QoS channels for multimedia services on a general purpose operating system platform using data cards

• US 8,213,363 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ying, Wen-Ping, Hjort, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elpenord, Candal
• Application Number:
  US12/567,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.21, 370/260, 370/252, 370/329, 370332-333, 370/338, 370/395.2, 370229-230, 370/328, 370342-343, 370/401, 370351-352, 709/227, 709/233, 709/238, 709/220, 726/3, 455/556.2, 455/557
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A SIP (session initiation protocol) service activation abstraction layer that provides a unified interface to upper layer applications for discovering, establishing, and managing the QoS connectivity. In one implementation, this is IP Multimedia Subsystem-centric, further supporting applications that utilize SIP for session control. This capability extends to the data card universe allowing UMTS data card vendors to establish concurrent QoS-based sessions using multiple primary PDP (packet data protocol) contexts based on a set of SIP triggers, further allowing applications running on a computing system to transparently utilize the established pipes based on the individual QoS requirements.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory that facilitates execution of computer instructions at least to;

route messages from network applications and verify that user equipment associated with the messages is routable via a quality of service link;

redirect the network applications to a network resource in response to a determined state of the network resource and connect the network applications to the network resource via a wireless network;

disable the network resource in response to the network resource no longer being requested and terminate access of at least one network application of the network applications to the network resource independent of a termination of a concurrent network session; and

function as a user agent server to facilitate management of quality of service connectivity between the at least one network application and the network resource, wherein the user agent server is accessible to another network application other than the at least one network application after the quality of service connectivity is established.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network applications are redirected via a network divided into circuit-switched and packet-switched domains.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one of a serving general packet radio service support node or a gateway general packet radio service support node.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising at least one of an equipment identity register, a home location register, or an authentication center.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio access network configured to provide resource point interfaces.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of a computer instruction at least to enable a change of networks while retaining a previous contact number.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of a computer instruction at least to optimize a subscriber process between network boundaries.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of a computer instruction at least to perform admission control by issuance of a reject message to the at least one network application in response to a determination that the network resource is exhausted.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of a computer instruction at least to perform admission control by issuance of a redirect message to direct at least one other network application to the network resource in response to a determination that the network resource is not exhausted.

10. A method, comprising:

routing messages from network applications, by a system including at least one processor, and verifying that user equipment associated with the messages is routable via a quality of service link;

redirecting the network applications to a network resource in response to a determined state of the network resource;

connecting the network applications to the network resource via a wireless network;

disabling the network resource in response to the network resource not being requested and terminating access of at least one network application of the network applications to the network resource independent of a termination of a concurrent network session; and

managing quality of service connectivity between the at least one network application and the network resource and exposing a server to another network application other than the at least one network application in response to the quality of service connectivity being established.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating via a network split into circuit-switched domains and packet-switched domains.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the connecting the network applications further comprises connecting the network applications over at least one of a general packet radio service support node or a gateway general packet radio service support node.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the connecting the network applications further comprises utilizing resource point interfaces.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising changing networks and retaining a previous contact number using a number portability database.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising optimizing a subscriber process between network boundaries using a gateway location register.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising checking network resources, and in response to the network resources having been exhausted, issuing a reject message to the at least one network application.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising checking network resources, and in response to the network resources not being exhausted, issuing a redirect message to direct at least one other network application to the network resource.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically registering the user equipment.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that in response to execution, cause a system including at least one processor to perform operations, comprising:

routing messages from network applications, and verifying that user equipment associated with the messages is routable via a quality of service link;

redirecting the network applications to a network resource in response to a determined state of the network resource;

connecting the network applications to the network resource via a wireless network;

disabling the network resource in response to the network resource not being required;

terminating access of at least one network application of the network applications to the network resource independent of a termination of a concurrent network session; and

managing quality of service connectivity between the at least one network application and the network resource and exposing a server to another network application other than the at least one network application in response to the quality of service connectivity being established.