Method and system for forwarding data between network devices

• US 9,037,724 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolling Wireless SA RL
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Kavanaugh, Richard, Mitchell, Andrew Hasley Watson, Vos, Gustav Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia-Ching, Karina J
• Application Number:
  US13/368,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 370/389, 370/401
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2517 using port numbers

Abstract

A method and system for forwarding data between network devices is provided. A routing device receives, identifies and forwards data to a network device coupled to a private network. The routing device may make a determination of how to forward the data, for example by determining which of several delivery mechanisms to use. The network device may be also associated with a public network via a public network device identifier (PNDI). The PNDI may include a public IP address of the routing device, a public first port number such as a destination port number, and optionally a public second port number such as a source port number, the combination of public IP address and public port number(s) being unique to the network device.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding data to network devices operatively connected to a private network, the method comprising:

a. receiving data at a routing device, the routing device operatively connected with the private network and a public network;

b. identifying, by the routing device, portions of said received data intended for at least one of the network devices by identifying a public network device identifier (PNDI) within said received data and associated with said portions of the received data, the PNDI including a public IP address of the routing device, a public first port number and a public second port number, the PNDI associated via the routing device with the at least one of the network devices;

c. invoking a data delivery mechanism for use in forwarding said identified portions of said received data to the private network for receipt by the at least one of the network devices, wherein invoking said data delivery mechanism comprises;

determining, via a lookup operation based on the PNDI, further identifiers to which each of said at least one of the network devices are respectively responsive, and using the determined further identifiers to contact each of said at least one of the network devices, said contact configured to trigger activation of a respective data connection between the routing device and each of said at least one of the network devices, said data connection used as said data delivery mechanism, and wherein said data connection is reachable from the public network by transmitting packets to the public IP address of the routing device, said packets specifying the public first port number as a source port number and the public second port number as a destination port number; and

d. forwarding, by the routing device, said identified portions of said received data to the private network for receipt by the at least one of the network devices using the data delivery mechanism.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the data delivery mechanism from a predetermined set of plural available data delivery mechanisms, wherein the predetermined set of available data delivery mechanisms comprises at least one member selected from the group comprising:

a packet data protocol (PDP) context, an evolved packet subsystem (EPS) bearer, a circuit switched data connection, a Short Message Service (SMS), a Cell Broadcast Service (CBS), a Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol, an Access Stratum (AS) protocol, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the data delivery mechanism from a predetermined set of plural available data delivery mechanisms, wherein selecting the data delivery mechanism is based at least in part on one or more of:

an evaluation of which of the available data delivery mechanisms are currently set up for use with the at least one of the network devices;

an estimation of network congestion associated with at least one of the one or more data delivery mechanisms; and

monetized trade-off costs associated with forwarding the data over at least two of the one or more data delivery mechanisms.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the data delivery mechanism from a predetermined set of plural available data delivery mechanisms, wherein selecting the data delivery mechanism is based at least in part on one or more of:

a type of the received data;

information obtained from one or more network components of the private network; and

an estimation of resources required to set up a connection with the at least one of the network devices, to forward the received data to the at least one of the network devices, or both, said resources including one or more of;

an amount of signaling, an amount of data traffic, and an amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding data packets within the private network based on either a packet-data protocol (PDP) context or an evolved packet subsystem (EPS) bearer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the routing device as a Device Trigger Gateway (DT-GW) for initiating activation of a new packet-data protocol (PDP) context in coordination with a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) or a MME.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer readable memory storing computer executable instructions thereon that when executed by a computer perform the method of claim 1.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein contacting one of said at least one of the network devices comprises forwarding a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC), the SMS specifying a predetermined reserved MSISDN, the SMSC configured, upon recognition of the reserved MSISDN, to inspect a payload of the SMS message for a PNDI contained therein, and to perform a lookup of said one of said at least one of the network devices based on the PNDI.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the data connection is an Internet Protocol (IP) based data connection.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the further identifier is an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI).

7. A method for forwarding data to one or more network devices operatively connected to a private network, the method comprising:

a. associating the one or more network devices with the public network via a public network device identifier (PNDI);

b. receiving data at a routing device, the routing device operatively connected with the private network and a public network;

c. identifying, by the routing device, portions of said received data intended for at least one of the one or more network devices, wherein identifying portions of said received data intended for the network device comprises identifying the PNDI, the PNDI including a public IP address of the routing device and a public first port number;

d. invoking a data delivery mechanism for use in forwarding said identified portions of said received data to the private network for receipt by the at least one of the one or more network devices, wherein invoking said data delivery mechanism comprises;

