Method and apparatus for enabling and monitoring mobile communication across platforms

• US 6,654,607 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telcordia Legacy Inc.
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson), Toshiba Corporation
• Inventors: Vakil, Faramak, Shobatake, Yasuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lockett, E.
• Application Number:
  US09/504,106
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/432, 455/445, 455/552, 455/424, 455/426, 370/466, 370/467
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for communicating across various communication platforms is disclosed. The system includes a mobility manager that includes a database that stores the alias of terminals on other platforms for addressing from a first platform. Through use of the disclosed system and method, communication across platforms is enabled while minimizing modifications needed to further the communication pathways.

Claims

1. A system for providing a network communications pathway between communication platforms comprising:

a first communication platform supporting a first protocol, said first communication platform associated with a first mobility database, said first mobility database storing plural pairs of a first terminal identifier and a first location identifier, each pair corresponding to a respective first mobile terminal on said first communication platform;

a second communication platform supporting a second protocol, said second communication platform associated with a second mobility database, said second mobility database storing plural pairs of a second terminal identifier and a second location identifier, each pair corresponding to a respective second mobile terminal on said second communication platform;

a first alias database storing a first alias of the first terminal identifier of said first mobile terminal in a form compatible with said second protocol;

a second alias database storing a second alias of the second terminal identifier of said second mobile terminal in a form compatible with said first protocol; and

a mobility manager connected to both said first communication platform and said second communication platform, said mobility manager determining whether a destination of a first message is registered in said second alias database and, if the destination of the first message is registered in said second alias database, forwarding the first message to said second terminal corresponded with said second communication platform from said first terminal corresponded with said first communication platform, and determining whether a destination of a second message is registered in said first alias database and, if the destination of the second message is registered in said first alias database, forwarding the second message to said first terminal corresponded with said first communication platform from said second terminal corresponded with said second communication platform.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third communication platform supporting a third protocol, said third communication platform associated with a third mobility database, said third mobility database storing plural pairs of a third terminal identifier and a third location identifier, each pair corresponding to a respective third mobile terminal on said third communication platform,

wherein a third alias of said third terminal identifier is stored in said first alias database in a form compatible with said second protocol and a fourth alias of said third terminal identifier is stored in said second alias database in a form compatible with said first protocol.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobility manager receives from the first mobile terminal a message for resolving a location of the second mobile terminal and acquires the location of the second mobile terminal by referring to the second mobility database.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobility manager receives from the first mobile terminal a message containing the second alias of the second terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal, obtains the second terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal by referring to the second alias database, and inquires a location of the second mobile terminal of the second mobility database by using the second terminal identifier obtained.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a gateway setting up a communication path from the first mobile terminal to the second mobile terminal by referring to the second alias database.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the gateway also sets up a reverse communication path from the second mobile terminal to the first mobile terminal by referring to the first alias database.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobility manager receives from the first mobile terminal a message containing the second alias of the second terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal, obtains the second terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal by referring to the second alias database, and registers a location of the second mobile terminal to the second mobility database by using the second terminal identifier obtained.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first mobility database also stores at least one of accounting information and authentication information.

9. A method for communicating across communication platforms, comprising:

storing plural pairs of a first terminal identifier and a first location identifier, each pair corresponding to a respective first mobile terminal on a first communication platform in a first mobility database;

storing plural pairs of a second terminal identifier and a second location identifier, each pair corresponding to a respective second mobile terminal on a second communication platform in a second mobility database;

storing a first alias of said first terminal identifier in a first alias database;

storing a second alias of said second terminal identifier in a second alias database;

receiving a first message from the second mobile terminal on the second communication platform, said first message addressed with said first alias, and receiving a second message from said first mobile terminal on said first communication platform, said second message addressed with said second alias;

retrieving said first alias and said first terminal identifier from said first alias database and retrieving said second alias and said second terminal identifier from said second alias database; and

associating said first terminal identifier with said first message and forwarding said first message to said first communication platform, and associating said second terminal identifier with said second message and forwarding said second message to said second communication platform.

