between the first and second devices using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Summary information is included for determining complete information by the second device after the session has been established. The complete information is stored in a mail server and the summary information derived from the complete information is stored in a database. The summary information is retrieved from the database for inclusion in the further information so as to enable the second device subsequently to retrieve complete information from the mail server relating to that summary information.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a communications session between first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively, comprising:

sending a session request message indicating a request to establish the session and comprising session information relating to the session;

in response to the session request message, retrieving further information and including the further information in the session request message; and

establishing the session based on information in the resulting session request message.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session information comprises an indication of the first and second parties.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising identifying one or both of the first and second devices based on the session information.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session request message is sent from the first device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sending the session request message to the second device following inclusion of the further information.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising determining the type of further information that the second device or second user is registered for receiving in a session request message associated with the first device or first user, and wherein the retrieving and including steps are performed based on this determination.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising accepting the session request at the second device before the session is established.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising presenting the further information at the second device before the session is established.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the further information is presented before the session is accepted.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session request message comprises text.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session is established between the first and second devices using the Session Initiation Protocol.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network is a UMTS network.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a proxy server of the network performs the steps of retrieving and including the further information.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) server of the UMTS network acts as the proxy server.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further information comprises summary information from which complete information can subsequently be determined by the second device.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the complete information is stored in a first database and the summary information, derived from the complete information, is stored in a second database, the method further comprising

synchronising the summary information in the second database with the complete information in the first database, and

retrieving summary information from the second database for inclusion in the further information to enable the subsequent retrieval of complete information from the first database relating to that summary information.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further information is selected for inclusion in the session request message in dependence upon at least one party indicated in the session request message.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein one of the at least one party is the first party.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein one of the at least one party is the second party.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the further information comprises data relating to the first party that is likely to be of interest to the second party.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the further information relates to previous communications involving the at least one party.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the further information relates to previous email correspondence between the first and second parties.

23. A communications network comprising:

first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively;

means for sending a session request message indicating a request to establish a communications session between the first and second devices, the session request message comprising session information relating to the session;

means for retrieving, in response to the session request message, further information and including the further information in the session request message; and

means for establishing the session based on information in the resulting session request message.

24. A method for use in a communications network comprising first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively and means for sending a session request message indicating a request to establish a communications session between the first and second devices, the session request message comprising session information relating to the session and the method comprising

retrieving further information in response to the session request message and including the further information in the session request message, and

establishing the session based on information in the resulting session request message.

25. An apparatus for use in a communications network comprising

first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively and

means for sending a session request message indicating a request to establish a communications session between the first and second devices, the session request message comprising session information relating to the session and

means for retrieving further information in response to the session request message and including the further information in the session request message, and

means for establishing the session based on information in the resulting session request message.

26. A database system comprising

a first database for storing complete information,

a second database for storing summary information derived from the complete information in the first database, and

means for synchronising the summary information in the second database with the complete information in the first database, the second database comprising

means for providing summary information to an external device and the first database comprising

means for providing complete information to the or another external device relating to summary information previously provided from the second database to the external device.

27. A method of retrieving information from a first database storing complete information using a second database storing summary information derived from the complete information in the first database, comprising the steps of:

(a) synchronising the summary information in the second database with the complete information in the first database;

(b) providing summary information from the second database to an external device; and

(c) providing complete information from the first device to the or another external device relating to summary information provided from the second database to the external device in step (b).

28. A database for storing summary information derived from complete information stored in a further database, the database comprising

means for synchronising the summary information in the database with the complete information in the further database, and

means for providing summary information to an external device to enable the or another external device subsequently to retrieve complete information from the further database relating to that summary information.

29. A method of enabling the retrieval of information from a first database storing complete information using a second database storing summary information derived from the complete information in the first database, comprising the steps of:

(a) synchronising the summary information in the second database with the complete information in the first database; and

(b) providing summary information from the second database to an external device to enable the or another external device subsequently to retrieve complete information from the first database relating to that summary information.

30-34. -34. (canceled)