Transfer device

• US 8,423,614 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masaaki, Sekiguchi, Katsumi, Nakatsuchi, Masaharu, Sekizaki, Norihito
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHANG, SHIRLEY X
• Application Number:
  US13/554,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-207, 709218-219, 709/232, 709/238, 709/244, 455/415, 455/417, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/426.1, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/06 Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The user of a mobile station which is prepared to receive information providing services from unspecified IP (Information Providers) accesses a gateway server and performs a pre-registration procedure (S71). When an IP server has information to provide to users, it constructs the information in the form of electronic mail, appends user attribute data, and sends this to the gateway server (S72). Upon receiving electronic mail with attribute data, the gateway server stores the electronic mail in a third mailbox, makes a comparison of the user attributes, and calls the mobile stations of relevant users (S73). A user who has received a call requests a download of the electronic mail from the gateway server (S74). The gateway server sends electronic mail to the mobile station which made the request (S75, S76).

Claims

1. A push-type information transmission method in a communication network comprising an information provider device, a plurality of user terminals for receiving information provided by the information provider device, and a transfer device for routing information between the information provider device and the user terminals, the method comprising:

registering, using the transfer device, users at the information provider device for receiving information provided by the information provider device;

registering, at the transfer device, at least IP registration information of the information provider device, wherein the IP registration information comprises information provider server identification information;

registering, at the transfer device, at least user registration information of the user terminals;

after the users, the at least IP registration information of the information provider device and the at least user registration information of the user terminals are registered, receiving, at the transfer device from the information provider device, push-type information supplied with an identification of a user terminal designated as a desired destination;

sending a communication start notification signal to make the user terminal ready for packet switching with the transfer device before transmitting the push-type information to the user terminal;

transmitting, from the transfer device to the user terminal designated as a desired destination, at least a part of the push-type information;

determining, based on the registered information provider server identification information, which party to bill for receiving the push-type information, either an information provider of the information provider server or a user of the designated user terminal; and

at least partly billing the party determined to be billed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting at least a part of the push-type information comprises transmitting based on at least one of the IP registration information or the user registration information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least a part of the information received from the information provider device is compared with at least a part of the IP registration information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving push type information supplied with an identification of a user terminal designated as a desired destination comprises receiving an address related to the information provider device;

and

wherein transmitting based on at least one of the IP registration information or the user registration information comprises;

determining whether at least a part of the address related to the information provider device is registered with the transfer device in order to determine whether to transmit or reject the push-type information.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting based on at least one of the IP registration information or the user registration information comprises:

determining whether at least a part of the information used for identifying a user terminal designated as a desired destination is registered with the transfer device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information used for identifying a user terminal designated as a desired destination comprises a user management number.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting at least a part of the information comprises transmitting based on both the IP registration information and the user registration information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering user terminal identification information with the information provider device as a registration procedure for receiving an information transmission service offered by the information provider device;

and

wherein the information provider device provides information to the user terminals registered.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering IP registration information comprises a network address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user registration information comprises a network address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user registration information further comprises user attributes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information used for identifying a user terminal comprises a user management number.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the information used for identifying a user terminal comprises an address for the user terminal.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the information provider device belongs to a first communication network which follows a first communication protocol;

wherein the user terminals belong to a second communication network which follows a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol; and

wherein the transfer device comprises a gateway that converts between the first and second communication protocols.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user terminals are given first network addresses used only on the first communication network;

wherein the user terminals have second network addresses used on the second communication network, the second network addresses having a one-to-one correspondence with the first network addresses; and

wherein the transfer device converts between the first network addresses in the first communication network and the second network addresses in the second communication network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user terminals comprise mobile stations;

wherein the second communication network comprises a mobile communication network accommodating the mobile stations; and

wherein the first communication network comprises an Internet.