Method and system for communicating data from wireline terminals to mobile terminals

• US 8,150,401 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GTE Wireless Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GTE Wireless Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Howe, Walter Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Danh C
• Application Number:
  US11/136,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,506 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/417, 455/418, 455/461, 455/433, 370/352, 370/331, 370/402, 370/351, 379/220.01
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for communicating data from wireline terminals to mobile terminals in a telecommunications network, which includes a home node associated with the mobile terminal and one or more visited nodes. To establish communication with a mobile terminal, a wireline terminal sends data to a server in the telecommunications network. The server identifies a mobile identification number associated with the mobile terminal, and based on the identified mobile identification number, the server determines a route that excludes the home node when the mobile terminal is out of the geographical area served by the home node. The server then establishes via the determined route a connection to the mobile terminal and sends to the mobile terminal the data received from the wireline terminal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a data packet, at a network node, from a packet network destined for a mobile terminal;

determining a route that excludes a home node associated with the mobile terminal when a visited node serves the mobile terminal for communicating the received data packet, to the mobile terminal, where determining the route includes;

determining that the mobile terminal is not being served by the home node,

obtaining a temporary identifier associated with the mobile terminal,

establishing a connection to the mobile terminal using the temporary identifier;

receiving a second data packet, at the network node, from the mobile terminal, destined for a wireline terminal connected to the packet network; and

sending the second data packet to the wireline terminal via the packet network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the received data packet from the network node to the visited node via the route.

3. The method of claim 1, where the temporary identifier is a Temporary Local Directory Number (TLDN).

4. The method of claim 1, where a route between the mobile terminal and the wireline terminal includes a wireline switch, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and a visited wireless switch.

5. The method of claim 1, where the determining that the mobile terminal is not being served by the home node includes:

sending a location request message from the network node to a home location register, associated with the home node; and

receiving from the home location register, associated with the home node, a response message, where the response message includes a Temporary Local Directory Number (TLDN), the TLDN corresponding to the temporary identifier.

6. A memory device storing instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

receive a data packet, at the network node, from a packet network destined for the mobile terminal;

determine that the mobile terminal is not being served by a home node associated with the mobile terminal;

obtain a temporary identifier associated with the mobile terminal,

establishing a connection, that avoids the home node and using the temporary identifier, to the mobile terminal to communicate the received data packet to the mobile terminal;

receive a second data packet, at the network node, from the mobile terminal, destined for a wireline terminal connected to the packet network; and

send the second data packet to the wireline terminal via the packet network.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first network node, a data packet from a packet network, the data packet destined for a mobile terminal remote from the first network node, the mobile terminal associated with a home node;

determining that the mobile terminal is not being served by the home node;

obtaining a temporary identifier associated with the mobile terminal,

establishing an at least partially wireless connection between the first network node and the mobile terminal using the temporary identifier, where the at least partially wireless connection includes a visited node that is remote from the home node and does not include the home node;

sending the received data packet from the first network node to the mobile terminal via the at least partially wireless connection between the first network node and the mobile terminal;

receiving a second data packet, at the first network node, from the mobile terminal, destined for a wireline terminal connected to the packet network; and

sending the second data packet to the wireline terminal via the packet network.

8. The method of claim 7, where the temporary identifier is a Temporary Local Directory Number (TLDN).

9. A memory device storing instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

receive, by a first network node, a data packet from a packet network, the data packet destined for a mobile terminal remote from the first network node, the mobile terminal associated with a home node;

determine that the mobile terminal is not being served by the home node;

obtain a temporary identifier associated with the mobile terminal,

establish an at least partially wireless connection between the first network node and the mobile terminal using the temporary identifier, where the at least partially wireless connection includes a visited node that is remote from the home node and does not include the home node;

send the received data packet from the first network node to the mobile terminal via the at least partially wireless connection between the first network node and the mobile terminal;

receive a second data packet, at the first network node, from the mobile terminal, destined for a wireline terminal connected to the packet network; and

send the second data packet to the wireline terminal via the packet network.

10. A network node, comprising:

a processor;

an interface to a packet network, the interface connected to the processor; and

a memory system connected to the processor, the memory system storing software and information usable by the processor, the software including a connection module to;

receive a data packet from the packet network destined for the mobile terminal;

determine that the mobile terminal is not being served by a home node;

obtain a temporary identifier associated with the mobile terminal

establish, using the temporary identifier, a connection that excludes the home node, associated with the mobile terminal, when a visited node that is remote from the home node serves the mobile terminal for communicating the received data packet to the mobile terminal;

receive a second data packet from the mobile terminal destined for a wireline terminal connected to the packet network; and

send the second data packet to the wireline terminal via the packet network.

11. The network node of claim 10, where the connection module is further to send the received data packet to the visited node.

12. The method of claim 10, where the temporary identifier is a Temporary Local Directory Number (TLDN).