METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING PUSH COMMUNICATION ACROSS A NETWORK BOUNDARY

• US 20100124191A1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semtech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Vos, Gustav Gerald, Gielty, Steven Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2557 Translation policies or rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for facilitating push communication from a first network to a target device of a second network, the second network comprising a packet service network such as a GPRS core network. A private IP address, usable for addressing the target device when the packet service network is in an activated state with respect thereto, is retained. Upon receipt of a first message from the first network, indicative of a push communication for the target device, the packet service network is disposed into the activated state, and a second message, addressed to the private IP address, is transmitted. The second message may be generated by a NAT configured to implement micro-port forwarding. The second message may be generated by a representative device of the second network, configured to receive the first message via a NAT in response to a query generated by the representative device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating push communication from a first network to a target device associated with a second network, the second network comprising a packet service network, the method comprising the steps of:

a) retaining a private address for the target device, the private address usable for facilitating communication with the target device from within the second network when the packet service network is disposed in an activated state with respect to the target device; and

upon receipt of a first message from the first network;

i. determining if the first message is indicative of a push communication from the first network to the target device; and

ii. if the first message is determined to be indicative of the push communication from the first network to the target device;

initiating an activation operation associated with the packet service network, the activation operation configured to dispose the packet service network into the activated state with respect to the target device;

creating, based on the first message, a second message indicative of the push communication to the target device, the second message addressed to the private address; and

transmitting the second message from within the second network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the packet service network is a GPRS core network, and wherein the activation operation comprises a PDP context activation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network is a public network and the second network is a private network operatively coupled to the public network via a NAT.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the private address is retained in accordance with a DHCP lease, the DHCP lease configured to persist when the packet service network is disposed in an unactivated state with respect to the target device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the target device is configured to renew the DHCP lease before expiry thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

a) retaining a list of one or more data forwarding rules (DFRs), each DFR having a first portion indicative of at least;

a source address, a source port number and a destination port number, the source address, source port number and destination port number associated with the first network, each DFR having a second portion indicative of at least a destination address associated with the second network, the second portion of each DFR being associated with the first portion of the same DFR;

wherein determining if the first message is indicative of push communication from the first network to the target device comprises determining if a first source address, a first source port number and a first destination port number, each associated with the first message, collectively correspond to the first portion of a DFR in the list of one or more DFRs, the second portion of said DFR indicative of the private address.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first message comprises one or more first data packets, the second message comprises one or more second data packets, and creating the second message comprises transforming the one or more first data packets into the one or more second data packets, each of the one or more second data packets comprising a destination address corresponding to the private address.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein transforming the one or more first data packets into the one or more second data packets comprises transforming packet identifiers of the one or more first data packets into packet identifiers determined in accordance with the DFR.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the list of DFRs is configured to facilitate passing incoming communication from the first network to the second network only if said incoming communication is in response to a corresponding outgoing communication from the second network to the first network.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network and the second network are communicatively coupled via a boundary device, the method further comprising the step of:

a) transmitting a query message to a first device via the boundary device, the first device associated with the first network, the first device configured to;

i. retain a list indicative of one or more devices associated with the second network for which push communication is pending; and

ii. transmit the first message in response to the query message transmitted thereto, the first message comprising an indication of one or more devices associated with the second network for which push communication is pending;

b) receive the first message via the boundary device;

wherein determining if the first message is indicative of a push communication from the first network to the target device comprises determining if said indication of one or more devices is indicative of the target device; and

wherein the second message comprises a notification of pending push communication for the target device, the target device configured to contact the first device to retrieve pending push communication therefrom in response to receipt of said notification.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first message comprises one or more first data packets, wherein said indication of one or more devices associated with the second network for which push communication is pending resides in one or more payloads of said one or more first data packets.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said indication of one or more devices associated with the second network for which push communication is pending comprises one or more indications of private addresses associated with one or more devices for which push communication is pending.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein creating the second message comprises creating one or more second data packets addressed to the private address, the one or more second data packets configured to initiate a predetermined push message retrieval routine at the target device, the one or more second data packets indicative of an address of the first device.

