Data service in a mobile communications network

• US 7,257,122 B1
• Filed: 04/15/1998
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Keturi, Joonas
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/403,095
• Time in Patent Office: 3,408 Days
• Field of Search: 370464-466, 370/321, 370/228, 370/329, 370/338, 370/340, 370/310.1, 370/310.2, 370473- 4, 370/401, 709/246, 709/230, 345/1.1, 345/3.1
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A server of a telecommunications systems including first mechanisms for connecting to a mobile communications system which in turn connects to terminals on a radio connection, and second mechanisms for connecting to another telecommunications systems of the Internet type. According to the invention, the server is thus arranged to receive commands from the terminals and convert them into a format compatible with at least one of the protocols of the other telecommunications system; and to receive information from the direction of the other telecommunications system and to convert it into a format compatible with at least one protocol of the mobile communications system.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a data connection between a mobile communications system comprising several terminals and another telecommunications system supporting several protocols, the method comprising:

(i) receiving messages from a terminal, converting them into a format compatible with at least one of the protocols of the other telecommunications system, and transmitting them to the other telecommunications system; and

(ii) receiving information from the direction of the other telecommunications system and converting it into a format compatible with at least one protocol of the mobile communications system, and transmitting it to the mobile communications system;

wherein the terminals of the mobile communications system are classified into at least two different classes on the basis of at least one predetermined criterion, wherein the at least one predetermined criterion includes a criterion determined on the basis of the content of a message from a respective terminal among the terminals, and

the protocol to be used towards the terminal is selected on the basis of the class of the terminal in question, wherein

said at least one predetermined criterion includes the terminal'"'"'s ability to support the HTTP protocol; and

information from the direction of the other telecommunications system is transmitted using the HTTP protocol to the terminals supporting it, and as a short message to other terminals.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined criterion includes a criterion determined on the basis of the header of the protocol layer of the message from the terminal.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein in step (i) at least some messages from the terminal are altered on the basis of a location of said terminal.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said location of the terminal is determined on the basis of a location management element of the mobile communications system.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein in step (ii) at least part of the information to be transmitted to the terminal is selected or filtered on the basis of a location of said terminal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the location of the terminal is determined based on a location management element of the mobile communications system.

7. An information server comprising:

first means for connecting to a mobile communications system, which in turn connects to terminals on a radio connection,

second means for connecting to another telecommunications system supporting several protocols,

third means which are arranged to receive messages from the terminals and convert them into a format compatible with at least one of the protocols of the other telecommunications system, and to receive information from the direction of the other telecommunications system and to convert it into a format compatible with at least one protocol of the mobile telecommunications system,

a function for dividing the terminals into at least two different classes on the basis of at least one predetermined criterion, wherein the at least one predetermined criterion includes a criterion determined on the basis of the content of a message from a respective terminal among the terminals, and

a function for selecting the protocol to be used for the connection in the direction towards the respective terminal on the basis of the class of the terminal in question, wherein

said at least one criterion comprises the terminal'"'"'s ability to support the HTTP protocol; and

the server further comprises means for sending information from the direction of the other telecommunications system using the HTTP protocol to the terminals supporting it that protocol, and as a short message to other terminals.

8. A server according to claim 7, wherein the server is arranged to compress information from the direction of the telecommunications system before the information is sent as a short message.

9. A server according to claim 7, wherein the server is arranged to analyse the amount and type of information sent from the direction of the other telecommunications system, and if the amount of information exceeds a predetermined threshold value or its type corresponds to a predetermined type, the server is adapted to:

store the information in a memory; and

at least first send only a notice to the terminal that the terminal will receive more information when a connection can be established to the terminal via another protocol.

10. A server according to claim 7, wherein the server is arranged to filter the information provided for the terminal on the basis of a location of the terminal.

11. A server according to claim 7, further comprising memory means for storing the most used information from the direction of the other telecommunications system.

12. A server according to claim 7, wherein the server is implemented as a compact network element.

13. A server according to claim 7, wherein the server is implemented in a distributed manner substantially by means of network elements and by supplementing their functions.

14. A server according to claim 7, wherein the server is arranged to be connected to the internet.

15. An information server comprising:

first means for connecting to a mobile communications system, which in turn connects to terminals on a radio connection,

second means for connecting to another telecommunications system supporting several protocols,

third means which are arranged to receive messages from the terminals and convert them into a format compatible with at least one of the protocols of the other telecommunications system, and to receive information from the direction of the other telecommunications system and to convert it into a format compatible with at least one protocol of the mobile telecommunications system,

a function for dividing the terminals into at least two different classes on the basis of at least one predetermined criterion, wherein the at least one predetermined criterion includes a criterion determined on the basis of the content of a message from a respective terminal among the terminals, and

a function for selecting the protocol to be used for the connection in the direction towards the respective terminal on the basis of the class of the terminal in question, wherein the server is arranged to send information from the direction of the other telecommunications system to the terminals in several short messages if the content of the information exceeds the length of one short message.

16. An information server comprising:

first means for connecting to a mobile communications system, which in turn connects to terminals on a radio connection,

second means for connecting to another telecommunications system supporting several protocols,

third means which are arranged to receive messages from the terminals and convert them into a format compatible with at least one of the protocols of the other telecommunications system, and to receive information from the direction of the other telecommunications system and to convert it into a format compatible with at least one protocol of the mobile telecommunications system,

a function for dividing the terminals into at least two different classes on the basis of at least one predetermined criterion, wherein the at least one predetermined criterion includes a criterion determined on the basis of the content of a message from a respective terminal among the terminals, and

a function for selecting the protocol to be used for the connection in the direction towards the respective terminal on the basis of the class of the terminal in question, wherein the server is arranged to send information from the direction of the other telecommunications system to the terminals in a plurality of short messages, if the content of the information exceeds the length of one short message.