SIP2 mobile gateway

• US 7,995,591 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Argela Yazilim Ve Bilisim Teknolojileri San. Ve Tic A.S.
• Original Assignee: Argela Yazilim Ve Bilisim Teknolojileri San. Ve Tic A.S.
• Inventors: Civanlar, Seyhan, Ozpak, Can, Gurdag, Adnan Burak, Sakar, Esra Ozlem, Gur, Gurkan, Gorkemli, Burak, Onur, Ertan, Senol, Hanife, Sazak, Tulay, Ozumuztoprak, Can, Simsek, Altug, Sever, Aziz, Lokman, Erhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rose; Kerri M
• Application Number:
  US11/764,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20070243891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/338, 370/400, 370464-467, 455/554.2, 455/426.2, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.09
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for using an IP client attached to the Public Internet, acting as a virtual mobile terminal such as a cell phone, to have full access to mobile telephony services offered by a mobile operator using a SIP2 Mobile gateway. The services include a mobile telephone number, capabilities of sending and receiving short messages and mobile intelligent services such as prepaid billing, number translation, and ring back tones.

Claims

1. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network wherein said user of said IP client subscribes to mobile services provided by a mobile service provider, said gateway implemented using computer readable code stored in a non-transitory storage, said software adjunct to a traditional softswitch, said storage storing:

computer readable program code to implement said gateway'"'"'s processing, said computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code implementing an IP Phone server software component receiving registration and signaling messages from said IP client originating said phone call;

computer readable program code implementing a Mobility Control software component updating a home location register (HLR) to indicate the location of said IP client; and

computer readable program code implementing a Service Control and Call Control software component handling said phone call originated by said IP client by directly communicating with a service control point (SCP) of said mobile network via a Visitor Location Register (VLR)/Mobile Switching Center (MSC) by sending an Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP) message to said SCP thereby making said IP client behave like a mobile client of said mobile service provider.

2. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said IP client is any of the following:

client embedded into a PBX, a client integrated into a web browser, a client embedded in a mobile phone, a client embedded into a personal computing device (PC) or a client embedded into a wireless handheld device.

3. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said IP client is a session initiation protocol (SIP) client or H.323 client.

4. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said computer readable program code implementing said mobility control software component maintains subscriber service information of said IP client retrieved during location update from said HLR.

5. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 4, wherein said subscriber service information retrieved during location update from HLR is further merged with subscriber service information stored in said IP Phone Server.

6. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said IP client uses the same telephone number as a user'"'"'s cellular phone.

7. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 6, wherein said IP client authenticates said user during registration by at least checking said telephone number and a password and starts billing when a phone call begins.

8. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said IP client uses a different telephone number assigned by said mobile service provider to said IP client wherein said different telephone number is associated with a user'"'"'s cell phone number.

9. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said IP phone server is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server or SIP redirect server or an H.323 gatekeeper.

10. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said IP phone server has access to subscriber service data.

11. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said gateway performs optional functions, said optional functions implemented by computer readable program code in said storage comprising:

computer readable program code converting received SIP signaling messages to SS7 ISUP signaling protocol and sending said messages to the mobile network and vice-versa;

computer readable program code converting received VoIP bearers and converting said VoIP bearers to circuit switched voice and sending said switched voice to the mobile network;

computer readable program code converting said received circuit switched voice and converting said circuit switched voice into VoIP bearers;

computer readable program code invoking Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) or Media Gateway Control (MEGACO) protocol messages towards a media gateway to control assignment of VoIP bearers to ports; and

computer readable program code performing call control functions.

12. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said gateway communicates with a billing system.

13. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein location data of said IP client is obtained from register, location and services database for subscriber location and not HLR.

14. A gateway processing a phone call between a user of an IP client and another user attached to a mobile network, according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is used for sending short messages and multimedia messages by using a IM to SMS relaying component that maps said short or said multimedia message into a Mobile Application Part (MAP) message and sends it to a message service center, attached to said VLR/MSC of said mobile network.

15. A system facilitating direct communication between IP clients and components of a mobile network to provide seamless services to said IP clients, said system comprising:

at least one of said IP clients initiating a call to at least one mobile client via a gateway; and

said gateway receiving said call and handling said call by directly communicating with a service control point (SCP) of said mobile network via a Visitor Location Register(VLR)/Mobile Switching Center (MSC) by sending an Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP) message to said SCP thereby making said IP client behave like a mobile client of a mobile service provider to which said IP client subscribes.

16. A system facilitating direct communication between IP clients and components of a mobile network to provide seamless services to said IP clients, as per claim 15, wherein said IP client is any of the following:

client embedded into a PBX, a client integrated into a web browser, a client embedded in a mobile phone, a client embedded into a personal computing device (PC) or a client embedded into a wireless handheld device.

17. A system facilitating direct communication between IP clients and components of a mobile network to provide seamless services to said IP clients, as per claim 15, wherein said IP client is a session initiation protocol (SIP) client or H.323 client.

18. A system facilitating direct communication between IP clients and components of a mobile network to provide seamless services to said IP clients, as per claim 15, wherein said gateway is used for sending short messages and multimedia messages by using a IM to SMS relaying component that maps said short or said multimedia message into a Mobile Application Part (MAP) message and sends it to a message service center, attached to said VLR/MSC of said mobile network.