Automatic routing networking method and device of distributed IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem)

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic routing networking method and device for a distributed IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), and belongs to the technical field of mobile communication. The method comprises the following steps of: pre-configuring a unique network element ID (Identity) for each integrated IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) bearing station in a communication system, and establishing a forced mapping relationship between a user number and the network element ID of the bearing station and a forced mapping relationship between the network element ID of the bearing station and an IMS service intercommunication network address; when the calling bearing station receives the initial calling request, the called user number is analyzed to obtain the network element ID of the called bearing station; judging whether the network element ID of the called bearing station is the same as the network element ID of the called bearing station; if not, an IMS service intercommunication network address corresponding to the called bearing station is searched according to the mapping relation, and the call request is routed to the address; and if yes, direct routing is carried out in the station. According to the method and the device, the network topology information is embedded in the user identifier, so that automatic routing of the call is realized, a complex global routing table does not need to be maintained, and the expansibility and the flexibility of the system are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mobile communication technology, and in particular to an automatic routing networking method and apparatus for a distributed IP multimedia subsystem. Background Technology

[0002] An integrated IP Multimedia Subsystem (IPMS) backpack station is a portable communication device that integrates a baseband processing unit, a radio frequency remote unit, an evolved packet core network (EPB), and an IPMS core network. Due to its flexible deployment and low cost, it is widely used in emergency communications, large venue coverage, and other scenarios. In traditional applications, such backpack stations typically operate independently as standalone stations, providing network coverage for specific hotspot areas.

[0003] To enable communication between multiple independent backpack station systems, existing technologies typically employ static routing tables or number translation tables. For example, when a user on one network node needs to call a user on another, a pre-configured mapping table is consulted to translate the called number into a number recognizable by the target network before routing. However, in distributed, dynamically changing temporary networks composed of multiple integrated backpack stations, this approach has significant drawbacks. First, whenever a backpack station node is added or removed from the network, the routing tables or number translation tables of all nodes in the network must be manually updated, making configuration and maintenance extremely cumbersome and prone to errors. Second, this static configuration method has a slow response time, making it difficult to meet the urgent needs for rapid and flexible network deployment in scenarios such as emergency communications. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide an automatic routing network method and apparatus for a distributed IMS system, which aims to solve the technical problems of cumbersome network configuration, slow response, and difficulty in adapting to dynamic network changes in the prior art.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an automatic routing and networking method for a distributed IMS system, including: Each integrated IMS backpack station in the communication system is pre-configured with a unique network element ID, and a mandatory mapping relationship is established between the user number and the network element ID of the backpack station, as well as between the network element ID of the backpack station and the IMS service interconnection network address. When any calling user's home station receives an initial call request, the called user's number in the initial call request is extracted and parsed, so as to obtain the network element ID of the called user's home station according to the forced mapping relationship between the user number and the home station's network element ID. The calling back station determines whether the network element ID of the called back station is the same as its own network element ID; If the determination result is negative, the calling back station, based on the forced mapping relationship between the back station's network element ID and the IMS service interoperability network address, searches for the IMS service interoperability network address corresponding to the called back station's network element ID, and routes the initial call request to the IMS service interoperability network address; and If the determination result is yes, the calling station will directly route the initial call request to the called user within the station.

[0006] Optionally, based on the above method, the forced mapping relationship between the user number and the home network element ID is achieved by encoding the network element ID in a preset field of the user number.

[0007] Based on the above method, optionally, the preset field is the prefix field or suffix field of the user number.

[0008] Based on the above method, optionally, the forced mapping relationship between the user number and the home network element ID is implemented by deploying a number resolution server in the network, which stores a mapping table between user number segments and network element IDs.

[0009] Based on the above method, optionally, the forced mapping relationship between the back station network element ID and the IMS service interconnection network address is as follows: for a back station with network element ID X, its IMS service interconnection network address is an IP address generated based on the network element ID X according to a preset rule.

[0010] Based on the above method, optionally, the method further includes: When the calling back station cannot resolve a valid network element ID from the called user's number, it forwards the initial call request to a preset headquarters IMS core network.

