Service Profile Handling in the Ims

• US 20080176538A1
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Esteban, Nuria Vares, Terrill, Stephen, Przybysz, Hubert, Belinchon Vergara, Maria-Carmen, Blanco Blanco, German
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/147 Signalling methods or messages providing extensions to protocols defined by standardisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2272 Subscriber line supervision circuits, e.g. call detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A Home Subscriber Server for handling IP Multimedia Subsystem subscriptions comprises means for maintaining associations between public user identities and Service Profiles, where two or more public user identities can be associated with a common Service Profile, and means for identifying to a network node all public user identities that are associated with a common Service Profile.

Claims

1. A Home Subscriber Server for handling IP Multimedia Subsystem subscriptions comprising:

means for maintaining associations between public user identities and Service Profiles, each public user identity associated with a service profile, two or more public user identities being associated with a common Service Profile; and

means for identifying to a network node all public user identities other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set, that are associated with the common Service Profile.

2. The Home Subscriber Server according to claim 1, further comprising means for identifying to the network node all public user identities outside of the service profile and belonging to the Implicit Registration Set.

3. The Home Subscriber Server according to claim 1, wherein said means for identifying sends a notification to the network node in response to a registration or re-registration procedure, a terminating call or a change of contents in the Service Profile.

4. The Home Subscriber Server according to claim 1, wherein said means for identifying to a network node all public user identities associated with a common Service Profile comprises

means for sending a message to the network node containing one or more Service Profiles, each Service Profile identifying all public user identities with which it is associated, other than those belonging to the Implicit Registration Set.

5. The Home Subscriber Server according to claim 4, said message identifying one or more Service Profiles contained within the message, the public user identities of each identified Service Profile being considered alias public user identities.

6. The Home Subscriber Server according to claim 1, wherein said network node is a Serving Call session Control Function.

7. The Home Subscriber Server according to claim 1, wherein said means for identifying conveys the required information to a Serving Call Session Control Function in a Cx Server Assignment Answer or Push Profile Request message.

8. A Home Subscriber Server for handling IP Multimedia Subsystem subscriptions the Server comprising:

means for maintaining groupings of public user identities, other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set and which are to be considered alias public user identities; and

means for sending to a network node an identification of aliasing groups.

9. The Home Subscriber Server according to claim 8, wherein said means for sending to a network node an identification of aliasing groups, sends the identification of aliasing groups in response to a registration or re-registration procedure, a terminating call or a change of contents in a Service Profile.

10. The Home Subscriber Server according to claim 8, Wherein said network node is a Serving Call session Control Function or an application server.

11. A Call Session Control Function for servicing a user in an IP Multimedia Subsystem network, the Call Session Control Function comprising:

means for receiving from a Home Subscriber Server, a message containing one or more Service Profiles, the one or more Service Profiles identifying all public user identities, other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set, with which the Service Profile is associated; and

means for associating the public user identities of at least one Service Profile as alias public user identities.

12. The Call Session Control Function according to claim 11, comprising means for identifying public user identities belonging to an Implicit Registration Set using a list of public user identities contained outside of the received Service Profile(s).

13. The Call Session Control Function according to claim 11 comprising means for identifying Service Profiles to which the aliasing association is to be applied.

14. The Call Session Control Function according to claim 11 comprising means for sending a notification to a user terminal or network node identifying the public user identities, other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set, and identified as being alias public user identities.

15. The Call Session Control Function according to claim 11, the Call Session Control Function being a Serving Call Session Control Function.

16. An Application Server for executing services in an IP Multimedia Subsystem network, the Application Server comprising:

means for receiving from a Serving Call Session Control Function or a Home Subscriber Server, a notification that two or more public user identities, other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set, are considered to be alias public user identities and are thus associated with a common Service Profile.

17. A user terminal for a enabling a user to access an IP Multimedia Subsystem network, the user terminal comprising:

means for receiving from the IP Multimedia Subsystem network, a notification that two or more public user identities of the terminal, other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set, are considered to be alias public user identities and are thus associated with a common Service Profile.

18. (canceled)

19. A method of operating an IP Multimedia Subsystem to inform network nodes and/or user terminals of public user identities to be considered as alias public user identities, the method comprising:

maintaining at a Home Subscriber Server groupings of public user identities. other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set, to be considered as alias public user identities; and

distributing the grouping information to network nodes and/or user terminals during or subsequent to registration of a user terminal with the IP Multimedia Subsystem, or upon or subsequent to terminating a call to a user terminal, or upon a change of content of the Service Profile.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said groupings are maintained in Service Profiles, as the public user identities associated with the Service Profiles.

21. The method according to claim 20 comprising

sending from the Home Subscriber Server to a Serving Call Session Control Function a message containing one or more Service Profiles, the one or more Service Profiles identifying all public user identities other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set and associated with the Service Profiles, wherein the message identifies those Service profiles whose associated public user identities are to be considered alias public user identities;

and the Serving Call Session Control Function identifying these public user identities associated with at least one Service Profile as alias public user identities.

22. The method according to claim 21, said message being a Cx Server Assignment Answer or Push Profile Request message.

23. The method according to claim 21, the Serving Call Session Control Function informing an application server or user terminal of a group of public user identities, other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set to be considered alias public user identities, wherein public user identities belonging to an Implicit Registration Set are listed in said message, but outside the Service Profile(s).

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of distributing comprises sending grouping information to an application server over the Sh interface.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein a user terminal is notified that two or more of its public user identities, other than those belonging to an Implicit Registration Set, are alias public user identities by signalling sent from an Application Server over the Ut interface.

24-26. -26. (canceled)

29-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A Home subscriber Server for handling IP Multimedia Subsystem subscriptions and comprising:

means for maintaining associations between public user identities and Service Profiles, each public user identity associated with a service profile and wherein two or more public user identities can be associated with a common Service Profile;

means for identifying to a network node all public user identities belonging to an Implicit Registration Set; and

characterized by means for identifying to the network node all public user identities not belonging to the Implicit Registration Set and associated with the common service profile.