METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING REGISTRATION OF ENDPOINT DEVICES THROUGH PROVISIONING

• US 20100111049A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Duffy, Dennis, Parlamas, Stephanie P., Johnson, Leticia D., Siegel, Steven A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/385 Uniform resource identifier for session initiation protocol [SIP URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enabling registration of an endpoint device that is incapable of supporting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration are disclosed. For example, the method performs a static registration of the endpoint device in a plurality network elements associated with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network by provisioning that is initiated by a service provider of the IMS network. The method processes an originating call request or a terminating call request associated with the endpoint device by an Application Server (AS) using the static registration, wherein the application server is one of the plurality network elements.

Claims

1. A method for enabling registration of an endpoint device that is incapable of supporting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration, comprising:

performing a static registration of the endpoint device in a plurality network elements associated with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network by provisioning that is initiated by a service provider of said IMS network; and

processing an originating call request or a terminating call request associated with said endpoint device by an Application Server (AS) using said static registration, wherein said application server is one of said plurality network elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of network elements comprises:

a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), a Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF), and a Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said static registration is not timed out by said plurality of network elements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said IMS network is in communication with at least one of:

a mobile access network, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or a customer enterprise network, to provide a Network Based Fixed Mobile Convergence (NB-FMC) service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said endpoint device comprises at least one of:

a second generation (2G) mobile endpoint, a third generation (3G) mobile endpoint device, an Internet Protocol Private Branch eXchange (IP PBX), or an endpoint device supported by said IP PBX, a Time Division Multiplexing Private Branch eXchange (TDM PBX), an endpoint device supported by said TDM PBX, a class 5 end office (EO) switch, or an endpoint device supported by said class 5 EO switch.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said performing comprises:

provisioning the HSS, the S-CSCF, the P-CSCF, and the AS to treat a Public User Identifier (PUID) associated with a user of said endpoint device as being registered; and

provisioning a subscriber profile for the PUID associated with the user of said endpoint device comprising subscription related information including a plurality route headers needed to access the endpoint device, at least one capability, and at least one priority at the HSS and the S-CSCF.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said provisioning comprises:

provisioning a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the S-CSCF at the P-CSCF that will be used to perform call processing for a Public User Identifier (PUID) associated with a user of said endpoint device; and

provisioning a SIP URI of the P-CSCF at the S-CSCF that will be used to perform call processing for the PUID associated with the user of said endpoint device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing said originating call request comprises:

receiving said originating call request from said endpoint device via an access network;

storing and tracking a called party number, and a calling party number associated with said originating call request; and

returning an IMS Routing Number (IMRN) to said access network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said originating call request is received via a Circuit Switched Gateway (CSG).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said processing said originating call request further comprises:

mapping said IMRN to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of said AS by the HSS and routing a second call request to said AS;

associating said routed second call request with said originating call request and replacing a From header of said second request with a Public User Identifier (PUID) associated with a user of said endpoint device, a Private Asserted Identity (PAI) header of said second request with a phone number of said endpoint device, and a Request (R)-URI header of said second call request with said called party number; and

sending said second call request to the S-CSCF for call completion processing.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing said terminating call request comprises:

receiving said terminating call request terminating to said endpoint device;

sending said terminating call request to said AS by said S-CSCF for processing; and

sending said terminating call request by said AS back to said S-CSCF for call completion processing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said terminating call request is received via a Circuit Switched Gateway (CSG).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said AS supports at least one Network Based Fixed Mobile Convergence (NB-FMC) service.

14. A computer-readable storage 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 steps of a method for enabling registration of an endpoint device that is incapable of supporting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration, comprising:

performing a static registration of the endpoint device in a plurality network elements associated with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network by provisioning that is initiated by a service provider of said IMS network; and

processing an originating call request or a terminating call request associated with said endpoint device by an Application Server (AS) using said static registration, wherein said application server is one of said plurality network elements.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said plurality of network elements comprises:

a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), a Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF), and a Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF).

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said static registration is not timed out by said plurality of network elements.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said IMS network is in communication with at least one of:

a mobile access network, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or a customer enterprise network, to provide a Network Based Fixed Mobile Convergence (NB-FMC) service.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said endpoint device comprises at least one of:

a second generation (2G) mobile endpoint, a third generation (3G) mobile endpoint device, an Internet Protocol Private Branch eXchange (IP PBX), or an endpoint device supported by said IP PBX, a Time Division Multiplexing Private Branch eXchange (TDM PBX), an endpoint device supported by said TDM PBX, a class 5 end office (EO) switch, or an endpoint device supported by said class 5 EO switch.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein said performing comprises:

provisioning the HSS, the S-CSCF, the P-CSCF, and the AS to treat a Public User Identifier (PUID) associated with a user of said endpoint device as being registered; and

provisioning a subscriber profile for the PUID associated with the user of said endpoint device comprising subscription related information including a plurality route headers needed to access the endpoint device, at least one capability, and at least one priority at the HSS and the S-CSCF.

20. A system for enabling registration of an endpoint device that is incapable of supporting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration, comprising:

means for performing a static registration of the endpoint device in a plurality network elements associated with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network by provisioning that is initiated by a service provider of said IMS network; and

means for processing an originating call request or a terminating call request associated with said endpoint device by an Application Server (AS) using said static registration, wherein said application server is one of said plurality network elements.