Telecommunication system with enhanced implementation of service operations

• US 8,989,364 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navigil Oy
• Original Assignee: Navigil Oy
• Inventors: Raty, Matti
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): OH, ANDREW CHUNG SUK
• Application Number:
  US12/810,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20100284335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1008 Calls without connection establishment for implicit information transfer or as a service trigger
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1075 Telemetering, e.g. transmission of ambient measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

A telecommunication system includes a first node, a second node and a network. The first node is configured with a set of predefined functions and a group of addresses of the telecommunication network such that a session setup request targeted to any address in the group of addresses is routed to the first node, and each address in the group of addresses is associated with at least one of the predefined functions. The second node is configured to send a session setup request to a target address that corresponds to an address in the group of addresses. The first node is configured to determine the function to be performed on the basis of the target address in the session setup request. Information delivery from the second node to the first node is implemented quickly. In the second node the power consumption may be significantly reduced.

Claims

1. A system comprising a first node, a second node and a telecommunication network operatively connecting the first node and the second node, wherein

the first node has access to a subscriber database comprising information on subscribers to a defined service and is configured with a set of predefined functions associated with a group of addresses of the telecommunication network such that a session setup request targeted to any address in the group of addresses is routed to the first node, and each address in the group of addresses is associated with at least one of the predefined functions;

the second node is configured to send a session setup request to a target address that corresponds to an address in the group of addresses, the session setup request comprising the target address, said target address including an indication of the predefined function and said target address including at least one variable of the predefined function associated with the target address, the at least one variable comprising a battery status of the second node and/or sensor value information; and

the first node is configured to determine the sender of the session setup request, determine the predefined function to be performed on the basis of the target address in the session setup request, determine the at least one variable in the session setup request, and perform the function using the information on the determined sender of the session setup request and the determined at least one variable, wherein the target address is a subscriber number of the telecommunication network and the function comprises storing the indication and the at least variable conveyed by the target address to an appropriate record or forwarding the indication and the at least variable to a predefined address of the telecommunication network.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the defined service is a tracking service and the first node is a control node of the tracking service.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the first node is an intelligent network service control point;

the first node is configured to generate a message identifying the determined function and the sender of the session setup request; and

the first node is configured to send the generated message to another network node.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the first node is configured to determine a service the sender of the session setup request is subscribed to;

and

the first node is configured to send the generated message to a control node of the service.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the second node is configured to generate a target address that comprises an intelligent network identification part, a function identification part and a function variables part, where the intelligent network identification part enables routing of the session setup request to the intelligent network service control point, and the function identification part enables determination of the function to be performed and the function variables part comprises one or more variables to be used in performing the function.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second node is configured with a set of predefined functions associated with a group of addresses of the telecommunication network such that each address in the group of addresses is associated with at least one of the predefined functions;

the first node is configured to send a signaling message to the second node using a source address that corresponds to an address in the group of addresses; and

the second node is configured to determine the function to be performed on the basis of the source address in the signaling message.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein either of the first node and the second node is configured to store service data within destination re-routing information of the second node in a subscriber database of the system, and the other node is configured to retrieve the service data from the subscriber database with a destination re-routing information query.

8. A network node for a telecommunications system, comprising:

a subscriber database comprising information on subscribers to a defined service;

a memory configured to store a set of predefined functions and a group of addresses of the telecommunication network such that a session setup request targeted to any address in the group of addresses is routed to the network node, and each address in the group of addresses is associated with at least one of the predefined functions;

an interface unit configured to receive a session setup request comprising a target address that corresponds to an address in the group of addresses, the session setup request comprising the target address, said target address including an indication of the predefined function and said target address including at least one variable of the predefined function associated with the target address, the at least one variable comprising a battery status of the second node and/or sensor value information; and

a control unit operatively connected with the memory and the interface unit and configured to operate the network node to determine the sender of the session setup request;

determine the predefined function to be performed on the basis of the target address in the received session setup request, retrieve from the subscriber database information on the sender of the session setup request, determine the at least one variable in the session setup request, and to perform the function with the subscriber information on the determined sender of the session setup request and the determined at least one variable, wherein the target address is a subscriber number of the telecommunication network and the function comprises storing the indication and the at least variable conveyed by the target address to an appropriate record or forwarding the indication and the at least variable to a predefined address of the telecommunication network.

9. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the defined service is a tracking service and the network node is a control node of the tracking service.

10. The network node according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the network node to receive a session setup request, and to retrieve from the target address an intelligent network identification part, a function identification part and a function variables part, where the intelligent network identification part enables routing of the session setup request to the intelligent network service control point, the function identification part enables determination of the function to be performed and the function variables part comprises one or more variables to be used in performing the function.

11. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the network node is an intelligent network service control point and the control unit is configured to operate the network node to determine the sender of the session setup request, to generate a message identifying the determined function and the sender of the session setup request, and to transmit the generated message to another network node.

12. The network node according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the network node to determine a service which the sender of the session setup request is subscribed to and send the generated message to a control node of said service.

13. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the network node comprises information on a set of predefined functions of a user equipment, the set of predefined functions being associated with a group of addresses of the telecommunication network such that each address in the group of addresses is associated with at least one of the predefined functions;

and

the network node is configured to send a signaling message to the user equipment using a source address that corresponds to an address in the group of addresses.

14. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the network node is configured to store service data within destination re-routing information of the user equipment in a subscriber database of the system.

15. The network node according to claim 8, wherein in response to a defined target address in the received session setup request the network node is configured to retrieve service data from a subscriber database of the calling subscriber with a destination re-routing information query.