determining, via a lookup operation based on the PNDI, further identifiers to which each of said at least one of the network devices are respectively responsive, and using the determined further identifiers to contact each of said at least one of the network devices, said contact configured to trigger activation of a respective data connection between the routing device and each of said at least one of the network devices, said data connection used as said data delivery mechanism, and wherein said data connection is reachable from the public network by transmitting packets to the public IP address of the routing device, said packets specifying the public first port number as a source port number or a destination port number; and

e. forwarding, by the routing device, said identified portions of said received data to the private network for receipt by the at least one of the one or more network devices using the data delivery mechanism.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the public first port number corresponds with a TCP or UDP destination port number of a packet header of said received data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the PNDI further includes a public second port number corresponding with a TCP or UDP source port number of a packet header of said received data.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the PNDI is associated with the at least one of the one or more network devices based on subscription data associated with the network device.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising defining an association between the PNDI and a corresponding private network device identifier;

and employing the corresponding private network device identifier for forwarding each received data packet associated with the PNDI to network devices in the private network based on the association.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing the association by including the corresponding private network device identifier in one or both of:

the data packet, and a translation table.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the private network device identifier includes an identifier selected from the group comprising:

a private network device address along with a private first port number;

a mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (MSISDN); and

at least a portion of an Integrated Circuit Card ID (ICCID).

14. The method of claim 7, wherein two or more of the one or more network devices are assigned the same public network device identifier.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving, at the routing device, a request for a public identifier associated with at least one of the one or more network devices, and providing a response to the request by the routing device, the response indicative of the public identifier.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer readable memory storing computer executable instructions thereon that when executed by a computer perform the method of claim 7.

16. A network system for forwarding data between network devices, the system comprising:

a. one or more network devices operatively connected with a private network; and

b. a routing device operatively connected with the private network, the routing device configured to;

receive data intended for forwarding to at least one of the one or more network devices, identify portions of said received data by identifying a public network device identifier (PNDI) within said received data and associated with said portions of the received data, the PNDI including a public IP address of the routing device, a public first port number and a public second port number, the PNDI associated via the routing device with the at least one of the network devices, invoke a data delivery mechanism for use in forwarding the received data to the at least one of the one or more network devices, wherein invoking said data delivery mechanism comprises;

determining via a lookup operation based on the PNDI, further identifiers to which each of said at least one of the network devices are respectively responsive, and using the determined further identifiers to contact each of said at least one of the network devices, said contact configured to trigger activation of a respective data connection between the routing device and each of said at least one of the network devices, said data connection used as said data delivery mechanism, and wherein said data connection is reachable from the public network by transmitting packets to the public IP address of the routing device, said packets specifying the public first port number as a source port number and the public second port number as a destination port number; and

forward the received data from the routing device to the at least one of the one or more network devices using the data delivery mechanism.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising selecting the data delivery mechanism from a predetermined set of plural available data delivery mechanisms, wherein selecting the data delivery mechanism is based at least in part on one or more of:

a type of the received data;

information obtained from one or more network components of the private network; and

an estimation of resources required to set up a connection with the at least one of the one or more network devices, to forward the received data to the at least one of the one or more network devices, or both, said resources including one or more of;

an amount of signaling, an amount of data traffic, and an amount of time.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising selecting the data delivery mechanism from a predetermined set of plural available data delivery mechanisms, wherein selecting the data delivery mechanism is based at least in part on one or more of:

an evaluation of which of the available data delivery mechanisms are currently set up for use with the at least one of the one or more network devices;

an estimation of network congestion associated with at least one of the one or more data delivery mechanisms; and

monetized trade-off costs associated with forwarding the data over at least two of the one or more data delivery mechanisms.

19. A network system for forwarding data between network devices, the system comprising:

a. one or more network devices for operative connection with a private network;

at least one of the one or more network devices associated with a public network via a public network device identifier (PNDI), the public network device identifier including a public routing device address, a public first port number and a public second port number; and

b. a routing device for operative connection with the private network and a public network;

the routing device configured for operative association with the public network via the public routing device address;

the routing device configured to invoke a data delivery mechanism from a predetermined set of plural available data delivery mechanisms for use in forwarding the received data, and forward to the private network using the data delivery mechanism, for receipt by the at least one of the one or more network devices, each received data packet associated with the PNDI, wherein a destination network address corresponds with the public routing device address and a destination port number corresponds with the public first port number, wherein invoking said data delivery mechanism comprises;

determining, via a lookup operation based on the PNDI, further identifiers to which each of said at least one of the network devices are respectively responsive, and using the determined further identifiers to contact each of said at least one of the network devices, said contact configured to trigger activation of a respective data connection between the routing device and each of said at least one of the network devices, said data connection used as said data delivery mechanism, and wherein said data connection is reachable from the public network by transmitting packets to the public IP address of the routing device, said packets specifying the public first port number as a source port number and the public second port number as a destination port number.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein a source port number corresponds with the public second port number.