System and method for service session management in an IP centric distributed network

• US 6,910,074 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2000
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Amin, Rajesh B., Hanley, Donald V., Allahyari, John, Hall, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/624,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 709/249, 709/250, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/228, 709/330, 709/245, 709/218, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 370/389, 370/469, 370/356, 370/338, 395/684, 379/58
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2872 Termination of subscriber connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Provided are a system and method for service session management in an IP centric network. In one example, the method includes accessing a 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 designating a default amount of bandwidth and a plurality of default setup parameters. Service is invoked through an allied application server on the network to establish an amount of network resources requested by a user. The allied application server manages any changes requested by the user to the quality of service parameters and bandwidth amount through the core network. A transport session is established to create and manage a connection from the user to a destination address.

Claims

1. A method for a first user to communicate in an Internet Protocol (IP) centric distributed 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 access technology independent and the access interface layer is access technology specific;

invocating service through an allied application server on the network to establish an amount of network resources requested by the first user, wherein the allied application server manages any changes requested by the first user to the quality of service parameters and bandwidth amount through the core network; and

establishing a transport session to create and manage a connection from the first 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 2 wherein the network service layer includes a mobility manager that provides handoff services to the first user when the first user leaves the local service function layer for another local service function layer.

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

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the local service layer includes a mobility manager that provides handoff services to the first user when the first user leaves an access management layer for another access management layer.

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

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the access service function layer accommodates a plurality of technologies used for the first user to communicate to the network.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the access management layer includes a location tracking server that provides handoff services to the first user when the first user leaves a first cell in a first access interface layer for another cell in another access interface layer.

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

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of functions available to the first user are based on capabilities of the first user and a plurality of network preferences.

11. 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 user.

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

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

14. 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.

15. 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 user.

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

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

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

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

20. 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.

21. 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.

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

23. The method of claim 22 further including enforcing policy parameters at an access management level.

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

25. 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.

26. 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 user to access any other IP capable device through a serving network.

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

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

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

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the plurality of protocol servers and access management service layer components interact with a plurality of components at the local service function layer.

31. 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 user.

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

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

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

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

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

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

38. The method of claim 1 where the first user is capable of accessing publicly available services.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein the first is capable of direct home network accesses.

40. The method of claim 1 further including enforcing the accounting and billing policies for services and collecting and reporting the charging data to an operator'"'"'s billing system.

41. The method of claim 1 further including accounting clients at the application servers facilitating accounting activities at a service level for the first user.

42. The method of claim 1 further including accounting clients at the access management layer facilitating the collection of usage data reported to the accounting server at the core network for accumlation.

43. The method of claim 1 further including interfacing with a storage device to fetch collected data in order to create a customer billable record.

44. A communications network architecture for an Internet Protocol centric wireless network for a first user to communicate with a destination, the architecture comprising:

a radio access network including;

an access interface layer configured for communication with a mobile device associated with the first user and

an access management layer coupled to the access interface layer and configured to manage communications between the access interface layer and a core network, wherein the access management layer is access technology independent and the access interface layer is access technology specific;

a core network connected to the access management layer, the core network configured to control network resources associated with the mobile device and maintain user and network information associated with the mobile device;

an allied application service platform that forms an intranet network connected to the core network, the allied application service platform configured to access the user and network information maintained by the core network to provide application specific services to an application located on the mobile device, wherein the services are customized for the user by the allied application service platform based on the user and network information; and

an application service platform within the Internet independent from the core network and connected to the access management layer, the application service platform configured to provide application specific services to an application located on the mobile device without having access to the user and network information maintained by the core network.

45. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the application service platform within the intranet is allied with the core network.

46. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the application service platform within the Internet is not allied with the core network.

47. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the access management layer receives service requests from the first user.

48. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network receives service requests from the first user.

49. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the intranet network receives service requests from the first user.

50. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the intranet network includes a plurality of independent service providers and wherein the plurality of independent service providers are allied with the core network.

51. The architecture of claim 44 further including independent service providers outside the core network.

52. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the allied application service platform in connection with the core network provides feature analysis.

53. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the access management layer provides enforcement of the first user'"'"'s preferences and capabilities.

54. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network provides dynamic provisioning of Quality of Service.

55. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network provides dynamic provisioning of data rates.

56. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the access management layer provides enforcing access restriction at the serving network.

57. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network provides routing functions.

58. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network provides connection types.

59. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network provides handling of multi-media sessions and accounting.

60. The architecture of claim 44 further including support for multiple xANs where each xAN is associated with a different technology.

61. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the access management layer forwards data sent by the first user.

62. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network provides mobility management for user mobility across a plurality of access networks.

63. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the access management layer provides usage collection functions.

64. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network provides accounting, authentication and authorization functions.

65. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network routes data to the first user via an IP address that the first user is currently using.

66. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the core network supports access to multiple network service layers from the same device.

67. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the network service management layer is the home network and “

owns”

the first user'"'"'s subscription and associated profile.

68. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the network service management layer supports a “

Unified Directory”

for subscriber profiles and policies independent of the access type.

69. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the network service management layer provides mobility to subscribers on a large scale.

70. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the network service management layer allows the first user to roam in any local service layer.

71. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the network service management layer provides routing information to anyone requesting to establish communications with the first user.

72. The architecture of claim 44 wherein the network service management layer provides accounting, authentication and authorization functions for the first users.