[0011] Based on the above method, optionally, the user number is the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) or the Mobile International Subscriber Number (MSISDN).

[0012] Based on the above method, optionally, the integrated IMS backpack stations forward the initial call request through the Mw interface.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide an automatic routing and networking device for a distributed IMS system, applied to an integrated IMS backpack station, comprising: The configuration unit is used to store the unique network element ID configured for the integrated IMS back station, as well as the forced mapping relationship between the user number and the network element ID of the back station, and between the network element ID of the back station and the IMS service interconnection network address. The receiving unit is used to receive an initial call request; The parsing unit is used to extract and parse the called user number in the initial call request, so as to obtain the network element ID of the called back station to which the called user belongs according to the forced mapping relationship; The routing unit is used to determine whether the network element ID of the called back station is the same as its own network element ID, and if the determination result is not, to find the IMS service interconnection network address corresponding to the network element ID of the called back station according to the forced mapping relationship, and then to route the initial call request to the IMS service interconnection network address; and, if it is determined that the network element ID of the called back station is the same as its own network element ID, to directly route the initial call request to the called user within the station.

[0014] Based on the above base stations, optionally, the routing unit is further used for: When the parsing unit is unable to parse a valid network element ID from the called user number, it forwards the initial call request to a preset headquarters IMS core network.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects: 1. Enables automatic routing, simplifying network configuration and maintenance. By establishing a mandatory mapping relationship between the network element ID of the back station and the user number, any network node can determine the target route for a call simply through number resolution. There is no need to configure and maintain a complex global routing table, which greatly reduces the complexity of system deployment and operation and maintenance. It is particularly suitable for scenarios that require rapid and dynamic networking, such as emergency communication.

[0016] 2. Enhanced system scalability and communication capabilities. This automatic routing mechanism enables multiple backpack stations to work seamlessly together, easily achieving cross-site calls and user roaming, effectively expanding communication coverage and system capacity, and enhancing the overall communication capabilities and flexibility of the system.

[0017] 3. Enhance system openness. By setting default routing rules, calls that cannot be resolved on the local area network are uniformly reported to the headquarters network, which can easily achieve interoperability with third-party networks such as public telecommunications networks, further expanding the application scope and practical value of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. Furthermore, these drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to specific embodiments.

[0019] Figure 1A flowchart illustrating an automatic routing and networking method for a distributed IMS system provided in this application embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the system architecture for regional joint networking provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a timing diagram of the signaling interaction for cross-site calls provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a timing diagram of signaling interaction for user roaming access provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a system architecture for interconnection with the headquarters network provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a timing diagram of signaling interaction when making a call to a third-party network, provided as an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0021] Example 1 This embodiment provides a method for automatic routing networking of a distributed IP Multimedia Subsystem in a regional joint networking scenario. In a communication system consisting of multiple integrated IMS back-end stations, this method can achieve automatic call routing between users across stations through preset identifier and number mapping rules, without the need for manual configuration of complex routing tables.

[0022] Please see Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a typical regional joint networking system architecture. The system includes at least two fully functional and independent communication nodes: a first integrated IMS backpack station 10 and a second integrated IMS backpack station 20. Specifically, each integrated IMS backpack station, such as the first integrated IMS backpack station 10, is a highly integrated portable communication device, internally integrating a radio access network functional module, an evolved packet core network functional module, and an IP multimedia subsystem core network functional module. Thus, each backpack station can independently provide complete 4G / 5G network access, mobility management, and IMS multimedia services to user terminals within its coverage area. Figure 2In the scenario shown, the first user terminal UE1 belongs to the first integrated IMS back station 10 and operates within its wireless signal coverage area, while the second user terminal UE2 belongs to the second integrated IMS back station 20 and operates within its signal coverage area. To achieve system-level service interoperability, the first integrated IMS back station 10 and the second integrated IMS back station 20 establish a service interoperability link through an IP network. This link can be a wired link or a wireless link.

