Method and system for localising users for services based on SIP or H.323 protocols with dynamic IP address allocation

• US 8,374,187 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Morand, Lionel, Delmond, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jae Y
• Application Number:
  US11/660,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20090034536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,735 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/395.54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to localise a terminal (10) when accessing an IP service (15), by means of an access network (1, 2). To this end, a method for allocating an IP address to the terminal (10) is carried out, a database (8) memorises the IP address allocated to the terminal (10) in association with a terminal or user identifier and an identifier of an access point wherein the terminal accesses the access network (1, 2), the access point being associated with localisation information, and the database transmits the localisation information associated with the identifier of the terminal or the user to the service.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user terminal to be located by an IP service to which the terminal can acquire access via a local access network and an IP transport network, successively, the method comprising:

storing an IP address assigned to the terminal, in association with a terminal or user identifier, an identifier for an access point belonging to the local access network, the access point being a device directly connecting the terminal to a line of the local access network, and geographic coordinates that identify physical coordinates of the access point;

sending a location request from a database server in the IP transport network to an information system of an operator of the local access network, said location request including the identifier for the access point;

receiving, at the database server, in response to said location request to the information system, geographic coordinates associated with the access point from the information system; and

transmitting to a server associated with the IP service the geographic coordinates associated with the access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the terminal sends an IP address request message to an address server, the terminal inserts the terminal or user identifier into the IP address request message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the terminal sends an IP address request message to an address server, via an access server, the access server inserts the identifier for the access point into the IP address request message.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein, when the terminal accesses the IP service under a user identifier for the IP service, the database server stores the user identifier for the IP service in association with the information already associated with the terminal or user identifier, and

wherein the database server transmits to the IP service the geographic coordinates based on the user identifier for the IP service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP service is automatically notified of the geographic coordinates in the event of a change by the database server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal or user identifier is a random number generated by the terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the database server obtains the geographic coordinates from an information system of a network access and IP transport network operator, with the aid of the identifier for the access point.

8. A system having a database server accessible to at least one IP service for locating a user terminal connected to an IP transport network via a local access network and the IP transport network, successively, the database server being adapted to:

store, for the terminal, an IP address assigned to the terminal in association with a terminal or user identifier, an identifier for an access point belonging to the local access network, the access point being a device directly connecting the terminal to a line of the local access network, and geographic coordinates that identify physical coordinates of the access point;

send a location request from the database server in the IP transport network to an information system of an operator of said local access network, said location request including the identifier for the access point;

receive, at the database server, in response to the location request to the information system, the geographic coordinates associated with the access point from the information system; and

transmit to a server associated with the IP service the geographic coordinates of the access point.

9. The system of claim 8, further being adapted to send a user location request to an information system of an access and IP transport network operator, the request containing the identifier for the access point.

10. An IP address server computer adapted to form a portion of an IP transport network to which at least one local access network is connected, the IP address server computer comprising:

a processor;

an IP address assigning module adapted to assign an IP address to a terminal in order for the terminal to access the IP transport network; and

an IP address request receiving module adapted to receive a request sent by the terminal for access to an IP service, the IP address request receiving module including;

an IP address extraction module adapted to extract an identifier for the terminal and an identifier for an access point belonging to the local access network from the request, the access point being a device directly connecting the terminal to a line of the local access network, the access point having associated therewith geographic coordinates that identify physical coordinates for the access point, the local access network having an operator with an information system, and

a database update module adapted to update a database with the information extracted from the IP address request, in association with an IP address assigned to the terminal,

wherein the information system is adapted to receive from the database server in the IP transport network a location request including the identifier for the access point and to send to the database server, in response to the location request received by the information system, the geographic coordinates associated with the access point, and the database server adapted to transmit to a server associated with the IP service the geographic coordinates of the access point, and

the IP address assigning module, the IP address request receiving module and the IP address extraction module are executed by the processor.

11. A network comprising:

a database server accessible to at least one IP service for locating a user terminal connected to an IP transport network via a local access network and the IP transport network, successively, the database server being adapted to;

store, for the terminal, an IP address assigned to the terminal in association with a terminal or user identifier, an identifier for an access point belonging to the local access network, the access point being a device directly connecting the terminal to a line of the local access network, and geographic coordinates that identify physical coordinates of the access point,

send a location request from the database server in the IP transport network to an information system of an operator of said local access network, said location request including the identifier for the access point,

receive, at the database server, in response to the location request to the information system, the geographic coordinates associated with the access point from the information system, and

transmit to a server associated with the IP service the geographic coordinates of the access point;

an access server computer including a processor, the access server configured to be connected to the local access network and to the IP transport network in order to enable a terminal to access an IP service via the local access network and the IP transport network, the access server computer including a receiver/forwarder adapted to receive and forward to an IP address server an IP address request sent by the terminal, said receiver/forwarder being adapted to insert into the IP address request received an identifier for an access point belonging to the local access network, prior to forwarding the request to the IP address server, the access point being a device directly connecting the terminal to a line of the local access network;

an IP address assigner adapted to assign an IP address to the terminal in order for the terminal to access the IP transport network; and

an IP address request receiver adapted to receive an IP address request sent by the terminal for access to the IP service, the IP address request receiver including;

an identifier extractor adapted to extract from the IP address request an identifier for the terminal and the identifier for the access point, and

a database updater adapted to update a database with the information extracted from the IP address request, in association with an IP address assigned to the terminal,

wherein the IP address assigner, the IP address request receiver and the identifier extractor are executed by the processor.