Proxy-based establishment of a communication session

• US 9,066,321 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NexGen Communications LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Exelis Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kikta, Robert J., Gumas, Charles C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajibade Akonai, Olumide T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/448,912
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/435.1, 455/13.1, 455/430, 455/7, 455/3.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A technique for proxy-based establishment of a communication session between a communication terminal and a network node device. In one example technique, a rapid-access message is received at a proxy device located in proximity to a network node device. The rapid-access message is received from a communication terminal. In response to the rapid-access message, the proxy device exchanges a plurality of messages with the network node device to perform a plurality of session establishing phases such that the proxy device establishes the communication session with the network node device on behalf of the communication terminal. The proxy device then transmits at least one confirmation message to the communication terminal to notify the communication terminal of the establishment of the communication session between the communication terminal and the network node device.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a communication session in a satellite communication system, comprising:

receiving, at a terrestrial proxy device located in proximity to a terrestrial network node device via a satellite, a rapid-access message from a terrestrial communication terminal that includes information enabling the proxy device to function on behalf of the communication terminal to establish the communication session between the communication terminal and the network node device, wherein the information in the rapid-access message comprises an indication of characteristics of the communication terminal and an indication of connection destination;

in response to receiving the rapid-access message at the proxy device, exchanging a plurality of messages that do not pass through the satellite with the network node device to perform a plurality of session establishing phases using the information in the rapid-access message such that the proxy device establishes the communication session with the network node device on behalf of the communication terminal; and

transmitting at least one confirmation message from the proxy device to the communication terminal via the satellite to notify the communication terminal of the establishment of the communication session between the communication terminal and the network node device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging a plurality of messages with the network node device comprises:

transmitting a home gateway access message from the proxy device to the gateway; and

receiving an access decision message from the gateway at the proxy device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging a plurality of messages with the network node device comprises:

transmitting a call control setup request message from the proxy device to the gateway;

receiving an authentication request message from the gateway at the proxy device;

transmitting an authentication response message to the from the proxy device to the gateway; and

receiving a call control setup accept message from the gateway at the proxy device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information enabling the proxy device to function on behalf of the communication terminal to establish the communication session comprises:

receiving one or more pointers to information stored in a database on the proxy device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the rapid-access message comprising information enabling the proxy device to function on behalf of the communication terminal to establish the communication session comprises:

receiving, in the rapid-access message, authentication information for authenticating the communication terminal and/or a user of the communication terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the rapid-access message comprising information enabling the proxy device to function on behalf of the communication terminal to establish the communication session comprises:

receiving, in the rapid-access message, an indication of the type of service requested by the communication terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the rapid-access message comprising information enabling the proxy device to function on behalf of the communication terminal to establish the communication session comprises:

receiving an indication of dialed digits in the rapid-access message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the rapid-access message comprising information enabling the proxy device to function on behalf of the communication terminal to establish the communication session comprises:

receiving a message that hides the over-the-air (OTA) identity of the communication terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network node device is a terrestrial gateway.

10. A non-transitory processor readable medium in a terrestrial proxy device located in proximity to a terrestrial network node device, the processor readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, via a satellite, a rapid-access message from a terrestrial communication terminal comprising information enabling the proxy device to function on behalf of the communication terminal to establish a communication session between the communication terminal and the network node device, wherein the information in the rapid-access message comprises an indication of characteristics of the communication terminal and an indication of connection destination;

in response to receiving the rapid-access message, exchange a plurality of messages that do not pass through the satellite with the network node device to perform a plurality of session establishing phases using the information in the rapid-access message such that the proxy device establishes a communication session with the network node device on behalf of the communication terminal; and

transmit at least one confirmation message to the communication terminal via the satellite to notify the communication terminal of the establishment of the communication session between the communication terminal and the network node device.

11. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the rapid-access message comprises one or more pointers, and further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:

obtain, based on the one or more pointers in the rapid-access message, information stored in a database on the proxy device.

12. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions to exchange a plurality of messages with the network node device further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

transmit a home gateway access message from the proxy device to the gateway; and

receive an access decision message from the gateway at the proxy device.

13. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions to exchange a plurality of messages with the network node device further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

transmit a call control setup request message from the proxy device to the gateway;

receive an authentication request message from the gateway at the proxy device;

transmit an authentication response message from the proxy device to the gateway; and

receive a call control setup accept message from the gateway at the proxy device.

14. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions to receive the rapid-access message comprises instructions that cause the processor to:

receive, in the rapid-access message, authentication information for authenticating the communication terminal and/or a user of the communication terminal.

15. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions to receive the rapid-access message comprises instructions that cause the processor to:

receive, in the rapid-access message, an indication of the type of service requested by the communication terminal.

16. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions to receive the rapid-access message comprises instructions that cause the processor to:

receive, in the rapid-access message, an indication of dialed digits.

17. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions to receive the rapid-access message comprises instructions that cause the processor to:

receive a message that hides the over-the-air (OTA) identity of the communication terminal.

18. A terrestrial proxy device located in proximity to a terrestrial network node device, comprising:

a network interface configured to receive a rapid-access message transmitted via a satellite by a communication terminal that includes information enabling the proxy device to function on behalf of the communication terminal to establish the communication session between the communication terminal and the network node device, wherein the information in the rapid-access message comprises an indication of characteristics of the communication terminal and an indication of connection destination; and

a processor configured to;

exchange, in response to receiving the rapid-access message, a plurality of messages that do not pass through the satellite with the network node device to perform a plurality of session establishing phases using the information in the rapid-access message such that the proxy device establishes the communication session with the network node device on behalf of the communication terminal, and

transmit at least one confirmation message from the proxy device to the communication terminal via the satellite to notify the communication terminal of the establishment of the communication session between the communication terminal and the network node device.

19. The proxy device of claim 18, wherein the rapid-access message comprises one or more pointers, and wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain, based on the one or more pointers in the rapid-access message, information stored in a database on the proxy device.

20. The proxy device of claim 18, wherein to exchange a plurality of messages with the network node device, the processor is configured to:

transmit a home gateway access message from the proxy device to the gateway; and

receive an access decision message from the gateway at the proxy device.

21. The proxy device of claim 18, wherein to exchange a plurality of messages with the network node device, the processor is configured to:

transmit a call control setup request message from the proxy device to the gateway;

receive an authentication request message from the gateway at the proxy device;

transmit an authentication response message to the from the proxy device to the gateway; and

receive a call control setup accept message from the gateway at the proxy device.

22. The proxy device of claim 18, wherein the rapid-access message comprises authentication information for authenticating the communication terminal and/or a user of the communication terminal.

23. The proxy device of claim 18, wherein the rapid-access message comprises an indication of the type of service requested by the communication terminal.

24. The proxy device of claim 18, wherein the rapid-access message comprises an indication of dialed digits.

25. The proxy device of claim 18, wherein the network interface is configured to receive the rapid-access message that is configured to hide the over-the-air (OTA) identity of the communication terminal.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the network node device is a terrestrial gateway.