[0023] The automatic routing network method provided in this embodiment has the following core process: Figure 1 As shown. To achieve automatic routing, system-level identifier planning and mandatory mapping relationship establishment are first required. Specifically, each integrated IMS backpack station in the system is pre-configured with a network element ID that is unique across the entire network. In this embodiment, the network element ID configured for the first integrated IMS backpack station 10 is "01", and the network element ID configured for the second integrated IMS backpack station 20 is "02". This network element ID information can be stored in the configuration database or configuration file of each backpack station.

[0024] Based on this, two types of mandatory mapping relationships are established. The first type is the mandatory mapping relationship between the user number and the network element ID of the home base station. This is achieved through a structured numbering rule, whereby the network element ID is directly encoded as part of the number in a preset field of the user number. In this embodiment, a suffix field encoding scheme is adopted. Specifically, it is stipulated that for all users belonging to the first integrated IMS base station 10, the third and fourth digits from the end of their mobile station international user number are fixed as their network element ID "01". Therefore, the number of the first user terminal UE1 is planned as "601101". Similarly, for all users belonging to the second integrated IMS base station 20, the corresponding field of their number is fixed as their network element ID "02". Therefore, the number of the second user terminal UE2 is planned as "602202". This design, which embeds network topology information (network element ID) into the user identity identifier (user number), is key to the subsequent implementation of automatic resolution and routing.

[0025] The second type is the forced mapping relationship between the network element ID of the backup station and the IMS service interconnection network address. This network address is the IP address used for IMS signaling (such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling) interaction between backup stations. In this embodiment, this mapping relationship is also established through preset rules, stipulating that the IMS service interconnection network address of the backup station with network element ID X is fixed as "172.26.X.1". According to this rule, the IMS service interconnection address of the first integrated IMS backup station 10 with network element ID "01" is automatically determined to be "172.26.1.1"; correspondingly, the IMS service interconnection address of the second integrated IMS backup station 20 with network element ID "02" is "172.26.2.1".

[0026] After completing the above configuration, the system will have automatic routing capabilities. The following section will combine... Figure 1 and Figure 3 Describe in detail the cross-site call process from the first user terminal UE1 to the second user terminal UE2. Figure 3 This is the signaling interaction timing diagram for this cross-site call.

[0027] The process begins when the first user terminal UE1, within the network coverage of its home first integrated IMS back station 10, initiates a voice or video call to the second user terminal UE2. The first user terminal UE1 constructs a Session Initiation Protocol INVITE request message, in which the request Uniform Resource Identifier includes the called party's number "602202", and sends it to the IMS core network of the first integrated IMS back station 10.

[0028] The IMS core network of the first integrated IMS backpack station 10 (which can be completed collaboratively by network elements such as its internal Agent-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) and Service-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF)) receives the initial call request. This process corresponds to... Figure 1 Step S101 in the process.

[0029] Subsequently, the parsing unit (which can be a logical function module in the S-CSCF) of the first integrated IMS back station 10 processes the received INVITE request, extracts the called user number "602202" from the request, and parses it according to a preset number-ID forced mapping rule. In this embodiment, the parsing rule is to extract the third and fourth digits from the end of the number. Therefore, the parsing unit successfully extracts the network element ID of the called user's home station as "02" from "602202". Figure 1 Step S102 in the process.

[0030] Next, the routing unit (which can also be a logical function module in the S-CSCF) of the first integrated IMS back station 10 executes the judgment logic, comparing the parsed called party's home station network element ID "02" with its own stored network element ID "01". This is the... Figure 1 Step S103 in the process.

[0031] In this scenario, since "02" is not equal to "01", the judgment result is "no", indicating that this is a cross-site call. Therefore, the routing unit continues to execute the cross-site routing logic, searching for the IMS service interconnection network address corresponding to network element ID "02" based on the preset forced mapping relationship between network element IDs and IMS service interconnection network addresses (i.e., the rule for address "172.26.X.1"). The query result is "172.26.2.1". This query process corresponds to... Figure 1 Step S105 in the process.

