Architecture for an IP centric distributed network

• US 6,714,987 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Amin, Rajesh B., Hanley, Donald V., Morrow, Glenn C., Allahyari, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACOBS, LASHONDA T
• Application Number:
  US09/434,628
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/249, 709/227, 709/220, 709/223-229
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A method and system to for a communications network architecture for an Internet Protocol centric wireless network for a first user to communicate to a destination, the architecture comprising: a network service function layer within the wireless network. The network service function layer can include: a policy management server; an authorization server; a service accounting server; an authentication, authorization and accounting server; an unified directory within a directory server; a security gateway; and a mobility manager. The architecture also includes a local service function layer associated with the network service function layer. The local service function layer can include: an access accounting server; an authentication, authorization and accounting server; a security gateway; a policy enforcement server; a mobility manager; a network management server; and a wireless gateway. The architecture also includes an access management layer associated with the local service function layer. The access management layer can include: a location tracking server; a connection management server; a protocol server; an access management server; a policy enforcement server; a network management server; and a resource management server. The architecture also includes an access interface layer associated with the access management layer. The access interface layer can include: a channel management server; a policy enforcement server; an administration and maintenance server; and a radio frequency server.

Claims

1. A method for a first wireless user to communicate in a distributed Internet Protocol (IP) centric wireless network with a plurality of service layers providing a plurality of functions associated with each of the service layers, the method comprising:

accessing the network to establish a point of presence through an access interface layer at an access management layer and a core portion of the network and to designate a default amount of bandwidth and a plurality of default setup parameters, wherein the access management layer is wireless technology independent and the access interface layer is wireless technology specific;

invocating service through a session server on the network to establish an amount of network resources requested by the first wireless user; and

establishing a transport session to create and manage a connection from the first wireless user to a destination address.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of service layers includes a network service function layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of service layers includes a local service function layer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of service layers includes an access service function layer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the access service function layer accommodates a plurality of technologies used for the first wireless user to communicate to the network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the invocating service through the session server includes providing a list of a plurality of functions available to the first wireless user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the plurality of functions available to the first wireless user are based on capabilities of the first wireless user and a plurality of network preferences.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the session server also provides addressing of any appropriate server to contact for each of the plurality of functions available to the first wireless user.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the session server contacts an accounting server through an Authorizing, Authentication and Accounting server and initiates an appropriate record of resources committed to the first wireless user.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the accounting server sends information to an accounting accumulator at the network service layer.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the session server instructs a connection management server to record usage information according to resources used by the first wireless user.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the usage information includes at least one of the group consisting of:

time used by first wireless user, packets used by first wireless user, flat rate for each access by first wireless user or bytes used by first wireless user.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the network service layer includes a mobility manager that provides handoff services to the first wireless user when the first wireless user leaves the local service function layer for another local service function layer.

14. The method of claim 3 wherein the local service layer includes a mobility manager that provides handoff services to the first wireless user when the first wireless user leaves an access management layer for another access management layer.

15. The method of claim 3 wherein the access management layer includes a location tracking server that provides handoff services to the first wireless user when the first wireless user leaves a first cell in a first access interface layer for another cell in another access interface layer.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein a session server reserves any quality of service parameters and an amount of bandwidth requested by the first wireless user.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein an access and a termination functions at an access management layer reserves any quality of service parameters and an amount of bandwidth requested by the first wireless user.

18. The method of claim 1 further including sending communications from an application layer at the first wireless user wherein an user agent client resides at the first wireless user.

19. The method of claim 1 further including sending communications from a layer 3 at the first wireless user wherein an user agent client resides at an access management layer of the access layer.

20. The method of claim 1 further including an user agent server associated for each of a plurality of access interface layer of the access layer.

21. The method of claim 1 further including an user agent server that acts as a gateway by converting incoming protocols of incoming communications to a protocol understood by the first wireless user.

22. The method of claim 1 further including an user agent server that delivers incoming protocols of incoming communications to the first wireless user when the incoming protocol is understood by the first wireless user.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the session server further provides admission control functions and address resolution to an user agent client and an user agent client proxy at a SIP protocol server.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the session server further provides admission control functions and address resolution to a H.323 terminal and a H.323 gateway at a H.225 protocol server.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the network includes a connection management server that can transport communications on a plurality of backbone infrastructures.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the network includes a connection management server that can transport communications on a point to point basis.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the network includes a connection management server that can transport communications on a point to multi-point basis.

28. The method of claim 1 further including providing the requested amount of network resources by utilizing a connection management server that utilizes a plurality of protocols to deliver a requested quality of service for latency.

29. The method of claim 1 further including providing the requested amount of network resources by utilizing a connection management server that utilizes a plurality of protocols to deliver a requested bandwidth.

30. The method of claim 1 further including deciding policy parameters at a core network level.

31. The method of claim 30 further including enforcing policy parameters at an access management level.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of access management layer components interact with a network layer of the first wireless user to establish an access session.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of access management layer components interact with a plurality of components to bring the mobile host on the traffic channel.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of access management layer components interact through a connection management component to establish point to point protocol path that allows the first wireless user to access any other IP capable device through a serving network.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of network preferred call/session control services are handled through a plurality of access management components.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein handoff, power control, and paging functions related handshakes with the first wireless user are controlled by a plurality of access management components.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless user interacts with a plurality of protocol servers and access management service layer components.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the plurality of protocol servers and access management service layer components interact with a plurality of components at the local service function layer.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of components at a local service function layer provide specific services to a plurality of access management components during establishment of an access session and service session with the first wireless user.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing includes providing subscriber management and policy decision services for the first wireless user.

41. The method of claim 1 wherein policy decision services are provided for the first wireless user during user session invocation.

42. The method of claim 1 wherein Intranet services are provided to the first wireless user by a local service function layer through specialized application servers.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless user interacts with a plurality of global network service components.

44. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing further includes a network service function layer providing services to a local service function layer.

45. The method of claim 1 further including providing subscriber management services during an access session establishment for the first wireless user.

46. The method of claim 1 further including facilitating publicly available services.

47. The method of claim 1 further including facilitating direct home network accesses.