Service gateway decomposition in a network environment including IMS

• US 8,019,820 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Son, Giyeong, Preiss, Bruno R., Lewis, Allan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US11/769,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network

Abstract

In one embodiment, a scheme is described with respect to a service network system adapted to interoperate in an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) environment wherein signaling and message media planes are decoupled. The service network system comprises a service gateway controller (SGC) that is decomposed from a plurality of a plurality of service gateways (SGWs) operable to effectuate a message transport interface with respect to a remote services server.

Claims

1. A service network system adapted to interoperate in an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) environment, said service network system comprising:

a service gateway controller (SGC) operable to effectuate a signaling interface with respect to at least one remote services server; and

a plurality of service gateways (SGWs) operably coupled to said SGC for effectuating a message transport interface that is decoupled from said signaling interface of said service gateway controller (SGC), wherein said SGC includes functionality for altering assignment of a particular SGW from said plurality of SGWs with respect to a current message session between said at least one remote services server and a user equipment (UE) device in order to dynamically adjust a transmission path therebetween for said current message session via another SGW selected from said plurality of SGWs, wherein said current message session is effectuated for transmission of one or more data items between said UE device and said at least one remote services server, said one or more data items comprising at least one of an email message, a calendar event, a meeting notification, an address entry, a journal entry, a personal reminder, an Instant Message (IM), and a notification from an external network.

2. The service network system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of SGWs includes means for converting a data item received from said remote services server in a first protocol into message information in a second protocol.

3. The service network system as recited in claim 2, wherein said data item comprises one of an email message, a calendar event, a meeting notification, an address entry, a journal entry, a personal reminder, an Instant Message (IM), and a notification from an external network.

4. The service network system as recited in claim 1, wherein said SGC comprises a network node addressable using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

5. The service network system as recited in claim 1, wherein said SGC comprises a network node addressable using a resource name.

6. The service network system as recited in claim 1, wherein said SGC comprises a network node addressable using an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

7. The service network system as recited in claim 1, wherein said SGC comprises a network node addressable using a host name.

8. The service network system as recited in claim 1, wherein said SGC comprises a network node addressable using a service name.

9. The service network system as recited in claim 1, wherein said SGC comprises a logically centralized SGC representing a plurality of SGCs.

10. A method of routing communication in an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, said method comprising:

assigning a particular service gateway (SGW) to a service client (SC) executing on a user equipment (UE) device, said particular SGW selected from a plurality of service gateways (SGWs) that are adapted for effectuating a message transport interface decoupled from a signaling interface of a service gateway controller (SGC);

establishing an end-to-end transmission path between said UE device and a remote services server associated therewith via said particular SGW for effectuating a current message session;

monitoring said end-to-end transmission path; and

dynamically adjusting said end-to-end transmission path for said current message session via another SGW selected from said plurality of SGWs, wherein said current message session is effectuated for transmission of one or more data items between said UE device and said remote services server, said one or more data items comprising at least one of an email message, a calendar event, a meeting notification, an address entry, a journal entry, a personal reminder, an Instant Message (IM), and a notification from an external network.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further includes monitoring runtime characteristics of said remote services server.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of said particular SGW and said another SGW is adapted to operate with H.248 protocol.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of said particular SGW and said another SGW is adapted to operate with Media Gateway Control Protocol.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of said particular SGW and said another SGW is adapted to operate with Session Initiation Protocol.