Communications method and apparatus, database information retrieval method and apparatus

• US 7,882,239 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ekberg, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUBIN, BLAKE J
• Application Number:
  US11/569,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,440 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 707/100
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment

Abstract

A method is provided of establishing a communications session between first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively. A session request message indicates a request to establish the session and comprises session information. In response to the session request message, further information is retrieved and included in the session request message. A session is established based on information in the resulting session request message. The session may be established between the first and second devices using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Summary information is included for determining complete information by the second device after the session has been established. The complete information is stored in a mail server and the summary information derived from the complete information is stored in a database. The summary information is retrieved from the database for inclusion in the further information so as to enable the second device subsequently to retrieve complete information from the mail server relating to that summary information.

Claims

1. A method, in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) communications network, of establishing a communications session between first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively, the method comprising:

sending a session request message from the first device to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server indicating a request to establish the session and comprising session information relating to the session;

in response to the session request message, the SIP proxy server retrieving extended caller information and including the extended caller information in the session request message, the extended caller information being summary information, from which complete information can subsequently be determined by the second device, in a first database, synchronized with a related complete information in a second database for which the second device is registered, the complete information being stored in the first database and the summary information, derived from the complete information, being stored in the second database;

synchronizing the summary information in the second database with the complete information in the first database,

retrieving summary information from the second database for inclusion in the extended caller information to enable the subsequent retrieval of complete information from the first database relating to the summary information from the second database;

the SIP proxy server sending the session request message to the second device; and

establishing the communications session based on the session information and the extended caller information in the resulting session request message.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session information comprises an indication of the first and second parties.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising identifying one or both of the first and second devices based on the session information.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising sending the session request message to the second device following inclusion of the extended caller information.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising determining the type of extended caller information that the second device or second user is registered for receiving in a session request message associated with the first device or first user, and wherein the retrieving and including steps are performed based on this determination.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising accepting the session request at the second device before the session is established.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising presenting the extended caller information at the second device before the session is established.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session request message comprises text.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session is established between the first and second devices using Session Initiation Protocol.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a proxy server of the network performs the steps of retrieving and including the extended caller information.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) server of the UMTS network acts as the proxy server.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extended caller information is selected for inclusion in the session request message in dependence upon at least one party indicated in the session request message.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein one of the at least one party is the first party.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein one of the at least one party is the second party.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the extended caller information comprises data relating to the first party that is of interest to the second party.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the extended caller information relates to previous communications involving the at least one party.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the extended caller information relates to previous email correspondence between the first and second parties.

18. A Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) communications network comprising:

first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively;

means for sending a session request message, by the first device to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server indicating a request to establish a communications session between the first and second devices, the session request message comprising session information relating to the session;

means for retrieving by the second device from the SIP proxy server, in response to the session request message, extended caller information and for including the extended caller information in the session request message, the extended caller information being summary information from which complete information can subsequently be determined by the second device, in a first database, synchronized with a related complete information in a second database for which the second device is registered, the complete information being stored in the first database and the summary information, derived from the complete information, being stored in the second database;

synchronizing the summary information in the second database with the complete information in the first database,

retrieving summary information from the second database for inclusion in the extended caller information to enable the subsequent retrieval of complete information from the first database relating to the summary information from the second database; and

means for establishing the session based on information in the resulting session request message.

19. A method for use in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) communications network associated with first and second devices the method comprising:

the first device sending a session request message to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server indicating a request to establish a communications session between the first and second devices, the session request message comprising session information relating to the session in a first database, synchronized with a related complete information in a second database for which the second device is registered,

the SIP proxy server retrieving extended caller information in response to the session request message and including the extended caller information in the session request message, the extended caller information being summary information, from which complete information can subsequently be determined by the second device, in a first database, synchronized with a related complete information in a second database for which the second device is registered, the complete information being stored in the first database and the summary information, derived from the complete information, being stored in the second database;

synchronizing the summary information in the second database with the complete information in the first database,

retrieving summary information from the second database for inclusion in the extended caller information to enable the subsequent retrieval of complete information from the first database relating to the summary information from the second database;

the SIP proxy server sending the session request message to the second device, in a first database, synchronized with a related complete information in a second database, for which the second device is registered; and

establishing the session based on information in the resulting session request message.

20. An apparatus for use in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) communications network comprising first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively, the apparatus comprising:

means for sending a session request message from the first device to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server indicating a request to establish a communications session between the first and second devices, the session request message comprising session information relating to the session;

means for the SIP proxy server retrieving extended caller information in response to the session request message and including the extended caller information in the session request message, the extended caller information being summary information, in a first database, synchronized with a related complete information in a second database, the summary information being derived from the complete information;

synchronizing the summary information in the first database with the complete information in the second database,

retrieving summary information from the first database for inclusion in the extended caller information to enable the subsequent retrieval of complete information from the second database relating to the summary information from the first database; and

means for establishing the session based on information in the resulting session request message.