Presence registration and routing node

• US 7,701,925 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2000
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Marsico, Peter Joseph, Mason, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Toan D
• Application Number:
  US09/627,253
• Time in Patent Office: 3,553 Days
• Field of Search: 370/384, 370351-356, 370/392, 370/395.52, 370/410, 370/467, 370/328, 370/338, 379/220.01, 379/221.09, 379/221.1, 379/229
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

A presence registration and routing node receives a message indicative of a telephony-related action performed by a user. In response to the message, the presence registration and routing node sends a message to a presence server for updating presence information regarding the user in a presence server database.

Claims

1. A method for updating presence information regarding a target end user managed by a presence server based on information derived from a telephony-related action, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a signaling system seven (SS7) message in response to the telephony-related action performed by the target end user to which other end users are subscribed with the presence server;

(b) determining, based on the SS7 message, whether presence registration processing is required;

(c) in response to determining that the presence registration processing is required, automatically generating a presence registration message including presence information usable by the presence server for automatically indicating to the end users who are subscribed to the target end user with the presence server a presence status for the target end user, wherein the presence server comprises a server that manages presence information for a collection of entities and subscriptions to those entities; and

(d) transmitting the presence registration message to the presence server over an IP network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephony-related action includes dialing a called party telephone number utilizing a PSTN telephone to initiate a call from the target end user to the called party telephone number and the signaling system seven message is an Initial Address Message IAM message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephony-related action includes entering Dual Tone Multi-Frequency DTMF digits using a PSTN telephone handset after a call has been established, the DTMF digits forming a code for instructing an end office to formulate the SS7 message.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the SS7 message is a transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) message containing the presence for the target end user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically generating the presence registration message includes automatically generating a presence protocol message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically generating the presence registration message includes automatically generating a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically generating the presence registration message includes automatically generating an instant messaging and presence protocol (IMPP) message.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising, in response to receiving the SS7 message, sending a second message to an accounting and billing system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second message is a copy of the SS7 message.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising routing the SS7 message to its intended destination.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephony related action comprises activation of the target end user'"'"'s mobile telephone and wherein the presence information indicates that the target end user is currently reachable to receive messaging protocol communications via the target end user'"'"'s mobile telephone.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephony related action comprises entering a predetermined code via the target end user'"'"'s wireline telephone and wherein the presence information indicates that the target end user is currently reachable via the end user'"'"'s wireline telephone.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a)-(e) are performed at an SS7 signal transfer point capable of transferring SS7 signaling messages between SS7 signaling links.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence information includes information usable by the users subscribed to the target end user for contacting the target end user via an instant messaging protocol.

15. A method for updating presence information regarding a target end user with a presence server based on information derived from a signaling message relating to a telephony-related action performed by the target end user, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a signaling system 7 (SS7) message in response to the telephony-related action performed by the target end user, wherein the telephony-related action is an activation or change in location of a mobile telephone handset and the SS7 message is a message for updating a status of the target end user in at least one of a home location register (HLR) and a visitor location register (VLR); and

(b) intercepting the SS7 message, extracting information from the SS7 message, and using the information extracted from the SS7 message to update presence information for the target end user with the presence server, wherein the presence server comprises a server that manages presence information for a collection of entities and subscriptions to those entities, the presence information including information usable by the presence server for automatically indicating to end users who are subscribed to the target end user a presence status for the target end user.

16. A presence registration and routing node for updating presence information regarding an end user with a presence server, the presence registration and routing node comprising:

(a) a communication module for receiving an SS7 message relating to a target end user to which other end users are subscribed with the presence server and for determining that the presence registration processing is required for the SS7 message; and

(b) a presence server message generator for, if the communication module determines that the presence registration processing is required, for receiving a copy of the SS7 message and for automatically generating a presence registration message including presence information usable by the presence server for automatically indicating to the end users subscribed to the target end user with the presence server a presence status for the target end user, wherein the presence server message generator is adapted to forward the presence registration message to the presence server, and wherein the presence server comprises a server that manages presence information for a collection of entities and subscriptions to those entities.

17. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 comprising an advanced database communication module for encapsulating the presence registration message in an IP packet and transmitting the IP packet to the presence server over an IP network.

18. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the presence registration message is a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

19. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the presence registration message is a presence protocol message.

20. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the presence registration message is an instant messaging and presence protocol (IMPP) message.

21. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the SS7 message is an ISDN user part (ISUP) message.

22. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the SS7 message is a transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) message.

23. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 comprising a presence server database operatively associated with the presence server message generator for receiving the presence-server-compatible message and for updating the presence information in response to the presence-server-compatible message.

24. The presence registration and routing node of claim 23 wherein the presence server database is located internal to the presence registration and routing node.

25. The presence registration and routing node of claim 23 wherein the presence server database is located external to the presence registration and routing node.

26. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the presence server message generator is adapted to receive presence queries, forward the presence queries to a presence server database, and receive responses from the presence server database.

27. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 comprising:

(a) means for generating an accounting message based on at least one of the SS7 message received by the communication module and the presence-server-compatible message; and

(b) an accounting and billing system for storing accounting information based on the accounting message.

28. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the communication module is adapted to route the SS7 message to its intended destination.

29. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the communication module includes SS7 signal transfer functionality for transferring SS7 signaling messages between SS7 signaling links.

30. The presence registration and routing node of claim 16 wherein the presence information includes information usable by the users subscribed to the target end user for contacting the target end user via an instant messaging protocol.

31. A presence registration and routing node for updating presence information regarding an end user with a presence server, the presence registration and routing node comprising:

(a) a communication module for receiving an SS7 message from an SS7 network; and

(b) a presence server message generator for generating, based on the SS7 message, a presence-server-compatible message for updating presence information regarding the target end user with the presence server, the presence information including a presence status for the target end user, wherein the presence server message generator is adapted to forward the presence-server-compatible message to the presence server, and wherein the presence server comprises a server that manages presence information for a collection of entities and subscriptions to those entities.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed at an SS7 signal transfer point capable of transferring SS7 signaling messages between SS7 signaling links.

33. The presence registration and routing node of claim 31 wherein the presence information includes information usable by the users subscribed to the target end user for contacting the target end user via an instant message protocol.

34. A computer readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving a signaling system seven (SS7) message in response to a telephony-related action performed by a target end user;

(b) in response to receiving the SS7 message, formulating an internet protocol (IP) message for updating presence information regarding the target end user managed by a presence server, the presence information including information usable by the presence server for automatically indicating to end users subscribed to the target end user with the presence server a presence status for the target end user, wherein the presence server comprises a server that manages presence information for a collection of entities and subscriptions to those entities; and

(c) transmitting the IP message to the presence server over an IP network.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the telephony-related action includes dialing a called party telephone number utilizing a PSTN telephone to initiate a call from the target end user to the called party telephone number and the signaling system seven message is an Initial Address Message IAM message.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the telephony-related action includes entering Dual Tone Multi-Frequency DTMF digits using a PSTN telephone handset after a call has been established, the DTMF digits forming a code for instructing an end office to formulate the SS7 message.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the SS7 message is a transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) message containing the presence information for the target end user.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the telephony-related action is an activation of a mobile telephone handset and the SS7 message is a message for updating the status of the target end user in at least one of a home location register (HLR) and a visitor location register (VLR).

39. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein formulating an IP message includes formulating a presence protocol message.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein formulating the IP message includes formulating a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein formulating the IP message includes formulating an instant messaging and presence protocol (IMPP) message.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 34 comprising generating an accounting message in response to at least one of the SS7 message and the IP message and forwarding the accounting message to an accounting and billing subsystem.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein steps (a)-(c) are performed on an SS7 signal transfer point capable of transferring SS7 messages between SS7 signaling links.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the presence information includes information usable by the users subscribed to the target end user for contacting the target end user via an instant messaging protocol.

45. A method for updating presence information regarding a target end user managed by a presence server based on information derived from a telephony-related action, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a signaling system seven (SS7) message in response to the telephony-related action performed by the target end user to which other end users are subscribed with the presence server, wherein the SS7 message comprises and ISDN user part (ISUP) message;

(b) determining, based on the SS7 message, whether presence registration processing is required;

(c) in response to determining that the presence registration processing is required, automatically generating a presence registration message including presence information usable by the presence server for automatically indicating to the end users who are subscribed to the target end user with the presence server a presence status for the target end user; and

(d) transmitting the presence registration message to the presence server over an IP network.