Method of retrieving information from a notifying node of SIP/IMS network to a watcher client

• US 8,386,616 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lindgren, Anders, Boberg, Christer
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/742,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-230, 709200-203, 370/352, 370/453
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]

Abstract

A method of delivering information from a Notifying node of a SIP/IMS network to a Watcher Client, via an intermediate Watcher Proxy. A connection is established between the Watcher Proxy and the Watcher Client, using a SIP session, wherein the established connection is used for forwarding a request for a SIP subscription to the Watcher Proxy as an embedded SIP subscribe message. Once a backend SIP subscription has been setup between the Watcher Proxy and the Notifying node, SIP notify messages delivered from the Notifying node will be forwarded from the Watcher Proxy to the Watcher Client via the established connection, thereby separating SIP subscribe traffic from SIP control traffic.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving information delivered from a Notifying node of a SIP/IMS network to a Watcher Client, comprising the following steps, executed by the Watcher Client:

setting-up a SIP session with a Watcher proxy

establishing a connection with the Watcher Proxy, using said SIP session, said Watcher Proxy for handling SIP subscriptions, wherein each SIP subscription is a subscription for a specific service, said service being identified by a SIP event package,

initiating a SIP subscription between said Watching Proxy and said Notifying node, by forwarding a SIP subscribe message to said Watcher Proxy via said connection, said SIP subscribe message being embedded in a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) message, and

receiving at least one notification associated with said SIP subscription from said Watcher Proxy, said notification being delivered via said connection as a SIP notify message embedded in a MSRP message, for enabling notifications to be transmitted via the SIP/IMS network separate from a SIP control channel of said network.

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

buffering each of said at least one received notification prior to handling said each of said at least one received notification according to predetermined rules.

3. A method of delivering information from a Notifying node of a SIP/IMS network to a Watcher Client, comprising the following steps:

establishing a connection with said Watcher Client, in response to a session request received from the Watcher Client,

receiving a request for a SIP subscription from said Watcher Client, said SIP subscription, being delivered as a SIP subscribe message embedded in a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) message, via said connection,

setting-up a backend SIP subscription with said Notifying node, in response to receiving said request,

receiving at least one notification associated with said SIP subscription from said Notifying node, and

transmitting each received notification to said Watcher Client via said connection as a SIP notify message embedded in a MSRP message, for enabling notifications to be transmitted via the SIP/IMS network separate from a SIP control channel of said network, wherein said steps are executed by an intermediate Watcher Proxy, said Watcher Proxy for handling SIP subscriptions, each of which is a subscription for a specific service, each service being identified by a SIP event package.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said session request is a SIP invite.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said transmitting step is executed according to predetermined priority policies, specified for said connection.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said connection is a TCP connection which is established using the SIP protocol.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein said connection is a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) connection.

8. A client for retrieving information delivered from a Notifying node of a SIP/IMS network, said client comprising:

a communication hardware unit for setting-up a SIP session with a Watcher Proxy, said Watcher Proxy for handling SIP subscriptions, wherein each SIP subscription is a subscription for a specific service, said service being identified by a SIP event package, and for establishing another connection with the Watcher Proxy using said SIP session, said communication hardware unit using said another connection for initiating a backend SIP subscription between said Watcher Proxy and said Notifying node by embedding a SIP subscribe message in a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) message and by forwarding said MSRP message to the Watcher Proxy via said another connection, said communication hardware unit also for receiving at least one SIP notify associated with said SIP subscription from said Watcher Proxy and for delivering said SIP notify embedded in a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) message via said another connection, enabling notifications to be transmitted via the SIP/IMS network separate from a SIP control channel of said network, and

a processing unit for processing said SIP notifying message.

9. The client according to claim 8, wherein said client is a Watcher client.

10. The client according to claim 8, wherein said hardware unit further comprises:

a buffer for buffering, prior to handling, each of said at least one received SIP notification messages, said buffering procedure being executed according to predetermined rules.

11. The client according to claim 8, wherein said client is implemented in a stationary or a mobile User equipment.

12. The client according to claim 11, wherein said User equipment is one of a:

Desktop computer, a Laptop, a mobile telephone or a PDA.

13. A node for delivering information from a Notifying node of a SIP/IMS network to a Watcher Client, said node comprising:

a first communication hardware unit for setting up a SIP session with the Watcher Client, and for establishing another connection with said Watcher Client using said SIP session, said first communication hardware unit also for receiving a request for a SIP subscription, said request being a SIP subscribe message which is delivered via said another connection embedded in a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) message,

a second communication hardware unit for setting up a backend SIP subscription with the Notifying node, in response to receiving said embedded SIP subscribe message and for receiving at least one SIP notify message associated with said SIP subscription from the Notifying node via said backend SIP subscription, said second communication hardware unit also for transmitting each received SIP notify message to said Watcher Client via said connection embedded in a Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) message for enabling notifications to be transmitted via the SIP/IMS network separate from a SIP control channel of said network, and

a processing unit for embedding a received SIP notify message into said MSRP message, and for forwarding said embedded message to the Watcher Client via said first communication hardware unit and said another connection.

14. The node according to claim 13, wherein said node is a Watcher Proxy which is for handling SIP subscriptions, each of which is a subscription for a specific service, being identified by a SIP event package.