[0032] After finding the target address, the routing unit of the first integrated IMS back station 10 routes the original SIP INVITE request to the target address "172.26.2.1", which is the second integrated IMS back station 20, through the IMS service interconnection link between the two back stations (i.e., the standard Mw interface). This forwarding process corresponds to... Figure 1 Step S106 in the process.

[0033] After receiving the INVITE request forwarded via the Mw interface, the IMS core network of the second integrated IMS back station 20 also parses the called number "602202" and compares it with its own network element ID "02". At this time, the judgment result is "yes", confirming that the called second user terminal UE2 is a user of this station. Therefore, the back station 2 (20) queries the current registration status and contact address of the second user terminal UE2 in its internal user location database (which can be provided by its HSS functional entity) and finally sends the INVITE request to the second user terminal UE2.

[0034] The subsequent call setup process follows standard SIP procedures. For example... Figure 3As shown, after receiving the INVITE request, the second user terminal UE2 returns temporary response messages such as session progress response and ringing response to the second integrated IMS backend station 20. These messages are forwarded sequentially through the second integrated IMS backend station 20 and the first integrated IMS backend station 10, eventually reaching the calling first user terminal UE1, allowing it to hear the ringback tone. When the user of the second user terminal UE2 answers the call, it sends an "acknowledgment" final response, which is also returned to the first user terminal UE1 along the path of "second integrated IMS backend station 20 -> first integrated IMS backend station 10". After receiving the "acknowledgment", the first user terminal UE1 sends an ACK message (acknowledgment message), which is also forwarded to the second user terminal UE2 along the same signaling path. At this point, the call signaling is established, and the media streams of both parties (such as voice data carried by the Real-time Transport Protocol RTP) can be transmitted between the first user terminal UE1 and the second user terminal UE2.

[0035] As a contrasting scenario, if the first user terminal UE1 calls another user belonging to the same first integrated IMS back station 10 (e.g., number "601102"), then in step S103, the first integrated IMS back station 10 resolves the called party's home station ID to "01", which is the same as its own ID "01", and the judgment result is "yes". At this time, the process will proceed to step S104, and the first integrated IMS back station 10 will directly query the location of the called user within its own station and initiate the call, without performing any cross-site routing operations.

[0036] It is understandable that the method described in this embodiment, through a simple and efficient number and ID binding mechanism, enables each back station node to have autonomous routing decision-making capabilities, thereby realizing automatic call routing and completely avoiding the tedious and error-prone global routing table configuration and maintenance work in the traditional method.

[0037] Example 2 This embodiment aims to illustrate how the identifier and number mapping scheme proposed in this application supports cross-site roaming access and service registration for users, thereby effectively expanding the user's activity range and the overall service capabilities of the network. The system architecture of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and is still based on... Figure 2 The system shown is an example consisting of a first integrated IMS backpack station 10 and a second integrated IMS backpack station 20.

[0038] In this embodiment, we focus on another important identifier for user identity—the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). Unlike the International Mobile Number (IMN), which is mainly used for call routing, the IMS is a unique identity credential for a user in a mobile network, primarily used for attachment, authentication, and mobility management. The method of this application is also applicable to the forced mapping of network element IDs to IMS. For example, it can be stipulated that all users belonging to a back station with network element ID "XX" will have a specific field in their IMS fixed as "XX". Assuming that the second user terminal UE2 belongs to the second integrated IMS back station 20 (network element ID "02"), its IMS will contain information that identifies its home station as "02".

[0039] The following describes the roaming access process of the second user terminal UE2 after it moves from the coverage area of ​​its home station (second integrated IMS back station 20) to the coverage area of ​​the first integrated IMS back station 10. The signaling interaction for this process can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 4 The timing diagram.

[0040] When the second user terminal UE2 enters the radio signal coverage area of ​​the first integrated IMS back station 10 and attempts to access the network, it will initiate an Evolved Packet Core Network attach request to the currently accessing base station, i.e., the radio part of the first integrated IMS back station 10. This request contains the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the second user terminal UE2.

