Roaming across different access mechanisms and network technologies

• US 7,877,090 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stephane H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Application Number:
  US11/940,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-4322, 455/411, 4554351-4352, 455/445, 455/552.1, 713168-170, 370/328, 370/338, 370331-335, 370/350, 370/352, 370/395.2, 709/203, 709223-224, 709/229, 709/226
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of allowing a user to roam from one wireless network and interact with an Internet-based application is disclosed. The method comprises establishing a connection between a wireless mobile device and a first wireless network, wherein the connection allows the wireless mobile device to interact with an Internet-based application; tracking a state of interaction between the wireless mobile device and the Internet-based application; terminating the connection between the wireless mobile device and the first wireless network; establishing a connection between the wireless mobile device and a second wireless network; and sending, to the Internet-based application, data representing a state of interaction of the wireless mobile device with the Internet-based application prior to terminating the connection between the wireless mobile device and the first wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of allowing a user of an Internet-based voice application to roam from one network to another, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems, information indicating establishment of a first voice connection between a voice-enabled device and a first computer network, wherein the first voice connection allows the voice-enabled device to interact with an Internet-based voice application via the first computer network;

tracking, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, application-level interactions between the voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information indicating termination of the first voice connection between the voice-enabled device and the first computer network;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information indicating establishment of a second voice connection between the voice-enabled device and a second computer network, wherein the second voice connection allows the voice-enabled device to interact with the Internet-based voice application via the second computer network; and

sending, to the Internet-based voice application from the one or more computer systems, data representing a state of application-level interactions between the voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application tracked prior to terminating the first voice connection between the voice-enabled device and the first computer network, the data enabling seamless voice communications between the voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising resuming voice interactions between the voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application at a state determined by the data sent to the Internet-based voice application.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving identity information sent from the voice-enabled device to a server in communication with the second computer network;

sending a request to authenticate the voice-enabled device from the server in communication with the second computer network to a server associated with a third party; and

receiving confirmation at the server in communication with the second computer network of an authentication of the voice-enabled device by the third party server.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving identity information sent from the voice-enabled device to a server in communication with the second computer network;

sending a request to authenticate the voice-enabled device from the server in communication with the second computer network to a server associated with a third party; and

receiving confirmation at the server in communication with the second computer network of an authentication of the voice-enabled device by a server associated with a fourth party determined by the third party server to provide authentication of the voice-enabled device.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the voice-enabled device that interacts with the Internet-based voice application through the first computer network is a different voice-enabled device than that used to interact with the Internet-based voice application through the second computer network.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request to authenticate the voice-enabled device sent from a server in communication with the first computer network to a server associated with a third party; and

receiving confirmation at the server in communication with the first computer network of an authentication of the voice-enabled device by the third party server.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the data representing a state of application-level interactions between the voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application is tracked by a synchronization manager component executing on the voice-enabled device.

8. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the data representing a state of application-level interactions between the voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application is tracked by a synchronization manager component executing on a server that is not associated with a server hosting the Internet-based voice application.

9. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising tracking application-level interactions between the voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application while the voice-enabled device interacts with the Internet-based voice application through the second computer network.

10. A method of transitioning a user of a web-based voice application between wireless networks, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems, information indicating establishment of a first voice connection to a first wireless network with a voice-enabled mobile device, wherein the first voice connection allows the voice-enabled mobile device to interact with a web-based voice application;

tracking, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, application-level data related to a state of voice communications between the mobile device and the web-based voice application;

receiving, at one or more computer systems, information indicating establishment of a second voice connection to a second wireless network with the mobile device; and

sending application-level data related to the state of voice-communications between the mobile device and the web-based voice application to the web-enabled voice application, the application-level data representing a state prior to terminating the first voice connection.

11. The method set forth in claim 10 further comprising:

receiving identity information from the mobile device at a server on the first wireless network;

sending a request to authenticate the mobile device from the first wireless network server to a server associated with a third party; and

receiving confirmation at the server on the first computer network of an authentication of the mobile device by the third party server.

12. The method set forth in claim 11 further comprising:

receiving identity information from the mobile device at a server on the second wireless network;

sending a request to authenticate the mobile device from the second wireless network server to the server associated with a third party; and

receiving confirmation at the server on the second computer network of an authentication of the mobile device by the third party server.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for allowing a user of an Internet-based voice application to roam from one network to another, the computer-readable medium comprising:

code for establishing a first voice connection between a first voice-enabled device and a first computer network, wherein the first voice connection allows the voice-enabled device to interact with an Internet-based voice application via the first computer network;

code for tracking application-level interactions between the voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application;

code for receiving information indicating termination of the first voice connection between the voice-enabled device and the first computer network;

code for establishing a second voice connection between a second voice-enabled device that is different from the first voice-enabled device and a second computer network; and

code for sending, to the Internet-based voice application, data representing a state of application-level interactions between the first voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application tracked prior to terminating the first voice connection between the first voice-enabled device and the first computer network.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising code for resuming voice interactions between the second voice enabled device and the Internet-based voice application at a state determined by the data sent to the Internet-based voice application.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the first computer network is the same as the second computer network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein data related to a state of application-level interactions between the first voice-enabled device and the Internet-based voice application is tracked by a synchronization manager component executing on a server that is not associated with a server hosting the Internet-based voice application.

17. A system for facilitating roaming from one network to another, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory in communication with the at least one processor and configured to store a plurality of processor-instructions including;

an authentication component configured to authenticate wireless mobile devices for use on a plurality of wireless networks; and

a synchronization manager component configured to track application-level interactions between a wireless mobile device and an Internet-based voice application through a first wireless network, and in response to receiving an appropriate request, establish a session between the wireless mobile device and the Internet-based voice application through a second wireless network and send data representing a state of application-level interactions between the wireless mobile device and the Internet-based voice application enabling seamless voice communications.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the authentication component is configured to, in response to receiving a request to authenticate the wireless mobile device for use on a wireless network, receive information identifying the wireless mobile device, authenticate the mobile device for use on the wireless network and send confirmation of such authentication to enable the wireless mobile device to be connected to the wireless network.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a repository, and wherein the synchronization manager is configured to track the application-level interactions by periodically storing a data model, representing the state of application-level interactions between the wireless mobile device and the Internet-based voice application, in the repository.