System and method for addressing a mobile device in an IP-based wireless network

• US 8,560,728 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Dunk, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US12/975,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20110085510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/238, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• 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 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for addressing a mobile device in an IP-based wireless network is provided. Push service providers prepare data for transmission to the mobile device using a first IP address. The addressed data is then transmitted to a push proxy. The push proxy obtains a network identifier that is permanently associated with the wireless mobile device using the first IP address. The network identifier is then used by the push proxy to obtain a second IP address that is temporarily associated with the wireless mobile device. Using this second IP address, the data from the push proxy is then addressed and transmitted to the wireless mobile device via a tunnel created through the wireless network using the second IP address.

Claims

1. A proxy for addressing data to a wireless device that has a permanently associated first IP address, the proxy being configured to:

obtain a network identifier for the wireless device using the first permanently associated IP address by performing an address lookup function with an address resolution component associated with an IP-based wireless network that matches the first permanently associated IP address with a database of network identifiers, the network identifier uniquely identifying the wireless device within the IP-based wireless network;

obtain, using the wireless device'"'"'s network identifier, a second IP address that is temporarily associated with the wireless device from the IP-based wireless network;

receive data at the proxy that is addressed with the first permanently associated IP address and re-addressing the received data using the second IP address; and

transmit the data from the proxy to the wireless device using the second IP address.

2. The proxy of claim 1, wherein the first IP address is an IPV6 address.

3. The proxy of claim 2, wherein the second IP address is an IPV4 address.

4. The proxy of claim 1, wherein the IP-based wireless network is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, and the network identifier is the IMSI of the wireless device.

5. The proxy of claim 1, wherein said obtaining of a network identifier includes:

providing the first IP address to a DNS server associated with the IP-based wireless network; and

accessing a database of network identifiers at the DNS server based on the first IP address.

6. The proxy of claim 1, wherein said obtaining of a second IP address includes:

transmitting the network identifier from the proxy to the IP-based wireless network;

accessing a database associated with the IP-based wireless network in order to determine whether the second IP address has been associated with the network identifier; and

receiving, in response to determining the second IP address has been associated with the network identifier, the second IP address from the IP-based wireless network.

7. The proxy of claim 1 being further configured to:

open a connection between the proxy and a network access point of the IP-based wireless network;

initiate a tunnel between the network access point and the wireless device using the network identifier; and

transmit the data using the second IP address from the proxy to the wireless device using the connection between the proxy and the network access point and the tunnel created between the network access point and the wireless device.

8. The proxy of claim 7, wherein the tunnel is a PDP-context.

9. The proxy of claim 1, wherein the said obtaining of a second IP address includes:

checking a cache memory associated with the proxy to determine if an association is present between the first IP address and a second IP address.

10. The proxy of claim 1, wherein the network identifier is embedded within a portion of the first IP address, and the proxy is further configured to extract the network identifier from the portion of the first IP address.