U.S. patent application number 10/332716 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-21 for telecommunication system and method of communicating protocol information.
Invention is credited to McPherson, Glenn Douglas, Tan, Thian Joo, Terrill, Stephen.
Application Number | 20030156631 10/332716 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 3822895 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030156631 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McPherson, Glenn Douglas ;
et al. |
August 21, 2003 |
Telecommunication system and method of communicating protocol
information
Abstract
The present invention applies to telecommunication networks,
such as wireless mobile networks. In particular, the present
invention deals with providing more efficient use of the resources
of such mobile networks. The present invention provides in a
wireless mobile telecommunications network, having a wireless
mobile access interface, a message filter function adapted to
remove, store and/or adapt header information from messages
transferred to/from a wireless mobile device. The present invention
is based on using the SIP signalling channel within the workings of
a mobile network system more efficiently.
Inventors: |
McPherson, Glenn Douglas;
(Sydney, AU) ; Tan, Thian Joo; (Victoria, AU)
; Terrill, Stephen; (Stockholm, SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ERICSSON INC.
6300 LEGACY DRIVE
M/S EVW2-C-2
PLANO
TX
75024
US
|
Family ID: |
3822895 |
Appl. No.: |
10/332716 |
Filed: |
January 13, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
July 17, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/AU01/00865 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
375/152 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 69/22 20130101;
H04W 74/00 20130101; H04L 65/1104 20220501; H04W 28/06 20130101;
H04L 65/1101 20220501; H04L 69/04 20130101; H04L 65/1016
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
375/152 |
International
Class: |
H04K 001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 18, 2000 |
AU |
PQ 8832 |
Claims
The claims defining the invention are as follows:
1. In a wireless mobile telecommunications network, having a
wireless mobile access interface, a message filter function adapted
to remove and/or store header information from messages transferred
to/from a wireless mobile device.
2. A message filter function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
removing and/or storing includes modifying the messages in
accordance with predetermined criteria.
3. A message filter function as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein
the messages are SIP messages.
4. A message filter function as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein
the filter is provided in the wireless mobile access interface;
including the SIP proxy server.
5. A telecommunications network, including the message filter
function as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4.
6. A method of communicating messages between a wireless mobile
device and a message source/destination, the method including the
step of: removing header information from messages destined to the
mobile device, and adding header information to messages emanating
from the mobile device.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the header information
removed is substantially the same as the header information
added.
8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein, the step includes
modifying the messages in accordance with predetermined
criteria.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the filtered header
information relates to a session.
10. A method, system or device as herein disclosed.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention applies to telecommunication networks,
such as wireless mobile networks. In particular, the present
invention deals with providing more efficient use of the resources
of such mobile networks.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] SIP is an application-layer control protocol that can
establish, modify and terminate multimedia sessions or calls. SIP
has been gaining in popularity and is considered likely to be the
protocol of preference for application layer control of multimedia
and IP telephony services, and is indeed the protocol considered to
be selected to be used within 3GPP for multimedia sessions over IP
to the terminal.
[0003] The current developments of SIP, however, are mainly over
wireline systems where the length of the SIP messages has not been
an important issue.
[0004] SIP is a text-based protocol that has great flexibility and
is easy to understand. However, particularly in the application to
mobile networks, the SIP messages have to carry information about
the SIP proxy servers which are involved in the call session, as
well as, information about those SIP proxy servers that may wish to
be involved in the rest of the call session also. This can result
in considerable header information being carried with each SIP
message.
[0005] It is considered desirable that the session control protocol
should not have lengthy messages. When SIP is applied on a wireless
mobile interface, which is considered to be a relatively expensive
resource, the length of the SIP messages are therefore considered
unacceptable and an inefficient utilisation of a very expensive
resource.
[0006] Furthermore, wireless mobile interfaces are considered to
have relatively high error rates and unnecessarily lengthy messages
such as the prior art SIP messages noted above are considered more
susceptible to corruption by virtue of their length.
[0007] Unfortunately, the SIP messages of the prior art, which are
already considered to be quite lengthy, may grow even longer as
more functionality is developed for SIP.
[0008] The present invention seeks as an object to alleviate at
least one problem associated with the prior art.
[0009] Statements regarding the prior art throughout this
specification are not to be taken as an admission of the state of
common general knowledge in Australia in the field of the invention
at the priority date of this application.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides in a wireless mobile
telecommunications network, having a wireless mobile access
interface, a message filter function adapted to remove, store
and/or adapt header information from messages transferred to/from a
wireless mobile device. Henceforth, the term "filter" shall refer
to a function which may remove, store and/or adapt.
[0011] The present invention also provides a method of
communicating messages between a wireless mobile device and a
message source/destination, in which the method includes filtering
header information from messages destined to the mobile device, and
adapting header information to messages emanating from the mobile
device.
[0012] Preferably, the messages are SIP messages.
[0013] A telecommunications network, including the message filter
function as noted above is also disclosed.
[0014] The present invention is based on using the SIP signalling
channel within the workings of a mobile network system more
efficiently. In effect, the present invention will filter header
information prior to sending the SIP message to the wireless mobile
device. The present invention can be put into effect by a SIP on
air proxy (SOAP) function. A list of proxy server identifiers are
replaced by the identifier for a SOAP proxy server. Functional
information which are not supported by the User Agent are filtered
by the SOAP function. The effect is shorter messages which, thus,
provides a reduction in the radio resource utilisation and a
corresponding increase in throughput.
[0015] Preferably, the SOAP function resides either at a SIP Proxy
Server or between the SIP User Agent and the SIP Proxy Server. On a
session basis, the SOAP function filters the header information
from the SIP messages sent by the SIP Proxy Server and stores them.
