Delivery of network services

• US 7,734,289 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Steven I, Shaw, Venson M, Holmes, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/336,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20040082326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,714 Days
• Field of Search: 455/560, 455/433, 455/445, 455/466, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/410, 455/411, 455/412.1, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/405, 455/432.1, 455/435.2, 455/436, 370/310.2, 370/328, 37911402-11428, 379/121.02
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A network element includes at least one input to receive communications from a plurality of terminal devices and a plurality of network elements, a processing unit and logic to classify the communications as a type of user information, and a router to route the communications according to the type of user information. The communication may be routed to at least one of a plurality of subnetworks according to the type of user information.

Claims

1. A network element comprising:

a mobile switching center having at least one input to directly receive communications from a plurality of wireless terminal devices through a transceiver;

a processing unit and logic to classify the communications as applying to a type of user information, wherein said user information comprises information about a user of a wireless terminal device from the plurality of wireless terminal devices;

logic on a memory of the mobile switching center to route the communications to a terminal management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to terminal management, to a service management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to service management, and to a network management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to network management;

logic on the memory to determine a service usage history, a most recently used service, and a most frequently used service for the plurality of wireless terminal devices; and

a service portal to locate a service for the user by communicating a request for the service along with service capabilities, the service usage history, the most recently used service, and the most frequently used service of the wireless terminal device to service providers, wherein the service portal dynamically updates the user'"'"'s preferences, payment parameters, and service capabilities according to the user'"'"'s location and the wireless terminal device, wherein the service providers provide bids to the service portal in order to provide the service and the service portal receives and evaluates the service provider bids to select from among the service providers that return bids.

2. The network element of claim 1 further comprising:

logic on the memory to determine network usage statistics from the communications.

3. A network comprising:

a network element to directly receive communications from at least one terminal device through a transceiver and to classify the communications as a type of user information, wherein the network element is a mobile switching center and said user information comprises information about a user of said terminal device;

a terminal management subnetwork to read or update user information involving terminal management;

a service management subnetwork to read or update user information involving service management;

a network management subnetwork to read or update user information involving network management;

logic on a memory of the network element to route the communications to the terminal management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to terminal management, to the service management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to service management, and to the network management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to network management;

logic on the memory to determine a service usage history, a most recently used service, and a most frequently used service for the at least one terminal device; and

a service portal to locate a service for the user by communicating a request for the service along with service capabilities, the service usage history, the most recently used service, and the most frequently used service of said terminal device to service providers, wherein the service portal dynamically updates the user'"'"'s preferences, payment parameters, and the service capabilities according to the user'"'"'s location and the terminal device, wherein the service providers provide bids to the service portal in order to provide the service and the service portal receives and evaluates the service provider bids to select from among the service providers that return bids.

4. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a mobile switching center, communications from a wireless terminal device, wherein said communications comprises information about a user of said wireless terminal device;

identifying said information as comprising at least one of terminal capabilities, service information, and network information;

routing the communications to a terminal management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to terminal management, to a service management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to service management, and to a network management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to network management according to logic on the mobile switching center;

determining a service usage history, a most recently used service, and a most frequently used service for the wireless terminal device; and

locating a service through a service portal by communicating a request for the service along with the terminal capabilities, the service usage history, the most recently used service, and the most frequently used service of said wireless terminal device to service providers, wherein the service portal dynamically updates the user'"'"'s preferences, payment parameters, and the terminal capabilities according to the user'"'"'s location and the wireless terminal device, wherein the service providers provide bids to the service portal in order to provide the service and the service portal receives and evaluates the service provider bids to select from among the service providers that return bids.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

the mobile switching center receiving communications from at least one terminal devices and at least one network elements;

the mobile switching center classifying the communications as one of terminal capabilities, service information, and network information; and

the mobile switching center routing the communications according to whether the communications is terminal capabilities, service information, or network information.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

the mobile switching center assigning network resources to provide at least one of a terminal management subnetwork, a service management subnetwork, and a network management subnetwork.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

the mobile switching center routing the communications to a plurality of subnetworks according to the type of user information; and

the subnetworks causing the user information to be stored in one of a home location registry and a home subscriber system.

8. A network comprising:

a classifier to classify communications as a type of user information, wherein said user information comprises information about a user of a wireless terminal device;

a terminal management subnetwork to read from and/or update user information involving terminal management;

a service management subnetwork to read from and/or update user information involving service management;

a network management subnetwork to read from and/or update user information involving network management;

logic on a memory of a mobile switching center to route the communications to the terminal management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to terminal management, to the service management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to service management, and to the network management subnetwork if the type of user information applies to network management;

logic on the memory to determine a service usage history, a most recently used service, and a most frequently used service for the wireless terminal device;

at least one of a home location registry and a home subscriber system to store user information;

a controller to receive user information from a wireless terminal device and to cause the user information to be stored in the at least one of a home location registry and the home subscriber system; and

a service portal to locate a service for the user by communicating a request for the service along with service capabilities, the service usage history, the most recently used service, and the most frequently used service of the wireless terminal device to service providers, wherein the service portal dynamically updates the user'"'"'s preferences, payment parameters, and the service capabilities according to the user'"'"'s location and the wireless terminal device, wherein the service providers provide bids to the service portal in order to provide the service and the service portal receives and evaluates the service provider bids to select from among the service providers that return bids.

9. The network of claim 8 further comprising:

the controller comprising logic on the memory to provide access control to the user information.