Method and apparatus for resolving an entity identifier into an internet address using a domain name system (DNS) server and an entity identifier portability database
First Claim
1. A method for determining an Internet address for an entity, comprising:
- providing an identifier corresponding to the entity;
requesting that the identifier be resolved into an Internet address corresponding to the entity;
consulting an entity identifier portability database using the identifier to determine a network operator associated with the entity;
providing from the entity identifier portability database a network identifier corresponding to the network operator associated with the entity; and
using the network identifier in a process of resolving the identifier into the corresponding Internet address.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an efficient way of resolving telephone numbers and other entity/device identifiers into Internet addresses as well as accommodating portability of those telephone numbers and other entity/device identifiers without having to substantially modify or rework the domain naming system (DNS) infrastructure or established number portability schemes. Self-contained, additional functionality is implemented on a DNS server which allows smooth IP address resolution of telephone numbers or other entity/device identifiers by taking advantage of existing portability databases without impacting the existing networks that create and maintain such portability databases.
210 Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method for determining an Internet address for an entity, comprising:
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providing an identifier corresponding to the entity; requesting that the identifier be resolved into an Internet address corresponding to the entity; consulting an entity identifier portability database using the identifier to determine a network operator associated with the entity; providing from the entity identifier portability database a network identifier corresponding to the network operator associated with the entity; and using the network identifier in a process of resolving the identifier into the corresponding Internet address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for resolving a telephone number corresponding to an entity to be contacted into an Internet address using a domain name system (DNS) server and a telephone number portability database,
wherein the DNS server accesses the telephone number portability database to determine a network operator serving the entity and sends a DNS resolution ciuerv for the telephone number to a DNS server associated with the serving network operator.
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19. A method for determining an Internet address corresponding to a entity with which a communication session is to be established, comprising:
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entering at a mobile node a telephone number of the entity; the mobile node converting the telephone number into a telephone number (ENUM) query; the mobile node sending the ENUM query over a radio interface to be provided to a first server requesting resolution of the telephone number to a corresponding Internet address; the first server analyzing the message, accessing a telephone number portability database, and retrieving therefrom a network identifier for a network associated with the entity; the first server then sending the message to a second server associated with the identified network requesting resolution of the telephone number to return corresponding Internet address information; and the second server providing the corresponding Internet information to the first server. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A server for assisting in determining an Internet address for an entity in response to a request that an identifier associated with the entity be resolved into an Internet address corresponding to the entity, comprising:
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a resolution processor for handling the request; a memory, coupled to the resolution processor, for storing information related to resolving an identifier into an Internet address; and an identifier portability controller for consulting an entity identifier portability database with the identifier and obtaining from the entity identifier portability database a network identifier corresponding to a network operator associated with the entity, wherein the resolution processor is configured to use the network identifier in a process of resolving the identifier into the corresponding Internet address. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A computer-readable product comprising:
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a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein including; code to receive an identifier associated with an entity to be contacted over the Internet and a request that the identifier be resolved into an Internet address corresponding to the entity; code to consult an entity identifier portability database with the identifier; code to obtain from the entity identifier portability database a network identifier corresponding to network operator associated with the entity; and code to provide the network identifier for use in resolving the identifier into the corresponding Internet address. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A system for resolving a telephone number corresponding to a called entity into an Internet address, comprising:
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user equipment for generating a message including the telephone number; a first domain naming system (DNS) server for receiving the message and for generating a database query using the telephone number; and a telephone number portability database for receiving the database query and for providing to the DNS server information regarding the telephone number, wherein the first DNS server is configured to use the information to facilitate resolution of the telephone number into a corresponding Internet address. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A processor comprising processing circuitry and memory configured to assist in a process of resolving a telephone number corresponding to an entity to be contacted into an Internet address using resources in a domain name system (DNS) and resources in a telephone number portability database,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to access the telephone number portability database to determine a network operator serving the entity and to send a DNS resolution query for the telephone number to a DNS server associated with the serving network operator.
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63. A method for determining a type of DNS query for an entity resolution process, comprising:
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receiving an identifier corresponding to an entity in a first DNS query; consulting a entity identifier portability database using the identifier to determine a network operator associated with the entity; providing from the entity identifier portability database a network identifier corresponding to the network operator associated with the entity; and using the network identifier in a process of generating a second DNS query for resolving the identifier into a corresponding Internet address. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification