User locating system, method and server in packet-based netwok

• US 20080107096A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Huang, Yong
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A user locating system, method and server in a Packet-based network. A plurality of management regions divided by terrains are included, and each of the management regions includes: an address management server adapted to collect and bind communication addresses and user identifiers of all network users in the management region, and to send information of the binding to a region locating server in the present management region; and a region locating server adapted to store and update the information of the binding of the user identifiers and the communication addresses of all the network users in the present management region, to send the information of the binding to a inquirer dependent upon a received inquiry request, and to send information of binding of a user identifier and a communication address found not belonging to the present management region to a home management region of the user.

Claims

1. A user locating system in a Packet-based network, comprising a plurality of management regions, wherein each of the management regions comprises an address management server and a region locating server;

wherein

the address management server is adapted to collect communication addresses and user identifiers of all network users in the management region, and to send the collected communication addresses and user identifiers to the region locating server in the present management region; and

the region locating server is adapted to store and update information of binding of the user identifiers and the communication addresses of all the network users in the present management region, and to send corresponding information of the binding to an inquirer upon reception of an inquiry request.

2. The user locating system in a Packet-based network according to claim 1, wherein the region locating server is further adapted to send information of binding of a user identifier and a communication address of a network user, which is found not belonging to the present management region, to a home management region of the network user.

3. The user locating system in a Packet-based network according to claim 1, wherein the address management server comprises:

a centralized address management server adapted to allocate centrally a communication address to a network user in the present management region, to bind a user identifier and the communication address of the user, and to store and send information of the binding to the region locating server in the present management region; and

an auto-detect address locating server adapted to collect a user identifier and a communication address of a network user in the present management region over a link with an auto-detect network address, to bind the user identifier and the communication address, and to store and send information of the binding to the region locating server in the present management region.

4. The user locating system in a Packet-based network according to claim 1, wherein the address management server comprises:

a centralized address management server adapted to allocate centrally a communication address to a network user in the present management region, to bind a user identifier and the communication address of the user, and to store and send information of the binding to the region locating server in the present management region;

or

an auto-detect address locating server adapted to collect a user identifier and a communication address of a network user in the present management region over a link with an auto-detect network address, to bind the user identifier and the communication address, and to store and send information of the binding to the region locating server in the present management region.

5. The user locating system in a Packet-based network according to claim 3, further comprising:

an interface between the Packet-based network and the region locating server, through which the Packet-based network sends a user identifier to the region locating server and through which the region locating server returns a corresponding user address to the Packet-based network;

through which the Packet-based network sends information of a user identifier and corresponding current communication address of a user belonging to the present region to the region locating server; and

through which the region locating server sends information of a user identifier and corresponding current communication address of a user found in the present region not belonging to the present region to a home domain of the user;

an interface between the centralized address management server and the region locating server, through which the centralized address management server sends a communication address allocated to a user and a user identifier to the region locating server; and

through which the region locating server sends network parameters to the centralized address management server; and

an interface between the auto-detect address locating server and the region locating server, through which the auto-detect address locating server sends information of a user configured address and user identifier to the region locating server, and through which the region locating server sends network parameters to the auto-detect address locating server.

6. The user locating system in a Packet-based network according to claim 4, further comprising:

an interface between the Packet-based network and the region locating server, through which the Packet-based network sends a user identifier to the region locating server and through which the region locating server returns a corresponding user address to the Packet-based network;

through which the Packet-based network sends information of a user identifier and corresponding current communication address of a user belonging to the present region to the region locating server; and

through which the region locating server sends information of a user identifier and corresponding current communication address of a user found in the present region not belonging to the present region to a home domain of the user; and

an interface between the centralized address management server and the region locating server, through which the centralized address management server sends a communication address allocated to a user and a user identifier to the region locating server; and

through which the region locating server sends network parameters to the centralized address management server;

or

an interface between the auto-detect address locating server and the region locating server, through which the auto-detect address locating server sends information of a user configured address and user identifier to the region locating server, and through which the region locating server sends network parameters to the auto-detect address locating server.

7. A user locating method in a Packet-based network, comprising:

collecting information of a communication address and corresponding user identifier of a network user within an administrative region, storing, by a region locating server, the collected information, maintaining the stored information, and locating the network user dependent upon the information.

8. The user locating method in a Packet-based network according to claim 7, wherein the collecting of information of a communication address and corresponding user identifier of a network user within an administrative region comprises:

allocating centrally, by each centralized address management server, communication addresses to all network users within the administrative region, and recording information of the user identifier reported by the network user when applying for an address;

storing, by the centralized address management server, information of the communication address allocated to the network user and the recorded corresponding user identifier; and

collecting, by each auto-detect address locating server, information of the communication address available to the network user and the corresponding user identifier;

storing, by the auto-detect address locating server, the collected information of the communication address and the corresponding user identifier of the network user.