In this way, for example, only the header information required by
the application layer is sent over the wireless mobile interface to
a User Agent such as that present at a mobile device node. The
filtered header information may then be adapted to messages sent in
the reverse direction from the mobile client to the server side.
The SIP on air Proxy (SOAP) function, according to the present
invention, is configured to handle header information in accordance
with predetermined criteria.
[0016] Mobile device includes, without limitation, at least a
mobile wireless telephone, personal digital assistant PDA, or
generally, user equipment UE.
[0017] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates schematically, a portion of a
communication network including a wireless mobile access interface
logically having a SOAP filter function according to one embodiment
of the present invention,
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates schematically, a portion of a
communication network including a wireless mobile access interface
logically having a SOAP filter function according to another
embodiment of the present invention. The SOAP function in this
embodiment may be co-located within a SIP Proxy Server,
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates schematically a view of the operation
(in-part) of the present invention for messages communicated from a
SIP Proxy Server to a SIP User Agent, and
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates schematically a view of the operation
(in-part) of the present invention for messages communicated from a
SIP User Agent to a SIP Proxy Server,
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates the communication relating to the present
invention for the client side,
[0023] FIG. 6 gives an example (only) of headers contained in each
message of FIG. 6,
[0024] FIG. 7 illustrates the communication relating to the present
invention for the server side, and
[0025] FIG. 8 gives an example (only) of headers contained in each
message of FIG. 7.
[0026] As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 for example, the solution proposed,
in this invention is to have a SIP on air Proxy (SOAP) function 21.
The SOAP function 21 resides between the SIP User Agent 22 and the
SIP Proxy Server 23. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, on a session
basis, the SOAP function 21 filters header information 11 residing
within, for example, the application layer information from the SIP
messages 10 sent by the SIP Proxy Server 23 and stores this
information. The header information may then be modified in
accordance with predetermined criteria for transmission to a User
Agent. For instance a given proxy server identifier(s) is/are
replaced with the SOAP server identifier. In this way, only the
user agent related header information required by the application
layer, for example, is sent over the wireless mobile interface
24.
[0027] The filtered, or similar, header information 11, specific to
the particular session, may then be added to messages 10 sent in
the reverse direction.
[0028] This stored header information may also be added for future
messages associated with the same session.
[0029] Header information 11 includes, but is not limited to, the
following:
[0030] Via
[0031] Record Route
[0032] Route (which is generated by SOAP based on Record Route
stored)
[0033] Warning (may be filtered for simple terminals which do not
use this information)
[0034] Organization (may be filtered, screening function may be in
the SOAP server)
[0035] Request-URI (may be filtered for simple terminals)
[0036] Other similar information.
[0037] The SOAP function 21 can be logically resident in the
head-end of the wireless mobile access interface 25, although it
can reside anywhere between the mobile device and message
source/destination. For GPRS and UMTS packet mode service, the SOAP
function 21 can be co-located with the GGSN or can be separate from
the GGSN. These alternatives are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2
respectively.
[0038] Advantageously, it has been found that the present invention
will significantly reduce the wireless mobile resources required by
the call/session control for establishing multimedia/telephony call
sessions using SIP. The wireless mobile device 20 will also have
reduced processor load and memory usage with the elimination of
extraneous information carried over the radio or wireless interface
24. One implementation is considered to reside in the 3GPP IP
Multimedia Subsystem.
[0039] A number of examples of an implementation of the present
invention is now disclosed. It is to be noted that the present
invention should not be limited to these examples only.
EXAMPLE 1
[0040] Handling of Record Route and Route Headers at the Client
Side
[0041] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the SOAP function 21 at the client
side. The SOAP function 21 resides between the UAC 22 and a SIP
Proxy Server 23. The SIP messages are identified as F1 to F6. FIG.
6 identifies the relevant headers contained in each message.
[0042] The SOAP function 21 stores the Record Route header (ie
<P1>, <P2>) in the 200 F3 message and replaces it with
its own address identifier (ie <SOAP>) in 200 F4.
[0043] When the UAC 22 subsequently sends a message, say a BYE F5,
the Route header (<SOAP>,<UAS contact>) is replaced
with (<P1>,<P2>,<UAS contact>) in BYE F6.
EXAMPLE 2
[0044] Handling of Via, Record Route and Route Headers at the
Server Side
[0045] FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the SOAP function 21 at the server
side. The SOAP function resides between the UAS 22 and a SIP Proxy
Server 23. The SIP messages are identified as F1 to F6. FIG. 8
identifies the relevant headers contained in each message.
[0046] The SOAP function 21 stores the Record Route header
(<P1>, <P2>) and Via headers (Via <UAC>, Via
<P1>, Via <P2>) in the INVITE F1 message and replaces
them with its own address identifier (ie Via <SOAP> and
Record Route <SOAP>) in INVITE F2.
[0047] When the UAS 22 subsequently sends The <Response> F3
or 200 F5 message, the SOAP function 21 replaces the Via and/or
Record Route header (<SOAP>) with the stored Via and Record
Route headers in <Response> F4 and 200 F6.
EXAMPLE 3
[0048] Simple Terminals and Terminals with Limited Display
Capabilities
[0049] For relatively simple terminals and terminals with limited
display capabilities, there are headers or parts of headers which
can be filtered. The SOAP function 21 may, for example, filter the
Warning header or just filter the warn-text in the Warning header.
Other headers such as Organization and Request-URI may also be
filtered where it is determined that the terminal is incapable of
utilising this information and would have discarded them
anyway.
* * * * *