Method and system for re-direction and handoff for pre-paid mobile services in third generation networks

• US 6,973,309 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rygula, Charles, Borella, Michael S., Warrier, Chandra
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ewart, James D.
• Application Number:
  US10/097,796
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-409, 455/410, 455/411, 455436-438, 455/511, 370/338, 370/349, 370/352, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 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: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/26 with real-time recharging of account/card, e.g. if limit is reached during connection user is asked if he wants to recharge or not
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and system for re-direction and handoff for pre-paid mobile services in third generation (“3G”) networks. A handoff marker is created and used for wireless mobile nodes such as Mobile Internet Protocol (“Mobile IP”) nodes. The handoff markers allow the wireless mobile nodes to use pre-paid mobile services, have active communications sessions suspended and re-directed to a registration server when purchased pre-paid mobile services run-out. The registration server allows the wireless mobile node to electronically purchase additional pre-paid mobile services and immediately resume a suspended communications session. The handoff markers also allows network devices in a mobile network to determine between initiation of a new communications session or a hard handoff of an existing communication session, without adversely affecting pre-paid billing services.

Claims

1. A method for allowing handoffs for wireless mobile nodes using pre-paid mobile services on a mobile network, comprising:

receiving a first request message on a first non-mobile service network device on a mobile network from a wireless mobile node to establish a communications session for the wireless mobile node;

sending an update message from the first non-mobile service network device to a second non-mobile network device control node requesting a handoff marker, wherein the handoff marker is used to determine if the communications session to be established is a new communications session or a handoff communications session;

receiving a response message on the first non-mobile service network device from the second non-mobile network device control node;

determining on the first non-mobile network service device whether the response message includes a handoff marker, and if not,

generating a new handoff marker with a value indicating the wireless mobile node is establishing a new communications session;

sending the generated handoff marker to an authentication authorization and accounting server in an access request message to allow the authentication authorization and accounting server to differentiate between the establishment of a new communications session and a handoff of an existing communications session to another non-mobile service network device;

receiving an access response message from the authentication authorization and accounting server, wherein the access response message includes account information for pre-paid mobile services purchased for the wireless mobile node that will be used by the first non-mobile service network device to provide pre-paid billing services for the wireless mobile node;

sending the generated handoff marker to the second non-mobile network device control node in an update message, wherein the second non-mobile network device uses the generated handoff marker in subsequent messages sent to the first non-mobile network service device to allow handoff and redirection of communications sessions established by the wireless mobile node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the steps of the method.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first non-mobile service network device includes a packet data service node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second non-mobile network device control node includes a Mobile Internet Protocol foreign agent control node or a Mobile Internet Protocol foreign agent.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile network includes a third-generation wireless mobile network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless mobile node includes a wireless Mobile Internet Protocol mobile node.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the handoff marker is a digital cookie.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining on the first non-mobile network device whether the response message includes a handoff marker, and if so,

changing the value of the handoff marker to create a modified handoff marker to indicate the wireless mobile node is undergoing a handoff of an existing communications session to another non-mobile service network device; and

sending the modified handoff marker to the authentication authorization and accounting server in an access request message to allow the authentication authorization and accounting server to differentiate between the establishment of a new communications session and the handoff of an existing communications session to another non-mobile service network device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-paid mobile services include a specific amount of transmission time, a specific amount of receive time, a specific number of data bytes received, a specific number of data bytes transmitted, a specific number of data packets received, or a specific number of data packets transmitted.