[0041] Upon receiving the attach request, the evolved packet core network portion of the first integrated IMS back station 10 (specifically, its mobility management entity, MME) first parses the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) code in the request. Based on the preset mapping rules between IMSSI and network element IDs, the MME identifies the home network element ID of the second user terminal UE2 as "02". Since this ID differs from the local network element ID "01", the MME determines that the user is a roaming user.

[0042] To authenticate the roaming user and obtain their service subscription data, the first integrated IMS back station 10, acting as the access station, needs to communicate with its home station. The MME of the first integrated IMS back station 10, based on the parsed home station network element ID "02" and using the same ID and network address mapping rules as in Example 1, queries the network address of the home station's Evolved Packet Core (or specifically, the Home Subscriber Subscription Subsystem HSS). Subsequently, it sends a request to that address, i.e., to the Evolved Packet Core portion of the second integrated IMS back station 20 (…). Figure 4 The device is marked as Home Backpacker 2 (EPC) and sends a request to obtain the subscription data and authentication vector of the second user terminal UE2.

[0043] Upon receiving the request, the HSS functional entity of the second integrated IMS back station 20, after verifying the legitimacy of the request, retrieves the subscription information and authentication information of the second user terminal UE2 from its database and returns it to the MME of the first integrated IMS back station 10. After receiving this information, the MME of the access station performs a standard authentication process with the second user terminal UE2. Upon successful authentication, the MME establishes a bearer for the second user terminal UE2 in the access network and sends it an attach success message, informing it that it has successfully accessed the network.

[0044] After attaching to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) layer, UE2, the second user terminal, needs to register with IMS to use IMS services. UE2 will construct a SIP REGISTER request and send it through the EPC core network it is currently accessing (i.e., through the first integrated IMS backend station 10). According to the home-location routing principle in the 3GPP standard, the IMS registration request of a roaming user must be processed by its home IMS core network. Therefore, the P-CSCF of the first integrated IMS backend station 10, acting as the access gateway, will not process the REGISTER request locally but will forward it to the home IMS core network of UE2.

[0045] At this time, the first integrated IMS back station 10 can also use the mechanism proposed in this application to determine the forwarding address. It can identify the identity of the second user terminal UE2 from the REGISTER request, and then parse its home station ID as "02", then query the corresponding IMS service interconnection address ("172.26.2.1"), and forward the REGISTER request to that address, that is, the IMS core network part of the second integrated IMS back station 20. Figure 4 The middle mark is assigned to the backing station 2 (IMS).

[0046] After receiving the registration request, the IMS core network (specifically its S-CSCF) of the second integrated IMS back station 20 completes the IMS registration process for the second user terminal UE2 and returns the "response" success response to the second user terminal UE2 along the original path (via the first integrated IMS back station 10).

[0047] Thus, although the second user terminal UE2 is physically connected to the network of the first integrated IMS back station 10, its service control and user data are still managed by the second integrated IMS back station 20 to which it belongs. At this time, if the second user terminal UE2 initiates or receives a call, the relevant signaling will still be routed to the home station (20) through the access station 10 for processing, thus realizing seamless roaming communication.

[0048] This embodiment demonstrates that the method proposed in this application is not only applicable to call routing, but also effectively supports network access and service registration in user roaming scenarios. By encoding home information into the user's identity identifier, the access network can automatically discover the user's home network and establish communication, greatly enhancing the flexibility of the distributed system and the user experience.

[0049] Example 3 This embodiment demonstrates how the automatic routing networking method provided in this application can be combined with a wider-area hierarchical network architecture to achieve interconnection between the distributed IMS backpack system and external third-party networks, thereby greatly expanding the application scope and practical value of the system.

[0050] Please see Figure 5 This diagram illustrates a system architecture interconnected with the headquarters network. In this architecture, multiple integrated IMS back-end stations (integrated IMS back-end stations A, B to N, collectively labeled 10 in the diagram) act as regional or edge communication nodes, forming a distributed IMS network. Interoperability between these back-end stations follows the automatic routing mechanism described in Example 1. Furthermore, all these first integrated IMS back-end stations 10 are connected via network links to a logically higher-level central node—the headquarters IMS core network 30. This headquarters IMS core network 30 can be a more powerful and larger-capacity fixed IMS network, responsible for aggregating traffic from all lower-level back-end station systems and acting as a gateway for interaction between the entire private network and external networks. As shown, the headquarters IMS core network 30 further interconnects with a third-party network 40, which can be a public land mobile network, a public switched telephone network, or other enterprise communication networks.