16. User equipment for a telecommunications system, comprising:

a memory configured to store information on a set of predefined functions;

an interface unit configured to communicate with elements of the telecommunications system;

a control unit operatively connected with the memory and the interface unit and configured to operate the user equipment to

select a function to be performed in a control node;

determine a target address that corresponds with the predefined function to be performed, said target address including an indication of the predefined function;

determine at least one variable of the predefined function associated with the target address, the at least one variable comprising a battery status of the second node and/or sensor value;

enter transceiving mode and send a session setup request to the target address, the session setup request comprising the target address and the determined at least one variable, wherein the at least one variable is included in said target address;

receive from a network node an acknowledgement on receipt of the session setup request; and

exit transceiving mode, in response to receiving the acknowledgement, wherein the target address is a subscriber number of the telecommunication network and the function comprises storing the indication and the at least variable conveyed by the target address to an appropriate record or forwarding the indication and the at least variable to a predefined address of the telecommunication network.

17. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein the control unit us configured to operate the user equipment to generate a target address that comprises an intelligent network identification part, a function identification part and a function variables part, where the intelligent network identification part enables routing of the session setup request to the intelligent network service control point, and the function identification part enables determination of the function to be performed and the function variables part comprises one or more variables to be used in performing the function.

18. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein the user equipment is configured with a set of predefined functions associated with a group of addresses of the telecommunication network such that each address in the group of addresses is associated with at least one of the predefined functions;

the user equipment is configured to receive from a network node a signaling message having a source address; and

the user equipment is configured to determine a function to be performed on the basis of the source address in the signaling message.

19. The user equipment according to claim 18, wherein in response to a defined source address in a received session setup request the user equipment is configured to retrieve service data from its subscriber database with a destination re-routing information query.

20. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein the user equipment is configured to store service data within destination re-routing information of the user equipment in a subscriber database of the system.

21. A method for operating a network node of a telecommunications system, comprising:

storing a set of predefined functions and a group of addresses of the telecommunication network such that a session setup request targeted to any address in the group of addresses is routed to the network node, and each address in the group of addresses is associated with at least one of the predefined functions, the addresses in the group of addresses indicating a battery status and/or sensor information;

receiving a session setup request comprising a target address that corresponds to an address in the group of addresses, the session setup request comprising the target address, said target address including an indication of the predefined function and said target address including at least one variable of the predefined function associated with the target address, the at least one variable comprising a battery status of the second node and/or sensor value information;

determining a sender of the session setup request;

determining the function to be performed in the network node on the basis of the target address in the received session setup request;

determining the at least variable in the session setup request; and

performing the function using the information on the determined sender of the session setup request and the determined at least one variable, wherein the target address is a subscriber number of the telecommunication network and the function comprises storing the indication and the at least variable conveyed by the target address to an appropriate record or forwarding the indication and the at least variable to a predefined address of the telecommunication network.

22. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for controlling functions in a network node of a telecommunications system, the process including:

storing a set of predefined functions and a group of addresses of the telecommunication network such that a session setup request targeted to any address in the group of addresses is routed to the network node, and each address in the group of addresses is associated with at least one of the predefined functions;

receiving a session setup request comprising a target address that corresponds to an address in the group of addresses, the session setup request comprising the target address, said target address including an indication of the predefined function and said target address including at least one variable of the predefined function associated with the target address, the at least one variable comprising a battery status of the second node and/or sensor value information;

determining the sender of the session setup request;

determining the function to be performed in the network node on the basis of the target address in the received session setup request;

determining the at least one variable in the session setup request; and

performing the function using the information on the determined sender of the session setup request and the determined at least one variable,

wherein the target address is a subscriber number of the telecommunication network and the function comprises storing the indication and the at least variable conveyed by the target address to an appropriate record or forwarding the indication and the at least variable to a predefined address of the telecommunication network.

23. A method for operating user equipment of a telecommunications system, comprising:

storing information on a set of predefined functions;

communicating with elements of the telecommunications system;

selecting a function to be performed in a control node of the telecommunications system;

determining a target address that corresponds the function to be performed, said target address including an indication of the predefined function;

determining at least one variable of the predefined function corresponding to the target address, the at least one variable comprising a battery status of the second node and/or sensor value information;

entering transceiving mode and sending a session setup request to the target address, the session setup request comprising the target address and the determined at least one variable, wherein the at least one variable is included in said target address;

receiving from the network node an acknowledgement on receipt of the session setup request; and

exiting transceiving mode, in response to receiving the acknowledgement, wherein the target address is a subscriber number of the telecommunication network and the function comprises storing the indication and the at least variable conveyed by the target address to an appropriate record or forwarding the indication and the at least variable to a predefined address of the telecommunication network.

24. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for controlling functions in a network node of a telecommunications system, the process including:

storing information on a set of predefined functions;

communicating with elements of the telecommunications system;

selecting a function to be performed in a control node of the telecommunications system;

determining a target address that corresponds the function to be performed, said target address including an indication of the predefined function;

determining at least one variable of the predefined function corresponding to the target address, the at least one variable comprising a battery status of the second node and/or sensor value information;

entering transceiving mode and sending a session setup request to the target address, the session setup request comprising the target address and the determined at least one variable, wherein the at least one variable is included in said target address;

receiving from the network node an acknowledgement on receipt of the session setup request; and

exiting transceiving mode, in response to receiving the acknowledgement, wherein the target address is a subscriber number of the telecommunication network and the function comprises storing the indication and the at least variable conveyed by the target address to an appropriate record or forwarding the indication and the at least variable to a predefined address of the telecommunication network.