Method for the routing of multimedia communication related signaling in a communication system

• US 20080070543A1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: INVT SPE LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Garcia-Martin, Miguel-Angel, Matuszewski, Marcin Wieslaw
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1065 Discovery involving distributed pre-established resource-based relationships among peers, e.g. based on distributed hash tables [DHT] pre-configuration of logical or physical connections H04L67/1053

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the routing of multimedia communication related signaling in a communication system. In the method a signaling message is received to a first network node. The signaling message provides an identity associated with a user. A hash key is computed from the identity. The hash key is matched to a number of key ranges, each key range being associated with a network node. A second network node is determined by detecting that said hash key belongs to the key range of the second network node. A signaling message is provided to the second network node. Subscriber data associated with the identity is obtained in from the second network node. The signaling message is processed in the second network node based on information in the subscriber data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a signaling message to a first network node, said signaling message providing at least one identity;

computing a key from a first identity among said at least one identity;

matching said key to at least one key range, each said at least one key range being associated with a network node;

determining a second network node by detecting that said key belongs to the key range of said second network node;

providing said signaling message to said second network node;

obtaining data associated with said identity in said second network node; and

processing said signaling message in said second network node based on said obtained data.

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

determining at least one public user identity associated with said first identity in said second network node;

determining routing identifiers for each said at least one public user identity; and

transmitting the signaling message to at least one third network node identified with said routing identifiers.

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

determining a fourth network node having a key range closest to said key; and

sending said signaling message to said fourth network node.

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

receiving said signaling message to a proxy network node from an end device via an access network; and

transmitting said signaling message to said first network node.

5. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising:

registering a user associated with said identity as active in said data associated with said identity;

registering an identity of said proxy network node in said data associated with said identity; and

registering an identity of the end device used by the user in said data associated with said identity.

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

receiving a session initiation message to said second network node;

determining the registration status of said identity in said second network node;

determining said identity of said proxy network node; and

sending said session initiation message to said proxy network node.

7. The method according to claim 5, the method further comprising:

receiving a session initiation message to said second network node;

determining the registration status of said identity in said second network node;

determining said identity of said end device used by the user; and

sending said session initiation message to said end device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signaling message is a Session Initiation Protocol message.

9. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

finding a set of secondary identities to be implicitly registered together with said identity;

computing secondary keys for each said secondary identity;

routing said signaling message to each node responsible for a key range to which at least one of said secondary keys belongs; and

registering said secondary identities.

10. A method, comprising:

allocating a subscriber identity, at least one private user identity and at least one public user identity;

computing a first key from said subscriber identity;

computing at least one second key from said at least one private user identity;

computing at least one third key from said at least one public user identity;

obtaining service subscription information associated with said subscriber identity in a management node;

associating said subscription information with each said at least one private user identity to produce first data in said management node;

associating each said at least one public user identity with a private user identity among said at least one private user identity to produce second data in said management node;

associating initial data with said at least one public user identity to produce at least one third data in a management node;

delivering said first data from said management node to a first network element using said first key;

delivering said at least one second data from said management node to at least one second network element using said at least one second key; and

delivering said at least one third data from said management node to at least one third network element using said at least one third key.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the said subscriber identity comprises a full name of the user.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the said subscriber identity comprises a social security number of the user.

13. A communication system, comprising:

a first network node configured to receive a signaling message, said signaling message providing at least one identity, to compute a key from a first identity among said at least one identity, to match said key to at least one key range, each said at least one key range being associated with a network node, to determine a second network node by detecting that said key belongs to the key range of said second network node and to provide said signaling message to said second network node;

said second network node configured to obtain data associated with said identity and to process said signaling message based on said obtained data.

14. The communication system according to claim 13, the communication system further comprising:

said second network node configured to determine at least one public user identity associated with said first identity, to determine routing identifiers for each said at least one public user identity and to send said signaling message for routing in said communication system to at least one third network node identified with said routing identifiers; and

said at least one third network node.

15. The communication system according to claim 13, the communication system further comprising:

said second network node configured to determine a fourth network node having a key range closest to said key and to send said signaling message to said fourth network node.

16. The communication system according to claim 13, the communication system further comprising:

an access network; and

a proxy network node configured to receive said signaling message from an end device via said access network and to transmit said signaling message to said first network node.

17. The communication system according to claim 16, the communication system further comprising:

said third network node configured to register a user associated with said identity as active in said data associated with said identity, to register an identity of said proxy network node in said associated with said identity and to register an identity of the end device used by the user in said data associated with said identity.

18. The communication system according to claim 17, the communication system further comprising:

said second network node configured to receive a session initiation message, to determine the registration status of said identity, to determine said identity of said proxy network node and to send said session initiation message to said proxy network node.

19. The communication system according to claim 17, the communication system further comprising:

said second network node configured to receive a session initiation message, to determine the registration status of said identity, to determine said identity of said end device of the user and to send said session initiation message to said end device of the user.

20. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein signaling message is a Session Initiation Protocol message.

