System and method of communicating operating capabilities in a telecommunication network

• US 7,031,703 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Rytina, Ian, Graf, Leslie Gary, Hollis, Mark Alan, Terrill, Stephen Christopher, Noguera-Rodriguez, Juan, Groves, Christian Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Application Number:
  US09/621,032
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/445, 455/450, 455/453, 455/455, 455/456, 455/403, 455/550, 455/552, 455/553, 455/560, 455/561, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/452.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• 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 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method of communicating operating capabilities in a telecommunication network or networks. The present invention stems from the realisation that mobile telecommunication network resources can be utilised with greater efficiency by maintaining mobile station attributes or operating capabilities at a network node associated with the mobile station. Preferably, the network node is a Visitor Location Register VLR. Additionally, the network node may be a Home Location Register HLR, a Mobile Switching Centre MSC or a Gateway Mobile Switching Centre GMSC. In particular, the invention may provide the creation of a list of operating capabilities at a network node upstream from the mobile station. Having done this, a comparison of this list with another list received from a remote telecommunication element to negotiate operating capabilities at a call set up is achieved without involving communication resources between the mobile station and the network node.

Claims

1. A method of negotiating operating capabilities in a telecommunications system including at least one mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving a first list of operating capabilities of a first mobile station at a first node upstream of and associated with the first mobile station wherein the list includes codecs supported by the first mobile station and is received prior to setting up a call with the first mobile station;

storing the operating capabilities of the first mobile station at the first node;

receiving a second list of operating capabilities of a second mobile station at a second node upstream of and associated with the second mobile station wherein the list includes codecs supported by the second mobile station and is received prior to setting up the call with the second mobile station;

storing the operating capabilities of the second mobile station at the second node; and

selecting agreed upon operating capabilities by comparing the second list to the first list, thereby negotiating the operating capabilities between the first node and the second node.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the first list of operating capabilities includes receiving the first list of operating capabilities from the first mobile station via a location update message.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting agreed upon operating capabilities includes selecting the agreed-upon operating capabilities based on operating capabilities that are in common on both lists.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second nodes are selected from a group consisting of:

a Mobile Switching Center (MSC);

a Visitor Location Register (VLR);

a Home Location Register (HLR); and

a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC).

5. A method of negotiating operating capabilities in a telecommunications system including at least one mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving a first list of operating capabilities of a first mobile station at a first node upstream of and associated with the first mobile station wherein the list includes security algorithms supported by the first mobile station and is received prior to setting up a call with the first mobile station;

storing the operating capabilities of the first mobile station at the first node;

receiving a second list of operating capabilities of a second mobile station at a second node upstream of and associated with the second mobile station wherein the list includes security algorithms supported by the second mobile station and is received prior to setting up the call with the second mobile station;

storing the operating capabilities of the second mobile station at the second node; and

selecting agreed upon operating capabilities by comparing the second list to the first list, thereby negotiating the operating capabilities between the first node and the second node.

6. A method in a first switch node for communicating device operating capabilities between a first mobile station and a second mobile station, wherein the first mobile station is served by the first switch node, wherein the first switch node is associated with a storage means, the method comprising:

receiving data indicating the device operating capabilities associated with the first mobile station, wherein the data includes codecs supported by the first mobile station and is communicated without establishing a call connection between the first mobile station and the first switch node;

storing the communicated data within the storage means;

receiving a call setup message from the first mobile station to establish an outgoing call connection towards the second mobile station;

retrieving the stored data within the storage means; and

sending an outgoing call setup message to a second switch node serving the second mobile station, wherein the retrieved data are included within the outgoing call setup message to allow the data to be reviewed by the second switch node for device compatibility with the second mobile station so that negotiation of operating capabilities takes place between the first switch node and the second switch node.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the storing is performed by a Visitor Location Register (VLR).

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the reviewing by the second switch is performed by a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) serving the second mobile station.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the reviewing by the second switch is performed by a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) serving the second mobile station.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of receiving data indicating the device operating capabilities of the first mobile station includes receiving the data from the first mobile station during a location update procedure.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the outgoing call setup message is an Initial Address Message.

12. A communications node, comprising:

means for receiving data from a first mobile station, wherein the data indicates device operating capabilities associated with the first mobile station, wherein the data includes codecs supported by the first mobile station and is communicated without establishing a call connection between the first mobile station and the communications node;

means for storing the communicated data;

means for receiving a call setup message from the first mobile station to establish an outgoing call connection towards a second mobile station;

means for retrieving the stored data; and

means for including the retrieved data within an outgoing call setup message to allow the data to be reviewed by a switch node serving the second mobile station for device compatibility with the second mobile station so that negotiation of operating capabilities take place between the communications node and the switch node serving the second mobile station.

13. The communications node of claim 12 wherein the means for storing is a Visitor Location Register (VLR).

14. The communications node of claim 12 wherein the switch node serving the second mobile station is a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC).

15. The communications node of claim 12 wherein the switch node serving the second mobile station is a Mobile Switching Center (MSC).

16. The communications node of claim 12 wherein the means for receiving data from the first mobile station includes means for receiving the data during a location update procedure.

17. The communications node of claim 12 wherein the outgoing call setup message is an Initial Address Message.