Intelligent signaling scheme for computer-readable medium for H.323 mobility architecture

• US 6,732,177 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roy, Radhika R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/642,298
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/230, 709/238, 370/331, 370/338
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

The present invention provides an intelligent signaling scheme for a computer-readable medium for an H.323-based mobility architecture for real-time mobile multimedia communications and conferencing over packet-based networks. The steps for the scheme include: (1) upon becoming mobile and initiating an H.323 communication that includes at least one of: audio, video and data, by the Mobile Entity, with respect to notification, one of providing, by at least one of a plurality of available H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers, notification of H.323 mobility services availability by periodically broadcasting, multicasting or unicasting a Mobility Gatekeeper Advertisement with a multicast/unicast address; and where the Mobile Entity lacks notification of H.323 mobility services availability, broadcasting, multicasting, unicasting or sending, by the Mobile Entity, a message to the Home Gatekeeper or Home Location Database, which notifies H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers in a preselected area local to the Mobile Entity that the Mobile Entity needs H.323 mobility services and notifying, by the H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers, the Mobile Entity of available H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers; (2) registering, by the Mobile Entity, with a H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeeper of the available H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers that support H.323 mobility services in a Location Area, Cell or Zone of the Mobile Entity; and (3) providing, for the Mobile Terminal, Node or Entity by the H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeeper with which the Mobile Entity is registered, support for the H.323 communication that includes at least one of: audio, video and data.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable steps for implementing, by a Mobile Terminal \/Node/Entity, an H.323-based mobility protocol for real-time mobile multimedia communications and conferencing over packet-based networks wherein a plurality of H.323 mobility gatekeepers provide notification of H.323 mobility services availability by periodically broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting a Mobility Gatekeeper Advertisement with a multicast address, comprising the computer-executable steps of:

where the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity becomes mobile and initiates an H.323 communication that includes at least one of;

audio, video and data, by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity, with respect to notification, one of;

providing, by at least one of a plurality of available H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers, notification of H.323 mobility services availability by periodically broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting a Mobility Gatekeeper Advertisement with a multicast/unicast address; and

where the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity lacks notification of H.323 mobility services availability, broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity, a message to the Home Gatekeeper/Home Location Database, which notifies H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers in a preselected area local to the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity that the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity needs H.323 mobility services and notifying, by the H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers, the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity of available H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers;

registering, by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity, with a H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeeper of the available H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeepers that support H.323 mobility services in a Location Area/Cell/Zone of the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity; and

providing, for the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity by the H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeeper with which the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity is registered, support for the H.323 communication that includes at least one of;

audio, video and data.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein registering with the H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeeper includes sending registration information for the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity using a Base Station to Base Station Controller to Mobile Switching Center to H.323 Home/Foreign Gatekeeper system.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein Databasing with the at least one H.323 Home/Foreign Mobility Gatekeeper includes sending registration information for the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity using a wireless/wire-line Local Area Network to Router/Switch to H.323 Home/Foreign Gatekeeper system.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein registering includes the steps of:

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Home Gatekeeper, a Mobility Gatekeeper Advertisement (MGA) message periodically;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending a registration request message (RRQ) to the Home Gatekeeper by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity; and

sending, by the Home Gatekeeper, a registration confirmation/registration rejection (RCF/RRJ) to the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein registering includes the steps of:

upon determining, by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity, that a network point of attachment has changed/a foreign zone has been entered,

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity, a registration request message (RRQ) to a Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, a binding update message (BuRQ) to the Home Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/sending, by the Home Gatekeeper, a binding update confirmation/rejection (BuCF/BuRJ) to the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, the binding update confirmation/rejection to the Mobile Termninal/Node/Entity.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein, where the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity has already visited another foreign zone regulated by a Visited Gatekeeper, registering includes:

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Home Gatekeeper, a mobility unbinding message (UbRQ) to the Visited Gatekeeper; and

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Visited Gatekeeper, a mobility unbinding confirmation/rejection (UbCF/UbRJ) to the Home Gatekeeper.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein, where the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity has already visited another foreign zone regulated by a Visited Gatekeeper, registering includes:

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity, a registration request message (RRQ) to a Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, a mobility unbinding update message (UbRQ) to the Visited Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Visited Gatekeeper, a mobility unbinding confirmation/rejection (UbCF/UbRJ) to the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, a provisional registration confirmation to the Mobile Terminal/Node/Terminal and broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, a binding update message (BuRQ) to the Home Gatekeeper; and

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Home Gatekeeper, a binding update confirmation/rejection (BuCF/BuRJ) to the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein, where the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity has already visited another foreign zone regulated by a Visited Gatekeeper, registering includes:

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity, a registration request message (RRQ) to a Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Visited Gatekeeper, a mobility unbinding confirmation/rejection (UbCF/UbRJ) to the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, a provisional registration confirmation to the Mobile Terminal/Node/Terminal and broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, a binding update message (BuRQ) to the Home Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Home Gatekeeper, a binding update confirmation/rejection (BuCF/BuRJ) to the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Home Gatekeeper, a mobility unbinding update message (UbRQ) to the Visited Gatekeeper; and

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Visited Gatekeeper, a mobility unbinding confirmation/rejection (UbCF/UbRJ) to the Home Gatekeeper.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one Home/Foreign Gatekeeper utilizes a combined Home/Visitor Location Database.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein a plurality of Home/Foreign Gatekeepers each utilize an individual Visitor Location Database and share a Home Location Database.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein, where the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity is originally located in a First Administrative Domain and is moving in a Second Administrative Domain, Databasing includes:

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending a registration request message (RRQ), by the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity to the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, a mobility unbinding (UbRQ) message to a Visited Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Visited Gatekeeper, an unbinding confirmation/rejection (UbCF/UbRJ) to the Visiting/Foreign Gatekeeper;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Visiting Gatekeeper, a provisional registration message to the Mobile Terminal/Node/Entity;

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Foreign/Visiting Gatekeeper, a mobility binding message (BuRQ) to a Border Element of the Second Administrative Domain, which forwards the message to a Border Element of the First Administrative Domain which then forwards the message to the Home Gatekeeper; and

broadcasting/multicasting/unicasting/sending, by the Home Gatekeeper, a mobility binding confirmation/rejection (BuCF/BuRJ) message to the Border Element of the First Administrative Domain, which forwards the message to the Border Element of the Second Administrative Domain, which forwards the message to the Visiting Gatekeeper.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein communication utilizes an Internet Protocol.