Providing advanced communications features

• US 7,372,826 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starent Networks Corporation (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghai, Rajat, Higgins, Peter, Lopez, Nick, Shieh, Paul, Silva, Michael, DePietro, John, Dahod, Ashraf M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US10/210,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20040022208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/328, 370/335, 370/342, 370352-353, 370/355, 370/356, 370/432, 370/441, 370/466, 370/349, 370/390, 370/401, 370/338, 370/389, 455/524, 455/542, 455/560, 455/404.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/517, 455/520, 705/26, 705/27, 379/88.01, 379/88.03, 379/88.04, 379/88.16, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 709/207, 709/231, 709/238
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Advanced communications features are provided in a mobile communications network having at least one mobile switching center and at least one mobile station subsystem. The mobile switching center and mobile station subsystem each communicate signaling messages according to a mobile signaling protocol. An indication is received that a half-duplex mobile communications session is to be initiated between a first mobile station subsystem and a second mobile station subsystem. The first and second mobile station subsystems include full-duplex communications apparatus for use in full-duplex mobile communications sessions. The half-duplex mobile communications session relies on the first and second mobile station subsystems, and all of the reliance is only on the full-duplex communications apparatus. Mobile communications telephone calls are established with the first mobile station subsystem and the second mobile station subsystem. One of the first and second mobile station subsystems is selected as a voice signal source in the half-duplex communications session.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing advanced communications features in a mobile communications network comprising:

deriving, from an audio signal originating at a mobile station, data suitable for transmission, the data constituting a completed message;

determining, based on an indication from the mobile station, one or more mobile station destinations for the data;

providing an internet media gateway (IMG) that provides inter-working and routing with a radio access network (RAN) and with a session initiation protocol (SIP) network;

receiving the data at the IMG from the RAN in one of a plurality of communication technologies; and

determining a protocol and technology suitable for transmitting the data received at the IMG and providing the data in that protocol and on that technology.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the protocol the IMG uses for transmission is session initiation protocol (SIP).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes at least one of SIP signaling and a packetized voice signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the technology is internet based and the protocol is voice over IP.

5. A method for use in providing advanced communications features in a mobile communications network comprising:

deriving, from an audio signal originating at a mobile station, data suitable for transmission over an instant text messaging network;

determining, based on an indication from the mobile station, a destination for the data; and

causing the data to be carried on the instant text messaging network as text data toward one or more mobile station destinations using an internet media gateway (IMG) to inter-work and route to session initiation protocol (SIP).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the destination includes another mobile station.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

deriving a playback audio signal from the data; and

causing the playback audio signal to be played at the destination.

8. A method for use in providing advanced communications features in a mobile communications network comprising:

deriving, from an audio signal originating at a mobile station, data suitable for transmission, the data constituting a completed message;

determining, based on an indication from the mobile station, one or more mobile station destinations for the data;

providing an internet media gateway (IMG) that provides inter-working and routing with a radio access network (RAN) and with a session initiation protocol (SIP) network;

determining a protocol and technology suitable for transmitting the data received at the IMG and providing the data in that protocol and on that technology; and

causing the data to be carried in the protocol toward the one or more mobile station destinations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the protocol the IMG uses for transmission is session initiation protocol (SIP).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the data includes at least one of SIP signaling and a packetized voice signal.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the technology is internet based and the protocol is voice over IP.

12. A method for use in providing advanced communications features in a mobile communications network comprising:

deriving, from an audio signal originating at a mobile station and using voice recognition software, text data suitable for transmission over an instant text messaging network;

determining, based on an indication from the mobile station, a destination for the text data; and

causing the text data to be carried on the instant text messaging network toward one or more mobile station destinations using an internet media gateway (IMG) to inter-work and route to session initiation protocol (SIP).

13. An internet media gateway (IMG) comprising:

a network connection of the IMG that receives voice connections in circuit switched call connection technology and internet protocol based communications technology from a radio access network (RAN);

the IMG providing routing with session initiation protocol (SIP) managing bearer trunks; and

determining a protocol and technology used by a mobile device that is to receive the voice input from the IMG and providing the data in that protocol and on that technology.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the protocol the IMG uses for transmission is an IP protocol.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the IMG using SIP in parallel with a gateway control protocol for at least one transmission.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the IMG providing inter-working from a first protocol to SIP.

17. A mobile gateway platform comprising:

a first network connection of the mobile gateway platform, where communications over the first network connection are in an external protocol;

the mobile gateway platform receiving a communication in the external protocol and providing inter-working to session initiation protocol (SIP) and a bearer management protocol for transmissions over at least a second network connection;

the mobile gateway platform receiving communications from a mobile station over the first network connection, wherein the mobile station communicates with a nanocell local wireless transceiver and the first network connection connects to high-speed neighborhood Internet access infrastructure serving as a backbone for at least one nanocell local wireless transceiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising the mobile gateway platform receiving communications from the nanocell local wireless transceiver through a cable modem that connects to the high-speed neighborhood Internet access.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the external protocol is an IP based protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the bearer management protocol manages bearer trunks.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the bearer management protocol is implemented with Megaco/H.248 protocol.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising the mobile gateway platform receiving communications from the nanocell local wireless transceiver through an asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL) that connects to the high-speed neighborhood Internet access.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising providing Voice over IP to the mobile station over the high-speed neighborhood Internet access from the mobile gateway platform.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising the mobile gateway platform providing a push-to-talk feature to the mobile station over the first network connection.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising the mobile gateway platform placing an outbound call for the mobile station on the at least second network connection.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising the mobile gateway platform converting data between a first format and a second format and handling at least one interface with the mobile station.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the mobile station is involved in a handoff from the nanocell local wireless transceiver.