10. A mobility-managing device located between a first communication platform having a first mobility database and a first alias database and a second communication platform having a second mobility database and a second alias database, the device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a message from the first communication platform, the message being for a communication between a first mobile terminal located at the first communication platform and a second mobile terminal;

an examining unit configured to examine the message received by the receiving unit to determine whether the second mobile terminal is serviced by the first communication platform or the second communication platform; and

an outputting unit configured to output the message to inquire a location of the second mobile terminal of said second mobility database when the examining unit determines that the second mobile terminal is serviced by the second communication platform,

wherein the examining unit determines that the second mobile terminal is serviced by the second communication platform when an identifier of the second mobile terminal contained in the message is registered in said first alias database associated with the first communication platform, the first alias database storing an alias of a terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal and the terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal, said alias being usable on the first communication platform and said terminal identifier being usable on the second communication platform, and

wherein the outputting unit outputs the message by using said terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal obtained from the first alias database.

11. A mobility-managing device located between a first communication platform having a first mobility database and servicing a first mobile terminal and a second communication platform having a second mobility database and servicing a second mobile terminal, the device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a message from said first mobile terminal, said first message being destined for said second mobile terminal;

an examining unit configured to examine the message received by the receiving unit to determine whether said second mobile terminal is serviced by the first communication platform or the second communication platform, said examining unit searching a first alias database associated with said first communication platform; and

an outputting unit configured to output the message to a location of the second mobile terminal using said second mobility database associated with the second communication platform to locate the second mobile terminal when the examining unit determines that said second mobile terminal is serviced by the second communication platform.

12. A method of resolving a location of a mobile terminal across a first communication platform having a first mobility database and a first alias database and a second communication platform having a second mobility database and a second alias database, the method comprising the steps of:

intercepting a message from a first mobile terminal located at the first communication platform to a second mobile terminal;

determining that the second mobile terminal is serviced by the second communication platform when an identifier of the second mobile terminal contained in the message intercepted is registered as an alias of a terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal in said first alias database storing aliases and corresponding terminal identifiers of mobile terminals, wherein the terminal identifier is supported by the second communication platform; and

inquiring a location of the second mobile terminal of said second mobility database associated with the second communication platform by using the terminal identifier of the second mobile terminal if the second mobile terminal is determined to be serviced by the second communication platform.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the second mobile terminal is serviced by the first communication platform when an identifier of the second mobile terminal contained in the intercepted message is not registered in said first alias database; and

inquiring a location of the second mobile terminal of said first mobility database associated with the first communication platform.

14. A method of registering a location of a mobile terminal across a first communication platform having a first mobility database and a first alias database and a second communication platform having a second mobility database and a second alias database, the method comprising the steps of:

intercepting a message from a mobile terminal located at the first communication platform, the message being for a registration of a location of the mobile terminal;

determining that the mobile terminal is serviced by the second communication platform when an identifier of the mobile terminal contained in the intercepted message is registered as an alias of a terminal identifier of the mobile terminal in said first alias database storing aliases and corresponding terminal identifiers of mobile terminals, wherein the terminal identifier is supported by the second communication platform; and

transferring the message to said second mobility database associated with the second communication platform by using the terminal identifier of the mobile terminal if the second mobile terminal is determined to be serviced by the second communication platform.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the mobile terminal is serviced by the first communication platform when an identifier of the mobile terminal contained in the intercepted message is not registered in said first alias database; and

transferring the message to said first mobility database associated with the first communication platform by using the terminal identifier of the mobile terminal.

16. A system for providing a network communications pathway between communication platforms comprising:

a first communication platform supporting a first protocol, said first communication platform associated with a first mobility database, said first mobility database storing plural pairs of a first terminal identifier and a first location identifier, each pair corresponding to a respective first mobile terminal on said first communication platform;

a second communication platform supporting a second protocol, said second communication platform associated with a second mobility database, said second mobility database storing plural pairs of a second terminal identifier and a second location identifier, each pair corresponding to a respective second mobile terminal on said second communication platform;

an alias database storing an alias of the first terminal identifier of said first mobile terminal in a form compatible with said second protocol; and

a mobility manager connected to both said first communication platform and said second communication platform, said mobility manager checking whether a destination of a first message is registered in said alias database and, if the destination of the first message is registered in said alias database, forwarding the first message to said first mobile terminal from said second mobile terminal.