[0051] To enable communication with external networks, a default routing rule needs to be configured on each first integrated IMS back station 10. This rule defines how to handle situations where the destination address of a call request cannot be resolved within the local distributed system. Specifically, for any called number whose valid internal network element ID cannot be resolved according to the preset number-ID mapping rule, the call request will be forwarded to the preset address of the headquarters IMS core network 30.

[0052] The following is combined Figure 6 The signaling interaction timing diagram describes in detail the process of a user located under the coverage of a back station calling a public telephone number.

[0053] Assume the first user terminal UE1 (for ease of explanation, Figure 6 The UE (Unified label) belongs to a certain integrated IMS back station ( Figure 6 The middle mark is the carrying station, corresponding to Figure 5Any of the backpack stations 10 in the system, such as backpack station A. The user wants to call a public mobile phone number, such as "139xxxxxxxx".

[0054] User terminal (1) constructs a SIP INVITE request, in which the called number is “139xxxxxxxx”, and sends it to its home base station 10. After receiving the request, the IMS core network of base station 10 attempts to parse the called number “139xxxxxxxx”. However, since “139xxxxxxxx” is a public network number, its format is completely different from the internal number format, and the parsing unit cannot parse out any known and valid internal base station network element ID from it according to the internal number mapping rules (such as the suffix rules in embodiment 1).

[0055] At this point, the event that cannot resolve a valid ID will trigger the preset default routing rule. The routing unit of the back station 10 determines that this is a call that needs to be routed to the external network, so it directly forwards the SIP INVITE request to the pre-configured signaling address of the headquarters IMS core network 30.

[0056] The headquarters IMS core network 30 receives a call request from the subordinate backup station 10. As a fully functional IMS core network, it has the ability to route and interconnect with various external networks. It analyzes the called number "139xxxxxxxx", identifies that it belongs to a certain mobile operator, and then routes the call request to the corresponding third-party network 40 through its interconnection interface with the third-party network 40 (i.e., the mobile operator's network) (such as the Border Gateway Control Function IBCF).

[0057] After receiving the call, the third-party network 40 completes the paging and call setup process for the called user within its internal system. Subsequent call setup signaling, such as ringing and answering messages, will return step by step along the reverse path, namely "third-party network 40 -> headquarters IMS core network 30 -> first integrated IMS back station 10 -> user terminal (1)". When the call is successfully established, the RTP media streams of both the calling and called parties will also be transmitted through this path.

[0058] In this way, the distributed networking scheme proposed in this application can be smoothly integrated into a larger network architecture. Calls within the local distributed system are resolved in a closed loop through an efficient automatic routing mechanism, while calls requiring external communication are reported to the headquarters network for processing through a unified default route exit. This hierarchical routing strategy ensures both the efficiency and autonomy of internal communication and provides openness to connect with the outside world, greatly enhancing the practicality and value of the entire system.

[0059] Example 4 This embodiment aims to illustrate that the core idea of ​​this application, namely the "forced mapping relationship" between user numbers and the network element ID of the home support station, can be implemented in various ways. Essentially, as long as the calling support station can obtain the network element ID of its home support station from the called number through a certain method, automatic routing can be achieved.

[0060] Option 1: Prefix field encoding scheme As an optional implementation, the network element ID can be encoded in the prefix or middle field of the user number. For example, a number format can be defined as "area code-station number-user number". Assuming "800" is the dedicated area code for this distributed system, the "station number" field is used to carry the two-digit back station network element ID, and the "user number" is the unique user number within the station.

