Short message service encapsulation of supplementary service requests for IMS

• US 20060258394A1
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sand, Donna M., Dhillon, Harry S., Gayde, Ruth S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

An apparatus in one example has: at least a first network of a first predetermined type and at least a second network of a predetermined type; at least one mobile terminal movable between the first and second networks; at least one gateway operatively coupled to each of the first and second networks; and at least one message that communicates via the gateway at least feature data of the mobile terminal from one of the first and second networks to the other of the first and second networks.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least a first network of a first predetermined type and at least a second network of a predetermined type;

at least one mobile terminal movable between the first and second networks;

at least one gateway operatively coupled to each of the first and second networks; and

at least one message that communicates via the gateway at least feature data of the mobile terminal from one of the first and second networks to the other of the first and second networks.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second networks in an IMS network, wherein the IMS network has a feature server, and wherein the mobile terminal and the feature application server use a predetermined format for supplementary service encoding.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mobile terminal is one of a cellular phone and an IMS-capable device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is part of a user equipment configuration having a plurality of distinct user equipment types, and wherein at least one of the distinct user equipment types is one of IMS-compatible or have a mode of operation that is IMS-compatible.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first network is a cellular-based network, and wherein the second network is an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) network.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the gateway is part of the IMS network.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal has a message module that originates a Short Message Service (SMS) message and wherein the gateway has an interface module that forwards the SMS message.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first network is a cellular-based network that has a mobile switching center, and wherein the second network is an IMS network that has a feature application server and an SMS translation module, and wherein the mobile terminal and the feature application server uses a predetermined format for supplementary service encoding.

10. A method, comprising the steps of:

capturing supplementary service requests that are made while a mobile terminal is in one of a cellular-based network and an IMS network; and

communicating the supplementary service request between the cellular-based network and the IMS network such that each of the cellular-based network and the IMS network have current features associated with the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is within a respective coverage area of the cellular-based network and the IMS network.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, when the mobile terminal is in the cellular-based network, the mobile terminal encapsulates the supplementary service request into a mobile-originated SMS message having a predetermined format with a destination number of a feature application server in the IMS network.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the feature application server in the IMS network unpacks the SMS message and updates its subscriber data with new supplementary service information, and wherein the mobile terminal and the feature application server use a predetermined format for supplementary service encoding.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the mobile terminal is a cellular phone.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the mobile terminal is an IMS-capable device.

15. A method, comprising the steps of:

initiating, by a mobile terminal, updating of a supplementary service in a cellular network;

sending the update from the mobile terminal to a mobile switching center;

sending the update from the mobile switching center to a home location register;

updating subscriber feature data by the home location register;

encapsulating a supplementary service request into a mobile-originated SMS message, and sending the mobile-originated SMS message from the mobile terminal to the mobile switching center, the SMS message having a destination number;

sending the SMS message from the mobile switching center to a short message service center;

forwarding the SMS message from the short message service center to the destination address that was specified by the mobile terminal, the destination address being associated with a SMS translator in the IMS network;

forwarding the translated message from the SMS translation device to the destination number, which is associated with a feature application server in the IMS network; and

unpacking the message by the feature application server and updating subscriber data for the mobile terminal with new supplementary service information contained in the message.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

the mobile terminal and the feature application server using a predetermined format for supplementary service encoding.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the destination address is an address of a feature application server in the IMS network, and wherein the message includes a “

from”

address, which is a directory number of the mobile terminal.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the mobile terminal is a cellular phone.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the mobile terminal is an IMS-capable device.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the IMS network has only one feature application server for all subscribers.

21. The method according to claim 15 wherein the IMS network has multiple feature application servers, and wherein a respective feature application server address is derived via one of a local database lookup for a respective subscriber or an HSS (home subscriber server) query for the respective subscriber.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the feature application server updates an HSS with information about the respective subscriber'"'"'s feature update.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the feature application server logs information about the respective subscriber'"'"'s feature update into a feature server/subscriber database in the IMS network.

24. A method, comprising the steps of:

initiating, by a mobile terminal, activating a service while the mobile terminal is in an IMS network;

sending an activation request from the mobile terminal to the IMS network;

forwarding the activation request from the IMS network to an IMS application server;

sending back a success indicator from the application server to the IMS network;

sending back the success indicator from the IMS network to the mobile terminal;

sending an encapsulated SMS message from the application server to a SMS/IMS gateway, associated with the mobile terminal, to indicate activation;

forwarding the message from the gateway to an SMSC (short message service center);

querying an HLR associated with the mobile terminal to obtain a current serving mobile switching center for the mobile terminal;

replying, by the HLR, that the mobile terminal is not currently registered in any mobile switching center so that the message is queued at the SMSC;

the mobile terminal leaving the IMS network, and the mobile terminal registering in a cellular network with the mobile switching center;

sending a registration request from the mobile switching center to the HLR;

determining, by the HLR, that there is a message pending flag for the mobile terminal, and notifying, when the mobile terminal moves to cellular network, the SMSC that the mobile terminal is now registered, with an address of the MSC;

sending, by the SMSC, a message to the MSC containing a message for the mobile terminal;

forwarding the message from the MSC to the mobile terminal;

identifying, by client software in the mobile terminal, the message “

from”

address as being from the IMS application server, and determining that the message is a special message destined for the client software in the mobile terminal;

sending, by the client software, a follow-up activation to the cellular MSC;

forwarding the activation request from the cellular MSC to an HLR.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

the mobile terminal and the feature application server using a predetermined format for supplementary service encoding.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the mobile terminal is a cellular phone.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the mobile terminal is an IMS-capable device.