System and method for addressing networked terminals via pseudonym translation

• US 20040215824A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Payrits, Szabolcs
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/385 Uniform resource identifier for session initiation protocol [SIP URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for performing terminal address translation, and more particularly for identifying addresses of mobile terminals in a mobile network in order to communicate messages with the mobile terminals. Messages are received from a service consumer at a pseudonymity proxy operable within the mobile network, where the message includes an information exchange message including a pseudonym locally identifying a target mobile terminal. The pseudonym is translated into an address of the target mobile terminal unknown to the service consumer. The information exchange message is forwarded from the pseudonymity proxy to the address of the target mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method for identifying addresses of mobile terminals in a mobile network in order to communicate messages with the mobile terminals, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a service consumer at a pseudonymity proxy operable within the mobile network, wherein the message includes an information exchange message including a pseudonym locally identifying a target mobile terminal;

translating the pseudonym into an address of the target mobile terminal unknown to the service consumer; and

forwarding the information exchange message from the pseudonymity proxy to the address of the target mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information exchange message comprises a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pseudonym is received in the SOAP message via a header of the SOAP message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the header comprises a header element including a SOAP attribute identifying a targeted recipient of information in the header.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the SOAP attribute comprises a SOAP actor or role global attribute identifying the targeted recipient of the header information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the SOAP attribute comprises a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) identifying the targeted recipient of the header information.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the header further comprises a first child element of the header element, the first child element comprising the pseudonym, and a pseudonym type in the form of a URI.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein translating the pseudonym into an address of the target mobile terminal comprises translating the pseudonym in a manner depending on the pseudonym type.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the URI identifies an XML element containing the pseudonym in a format corresponding to the pseudonym type.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising resolving the URI as a link to the XML element in accordance with an XPointer framework.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the header further comprises a first child element of the header element, the first child element comprising a pseudonym type in the form of a URI and a resolvable reference to the pseudonym.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the header further comprises an optional second child element of the header element, the second child element comprising the pseudonym data itself.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the pseudonym data comprises an encrypted MSISDN.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein translating the pseudonym into an address of the target mobile terminal comprises determining, via the pseudonymity proxy, whether the header includes a header element including a SOAP attribute identifying a targeted recipient of information in the header, and whether the header element includes a child element providing at least a pseudonym type and the pseudonym.

15. The method of claim 14, if the header element and child element are present, determining whether the pseudonym type is supported by the pseudonymity proxy, and if so, resolving the pseudonym type and the pseudonym as a URI pointing to an XML element.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising extracting the pseudonym from XML information pointed to by the URI, and resolving the pseudonym to the address of the target mobile terminal, via a pseudonym resolution module.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein forwarding the information exchange message from the pseudonymity proxy to the address of the target mobile terminal comprises forwarding the SOAP message without the header element to the target mobile terminal.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the pseudonym into an address of the target mobile terminal comprises:

resolving the pseudonym into an identifier unique to the terminal or terminal user; and

resolving the identifier into the address of the target mobile terminal, wherein the manner of resolving the identifier into the address of the target mobile terminal is dependent on an identifier type.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the identifier comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) address, and wherein:

(a) resolving the identifier into the address of the target mobile terminal comprises;

(i) retrieving the SIP address from a pseudonym resolution module;

(ii) initiating a SIP session to a SIP proxy for transmitting the information exchange message;

(iii) via the SIP proxy, performing a location lookup for the target mobile terminal and returning a network address of the target mobile terminal to the pseudonymity proxy; and

(b) forwarding the information exchange message comprises forwarding the information exchange message from the pseudonymity proxy to the network address of the target mobile terminal via a transport protocol message.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the transport protocol message comprises an HTTP message, and wherein the information exchange message comprises a SOAP message.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the transport protocol message comprises a SIP message used as the transport for the information exchange message, wherein the information exchange message comprises a SOAP message.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the identifier comprises a Mobile Station Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) identifier, and wherein resolving the identifier into an address of the target mobile terminal comprises retrieving an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the target mobile terminal from a subscriber identification resolution module serving as a Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) proxy in a mobile operator network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein no IP address is registered with the identifier, and further comprising utilizing a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) push to initiate a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context for General Packet Radio Access (GPRS) access.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the pseudonym into an address of the target mobile terminal comprises:

parsing the message by the pseudonymity proxy to obtain the pseudonym and a URI associated with an identifier provider;

forwarding the message by the pseudonymity proxy to the identifier provider addressed by the URI;

locating and transmitting the address of the target mobile terminal via the identifier provider based on the pseudonym; and

