Method and apparatus for network-initiated context activation using dynamic DNS updates

• US 7,289,462 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2001
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizell, Jerry, Lauson, David, Wenzel, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US10/034,001
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

A method and apparatus provide for the reservation of dynamic IP addresses to enable a push server to initiate a PDP context as a part of providing push service without timing out. More specifically, in one embodiment of the invention, a push server generates a query to a domain name server to get the subscriber'"'"'s IP address based upon the provided domain name. In this case, the subscriber is the person that is to receive the push data. The domain name server then generates a message to a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server to prompt it to reserve a dynamic IP address for the mobile subscriber. The DHCP server then returns the reserved “leased address” to the DNS server to enable it to perform a dynamic DNS update. The DNS server then returns the subscriber address to the push server. The push server then initiates a context activation. A gateway GPRS support node then requests ID information from the DHCP server for the leased address and initiates context activation with the received ID information resulting therefrom.

Claims

1. A method in a network for wireless communications for pushing data through a data packet network utilizing a dynamic addressing scheme, comprising:

transmitting, from a push server to a domain name server (“

DNS”

), a look up signal for a specified domain name;

transmitting a reservation signal from the DNS to a dynamic host configuration protocol (“

DHCP”

) server to prompt the DHCP server to reserve a dynamic Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) address that pertains to the specified domain name, wherein the specified domain name corresponds to a mobile terminal;

receiving the reserved dynamic IP address at the push server; and

activating a context, based upon the reserved dynamic IP address, through the data packet network.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of transmitting the reserved dynamic IP address for the mobile terminal that corresponds to the specified domain name from the DHCP server to the DNS.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of transmitting the reserved dynamic IP address from the DNS to the push server after receiving a signal requesting that a dynamic IP address be reserved.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the received signal requesting that a dynamic IP address be reserved is in the form of a DNS lookup request signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of activating a context includes the step, in a Gateway GPRS Support Node (“

GGSN”

), of receiving push data for the mobile terminal and also receiving the reserved dynamic IP address from the push server.

6. The method of claim 5 further including the step of transmitting the reserved IP address to a DHCP server to obtain a mobile station ID.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of transmitting the received mobile station ID from the DHCP server to a home location register to determine the identity of a serving GPRS support node whereby the context activation is established with the identified serving GPRS support node.

8. A method in a Gateway GPRS Support Node (“

GGSN”

) for pushing data through a data packet network utilizing a dynamic addressing scheme, comprising;

receiving a reserved dynamic Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) address and push data from a push server;

transmitting a request for identification (“

ID”

) information to a dynamic host configuration protocol (“

DHCP”

) server relating to the reserved dynamic IP address;

receiving the requested ID information; and

activating a context through the data packet network so that the push data may be transmitted to its destination having the reserved dynamic IP address.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of transmitting a request to an home location register (“

HLR”

) to identify a serving GPRS support node that is presently serving the destination for which the reserved dynamic IP address was reserved and to which the requested ID information corresponds.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of activating the context and transmitting the push data to the identified serving GPRS support node.

11. A gateway GPRS support node (“

GGSN”

), comprising;

circuitry for receiving push data in a data packet network, wherein the push data includes a reserved dynamic Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) address; and

circuitry for prompting a dynamic host configuration protocol (“

DHCP”

) server to provide identification (“

ID”

) information that corresponds to the reserved dynamic IP address prior to a context being activated, and activating a context through the data packet network so that the push data may be transmitted to its destination having the reserved dynamic IP address.

12. The GGSN of claim 11 further including circuitry for delaying the activation of the context until the ID information is received from the DHCP server.

13. The GGSN of claim 11 further including circuitry for generating a request to a home location register to request the identity of a serving GPRS support node (“

SGSN”

) that is presently supporting the destination mobile terminal for the push data.

14. The GGSN of claim 13 further including circuitry for delaying the activation of context until a response is received from the home location register identifying the SGSN.

15. A domain name server, comprising:

circuitry for receiving a domain name lookup request from a push server to determine an IP address that corresponds to a received domain name; and

circuitry for transmitting a request to a dynamic host configuration protocol (“

DHCP”

) server to prompt it to temporarily reserve a dynamic Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) address for delivery of push data to a mobile terminal by activating a context through the data packet network so that the push data may be transmitted to its destination having the reserved dynamic IP address.

16. The domain name server of claim 15 further including circuitry for receiving a reserved dynamic IP address from the DHCP server that corresponds to the received domain name.

17. The domain name server of claim 16 further including logic to generate the received reserved dynamic IP address to the push server.