Internet protocol based service architecture

• US 7,849,190 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Faccin, Stefano, Le, Khiem, Hossain, Syed, Niemi, Juhapekka, Wong, Curt, Patil, Basavaraj, Sivalingam, Kengatharan, Shreemanthula, Srinivas, Kurronen, Kari, Mutikainen, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein A
• Application Number:
  US09/792,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,574 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/232, 709/249, 709/219, 709/217, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A network system comprising a service control device (SEM); and at least one application execution device (AEE); wherein the service control device (SEM) is adapted to receive a service request, to select an appropriate application execution device according to the service request, and to invoke the selected application execution device, and wherein the application execution device (AEE) is adapted to perform the service requested by the service request. A corresponding network control method is also provided. According to the invention, a flexible service architecture is possible.

Claims

1. A network system comprising:

a service control device; and

at least one application execution device;

wherein the service control device is configured to receive a service request, to select an appropriate application execution device according to the service request, and to invoke the selected application execution device, and

wherein the application execution device is configured to perform the service requested by the service request,

wherein the network system further comprises a service information database in which information about services are stored as executable service scripts describing the respective service, wherein the service control device is configured to access the service information database, to retrieve a service script and to use the service information of the retrieved service script for selecting and invoking the application execution device.

2. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the information about services is specific for each user.

3. The network system according to claim 2, wherein the service control device is configured to retrieve information about services from the service information database based on an identifier associated to a user.

4. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the service control device and the service information database are separated entities, and the service control device comprises a memory in which the information obtained from the service database can be temporarily stored.

5. The network system according to claim 1, further comprising a call/session managing device configured to forward service requests to the service control device.

6. The network system according to claim 1, further comprising a service location managing device configured to maintain an association between the service control device and a user.

7. The network system according to claim 1, further comprising a service logic database for service logic information, wherein the application execution device is configured to access the service logic database in order to obtain information for executing a requested service.

8. The network system according to claim 7, wherein the information for executing a requested service is stored in form of a service logic script stored in the database.

9. The network system according to claim 1, further comprising a service managing device is configured to generate and/or modify service information to be stored in the service database.

10. The network system according to claim 7, further comprising a service managing device configured to generate and/or modify information to be stored in the service logic database.

11. The network system according to claim 9, further comprising an interaction unit which is configured to provide an interface between the service managing device and a user.

12. The network system according to claim 10, further comprising an interaction unit which is configured to provide an interface between the service managing device and a user.

13. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the network is configured to access an external subscriber database which is not part of the network, and wherein the subscriber database is configured to store identifiers.

14. The network system according to claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of service control devices and

a selecting device configured to select an appropriate service control device.

15. The network system according to claim 14, wherein the selecting device is configured to select a service control device in dependence on the operation load of the respective service control device.

16. The network system according to claim 14, further comprising a service location managing device which is configured to maintain an association between a particular user and the selected service control device.

17. The network system according to claim 16, wherein the service location managing device comprises a mapping table configured to maintain the association between the user and the selected service control device.

18. The network system according to claim 6, wherein the service location managing device is configured to manage resources information for selection of a service control device.

19. The network system according to claim 16, wherein the service location managing device is configured to manage resources information for selection of a service control device.

20. The network system according to claim 1, wherein as a protocol for signalling between the devices the session initiation protocol (SIP) is used.

21. The network system according to claim 1, wherein as a protocol for signalling between the devices the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) is used.

22. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the requested service is registration to a particular service.

23. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the requested service is initiation of a communication session.

24. A method comprising:

receiving, by a service control device, a service request;

accessing a service information database, in which information about services are stored as executable service scripts describing the respective service, by the service control device, and retrieving a service script;

selecting an appropriate application execution device according to the service request by using the information of the retrieved service script; and

invoking the selected application execution device, by using the information of the retrieved service script.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the information about services is specific for each user.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein in the accessing, the service information is retrieved from the service information database based on an identifier associated to a user.

27. The method according to claim 24, further comprising temporarily storing the service information in a storage means of the service control device.

28. The method according to claim 24, further comprising forwarding service requests from a user entity to the service control device via a call/session managing device.

29. The method according to claim 24, further comprising maintaining an association between the service control device and a user.

30. The method according to claim 24, further comprising accessing a service logic database for obtaining service logic information to be used by the application execution device for executing a requested service.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the information for executing a requested service is stored in form of a service logic script stored in the database.

32. The method according to claim 24, further comprising of generating and/or modifying of service information to be stored in the service database.

33. The method according to claim 30, further comprising generating and/or modifying information to be stored in the service logic database.

34. The method according to claim 32, further comprising providing an interface between the for generating and/or modifying the information by means of an interaction unit.

35. The method according to claim 30, further comprising providing an interface between the for generating and/or modifying the information by means of an interaction unit.

36. The method according to claim 24, further comprising accessing an external subscriber database which is not part of the network, wherein the subscriber database is configured to store identifiers.

37. The method according to claim 24, wherein the network comprises a plurality of service control devices, the method further comprising

selecting an appropriate service control device.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the selecting is performed in dependence on the operation load of the respective service control device.

39. The method according to claim 37, further comprising maintaining an association between a particular user and the selected service control device.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the association between the user and the selected service control device is maintained by means of a mapping table.

41. The method according to claim 29, further comprising managing resources information for selection of a service control device.

42. The method according to claim 37, further comprising managing resources information for selection of a service control device.

43. The method according to claim 24, wherein as a protocol for signalling within the network the session initiation protocol (SIP) is used.

44. The method according to claim 24, wherein as a protocol for signalling within the network the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) is used.

45. The method according to claim 24, wherein the requested service is registration to a particular service.

46. The method according to claim 24, wherein the requested service is initiation of a communication session.

47. A computer program embodied on a computer storage device, the computer program being configured to control a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a service control device, an executable service request;

accessing a service information database, in which information about services are stored as service scripts describing the respective service, by the service control device, and retrieving a service script;

selecting an appropriate application execution device according to the service request by using the information of the retrieved service script; and

invoking the selected application execution device, by using the information of the retrieved service script.