WV-IMS relay and interoperability methods

• US 7,480,915 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Espigares, Inmaculada, Costa Requena, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/265,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,301 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 719/318, 719/313, 719/311
• US Class Current: 719/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Mapping functionality is added in between a Wireless Village (WV) server and a Presence, Messaging and Group (PMG) server of a 3GPP IP (Internet Protocol) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to permit interoperability between WV and IMS clients for instant messaging and presence services for operators who have deployed both IMS and WV. Due to the possibility that an operator may have deployed WV but not IMS and due to the use of a Client-to-Server Protocol (CSP) between WV clients and WV servers and the use of a Server-to-Server Protocol (SSP) between WV servers, the mapping functionality is structured to permit an IMS device to register into WV system via an IMS/WV Relay that performs an SIP/CSP conversion to emulate a WV device login but to then use the SSP to maintain a session or to deliver a message or presence information. Likewise, a WV device can register directly into IMS for operators not deploying WV using the mapping functionality of the present invention, e.g., in an IMS/WV Relay.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

converting a register signal received according to a first protocol of a first network from a first device to a third protocol without using a first server of said first network, for providing a login request signal according to said third protocol for registering said first device of said first network in a second network using a second protocol so that said first device is then available for communication with a second device of said second network,

converting a presence request signal received according to said first protocol from said first server to said second protocol for requesting presence information of said second device from a second server of said second network according to a subscription to said presence information of said second device subscribed by said first device, and

converting a presence information signal according to said second protocol indicative of said presence information of said second device and received from said second server to said first protocol for transmission to said first server and onward to said first device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting a log in signal received from said second server or directly from said second device according to said second protocol to said first protocol for registering said second device designed for use in said second network in said first network, and

converting to said second protocol a message request signal received according to said first protocol from said first server in communication according to said first protocol with said first device for transmission of said message request signal according to said second protocol to said second server for conversion to said third protocol at said second server for transmission of said message request to said second device according to said third protocol.

3. A method comprising:

converting a register signal received from a second device of a second network according to a third protocol to a first protocol without using a second server of said second network, for providing a login request signal according to said first protocol for registering said second device in a first network using said first protocol so that said second device is then available for communication with a first device of said first network,

converting a presence request signal received according to a second protocol from said second server of said second network to said first protocol for requesting presence information of said first device from a first server of said first network according to a subscription to said presence information of said first device subscribed by said second device, and

converting a presence information signal according to said first protocol indicative of said presence information of said first device and received from said first server to said second protocol for transmission to said second server for conversion to said third protocol at said second server for transmission to said second device.

4. A method comprising:

converting a register signal received from a second device of a second network according to a third protocol to a first protocol of a first network without using a second server of said second network, for providing a login request signal according to said first protocol for registering said second device in said first network so that said second device is then available for communication with a first device of said first network,

converting a presence request signal received according to said first protocol from a first server of said first network to said third protocol for requesting presence information of said second device according to a subscription to said presence information of said second device subscribed by said first device, and

converting to said first protocol a presence information signal according to said third protocol indicative of said presence information of said second device and received from said second device for transmission to said first server and onward to said first device.

5. A method comprising:

converting a register signal received from a second device of a second network according to a third protocol to a first protocol of a first network without using a second server of said second network for providing a login request signal according to said first protocol for registering said second device designed for use in said second network in said first network so that said second device is then available for communication with a first device of said first network,

converting to said first protocol a presence request signal received according to a second protocol of said second network from said second server or received according to said third protocol from said second device for requesting presence information of said first device from a first server of said first network according to a subscription to said presence information of said first device subscribed by said second device, and

converting to said third protocol a presence information signal received according to said first protocol from said first server indicative of said presence information of said first device to said third protocol for transmission to said second device or converting said presence information signal to said second protocol for transmission to said second server for conversion to said third protocol at said second server for transmission to said second device.