9. The user locating method in a Packet-based network according to claim 7, wherein the collecting of information of a communication address and corresponding user identifier of a network user within an administrative region comprises:

allocating centrally, by each centralized address management server, communication addresses to all network users within the administrative region, and recording information of the user identifier reported by the network user when applying for an address;

storing, by the centralized address management server, information of the communication address allocated to the network user and the recorded corresponding user identifier;

or

collecting, by each auto-detect address locating server, information of the communication address available to the network user and the corresponding user identifier;

storing, by the auto-detect address locating server, the collected information of the communication address and the corresponding user identifier of the network user.

10. The user locating method in a Packet-based network according to claim 7, wherein the maintaining by the region locating server of the stored information and locating of the network user dependent upon the information comprises:

after receiving, by the region locating server, the information of the communication address and the corresponding user identifier of the network user, maintaining information of binding of the communication address and the user identifier of the network user; and

receiving, by the region locating server, a request for inquiring about a communication address of a user from inside or outside of the present management region, determining the current communication address of the user from its stored information dependent upon information of the user identifier in the request, and returning the communication address to an inquirer.

11. The user locating method in a Packet-based network according to claim 10, wherein the maintaining of information of binding of the communication address and the user identifier of the network user comprises:

determining, by the region locating server, whether the user belongs to the present management region dependent upon the received information of the user identifier, and if yes, updating the information of the binding of the communication address and the user identifier of the user dependent upon the received information;

otherwise,

sending, by the region locating server, the information of the binding of the communication address and the user identifier of the user to a region locating server of a management region to which the user belongs; and

the method further comprises;

updating, by the region locating server of the management region to which the user belongs, the information of the binding of the communication address and the user identifier of the user dependent upon the received information.

12. The user locating method in a Packet-based network according to claim 8, wherein the collecting by each auto-detect address locating server of information of the communication address available to the network user and the corresponding user identifier comprises:

sending a neighbor request message carrying information of the user identifier of the network user; and

performing Duplicated Address Detection over an IPv6 link with stateless address automatic configuration, and collecting corresponding information of the user identifier and the communication address of the network user.

13. The user locating method in a Packet-based network according to claim 12, wherein the user identifier comprises a Fully Qualified Domain Name or an IPv6 address or other globally unique identifier of the network user.

14. The user locating method in a Packet-based network according to claim 12, wherein the collecting of corresponding information of the user identifier and the communication address of the network user comprises:

collecting the neighbor request message carrying a user identifier of the network user over the IPv6 link, and extracting and recording the user identifier and a test address in the message;

initiating timing with a predetermined duration, and deleting the extracted record if a neighbor notification message sent from another network user reporting a confliction of the test address is received before the timing with the predetermined duration expires;

or

binding the recorded user identifier and test address of the network user if no neighbor notification message sent from another network user reporting a confliction of the test address is received after the timing with the predetermined duration expires, thereby obtaining the corresponding information of the user identifier and the communication address of the network user.

15. The user locating method in a Packet-based network according to claim 14, wherein the timing with the predetermined duration is implemented with a timer or a counter.

16. An auto-detect address server in a Packet-based network, comprising:

a request message snooping unit adapted to collect a neighbor request message carrying a user identifier of a user over a link;

an information extracting unit adapted to extract and record the user identifier and a test address in the neighbor request message;

a timing unit adapted to initiate timing with a predetermined duration;

a neighbor notification message snooping unit adapted to collect a neighbor notification message sent by another user over the link reporting a confliction of the test address; and

an information binding unit adapted to bind the recorded user identifier and test address of the user if no neighbor notification message sent from another user reporting a confliction of the test address is received after the timing with the predetermined duration expires, thereby obtaining corresponding information of the user identifier and the communication address of the user.

17. The auto-detect address server in a Packet-based network according to claim 16, further comprising:

a record deleting unit adapted to delete the extracted record if the neighbor notification message snooping unit receives the neighbor notification message sent from another user reporting a confliction of the test address before the timing with the predetermined duration expires.

18. A region locating server in a Packet-based network, comprising:

an information storage and update unit adapted to store and update information of binding of user identifiers and communication addresses of all network users belonging to a management region; and

an information inquiring unit adapted to send corresponding information of binding to an inquirer upon reception of an inquiry request.

19. The region locating server in a Packet-based network according to claim 18, further comprising:

an information sending unit adapted to send information of binding of a user identifier and a communication address found not belonging to the present management region to a home management region of the network user.

20. A centralized address management server in a Packet-based network, comprising:

a communication address allocation unit adapted to allocate centrally communication addresses to all network users within an administrative region and to record information of a user identifier reported by a network user when applying for an address;

an information storage unit adapted to bind and store information of the communication address allocated to the network user and the recorded corresponding user identifier; and

an information passing unit adapted to pass the information of the binding to a region locating server in the network.