14. An apparatus for facilitating push communication from a first network to a target device associated with a second network, the second network comprising a packet service network, the apparatus comprising:

a) one or more memory modules configured to retain a private address for the target device, the private address usable for facilitating communication with the target device from within the second network when the packet service network is disposed in an activated state with respect to the target device; and

b) an interface module operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more memory modules, the interface module comprising one or more network interfaces configured to communicatively couple the interface module to one or more of the first network and the second network, and a processing module operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more network interfaces, the interface module configured to;

i. receive, using one of the one or more network interfaces, a first message from the first network;

ii. determine, using the processing module, if the first message is indicative of a push communication from the first network to the target device; and

iii. if the first message is determined to be indicative of the push communication from the first network to the target device;

initiate, using one of the one or more network interfaces, an activation operation associated with the packet service network, the activation operation configured to dispose the packet service network into the activated state with respect to the target device;

create, using the processing module, a second message based on the first message, the second message indicative of the push communication to the target device, the second message addressed to the private address; and

transmit the second message using one of the one or more network interfaces.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the packet service network is a GPRS core network, and wherein the activation operation comprises a PDP context activation.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first network is a public network and the second network is a private network operatively coupled to the public network via a NAT.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, the apparatus further comprising a DHCP server associated with at least one of the one or more memory modules, wherein the private address is retained in accordance with a DHCP lease issued by the DHCP server, the DHCP lease configured to persist when the packet service network is disposed in an unactivated state with respect to the target device.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the target device is configured to renew the DHCP lease before expiry thereof.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more memory modules is configured to retain a list of one or more data forwarding rules (DFRs), each DFR having a first portion indicative of at least:

a source address, a source port number and a destination port number, the source address, source port number and destination port number associated with the first network, each DFR having a second portion indicative of at least a destination address associated with the second network, the second portion of each DFR being associated with the first portion of the same DFR;

wherein the processing module is configured to determine if the first message is indicative of the push communication from the first network to the target device at least in part by determining if a first source address, a first source port number and a first destination port number, each associated with the first message, collectively correspond to the first portion of a DFR in the list of one or more DFRs, the second portion of said DFR indicative of the private address.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first message comprises one or more first data packets, the second message comprises one or more second data packets, and the processing module is configured to create the second message at least in part by transforming the one or more first data packets into the one or more second data packets, each of the one or more second data packets comprising a destination address corresponding to the private address.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processing module is configured to transform the one or more first data packets into the one or more second data packets at least in part by transforming packet identifiers of the one or more first data packets into packet identifiers determined in accordance with the DFR.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the list of DFRs is configured to facilitate passing incoming communication from the first network to the second network only if said incoming communication is in response to a corresponding outgoing communication from the second network to the first network.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus is configured at least in part as a NAT, the apparatus comprising a first network interface operatively coupled to the first network and a second network interface operatively coupled to the second network.

24. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first network and the second network are communicatively coupled via a boundary device, the apparatus further configured to:

a) transmit, using one of the one or more network interfaces, a query message to a first device, the first device associated with the first network, the query message transmitted via the boundary device, the first device configured to;

i. retain a list indicative of one or more devices associated with the second network for which push communication is pending; and

ii. transmit the first message in response to the query message transmitted thereto, the first message comprising an indication of one or more devices associated with the second network for which push communication is pending;

b) receive the first message via the boundary device;

wherein the processing module is configured to determine if the first message is indicative of the push communication from the first network to the target device at least in part by determining if said indication of one or more devices is indicative of the target device; and

wherein the second message comprises a notification of pending push communication for the target device, the target device configured to contact the first device to retrieve pending push communication therefrom in response to receipt of said notification.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the boundary device operates at least in part as a NAT operatively coupling the first network and the second network, the boundary device configured to facilitate passing incoming communication from the first network to the second network only if said incoming communication is in response to a corresponding outgoing communication from the second network to the first network.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the apparatus is a representative device, the apparatus having a first network interface operatively coupled to the second network, the apparatus operatively coupled to the first network via the first network interface and the boundary device.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the representative device is a mobile device.

28. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first message comprises one or more first data packets, wherein said indication of one or more devices associated with the second network for which push communication is pending resides in one or more payloads of said one or more first data packets.

29. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said indication of one or more devices associated with the second network for which push communication is pending comprises one or more indications of private addresses associated with one or more devices for which push communication is pending.

30. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the processing module is configured to create the second message at least in part by creating one or more second data packets addressed to the private address, the one or more second data packets configured to initiate a predetermined push message retrieval routine at the target device, the one or more second data packets indicative of an address of the first device.

31. A computer program product comprising a memory having embodied thereon statements and instructions for execution by a computer, thereby causing the computer to perform a method for facilitating push communication from a first network to a target device associated with a second network, the second network comprising a packet service network, the method comprising the steps of:

a) retaining a private address for the target device, the private address usable for facilitating communication with the target device from within the second network when the packet service network is disposed in an activated state with respect to the target device; and

b) upon receipt of a first message from the first network;

i. determining if the first message is indicative of a push communication from the first network to the target device; and

ii. if the first message is determined to be indicative of the push communication from the first network to the target device;

initiating an activation operation associated with the packet service network, the activation operation configured to dispose the packet service network into the activated state with respect to the target device;

creating, based on the first message, a second message indicative of the push communication to the target device, the second message addressed to the private address; and

transmitting the second message from within the second network.