Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2003-11-25
Chin, Vivian (Department: 2682)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S432300, C370S466000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06654607
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
A. Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to mobile communications. More particularly, the disclosure relates to managing various mobile communication protocols in a unified manner.
B. Related Art
In recent years, the demand for mobile communications has steadily increased. With the increase in demand, the mobile communications industry has incorporated a variety of different protocols. Accordingly, a system for interworking the various accepted protocols is needed.
Varieties of mobile communication protocols are available including cellular, mobile IP, DHCP/DNS and SIP. While the protocols vary in how they function, each implementation of the protocol needs to support standard functions including location registration, location resolution, authentication, authorization, and accounting. Location registration relates to a mobile terminal announcing and receiving confirmation of its location within a network or platform. Location resolution relates to the determination of where a mobile terminal is in a network. Authentication relates to a function of a network determining whether a certain mobile user is a confirmed user of a network through interactions with at least one database. Authorization relates to a function of a network determining whether a certain mobile user is allowed to use a service of the network through interactions with at least one database. Accounting relates to a function of a network monitoring and assessing fees to a certain mobile terminal. Authentication, authorization, and accounting are referred to generally as “AAA” functions. In general, location registration occurs at the power-on phase of a terminal and during the handoff of a terminal between sites in a network. At the same time, authentication may be performed. Location resolution generally occurs when a first terminal attempts to set up a communication channel with a second terminal. Again, authorization may be performed at this time for both the first terminal and the second terminal. Accounting is generally performed while a terminal is actively communicating with another terminal. For simplicity, the terminal initiating a communication is herein referred to as the “caller” and the terminal attempting to be contacted is the “callee.”
For purposes herein, a platform may be defined as a portion of a network where identical signaling protocols handle the operations of connection set-up, connection tear-down, hand-off, location registration, location resolution, and accounting (or charging). Moreover, a platform may be a portion of a network that is provided by one operator, even if the signaling protocol for Operator A's network is the same as the protocol as Operator B's network. For example, one operator (for example, Bell Atlantic Mobile) may have a number of platforms within the network controlled by the operator. The first platform would use CDMA, the second would use Analog AMPS, and the third would use Mobile IP, etc. In the latter case, the border between platforms using identical protocols but operated by different operators is controlled by a mobility database. Each operator manages its mobility database independently.
A number of the above-described functions are performed in databases connected to the network servicing the terminals.
FIG. 1
shows a conventional arrangement for mobile communication networks as including databases. The databases store various information for terminals including the terminals' terminal identification (TID), the terminals' location identification (LID), passwords, permission lists, and accounting information. It is noted that some platforms do not support the concept of a mobility database and a common LID format.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, each network has a mobility database as including the TID, LID, and other information for each terminal serviced by it. For example, cellular network
101
(for instance a 1G/2G cellular network) includes mobility database
105
called a HLR (Home Location Register), which stores an E.164 number as the TID, platform-specific information as LID, a set of platform-specific information as the password permission list and accounting list. The VLR (Visitor Location Register), which stores a copy of the information stored in the HLR, may be used in the well-known cellular network system in order to reduce traffic regarding location registration and accounting.
Mobile IP network
102
includes mobility database
106
called HA (Home Agent), which stores IP address as TID and LID, a set of platform-specific information as password, permission list and accounting list. The current standard of Mobile IP (RFC2002) includes a special function called FA (Foreign Agent), which handles Mobile IP-specific functionalities. However, these Mobile IP-specific functionalities are well-known and are beyond the scope of the invention. DHCP/DNS network
103
includes mobility database
107
called Domain Name System, which stores Host Name and Domain Name as TID, IP address as LID, and a set of platform-specific information as password, permission list and accounting list. Here, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) may be used for assigning an IP address at an access point where a Mobile Terminal currently visits. Also, the dynamic DNS currently discussed at IETF may be used for advertising the assigned IP address to the whole network. SIP network
104
includes mobility database
108
called SIP Proxy, which stores SIP URL as TID and LID, and a set of platform-specific information as password, permission list and accounting list.
An end user desires the ability to communicate with anyone, irrespective of the network in which the called party (or callee) is located. Because each of these networks has different protocols, no direct connection is possible. Further, higher order functions (including authentication, authorization, and accounting) of a terminal on a foreign network are not possible as no interchange of information between the mobility databases
105
-
108
exists.
A system has been proposed that attempts to coordinate IP and non-IP communications. A white paper by Cisco Systems describes Cisco's architecture for voice/video/data integration on the Internet. The paper relates to providing a method of internetworking among plural mobile platforms including IP-based platforms. Specifically, the paper defines a four layer architecture including a clients level
112
, an infrastructure level
111
, a call processing level
110
, and an application level
109
as shown in FIG.
1
B. The application level
109
, which is open to development by other entities, is provided to realize sophisticated services like Unified Messaging. The call processing level
110
functions as a call manager in that it controls voice calls on the Internet. The call manager provides the traditional phone's “look and feel” to IP-based voice applications. Also, if required, the call manager handles the internetworking between IP and PSTN communications as shown in FIG.
1
C.
FIG. 1C
includes an P-based network
114
(including routers and the like) and a PSTN network
115
. An example of the initiation of a call is provided. IP-based terminal
119
provides a request to call manager
116
to place a call. The call manager
116
exchanges control information with the call setup portion
117
for the PSTN network
115
servicing PSTN terminal
118
. Once all information has been exchanged, a call is established between IP-based terminal
119
and PSTN terminal
118
through physical link gateway
113
. The call manager
116
controls the physical link gateway
113
to set up the desired call. While disclosing a method for interworking IP telephony and PSTN, the above-described system fails to disclose mobility-related functions.
Another approach has been suggested by TIA (the Telecommunications Industry Association). TIA supports the TR45.6 architecture for implementing IP service. This architecture has two tiers including an access network and a core network. Referring to
FIG. 1D
, the core network is re
Shobatake Yasuro
Vakil Faramak
Chin Vivian
Lockett E.
Toshiba America Research Inc.
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