Network-Initiated Method and System for Establishing Data Communication Using IP with a Wireless Terminal

• US 20110182242A1
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Enzmann, Mark J., Mahler, Roger Newall
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for establishing data communication between a wireless network and a wireless terminal by means of a packet data protocol connection, using internet protocol. When a determination is made that the wireless terminal is active but does not have an internet protocol address, a page is initiated from the wireless network to the wireless terminal over a control channel requesting that the wireless terminal obtain a temporary internet protocol address. A temporary internet protocol address is then assigned to the terminal in response to a request from the terminal initiated in response to the page so that data communication can be established with the terminal based on the temporary address.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a voice session between a sending wireless terminal and a receiving wireless terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the sending wireless terminal to initiate an internet protocol (IP) session with the receiving wireless terminal;

determining that the receiving wireless terminal does not have an active IP address;

paging the receiving wireless terminal over a control channel;

receiving a request for the active IP address from the receiving wireless terminal; and

assigning the active IP address to the receiving wireless terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing data communication between the sending wireless terminal and the receiving wireless terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) on a network receives the request for the active IP address from the receiving wireless terminal and requests the active IP address from a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the GGSN assigns and registers the active IP address for the receiving wireless terminal.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the SGSN establishes a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context with the receiving wireless terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the paging causes the receiving wireless terminal to request the active IP address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the active IP address is a temporary, dynamic IP address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the receiving wireless terminal does not have the active IP address comprises a Home Location Register (HLR) interrogating a GGSN to determine whether or not the receiving wireless terminal has been assigned the active IP address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the paging utilizes Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP session is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) session.

11. A system for initiating a voice session, the system comprising:

a wireless network;

a sending wireless terminal in communication with the wireless network; and

a receiving wireless terminal in communication with the wireless network;

wherein the wireless network receives a request from the sending wireless terminal to initiate an Internet Protocol (IP) session with the receiving device, determines that the receiving wireless terminal does not have an active IP address, and pages the receiving wireless terminal over a control channel.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless network further receives a request for the active IP address from the receiving wireless terminal and assigns the active IP address to the receiving wireless terminal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) on the wireless network receives the request for an active IP address from the receiving wireless terminal and requests the active IP address from a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) on the wireless network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the GGSN assigns and registers the active IP address for the receiving wireless terminal.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the SGSN establishes a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context with the receiving wireless terminal.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein a Home Location Register (HLR) interrogates the GGSN to determine whether or not the receiving wireless terminal has been assigned the active IP address.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium on a network containing instructions for initiating a voice session between a sending wireless terminal and a receiving wireless terminal, the instructions comprising logic for:

receiving a request from the sending wireless terminal to initiate an internet protocol (IP) session with the receiving wireless terminal;

determining that the receiving wireless terminal does not have an active IP address;

paging the receiving wireless terminal over a control channel;

receiving a request for the active IP address from the receiving wireless terminal; and

assigning the active IP address to the receiving wireless terminal.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium instructs a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) on the network to receive the request for an active IP address from the receiving wireless terminal and request the active IP address from a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN).

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the determining that the receiving wireless terminal does not have the active IP address comprises instructing a Home Location Register (HLR) to interrogate the GGSN to determine whether or not the receiving wireless terminal has been assigned the active IP address.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the paging utilizes Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).