Communication system and method for establishing a connection to a serving network element

• US 20080159194A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tuohino, Markku, Westman, Ilkka
• Granted Patent: US 9,210,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication system and method wherein a user equipment contains, or is provided with, a list of items of service-related information. The list of service-related information represents a list of service provider names, services and/or service types or the like. When intending to establish or modify a session or connection or use a service, the user equipment selects, in one of the embodiments, an item from the list and performs a DNS query to resolve the name of the selected item to an IP address which then is used for set-up. The list may be provided by an DHCP server or in a PDP context message. The list may comprise one or more service provider default names, in particular for visited and home networks.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining in a user equipment information about a proxy available in a communication system;

receiving in the user equipment a list of parameters in response to intending to establish a session using the proxy in the communication system, the list of parameters comprising service-related information;

selecting at least one parameter from the list; and

establishing the session using the selected parameter provided to the user equipment via the proxy,

wherein said receiving of the list of parameters comprises receiving the list using a communication channel of an access network of the communication system, and

where the session is to be established, wherein the list is extracted from at least one database of a network element in the communication system, or offered by generalized services in the network and carried to user equipment according to a communication protocol.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving information in the user equipment.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected parameter is a service-related list.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication channel a packet data protocol (PDP) context channel.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

an obtainer configured to obtain information about a proxy available in a communication system;

a receiver configured to receive a list of parameters, the list comprising service-related information;

a selector configured to selected a parameter from the list;

an establishing unit configured to establish a session using the parameter,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive the list using a communication channel of an access network of the communication system where the session is to be established, and wherein the list is extracted from local databases in remote network elements, or offered by generalized services in the network and carried to the apparatus via a protocol.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the obtainer is configured to obtain information in the apparatus.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the apparatus is a user equipment.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the communication channel comprises a packet data protocol (PDP) context channel.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein a packet data protocol (PDP) context comprises an entry for at least one of a proxy of a home network, a proxy of a visited network, and other list items.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the apparatus is provided with a packet data protocol (PDP) context comprising only one entry depending on whether the subscriber is a roaming subscriber or a home subscriber.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the apparatus is provided with a packet data protocol, PDP, context comprising several entries, and the apparatus is configured to decide which of the entries to use.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to send, when roaming in a visited network, an address inquiry message to a server of the visited network, to receive a response message indicating an address, and to register using the received address.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive address information and to receive an inquiry regarding a proxy; and

a transmitter for transmitting information regarding the proxy to a sender of the inquiry,

wherein the received information comprises a list of service-related information, and wherein a session is established with a selected proxy based upon the transmitted information.

14. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium, the computer program configured to control a processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining in a user equipment information about a proxy available in a communication system;

receiving in the user equipment a list of parameters in response to intending to establish a session using the proxy in the communication system, the list of parameters comprising service-related information;

selecting at least one parameter from the list; and

establishing the session using the selected parameter provided to the user equipment via the proxy,

wherein said receiving of the list of parameters comprises receiving the list using a communication channel of an access network of the communication system, where the session is to be established, and

wherein the list is extracted from at least one database of a network element in the communication system or offered by generalized services in the network and carried to user equipment according to a communication protocol.