Creating a globally unique identifier of a subscriber device

• US 8,213,935 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockstar Bidco LP (Rockstar Consortium Inc.)
• Inventors: NIELSEN, DOUGLAS JON, Eminovic, Lejla, JONES, ANTHONY ROBERT, QUAH, ELAINE EE LAY
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US12/346,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20100167734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/410, 455/466, 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/426.1, 455/415, 370/352, 370/338, 370/328, 370/389, 370/465, 370/521
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/33 containing protocol addresses or telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/39 Globally routable user-agent uniform resource identifier [GRUU] for the session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

To register a mobile device located in a first network with a packet-switched services network, a registration request is received from an aggregation device in the first network. The registration request contains an identifier of the aggregation device and identification information of the mobile device, where the identification information is previously unknown to the packet-switched services network. A globally unique identifier of the mobile device is dynamically created based on the identifier of the aggregation device and the identification information of the mobile device, wherein the globally unique identifier is used for uniquely identifying the mobile device in the packet-switched services network.

Claims

1. A method of registering a mobile device located in a first network with a packet-switched services network, comprising:

receiving, from an aggregation device in the first network, a registration request from the mobile device containing an identifier of the aggregation device and identification information of the mobile device, wherein the identification information is previously unknown to the packet-switched services network; and

dynamically creating a globally unique identifier of the mobile device based on the identifier of the aggregation device and the identification information of the mobile device, wherein the globally unique identifier is used for uniquely identifying the mobile device in the packet-switched services network;

wherein the identifier of the aggregation device is a SIP address of record of the aggregation device and the identification information of the mobile device includes a concatenation of a MAC address of the aggregation device, a mobile identity number of the mobile device, and an electronic serial number of the mobile device; and

wherein the globally unique identifier of the mobile device is formed from a combination of the SIP address of record of the aggregation device, the MAC address of the aggregation device, the mobile identity number of the mobile device, and the electronic serial number of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the globally unique identifier to an application server for storage at the application server to enable the application server to route calls directed to the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the globally unique identifier to the application server comprises sending the globally unique identifier to a voice call continuity (VCC) application server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the identifier of the aggregation device in response to the aggregation device performing a registration procedure with the services network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the globally unique identifier comprises creating a Globally Routable User Agent Uniform Resource Identifier (GRUU).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the globally unique identifier is part of a registration procedure performed in the packet-switched services network initiated by the registration request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the registration procedure in the services network comprises performing the registration procedure in a Session Initiation Protocol (IP) network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving and creating are performed by a node in the packet-switched services network.

9. A node for use in a packet-switched services network, comprising:

an interface to receive a registration request from a mobile device sent by an aggregation device associated with an enterprise network to register the mobile device in the services network, wherein a unique identifier of the mobile device is previously unknown to the packet-switched services network, wherein the registration request contains an identifier of the aggregation device and identification information of the mobile device; and

a processor to dynamically create a globally unique identifier of the mobile device based on the identifier of the aggregation device and the identification information of the mobile device, wherein the globally unique identifier is used for uniquely identifying the mobile device in the packet-switched services network;

wherein the identifier of the aggregation device is a SIP address of record of the aggregation device and the identification information of the mobile device includes concatenation of a MAC address of the aggregation device, a mobile identity number of the mobile device, and an electronic serial number of the mobile device; and

wherein the globally unique identifier of the mobile device is formed from a combination of the SIP address of record of the aggregation device, the MAC address of the aggregation device, the mobile identity number of the mobile device, and the electronic serial number of the mobile device.

10. The node of claim 9, further comprising logic to implement tasks of a serving call session control function (S-CSCF).

11. The node of claim 9, wherein the globally unique identifier is a Globally Routable User Agent Uniform Resource Identifier (GRUU).

12. The node of claim 9, wherein the processor is to further:

receive a request to establish a communications session with the mobile device, wherein the request contains a mobile directory number of the mobile device;

forward the request to a voice call continuity application server; and

receive a modified version of the request from the voice call continuity application server, wherein the modified version of the request contains the globally unique identifier of the mobile device.

13. The node of claim 9, wherein the processor is to further:

send a notification to a voice call continuity application server, wherein the notification contains the globally unique identifier of the mobile device.

14. An article comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a node in a packet-switched services network to:

receive, from an aggregation device in a first network, a registration request from a mobile device containing an identifier of the aggregation device and identification information of the mobile device attached to the first network, wherein the identification information is previously unknown to the packet-switched services network; and

dynamically create a globally unique identifier of the mobile device based on the identifier of the aggregation device and the identification information of the mobile device, wherein the globally unique identifier is used for uniquely identifying the mobile device in the packet-switched services network;

wherein the identifier of the aggregation device is a SIP address of record of the aggregation device and the identification information of the mobile device includes a concatenation of a MAC address of the aggregation device, a mobile identity number of the mobile device, and an electronic serial number of the mobile device; and

wherein the globally unique identifier of the mobile device is formed from a combination of the SIP address of record of the aggregation device, the MAC address of the aggregation device, the mobile identity number of the mobile device, and the electronic serial number of the mobile device.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the aggregation device is a femtocell base station.

16. The article of claim 14, wherein the globally unique identifier is a Globally Routable User Agent Uniform Resource Identifier (GRUU).