21. The communication system according to claim 13, the communication system further comprising:

said second network node configured to forward said signaling message to a fifth network node using a distributed hash table; and

said fifth network node configured to find a set of secondary identities to be implicitly registered together with said identity, to compute secondary keys for each said secondary identity, to forward using said distributed hash table signaling messages to each network node responsible for said secondary keys.

22. A communication system, comprising:

a management network node configured to allocate a subscriber identity, at least one private user identity and at least one public user identity, to compute a first key from said subscriber identity, to compute at least one second key from said at least one private user identity, to compute at least one third key from said at least one public user identity, to obtain service subscription information associated with said subscriber identity, to associate said subscription information with each said at least one private user identity to produce first data, to associate each said at least one public user identity with a private user identity among said at least one private user identity to produce second data, to associate initial data with said at least one public user identity to produce at least one third data, to deliver said first data to a first network element using said first key, to deliver said at least one second data to at least one second network element using said at least one second key and to deliver said at least one third data to at least one third network element using said at least one third key.

23. A communication system according to claim 22, wherein the said subscriber identity comprises a full name of the user.

24. A communication system according to claim 22, wherein the said subscriber identity comprises a social security number of the user.

25. A network node comprising:

an application entity configured to receive a signaling message, said signaling message providing at least one identity, to compute a key from a first identity among said at least one identity and to provide said signaling message to a remote network node; and

a data storage entity configured to match said key to at least one key range, each said at least one key range being associated with a network node, to determine said remote network node, wherein said remote network node is in charge of session handling for the user associated with said first identity, by detecting that said key belongs to the key range of said remote network node.

26. A network node comprising:

means for receiving a signaling message, said signaling message providing at least one identity;

means for computing a key from a first identity among said at least one identity;

means for matching said key to at least one key range, each said at least one key range being associated with a network node;

means for determining said remote network node, wherein said remote network node is in charge of session handling for the user associated with said first identity, by detecting that said key belongs to the key range of said remote network node; and

means for providing said signaling message to said remote network node.

27. A network node comprising:

a management entity configured to allocate a subscriber identity, at least one private user identity and at least one public user identity, to compute a first key from said subscriber identity, to compute at least one second key from said at least one private user identity, to compute at least one third key from said at least one public user identity, to obtain service subscription information associated with said subscriber identity, to associate said subscription information with each said at least one private user identity to produce first data, to associate each said at least one public user identity with a private user identity among said at least one private user identity to produce second data, to associate initial data with said at least one public user identity to produce at least one third data, to deliver said first data to a first network element using said first hash key, to deliver said at least one second data to at least one second network element using said at least one second hash key and to deliver said at least one third data to at least one third network element using said at least one third key.

28. A network node comprising:

means for allocating a subscriber identity, at least one private user identity, and at least one public user identity;

means for obtaining a first key computable from said subscriber identity using a predefined hash function;

means for obtaining a second hash key computable from said at least private user identity using a predefined hash function;

means for obtaining at least one third hash key computable from said at least one public user identity using a predefined hash function;

means for associating said at least one private user identity with said subscriber identity to produce first data;

means for associating said at least one public user identity with said at least one private user identity to produce second data;

means for associating initial routing information and registration status with said at least one public user identity to produce at least one third data;

means for delivering said first data towards a first network element using said first hash key;

means for delivering said at least one second data towards at least one second network element using said at least one second hash key; and

means for delivering said at least one third data towards at least one third network element using said at least one third hash key.

29. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, when executed on a data-processing system, the computer program being configured to perform:

receiving a signaling message, said signaling message providing at least one identity;

computing a key from a first identity among said at least one identity;

matching said key to at least one key range, each said at least one key range being associated with a network node;

determining a network node in charge of session handling for the user associated with said first identity by detecting that said key belongs to the key range of said network node; and

providing said signaling message to said network node.

30. The computer program according to claim 29, wherein said computer readable medium is a removable memory card.

31. The computer program according to claim 29, wherein said computer readable medium is a removable memory device.

32. The computer program according to claim 29, wherein said computer readable medium is a magnetic disk, a holographic memory or an optical disk.

33. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, when executed on a data-processing system, the computer program being configured to perform:

allocating a subscriber identity, at least one private user identity and at least one public user identity;

computing a first key from said subscriber identity;

computing at least one second key from said at least one private user identity;

computing at least one third key from said at least one public user identity;

obtaining service subscription information associated with said subscriber identity;

associating said subscription information with each said at least one private user identity to produce first data;

associating each said at least one public user identity with a private user identity among said at least one private user identity to produce second data;

associating initial data with said at least one public user identity to produce at least one third data;

delivering said first data to a first network element using said first hash key;

delivering said at least one second data to at least one second network element using said at least one second hash key; and

delivering said at least one third data to at least one third network element using said at least one third key.

34. The computer program according to claim 33, wherein said computer readable medium is a removable memory card.

35. The computer program according to claim 33, wherein said computer readable medium is a removable memory device.

36. The computer program according to claim 33, wherein said computer readable medium is a magnetic disk, a holographic memory or an optical disk.