Apparatus and Mechanism for Dynamic Assignment of Survivability Services to Mobile Devices

• US 20130066960A1
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Pastro, Rodrigo, Ruetschi, Johannes, Fieremans, Geert Robert Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A system, a method and a device are each configured for dynamic assignment of survivability services to communication devices (such as, e.g. tablets, smart phones, mobile phones, laptops or other types of mobile communication devices) based on the device'"'"'s current location and network context. Survivability services provide session and service continuity in case a centralized or cloud based session management service that may be hosted by one or more remote computer devices, such as for example servers, is not reachable due to network failure or service failure.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a central session management server;

a first communication device; and

a first survivability server;

the first communication device sending an initial message to the central session management server to be authenticated by the central session management server, the initial message comprising account information for a user associated with the first communication device and current location information of the first communication device;

the central session management server authenticating the first communication device by evaluating the account information and assigning the first survivability server to the first communication device based on the current location information provided in the initial message;

the central session management server sending a response message to the first communication device in response to the initial message, the response message comprising information to effect an assignment of the first survivability server to the first communication device; and

the first communication device sending at least one registration message to at least one of the central session management server and the first survivability server to register with the at least one of the central session management server and the first survivability server such that communications utilizing a service hosted by the central session management service is usable by the first communication device via the first survivability server if the central session management server is unable to provide the service.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second survivability server, the first survivability server being responsible for providing survivability service in a first area and the second survivability server being responsible for providing survivability service in a second area, the first area being comprised of a location identified by the current location information of the initial message and wherein the first communication device is a mobile communication device;

the first communication device being reassigned to the second survivability server by the central session management server after the first communication device is moved such that the first communication device is positioned in a location within the second area.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first communication device is reassigned to the second survivability server by the first communication device sending a message to the central session management server to initiate reassignment, the message sent to initiate reassignment comprises new current location information of the first communication device;

the central session management server evaluates the new current location information and assigns the second survivability server to the first communication device and sends a reassignment message to the first communication device identifying the second survivability server to effectuate reassignment.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the first communication device determines when the first communication device moved into the second area.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the central session management server determines when the first communication device is moved into the second area and sends a message to the first communication device prompt the first communication device to send the message to the central session management server to initiate reassignment,

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one registration message is a SIP REGISTER request.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one registration message is a registration message sent to the first survivability server, and wherein the first survivability server sends a message to the central session management server after receiving the registration message from the first communication device to inform the central session management server of the first communication device registering with the first survivability server.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first communication device is a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet, or a mobile communication terminal and wherein the current location information is one of an IP address of the first communication device, a MAC address of the first communication device, an NW address of the first communication device, a civic address of the first communication device, a Location Identification Number of the first communication device, an address of the first communication device, and coordinate information identifying a geographic location of the first communication device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the central session management server utilizes call admission control policies to evaluate the account information and assigning the first survivability server to the first communication device based on the current location information provided in the initial message and wherein the first survivability server is an SIP Proxy.

10. A method for assigning a survivability service to a communication device comprising:

a first communication device sending an initial message to a central session management server to be authenticated by the central session management service, the initial message comprising account information for a user associated with the first communication device and current location information of the first communication device;

the central session management server authenticating the first communication device by evaluating the account information and assigning a first survivability server to the first communication device based on the current location information provided in the initial message;

the central session management server sending a response message to the first communication device in response to the initial message, the response message comprising information to effect an assignment of the first survivability server to the first communication device; and

the first communication device sending at least one registration message to at least one of the central session management server and the first survivability server to register with the at least one of the central session management server and the first survivability server such that communications utilizing a service hosted by the central session management service is usable by the first communication device via the first survivability server if the central session management server is unable to provide the service.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first survivability server being responsible for providing survivability service in a first area, the first area being comprised of the current location identified in the current location information of the initial message and wherein the first communication device is a mobile communication device, the method further comprising:

the first communication device being reassigned to a second survivability server by the central session management server after the first communication device moves into a second area, the second survivability server being responsible for providing survivability service in the second area.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first communication device is reassigned to the second survivability server by the first communication device sending a message to the central session management server to initiate reassignment, the message sent to initiate reassignment comprises new current location information of the first communication device;

the central session management server evaluates the new current location information and assigns the second survivability server to the first communication device and sends a reassignment message to the first communication device identifying the second survivability server to effectuate reassignment.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first communication device determines when the first communication device moved into the second area.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the central session management server determines when the first communication device moved into the second area and sends a message to the first communication device to prompt the first communication device to send the message to the central session management server to initiate reassignment.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one registration message is a registration message sent to only the first survivability server, and wherein the first survivability server sends a message to the central session management server after receiving the registration message from the first communication device to inform the central session management server of the first communication device registering with the first survivability server.

16. A terminal communication device comprising:

non-transitory memory; and

at least one processor, the at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory;

the memory having a client application stored thereon that is executed by the at least one processor, such that a method is performed by the communication device, the method comprising;

the communication device sending an initial message to a central session management server to be authenticated by the central session management server, the initial message comprising account information for a user associated with the communication device and current location information of the communication device;

the communication device receiving a response message from the central session management server that is in response to the initial message, the response message comprising information to effect an assignment of a first survivability server to the communication device; and

the communication device sending at least one registration message to at least one of the central session management server and the first survivability server to register with the at least one of the central session management server and the first survivability server such that communications utilizing a service hosted by the central session management service is usable by the communication device via the first survivability server if the central session management server is unable to provide the service.

17. The terminal communication device of claim 16 wherein the first survivability server is responsible for providing survivability service in a first area, the first area being comprised of the current location identified in the current location information of the initial message;

and

the communication device being reassigned to a second survivability server by the central session management server after the communication device moves into a second area, the second survivability server being responsible for providing survivability service in the second area.

18. The terminal communication device of claim 17 wherein the communication device is reassigned to the second survivability server by the communication device sending a message to the central session management server to initiate reassignment, the message sent to initiate reassignment comprising new current location information of the first communication device;

and

the communication device receiving a reassignment message from the central session management server that identifies the second survivability server to effectuate reassignment of the communication device to the second survivability server.

19. The terminal communication device of claim 18 wherein the method further comprises the communication device determining when the first communication device moved into the second area.