receiving the transmitted address of the target mobile terminal at the pseudonymity proxy.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the pseudonym into an address of the target mobile terminal comprises:

parsing the message by the pseudonymity proxy to obtain the pseudonym and a URI associated with an identifier provider; and

locating the address of the target mobile terminal at the pseudonymity proxy based on the pseudonym.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the pseudonym into an address of the target mobile terminal comprises decrypting an encrypted MSISDN serving as the pseudonym by a mobile network operator.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the pseudonym into an address of the target mobile terminal comprises communicating a request including the pseudonym to an identifier provider within the mobile network to provide a globally unique identifier of the target mobile terminal in response to the request.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a Web Service message including the information exchange message from a service consumer to the pseudonymity proxy via a transport protocol.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein sending the Web Service message from the service consumer to the pseudonymity proxy via a transport protocol comprises sending the message and the information exchange message from the service consumer to the pseudonymity proxy utilizing any one of HTTP, SMTP, BEEP, and SIP as the transport protocol.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein a Web Service message sent from the service consumer comprises a first transport message, and wherein the information exchange message forwarded by the pseudonymity proxy is embedded within a second transport message.

31. A Web Service Pseudonymity Proxy (WSPP) for resolving pseudonyms to network addresses capable of addressing terminals on a network, comprising:

a message input to receive at least one message from a service consumer, the message having a message header including at least a header entry providing at least a pseudonym type and a pseudonym corresponding to a local identifier of a target mobile terminal;

a processing system configured to effect a translation of the pseudonym into a network address of the target mobile terminal as directed by the pseudonym type; and

a message output to forward the message without the header entry to the target mobile terminal corresponding to the network address.

32. The WSPP as in claim 31, wherein the header entry comprises a child element of the first header entry, wherein the child element provides both the pseudonym and the pseudonym type.

33. The WSPP as in claim 32, wherein the pseudonym type comprises a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) specifying the manner in which the translation is to be effected.

34. The WSPP as in claim 31, wherein the header entry comprises at least two child elements, wherein a first of the at least two child elements provides the pseudonym type and a link to the pseudonym, and the second of the at least two child elements optionally provides pseudonym data itself if not otherwise present in other header entries.

35. The WSPP as in claim 31, wherein the message comprises a SOAP message encapsulated in a transport protocol message.

36. A system for resolving pseudonyms to network addresses capable of addressing terminals on a network, comprising:

a service consumer coupled to the network and having access to a plurality of pseudonyms corresponding to a plurality of terminals, wherein the service consumer includes a server processing system configured to create and dispatch at least one message having a message header including a header entry providing at least a pseudonym type and a pseudonym corresponding to a local identifier of a target terminal; and

a pseudonymity proxy coupled to the service consumer via the network to receive the messages identifying the pseudonymity proxy as the initial destination, wherein the pseudonymity proxy comprises a proxy processing system configured to effect a translation of the pseudonym into a network address of the target terminal according to the pseudonym type, and to forward the message without the header entry to the target terminal corresponding to the network address.

37. The system as in claim 36, wherein the header entry comprises a child element, wherein the child element provides both the pseudonym and the pseudonym type.

38. The system as in claim 37, wherein the pseudonym type comprises a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) specifying the manner in which the translation is to be effected.

39. The system as in claim 36, wherein the second header entry comprises at least a first child element and an optional second child element of the first header entry, wherein the first child element provides the pseudonym type and a link to the pseudonym, and the optional second child element optionally provides the pseudonym data if not present in other header entries.

40. The system as in claim 36, wherein the message comprises a SOAP message encapsulated in a transport protocol message.

41. The system as in claim 40, wherein the pseudonymity proxy serves as a SOAP intermediary in a message path of the SOAP message.

42. The system as in claim 36, wherein Web Services are provided from the service consumer to the target terminal addressed by the network address.

43. The system as in claim 36, wherein Web Services are provided by the target terminal addressed by the network address to the service consumer.

44. The system as in claim 36, wherein the target terminal comprises a mobile device operating via a wireless network.

45. The system as in claim 36, wherein the network comprises one or more of a landline network and a wireless network.

46. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a computer system for identifying globally unique identifiers of mobile terminals by performing steps comprising:

parsing a message received from a service consumer at a pseudonymity proxy operable within a mobile network, the message including an information exchange message including a pseudonym locally identifying a target mobile terminal;

translating the pseudonym to an address of the target mobile terminal unknown to the service consumer; and

forwarding the information exchange message from the pseudonymity proxy to the address of the target mobile terminal.