Communication protocol preferences

• US 9,226,131 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Shah, Mehul Jayant
• Primary Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US14/028,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/252, 370/278, 370/466, 370/331, 370/347, 709/220, 709/238, 455/419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

Systems and methods for the management of communications related to telecommunications-based devices are provided. Telecommunications-based devices initiate requests to gateway computing devices corresponding to a radio communication network to establish data communications. The gateway computing device accepts the communication request and specifies an ordered preference of one or more communication protocols that will be used telecommunications-based devices accessing the wireless communication network. The telecommunications-based device processes the acceptance and selects a communication protocol from the ordered preference provided by the gateway computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing communication in a radio network, comprising:

obtaining, at a gateway computing device, a request to establish data communications with a mobile device over the radio network, wherein the request is transmitted from the mobile device to the gateway computing device via the radio network, wherein the request identifies an addressing protocol specification for the data communications over the radio network, and wherein the gateway computing device and the mobile device correspond to different physical computing devices interconnected via the radio network;

in response to the communication request, dynamically determining, at the gateway computing device, addressing protocol preferences for data communications with the mobile device, the addressing protocol preferences specified in at least one of an Internet Protocol version four addressing protocol and an Internet Protocol version six addressing protocol; and

transmitting, from the gateway computing device to the mobile device, an acceptance of the communication request, independent of the requested addressing protocol specification, to form a data communication channel, the acceptance of the response including the addressing protocol preferences, wherein the mobile device initiates communication via the formed data communication channel in accordance with the addressing protocol preferences.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication request includes identification information corresponding to at least one of the mobile device and a user of the mobile device.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining addressing protocol preferences includes:

maintaining a table defining various addressing protocol preferences mapped to one or more mobile device attributes;

determining at least one mobile device attribute associated with the communication request; and

selecting addressing protocol preferences from the table based on the at least one mobile device attribute.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 3, wherein the one or more mobile device attributes includes mobile device type information, mobile device roaming status, mobile device roaming plan, supported operating system, software application information or use description.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein transmitting the acceptance of the response to the communication request includes transmitting addressing protocol preferences including at least two addressing protocols.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the addressing protocol preferences include at least one primary addressing protocol and at least one secondary addressing protocol.

7. A computer-implemented method for managing communication in a communication network, comprising:

transmitting a request to establish communications via the communication network, wherein communications via the communication network can utilize two or more available communication protocols and wherein the request to establish communications does not include a specification of a communication protocol from the two or more available communication protocols;

obtaining an acceptance of the request to establish data communication, the acceptance of the communication request including an ordered preference of at least one communication protocol selected by a receiving gateway computing device, the at least one communication protocol dynamically specified in the two or more available communication protocols and wherein the acceptance is independent of an addressing protocol specification;

processing the ordered preference of the at least one communication protocol to select a communication protocol; and

causing communications via the communication network in accordance with the selected communication protocol.

causing communications via the communication network in accordance with the selected second communication protocol.

8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 7, wherein transmitting the request to establish communications includes transmitting one or more device attributes utilized, at least in part, to select the ordered preference of at least one communication protocol.

9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 7, wherein the communication network corresponds to a visited network and wherein transmitting the request to establish communications includes transmitting the request to establish communication to the visited network.

10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 7, wherein the ordered preference includes the specification of at least two communication protocols.

11. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10, wherein the ordered preference includes a designation of a primary communication protocol and a designation of a secondary communication protocol.

12. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 7, wherein processing the ordered preference of the at least one communication protocol to select a communication protocol includes if a single communication protocol is specified in the ordered preference, selecting the single specified single communication protocol.

13. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein processing the ordered preference of the at least one communication protocol to select a communication protocol includes if two or more communication protocols are specified in the ordered preference, selecting a first communication protocol specified in the ordered preference;

and causing communications via the communication network in accordance with the selected first communication protocol.

14. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein processing the ordered preference of the at least one communication protocol to select a communication protocol includes if two or more communication protocols are specified in the ordered preference, selecting a second communication protocol specified in the ordered preference if communication is not achieved via the first communication protocol specified in the ordered preference;

and

causing communications via the communication network in accordance with the selected second communication protocol.

15. A computer-implemented method for managing communications via a communications network, comprising:

obtaining, at a gateway computing device, a request to establish communications with a mobile device over the communications network, wherein the request is transmitted from the mobile device to the gateway computing device via the communications network, wherein the request excludes a specification of a communication protocol utilized in communications over the communication network, and wherein the gateway computing device and the mobile device correspond to different physical computing devices interconnected via the communications network;

determining, by the gateway computing device, an ordered preference of addressing protocols specified in at least two applicable addressing protocols, wherein determining the ordered preference of addressing protocols include determining the ordered preference based, at least in part, on attributes associated with the request; and

transmitting, by the gateway computing device, a confirmation of the communication request, the confirmation including the ordered preference of addressing protocols.

16. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein the request to establish communications via the communication network includes identification information corresponding to at least one of a mobile device or a user of the mobile device.

17. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein determining the preference of addressing protocols includes:

maintaining a table defining various addressing protocol preferences mapped to one or more mobile device attributes;

determining at least one mobile device attribute associated with the communication request, wherein the mobile device attributes are selected from mobile device type information, mobile device roaming status, mobile device roaming plan, supported operating system, software application information, or use description; and

selecting the ordered preference of communication protocols from the table based on the at least one mobile device attribute.

18. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein determining the preference of communication protocols includes:

determining at least one mobile device attribute associated with the communication request; and

dynamically selecting the ordered preference of communication protocols from a table based on the at least one mobile device attribute, wherein the table defines various addressing protocol preferences mapped to one or more mobile device attributes.

19. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein transmitting the confirmation of the communication request includes transmitting an ordered preference of communication protocols including the specification of two or more communication protocols.

20. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 19, wherein the specification of the two or more protocols includes the specification of at least one primary and at least one secondary communication protocol.