Platform for interoperability

• US 20080263137A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flash Networks, Ltd. (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: 724 Solutions Software Incorporated (724 Solutions)
• Inventors: Smith Luna, Michael Edward, Pattison, Ian McLean, Doch, Hanni, Zink, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

Systems and methods for interoperability are disclosed which allow for a user of one network to communicate seamlessly with a user of another network. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a network bridge is provided. The network bridge may comprise a number of gateways and adapters for handling multiple protocols. In one embodiment an application bridge comprising an application server may be used to service communications while a billing bridge may be provided to control and charge network subscribers. Users are provided seamless access to data services in different networks without having to subscribe to those networks.

Claims

1. A method for interoperability, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a first communication from a user of a first network which communicates according to a first communication protocol;

normalizing the first communication;

generating a second communication for a user of a second network that communicates according to a second communication protocol, wherein generation of the second communication is based on the first communication; and

sending the second communication to the second network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying one or more services to the first communication independent of protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more services comprises a billing policy, virus checking, or content filtering.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein either the first network or second network comprises an IMS network, a Wi-Fi network, an MMS network, an SMS network, a SIP network, an XMPP network, or an IMPS network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the normalized first message is the basis for generating the second communication.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the normalized first message is adapted to generate the second communication.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the act of transcoding the normalized first communication to generate the second communication.

8. A method for providing interoperability between networks, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a first communication from a first network which communicates according to a first protocol;

normalizing the first communication;

routing the normalized first communication to an application server comprising

an application layer having application logic for generating an appropriate second communication, and

a component layer having services with selected functionality and accessible to the application layer,

wherein the application server is configured to generate the second communication for a second network which communicates according to a second protocol based on the normalized first communication;

receiving the second communication from the application server; and

sending the second communication to a second network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first communication comprises a push-to-talk service, an instant messaging service, an MMS message, or an SMS message.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of generating an appropriate second communication comprises sending a response to the first network or sending multiple requests to the second network.

11. A system for interoperability between a first network communicating according to a first protocol and a second network communicating according to a second protocol, the system comprising:

an adapter configured to normalize a first communication received from the first network into a network-independent format; and

an application bridge comprising;

an application layer comprising logic for determining

a second communication valid for the second network; and

a component layer comprising a plurality of components accessible to the application layer;

wherein the application bridge is configured to inspect the normalized first communication and to generate a second communication adapted for the second network using one or more components based on the normalized first communication.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the application bridge comprises a transport layer configured to receive messages from the first network and operable to send the second communication to the second network.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a network bridge configured to receive the first communication from the first network and operable to send the second communication to the second network, the network bridge comprising:

an adapter configured to receive the first communication from the first network and normalize the first communication;

a router configured for receiving the normalized first communication from the adapter, and forwarding the second communication to the second network, wherein the network bridge is operable to apply one or more services to the normalized first communication.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the network bridge is operable to store the first communication received from the adapters in a queue and further operable to store the normalized first communications for the application layer in a queue.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more services comprises a billing policy, virus checking, content filtering, or delivering premium services.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the application layer logic is operable to convert the first communication from email format to MMS format.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the application layer logic is operable to convert the first communication from MMS format to email format.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the application layer logic is operable to upload and download images, deliver PoC messages, compose an album, view an album, deliver MMS with audio content, or deliver audio content over established voice calls.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the network bridge further comprises a plurality of protocol gateways, each configured to route the second communication to an appropriate server in the legacy network.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a billing bridge communicably coupled to the network bridge, wherein the billing bridge is configured to control access to content and services.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the billing bridge comprises a workflow application configured to generate one or more actions to determine a billing policy.

22. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions operable for causing the computer to execute the following:

receive a first communication from a first network which communicates according to a first communication protocol;

normalize the first communication;

generate a second communication for a second network that communicates according to a second communication protocol based on the normalized first communication; and

send the second communication to the second network.

23. The instructions of claim 22, further comprising

selecting a channel of communication;

and

selecting an identity, from a plurality of identities, of a recipient subscriber of the second network.