System and method for addressing a mobile device in an IP-based wireless network

• US 7,934,015 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Dunk, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wasel; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/539,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20090296646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/238, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for addressing a mobile device in an IP-based wireless network is provided. Push service providers prepare data for transmission to the mobile device using a first IP address. The addressed data is then transmitted to a push proxy. The push proxy obtains a network identifier that is permanently associated with the wireless mobile device using the first IP address. The network identifier is then used by the push proxy to obtain a second IP address that is temporarily associated with the wireless mobile device. Using this second IP address, the data from the push proxy is then addressed and transmitted to the wireless mobile device via a tunnel created through the wireless network using the second IP address.

Claims

1. A method of addressing data to a wireless device, the wireless device having a permanently associated first IP address, comprising:

receiving data addressed to the wireless device using the first permanently associated IP address;

obtaining a network identifier for the wireless device using the permanently associated first IP address by performing an address lookup function with an address resolution component associated with an IP-based wireless network that matches the first permanently associated IP address with a database of network identifiers, the network identifier uniquely identifying the wireless device within the IP-based wireless network;

obtaining a second IP address that is temporarily associated with the wireless device from the IP-based wireless network using the obtained network identifier;

addressing the received data using the second IP address; and

transmitting the received data to the wireless device using the second IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first IP address is an IPV6 address.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second IP address is an IPV4 address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP-based wireless network is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, and the network identifier is the IMSI of the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the first IP address to a DNS server associated with the IP-based wireless network; and

accessing a database of network identifiers at the DNS server based on the first IP address.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the network identifier to the IP-based wireless network;

causing a wireless network component to access a database associated with the IP-based wireless network in order to determine whether the second IP address has been associated with the network identifier; and

if the second IP address has been associated with the network identifier, receiving the second IP address from the IP-based wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

opening a connection to a network access point of the IP-based wireless network;

initiating a tunnel between the network access point and the wireless device using the network identifier; and

transmitting the data using the second IP address over the connection to the network access point, and the tunnel created between the network access point and the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the tunnel is a PDP-context.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

checking a cache memory to determine if an association is present between the first IP address and a second IP address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identifier is embedded within a portion of the first IP address, further comprising extracting the network identifier from the portion of the first IP address.

11. A proxy server for addressing data to a wireless device, the wireless device having a permanently associated first IP address, comprising:

a wireless network interface component that obtains a network identifier for the wireless device using the first permanently associated IP address by performing an address lookup function with an address resolution component associated with an IP-based wireless network that matches the first permanently associated IP address with a database of network identifiers, the network identifier uniquely identifying the wireless device within the IP-based wireless network;

wherein the network interface component, responsive to the network identifier of the wireless device, is configured to obtain a second IP address that is temporarily associated with the wireless device from the IP-based wireless network;

a data addressing component that addresses data received at the proxy with the first IP address using the second IP address; and

a transmitter that transmits the data from the proxy to the wireless device using the second IP address.

12. The proxy server of claim 11, wherein the first IP address is an IPV6 address.

13. The proxy server of claim 12, wherein the second IP address is an IPV4 address.

14. The proxy server of claim 11, wherein the IP-based wireless network is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, and the network identifier is the IMSI of the wireless device.

15. The proxy server of claim 11, wherein the wireless network interface component is configured to provide the first IP address to a DNS server associated with the IP-based wireless network and to access a database of network identifiers at the DNS server based on the first IP address.