METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MOBILITY FOR A VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL SERVICE

• US 20080285544A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Qiu, Chaoxin, Khan, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for providing mobility for a Voice over Internet Protocol Service (VoIP) provided on packet networks are disclosed. For example, the method receives a register request from a user endpoint device and retrieves an Access Point-address parameter from a contact header in the register request. The method then determines a physical location of an access point device in accordance with the Access Point-address parameter and updates location information for the user endpoint device in accordance with the physical location of the access point device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a service in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a register request from a user endpoint device;

retrieving an Access Point-address parameter from a contact header in said register request;

determining a physical location of an access point device in accordance with said Access Point-address parameter; and

updating location information for said user endpoint device in accordance with the physical location of said access point device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said service is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

3. The method of claim 1, where said updating location information comprises:

determining whether or not said physical location of said access point device is the same as a previous address for said user endpoint device; and

updating a location information server for said user endpoint device if said physical location of said access point device is not the same as said previous address for said user endpoint device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication network is a packet network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said packet network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said Access Point-address parameter carries an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with said access point device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said location information for said user endpoint device is used to support an emergency service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said emergency service is an E911 service.

9. A method for providing a service in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a register request from a user endpoint device, where said register request is received by an access point device;

determines whether or not an Access Point-address parameter in a contact header of said register request is populated with an address of another access point device; and

populating said Access Point-address parameter with an address of said access point device if said Access Point-address parameter is not already populated.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said service is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said communication network is a packet network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said packet network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said address represents location information for said access point device that is used to support an emergency service.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said emergency service is an E911 service.

16. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for providing a service in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a register request from a user endpoint device;

retrieving an Access Point-address parameter from a contact header in said register request;

determining a physical location of an access point device in accordance with said Access Point-address parameter; and

updating location information for said user endpoint device in accordance with the physical location of said access point device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said service is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where said updating location information comprises:

determining whether or not said physical location of said access point device is the same as a previous address for said user endpoint device; and

updating a location information server for said user endpoint device if said physical location of said access point device is not the same as said previous address for said user endpoint device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said Access Point-address parameter carries an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with said access point device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said location information for said user endpoint device is used to support an emergency service.

21. A system for providing a service in a communication network, comprising:

means for receiving a register request from a user endpoint device;

means for retrieving an Access Point-address parameter from a contact header in said register request;

means for determining a physical location of an access point device in accordance with said Access Point-address parameter; and

means for updating location information for said user endpoint device in accordance with the physical location of said access point device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said service is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

23. The system of claim 21, where said updating means determines whether or not said physical location of said access point device is the same as a previous address for said user endpoint device, and updates a location information server for said user endpoint device if said physical location of said access point device is not the same as said previous address for said user endpoint device.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said Access Point-address parameter carries an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with said access point device.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said location information for said user endpoint device is used to support an emergency service.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said emergency service is an E911 service.