6. An apparatus comprising:

first converter, responsive to an incoming first register signal from a first device in a first network, said first register signal provided according to a format of a first protocol wherein said first network uses said format of said first protocol to register devices in the first network and also responsive to a first control signal, for providing a first converted signal according to a format of a second protocol for registering said first device of said first network in a second network that uses said format of said second protocol to register devices in the second network; and

a control, responsive to said incoming first register signal, for providing said first control signal;

wherein said first converter is responsive to a presence request signal received according to said second protocol from a server of said second network and to said first control signal for converting said presence request signal received according to said second protocol from said server of said second network to said first protocol for requesting presence information of said first device from a server of said first network, according to a subscription to said presence information of said first device subscribed by said second device, wherein said control is responsive to said presence request signal for providing said first control signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

second converter, responsive to an incoming message request signal received according to said second protocol from a second device and responsive to a second control signal, for providing a converted message request signal according to said first protocol for transmission of said message request signal according to said first protocol to said first device, wherein said control is responsive to said incoming message request signal, for providing said second control signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said second converter is responsive to a second register signal received from a server of said second network according to said second protocol and is responsive to said second control signal from said control, for converting said second register signal received from said server to a second register signal according to said first protocol for registering said second device of said second network in said first network, wherein said control is responsive to said second register signal for providing said second control signal and wherein said server of said second network is in communication with said second device either via another server or directly.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first converter is responsive to an incoming second message request signal received according to said first protocol from a server of said first network in communication according to said first protocol with said first device and responsive to said first control signal, for converting said second message request signal received according to said first protocol to an outgoing second message request signal according to said second protocol for transmission to said server of said second network for conversion to said third protocol at said second server for transmission to said second device, wherein said control is responsive to said incoming second message request signal, for providing said first control signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first converter is responsive to a presence request signal received according to said first protocol from said server of said first network and to said first control signal, for converting said presence request signal to said second protocol for requesting presence information of said second device from said server of said second network according to a subscription to said presence information of said second device subscribed by said first device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second converter is responsive to a presence information signal according to said second protocol indicative of presence information of said second device and received from said server of said second network and is responsive to said second control signal provided by said control in response to said presence information signal according to said second protocol for conversion to said first protocol for transmission to said server of said first network and onward to said first device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said second converter is responsive to a register signal received from said server of said second network according to said second protocol and is responsive to said second control signal from said control, for converting said register signal received from said server of said second network to a register signal according to said first protocol for registering said second device of said second network in said first network, wherein said control is responsive to said register signal for providing said second control signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said first converter is responsive to a presence information signal according to said first protocol indicative of said presence information of said first device and received from said server of said first network and responsive to said first control signal, for converting said presence information signal received from said server of said first network to said second protocol for transmission to said server of said second network for conversion to said third protocol at said server of said second network for transmission to said second device, wherein said control is responsive to said presence information signal for providing said first control signal.

14. A device comprising:

means for converting a login request signal received from a second device of a second network according to a third protocol of said second network or from a second server of said second network according to a second protocol of said second network to a first protocol of a first network for registering said second device of said second network in said first network,

means for converting a presence request signal received according to said third protocol from said second server to said first protocol for requesting presence information of a first device of said first network from a first server of said first network according to a subscription to said presence information of said first device subscribed by said second device, and

means for converting a presence information signal according to said first protocol indicative of said presence information of said first device and received from said first server to said third protocol for transmission to said second server and onward to said second device.

15. A device comprising:

means for converting a login request signal received from a second server of a second network according to a second protocol of said second network to a first protocol of a first network for registering a second device of said second network in said first network,

means for converting a presence request signal received according to said first protocol from a first server of said first network to said second protocol for requesting presence information of said second device from said second server according to a subscription to said presence information of said second device subscribed by a first device of said first network, and

means for converting a presence information signal according to said second protocol indicative of said presence information of said second device and received from said second server to said first protocol for transmission to said first server and onward to said first device.

16. A device comprising:

means for converting a login request signal received from a second server of a second network according to a second protocol of said second network to a first protocol of a first network for registering a second device of said second network in said first network,

means for converting a presence request signal received according to said second protocol from said second server to said first protocol for requesting presence information of a first device of said first network from a first server of said first network according to a subscription to said presence information of said first device subscribed by said second device, and

means for converting a presence information signal according to said first protocol indicative of said presence information of said first device and received from said first server to said second protocol for transmission to said second server for conversion to a third protocol at said second server for transmission to said second device.