Enabling IP-communication with a machine to machine unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9369378-B2
Application number	US-201114000810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2011
Priority date	Feb 25, 2011
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A Proxy Unit is connectable to a communication network and is arranged to enable IP Communication with a Machine to Machine Unit. The Proxy Unit receives and stores in a session data base a first IP address a device identifier and a unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit. The Proxy Unit then receives from a Machine to Machine application a message destined to the Machine to Machine Unit and comprising the unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit. The Proxy Unit finds the associated device identifier and the first IP address in the session data base, using the received unique ID. If the Proxy Unit detects no active session for the Machine to Machine Unit, it uses the device identifier to send a wake up message to the Machine to Machine Unit for enabling IP communication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for a Proxy Unit in a communication network of enabling IP Communication with a Machine to Machine Unit, the method comprising:
receiving from a Connectivity Unit a first IP address and a device identifier of the Machine to Machine Unit, wherein the Connectivity Unit is a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN);
storing the first IP address and the device identifier in a session database;
receiving from the Machine to Machine Unit a first message or a request comprising a unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit, wherein the first message is destined to a Machine to Machine application;
storing the unique ID from the first message in the session database in association with the first IP address and the device identifier;
receiving from the Machine to Machine application a second message destined to the Machine to Machine Unit and comprising the unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit;
searching for the device identifier and the first IP address in the session database, using the unique ID from the second message;
responsive to detecting no active IP-session for the Machine to Machine Unit, using the device identifier to send a wake up message to the Machine to Machine Unit for enabling IP communication, wherein the detection of no active IP-session comprises attempting to forward the second message to the Machine to Machine Unit using the first IP address and the unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit and receiving a negative acknowledgment in return,
wherein the enabling of the IP communication comprises storing in the session database, in association with the device identifier and the unique ID, a second IP address of the Machine to Machine Unit received from the Connectivity Unit,
wherein detecting no active IP-session further comprises deleting the first IP address from the session database,
wherein the second message is forwarded to the Machine to Machine Unit using the second IP address and the unique ID, and
wherein the wake up message is sent as an SMS or a wap-push message.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device identifier comprises one of MSISDN, IMEI or IMSI of the Machine to Machine Unit.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Proxy Unit extracts the unique ID from the first message or the request.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the request is a register request including the unique ID.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the unique ID comprises a URI, an RFID or a serial number.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the Proxy Unit receiving a Get-message from the Machine to Machine Unit when the IP communication is enabled.

7. A computer program, comprising a computer readable medium storing computer readable code which, when run on a Proxy Unit, causes the Proxy Unit to perform a method as claimed in claim 1 .

8. A Proxy Unit connectable to a communication network and arranged to enable IP Communication with a Machine to Machine Unit, the Proxy Unit comprising:
a first receiver for receiving from a Connectivity Unit a first IP address and a device identifier of the Machine to Machine Unit, wherein the Connectivity Unit is a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN);
a first storing unit for storing the first IP address and the device identifier in a session database;
a second receiver for receiving from the Machine to Machine Unit a first message or a request comprising a unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit, the first message destined to a Machine to Machine application;
a second storing unit for storing the unique ID from the first message or request in the session database in association with the first IP address and the device identifier;
a third receiver for receiving from a Machine to Machine application a second message destined to the Machine to Machine Unit and comprising the unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit;
a first processor unit for searching for the device identifier and the first IP address in the session database, using the received unique ID from the second message;
a first sender for sending a wake up message to the Machine to Machine unit for enabling IP communication, using the device identifier, responsive to detecting that no active IP-session exists for the Machine to Machine Unit;
a second sender for attempting to forward the second message to the Machine to Machine Unit using the first IP address and the unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit wherein no active IP-session is detected if a negative acknowledgement is received in return,
the Proxy Unit being arranged to store a second IP address of the Machine to Machine Unit in the session database in association with the device identifier and the unique ID for enabling IP communication, the second IP address being received from the Connectivity Unit;
the Proxy Unit being further arranged to delete the first IP address from the session database, responsive to detecting no active IP-session; and
a third sender for forwarding the second message to the Machine to Machine Unit, using the second IP address and the unique ID,

wherein the wake up message is sent as a SMS or a wap-push message.

9. The Proxy Unit according to claim 8 , wherein the device identifier comprises one of MSISDN, IMEI or IMSI of the Machine to Machine Unit.

10. The Proxy Unit according to claim 8 , further arranged to extract the unique ID from the first message or request.

11. The Proxy Unit according to claim 8 , wherein the first message or request received by the second receiver is a register request including the unique ID.

12. The Proxy Unit according to claim 8 , wherein the unique ID comprises a URI, an RFID or a serial number.

13. The Proxy Unit according to claim 8 , further comprising a fourth receiver for receiving a Get-message from the Machine to Machine Unit when the IP communication is enabled.

Assignees

• Skog Robert
• Ljunggren Andreas
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Skog Robert
• Ljunggren Andreas

Classifications

• H04L45/42 Primary

  Centralised routing · CPC title

• H04W76/045

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/605

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/6054

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/106 Primary

  across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses · CPC title