Register for and method of providing contact information for a communications unit identified by a uniform resource name

• US 6,487,407 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Philips, W. Garland, Webb, Janiece S., Goldberg, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ GUTIERREZ, RAFAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/822,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20020142770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/432, 455/435, 455/426, 455/456, 455/414, 709/219, 709/225, 709/227, 370/349
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45

Abstract

A method of and register for obtaining information required to contact a communications unit is disclosed. The method includes: accessing a accessor location register, containing uniform resource names (URNs) cross referenced to uniform resource locators (URLs), to determine whether a URL corresponding to a URN for the communication unit is available; when the URL is available; initiating, using the URL, a first contact attempt with the communications unit; and contacting, using the URN, a home location register to validate the URL; and when the URL is not available; contacting, using the URN, the home location register to obtain the URL and then, using the URL, initiating a second contact attempt with the communications unit.

Claims

1. An accessor location register used for storing and retrieving information required to contact a communications unit, the accessor location register being part of a communications system infrastructure and comprising in combination:

a memory including a database containing uniform resource names (URNs) cross referenced to uniform resource locators (URLs), and

a controller for accessing said database to determine whether a URL corresponding to a URN for the communication unit is available;

when said URL is available;

initiating, using said URL, a first contact attempt with the communications unit; and

contacting, using said URN, a home location register to validate said URL; and

when said URL is not available;

contacting, using said URN, said home location register to obtain said URL and then, using said URL, initiating a second contact attempt with the communications unit.

2. The accessor location register of claim 1 wherein said controller contacts a visitor location register using said URL for information relevant to the communications unit in order to initiate said first contact attempt and to initiate said second contact attempt and to cause said visitor location register to start a session with the communications unit.

3. The accessor location register of claim 1 wherein said controller maintains said database by purging one or more URN and cross referenced URL from said database based on one of lack of memory space, frequency of access, time since last accessed, and number of communications units accessing said URN.

4. The accessor location register of claim 1 wherein said controller receives an indication that said URL is invalid and a second URL that is valid from said home location register and initiates, using said second URL, a third contact attempt with the communications unit.

5. The accessor location register of claim 4 herein said controller contacts a visitor location register corresponding to said second URL for information relevant to the communications unit in order to initiate said third contact attempt and to cause said visitor location register to start a session with the communications unit.

6. The accessor location register of claim 4 wherein said controller updates, responsive to receiving said indication, information associated with said URN and URL within said database.

7. The accessor location register of claim 6 wherein said controller receives a request for a session with the communications unit from a second communications unit and after updating said information receives a further request for a session with the communications unit from a further communications unit and uses said second URL to initiate a contact attempt with the communications unit.

8. The accessor location register of claim 1 wherein said controller further receives an indication that said URL is valid and, responsive thereto, updates information associated with said URN and said URL within said database.

9. The accessor location register of claim 1 wherein said controller accesses said database after receiving an indication from a local visitor location register that said URL is not available.

10. The accessor location register of claim 1 wherein said controller receives a request for a session with the communications unit from a second communications unit.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of initiating said first contact attempt and said step of initiating said second contact attempt further includes a step of contacting a visitor location register using said URL for information relevant to the communications unit and a step of starting a session with the communications unit.

14. The method of claim 1 further including a step of receiving an indication that said URL is invalid and receiving a second URL that is valid and initiating, using said second URL, a third contact attempt with the communications unit.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of initiating said third contact attempt further includes a step of contacting a visitor location register corresponding to said second URL for information relevant to the communications unit and a step of starting a session with the communications unit.

16. The method of claim 12 further including a step of updating, responsive to said steps of receiving, information associated with said URN and URL within said accessor location register.

17. The method of claim 16 further including a step of receiving a request for a session with the communications unit from a second communications unit and after said step of updating said information receiving a further request for a session with the communications unit from a further communications unit and using said second URL to initiate a contact attempt with the communications unit.

18. The method of claim 1 further including a step of receiving an indication that said URL is valid and, responsive thereto, updating information associated with said URN and said URL within said accessor location register.

11. A method of obtaining information required to contact a communications unit, the method including the steps of:

accessing an accessor location register, containing uniform resource names (URNs) cross referenced to uniform resource locators (URLs), to determine whether a URL corresponding to a URN for the communication unit is available;

when said URL is available;

initiating, using said URL, a first contact attempt with the communications unit; and

contacting, using said URN, a home location register to validate said URL; and

when said URL is not available;

contacting, using said URN, said home location register to obtain said URL and then, using said URL, initiating a second contact attempt with the communications unit.

13. The method of claim 11 further including a step of maintaining the accessor location register by purging one or more URN and cross referenced URL from said accessor location register based on one of frequency of access, time since last accessed, and number of communications units accessing said URN.

19. The method of claim 11 further including a step of accessing a local visitor location register to obtain said URL and when said URL is not available said step of accessing an accessor location register is performed.

20. The method of claim 11 further including a step of receiving a request for a session with the communications unit from a second communications unit.