System and method for accessing the internet in an internet protocol-based cellular network

• US 6,487,602 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1999
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Thakker, Kaushal
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/375,611
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230, 709/246, 709/249, 370/466, 370/469, 455/412, 455/414, 455/466
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for transmitting and receiving short messages between a Mobile Station (MS) within an Internet Protocol (IP) based cellular network and a web site on the Internet. Each web site that the MS has access to contains an Application Program (AP). To retrieve the information, the MS within an IP-based cellular network originates a short message towards the AP associated with the web site using a pre-assigned E.164 number for the AP. When the short message reaches a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), an Application Manager (AM) within the MSC intercepts the short message and translates the E.164 number into an IP-address and port number for the AP. The AM extracts the data from the short-message, packs the data in an SMTP envelope and transmits it to the AP.

Claims

1. A mobile switching center within an Internet Protocol based cellular network for accessing a site within the Internet, comprising:

a database for storing an E.164 number associated with said site and an associated Internet Protocol address and port number; and

an application manager for intercepting a mobile originated short message from a mobile station in wireless communication with said mobile switching center, said short message being addressed to said E.164 number, said application manager further for accessing said database to translate said E.164 number into said Internet Protocol address and port number associated with said site, enclosing said short message into a Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) envelope and transmitting said SMTP envelope directly to said Internet Protocol address and port number associated with said site through the Internet.

2. The mobile switching center of claim 1, wherein said short message contains data, said application manager further for extracting said data and packing said data into said SMTP envelope.

3. The mobile switching center of claim 2, wherein said data is a request for information from said site.

4. The mobile switching center of claim 3, wherein said port number is for a specific application program associated with said site.

5. The mobile switching center of claim 4, wherein said application manager further receives an additional SMTP envelope containing said requested information, extracts said requested information and sends said requested information to said mobile station in a mobile terminated short message.

6. A telecommunications system for retrieving information from a web site on the Internet, comprising:

a mobile station within an Internet Protocol based cellular network for sending a mobile originated short message containing a request for information to an E.164 number associated with said web site;

a mobile switching center in wireless communication with said mobile station for intercepting said short message, translating said E.164 number into an Internet Protocol address and port number associated with said site, enclosing said short message into a first Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) envelope and transmitting said first SMTP envelope directly to said Internet Protocol address and port number associated with said site through the Internet; and

a server within the Internet having said web site associated therewith, said server for receiving said first SMTP envelope, retrieving said requested information from said web site and sending said requested information back to said mobile station within a second SMTP envelope via said mobile switching center.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein said server has an application program associated with said web site therein for receiving said first SMTP envelope, retrieving said requested information and transmitting said second SMTP envelope.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein said first SMTP envelope has a return address associated therewith, said second SMTP envelope being addressed to said return address.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 8, wherein said return address is a mobile station identity associated with said mobile station.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 9, wherein said mobile station identity includes a directory number associated with said mobile station and an Internet Protocol address associated with said mobile switching center serving said mobile station.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein said mobile switching center receives said second SMTP envelope, extracts said requested information and sends said requested information to said mobile station in a mobile terminated short message.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein said mobile switching center includes an application manager for translating said E.164 number into said associated Internet Protocol address and port number.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 12, further comprising:

a database for storing said E.164 number and said associated Internet Protocol address and port number, said application manager accessing said database to retrieve said Internet Protocol address and port number associated with said E.164 number.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein said database is located within said mobile switching center.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 6, further comprising:

an A-bis gateway within said Internet Protocol based cellular network for converting said mobile originated short message into Internet Protocol packets and delivering said Internet Protocol packets to said mobile switching center.

16. A method for accessing the Internet within an Internet Protocol based cellular network, comprising the steps of:

sending a mobile originated short message to an E.164 number associated with a web site on the Internet from a mobile station within said Internet Protocol based cellular network to a mobile switching center in wireless communication with said mobile station;

translating said E.164 number into an Internet Protocol address and port number associated with said site;

enclosing said short message into a first Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) envelope; and

transmitting said first SMTP envelope from said mobile switching center to said Internet Protocol address and port number associated with said web site through the Internet.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said short message contains a request for information from said site and said port number is for an application program associated with said site, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving at an application program associated with said web site on a server connected to the Internet said first SMTP envelope;

retrieving said requested information from said web site; and

transmitting said requested information back to said mobile station within a second SMTP envelope via said mobile switching center.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of transmitting said requested information further comprises the steps of:

extracting said requested information from said second SMTP envelope; and

sending said requested information to said mobile station from said mobile switching center in a mobile terminated short message.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said first SMTP envelope has a return address associated therewith, said step of transmitting said second SMTP envelope further comprising the step of:

addressing said second SMTP envelope to said return address.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said return address includes a directory number associated with said mobile station and an Internet Protocol address associated with said mobile switching center serving said mobile station, said step of transmitting said second SMTP envelope further comprising the step of:

transmitting said second SMTP envelope to said mobile switching center using said Internet Protocol address.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of translating said E.164 number further comprises the steps of:

accessing a database storing said E.164 number and said associated Internet Protocol address and said port number; and

retrieving said Internet Protocol address and said port number associated with said E.164 number from said database.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of sending said mobile originated short message further comprises the steps of:

receiving at an A-bis gateway in wireless communication with said mobile station said mobile originated short message;

converting said mobile originated short message into Internet Protocol packets; and

delivering said Internet Protocol packets to said mobile switching center.