Arrangement for improving the architecture of mobile communication systems

• US 6,389,037 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Do, Thanh Van
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian
• Application Number:
  US09/413,217
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 370/469, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/313, 370/30, 370/335, 370/336, 370/328, 370/235, 370/231, 370/254, 370/277, 370/386, 370/400, 370/401, 455/403, 455/422, 713/151, 713/152
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0095 Specification, development or application of network management software, e.g. software re-use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement for improving the architecture of mobile communication systems, especially a telecommunications system, said system comprising distributed hardware and software components which interact in order to provide services to one or more users, and according to a main aspect of the present invention, this improvement is realized by letting said arrangement comprise a mobility layer grouping all the mobility mechanisms and functions. More specifically the present invention defines a functional separation architecture for supporting mobility in communication systems.

Claims

1. Architecture arrangement of a mobile telecommunication system, said system comprising:

distributed hardware and software components which interact in order to provide services to one or more users,

said arrangement being supported by a functional separation architecture wherein mobility functions are separated from both an associated network layer and an associated application or service layer,

said mobility functions being grouped into a specific layer called a mobility layer, said mobility functions being enabled by objects contained in said mobility layer where said objects communicate internally in said mobility layer as well as with objects contained on other layers,

wherein said functional separation architecture is represented by a model comprising a plurality of domains, specifically three domains including a user domain, a terminal domain and a telecom system domain;

wherein in the telecom system domain there are defined the mobility layer in addition to a network resource layer, a DPE (Distributed Processing Environment) layer, a security layer and the application layer, and wherein the mobility layer comprises objects enabling support of mobility;

wherein in the terminal domain there are defined the mobility layer in addition to the network resource layer, a DPE layer and a security layer, the application layer being associated with the usage of a terminal; and

wherein the user domain is organized in at least an application layer and a security layer, and wherein the application layer in the user domain communicates with the application layer in terminal domain and the application layer in the telecom system domain.

2. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein an object in any layer can interact directly with any object in another layer via offered interfaces.

3. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobility layer is adapted to use services from the DPE layer, the network resource layer, the security layer, and the application layer.

4. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the user domain there are defined two functional layers comprising a security layer and the application layer.

5. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user domain and the terminal domain are separated administratively, but are adapted to be technologically unified into one domain.

6. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein a relationship between layers in any domain is of a peer-to-peer type where a terminal domain network resource layer is able to communicate with a telecom system domain network resource layer.