System and method for providing user mobility handling in a network telephony system

• US 7,110,393 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tripathi, Anoop, Ramakrishna, Sudhakar
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew C.
• Application Number:
  US09/795,587
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for providing user mobility handling in a network telephony system is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a register request from a network entity on a first domain and modifying a user identifier in the register request. A registration database is preferably updated with the modified user identifier. The modified register request is transmitted via a network to a network entity on a second domain. An authentication process preferably takes place between the network entity on the first domain and the network entity on the second domain. If successful, a confirmation is received via the network from the network entity on the second domain. Various embodiments of the invention may, for example, allow a user typically located in a home domain to temporarily move to a visiting domain, while maintaining the user'"'"'s home domain user identifier. Preferred embodiments utilize the Session Initiation Protocol.

Claims

1. A method for providing user mobility handling in a network telephony system, comprising in combination:

receiving a register request from a network entity on a first domain, wherein the register request includes a user identifier, and wherein the user identifier is associated with a second domain;

modifying the register request to form a modified register request, wherein the modified register request includes a modified user identifier, and wherein the modified user identifier is associated with the first domain;

updating a registration database associated with the first domain to include the modified user identifier;

transmitting the modified register request via a network to a network telephony server on the second domain;

receiving a register response via the network from the network telephony server on the second domain, wherein the register response includes a challenge;

transmitting the register response to the network entity on the first domain;

receiving a challenge response from the network entity on the first domain;

transmitting the challenge response via the network to the network telephony server on the second domain; and

determining whether a confirmation is received from the network telephony server on the second domain.

2. A computer readable medium containing instructions to cause a processor to assist in carrying out the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the modified user identifier from the registration database, upon determining that the confirmation is not received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network telephony server updates a registration database associated with the second domain to include the modified user identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the register request, the modified register request, and the challenge response are Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) register requests, wherein the register response is a SIP 401 Unauthorized message, and wherein the confirmation is a SIP 200 OK message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity on the first domain is selected from the group consisting of a network phone, a wireless base station, and a computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identifier and the modified user identifier are Universal Resource Indicators according to the Session Initiation Protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration database is maintained by a registration server, and wherein updating the registration database includes instructing the registration server to modify the registration database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network is the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network telephony server on the second domain is selected from the group consisting of a registration server and a proxy server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the modified register request includes transmitting the modified register request to an intermediate clearinghouse proxy server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the challenge and the challenge response compose an authentication process.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the challenge response includes a password encrypted according to the challenge.

14. A method for providing user mobility handling at a first network telephony server, wherein the first network telephony server is operable to implement at least a portion of the Session Initiation Protocol, comprising in combination:

receiving a register request from a network entity on a first domain, wherein the register request includes a user identifier in a To field and an address associated with the network entity in a Contact field, and wherein the user identifier is associated with a second domain;

modifying the register request to form a modified register request so that the Contact field includes a modified user identifier, wherein the modified user identifier is associated with the first domain;

updating a registration database to include the modified user identifier;

transmitting the modified register request via a network to a second network telephony server on the second domain;

receiving an unauthorized response via the network from the second network telephony server, wherein the unauthorized response includes a challenge;

transmitting the unauthorized response to the network entity;

receiving a register response from the network entity, wherein the register response includes the user identifier in a To field and the address associated with the network entity in a Contact field, and wherein the register response includes a challenge response;

modifying the register response to form a modified register response so that the Contact field includes the modified user identifier;

transmitting the modified register response via the network to the second network telephony server;

determining whether a confirmation is received from the second network telephony server; and

deleting the modified user identifier from the registration database in response to determining that the confirmation is not received.

15. A computer readable medium containing instructions to cause a processor to assist in carrying out the method of claim 14.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first network telephony server is a proxy server.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the network entity is selected from the group consisting of a network phone, a wireless base station, and a computer.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the address associated with the network entity includes a username associated with a user of the network entity and a network address of the network entity, wherein the user identifier is a Universal Resource Indicator including the username and a domain address of the second domain, and wherein the modified user identifier includes the username, at least a portion of the domain address of the second domain, and a domain address of the first domain.