USING AN IP REGISTRATION TO AUTOMATE SIP REGISTRATION

• US 20090046703A1
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andreasen, Flemming, Iyer, Jayaraman, Rosenberg, Jonathan D., Stammers, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a network device receives an Internet protocol (IP) registration request, such as a mobile IP registration request, from an access terminal. The network device may be a home agent that is configured to register the access terminal for IP services at the network layer. In addition to registering the access terminal at the network layer, the network device may facilitate registration at another layer, such as the application layer. In one example, registration information for the access terminal for an application layer registration, such as information needed to register for a session initiation protocol (SIP) services, is determined. The network device then facilitates registration at the application layer automatically using the registration information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network device, an Internet Protocol (IP) registration request associated with an access terminal;

determining registration information for the access terminal for an application layer registration; and

facilitating registration at the application layer using the determined registration information, the registration being performed automatically by the network device upon receiving the IP registration request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating registration comprises storing the registration information in a database used for the application layer registration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the registration information comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a port associated with the access terminal for an application, and an identity for the access terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating the registration comprises sending the registration information to an application layer entity to allow registration at the application layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating the registration comprises:

generating an application layer registration message using the registration information; and

sending the application layer registration message to an application layer entity for registering the access terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network device is trusted by the application layer entity and therefore separate authentication of the user is not needed by the application layer entity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a full path for messaging with the access terminal and capability parameters for the access terminal; and

providing the full path and capability parameters in facilitating the registration.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining security parameters during the IP registration;

sending the security parameters to an application layer entity; and

sending the security parameters to the access terminal, wherein the application layer entity and access terminal can form a security association for communications at the application layer using the security parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the access terminal at the network layer, wherein the registration information is authenticated and allows authentication to not be needed at the application layer.

10. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to;

receive, at a network device, an Internet Protocol (IP) registration request associated with an access terminal;

determine registration information for the access terminal for an application layer registration; and

facilitate registration at the application layer using the determined registration information, the registration being performed automatically by the network device upon receiving the IP registration request.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic configured to facilitate registration comprises logic when executed that is further operable to store the registration information in a database used for the application layer registration.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the registration information comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a port associated with the access terminal for the application layer, and an identity for the access terminal.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic configured to facilitate the registration comprises logic when executed that is further operable to send the registration information to an application layer entity to allow registration at the application layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic configured to facilitate the registration comprises logic when executed that is further operable to:

generate an application layer registration message using the registration information; and

send the application layer registration message to an application layer entity for registering the access terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the network device is trusted by the application layer entity and therefore separate authentication of the user is not needed by the application layer entity.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to:

determining a full path for messaging with the access terminal and capability parameters for the access terminal; and

providing the full path and capability parameters in facilitating the registration.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to:

determining security parameters during the IP registration;

sending the security parameters to an application layer entity; and

sending the security parameters to the access terminal, wherein the application layer entity and access terminal can form a security association for communications at the application layer using the security parameters.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising authenticating the access terminal at the network layer, wherein the registration information is authenticated and allows authentication to not be needed at the application layer.

19. A system comprising:

an access terminal; and

a network device configured to;

receive, at a network device, an Internet Protocol (IP) registration request associated with an access terminal;

determine registration information for the access terminal for an application layer registration; and

facilitate registration at the application layer using the determined registration information, the registration being performed automatically by the network device upon receiving the IP registration request.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a policy server configured to receive a message from the network device during IP registration, the policy service configured to facilitate registration at the application layer.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the policy server is configured to construct an application layer registration message using the registration information and configured to send the application layer registration to an application layer entity for application layer registration.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the access terminal is an integrated device configured to provide voice and data services to a single user.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at a network device, an Internet Protocol (IP) registration request associated with an access terminal;

means for determining registration information for the access terminal for an application layer registration; and

means for facilitating registration at the application layer using the determined registration information, the registration being performed automatically by the network device upon receiving the IP registration request.