[0061] Following the settings of Embodiment 1, the network element ID of the first integrated IMS back station 10 is "01", and the network element ID of the second integrated IMS back station 20 is "02". Therefore, the number of the first user terminal UE1 belonging to back station 1 can be planned as "800-01-1101"; and the number of the second user terminal UE2 belonging to back station 2 is "800-02-2202".

[0062] Under this scheme, when the first integrated IMS back station 10 receives a call request with a destination address of "800-02-2202", the resolution rules of its resolution unit are adjusted accordingly: first, it checks whether the number prefix is ​​"800" to confirm that it is an internal call, and then extracts the second segment of the number as the network element ID of the called home station. In this example, it will extract "02". The subsequent judgment and routing logic are exactly the same as in Embodiment 1: comparing "02" with its own ID "01", it is determined to be a cross-site call, and then it queries the IMS service interoperability address ("172.26.2.1") corresponding to ID "02" and forwards the call there.

[0063] Option 2: Table lookup mapping scheme based on number resolution server Alternatively, in scenarios where it is undesirable or inconvenient to directly modify the user's number structure, an indirect mapping method can be adopted, namely by deploying a lightweight number resolution server.

[0064] In this solution, one or more number resolution servers will be deployed within the system (for redundancy). Each server maintains a mapping table that records the correspondence between user number ranges and their associated network element IDs. For example, this mapping table can be configured as follows: - Number range “601000” - “601999” -> Belongs to network element ID “01” - Number range “602000” - “602999” -> Belongs to network element ID “02” Each integrated IMS back station is configured with the address of the number resolution server. When the first integrated IMS back station 10 receives a call request with the call number "602202", the processing flow is as follows: 1. The resolution unit of the first integrated IMS back station 10 uses the called number "602202" as a query parameter and initiates a query request to the preset number resolution server. 2. After receiving the query request, the number resolution server searches its internal mapping table and finds that the number "602202" falls within the number range of "602000-602999". Therefore, it returns the home station network element ID "02" corresponding to this number range as the query result. 3. The resolution unit of the first integrated IMS back station 10 receives the returned network element ID "02". 4. The subsequent process is completely consistent with that of Embodiment 1. The routing unit compares "02" with its own ID "01" and determines it to be a cross-site call. Then it queries the IMS service interoperability address corresponding to ID "02" and forwards the call to the second integrated IMS back station 20.

[0065] Understandably, while this table-based mapping scheme adds a network interaction step, its advantage lies in the centralized management of the mapping relationship between numbers and IDs. When it is necessary to adjust number allocation, add a backup station, or modify the network element ID, only the mapping table of the central number resolution server needs to be updated, without modifying the resolution logic of each backup station. Therefore, it has certain advantages in terms of flexibility and maintainability.

[0066] In summary, whether the ID is directly encoded into the number structure or queried through an external server, the essence is to establish a deterministic and automatically executed "forced mapping relationship" from the called number to the home station's network element ID. These different implementation methods all fall within the scope of the technical solution proposed in this application, demonstrating the universality and flexibility of the method presented in this application.

[0067] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects: 1. Enables automatic routing, simplifying network configuration and maintenance. By establishing a mandatory mapping relationship between the network element ID of the back station and the user number, any network node can determine the target route for a call simply through number resolution. There is no need to configure and maintain a complex global routing table, which greatly reduces the complexity of system deployment and operation and maintenance. It is particularly suitable for scenarios that require rapid and dynamic networking, such as emergency communication.

[0068] 2. Enhanced system scalability and communication capabilities. This automatic routing mechanism enables multiple backpack stations to work seamlessly together, easily achieving cross-site calls and user roaming, effectively expanding communication coverage and system capacity, and enhancing the overall communication capabilities and flexibility of the system.

[0069] 3. Enhance system openness. By setting default routing rules, calls that cannot be resolved on the local area network are uniformly reported to the headquarters network, which can easily achieve interoperability with third-party networks such as public telecommunications networks, further expanding the application scope and practical value of the system.

[0070] It is understood that the same or similar parts in the above embodiments can be referred to each other, and the contents not described in detail in some embodiments can be referred to the same or similar contents in other embodiments.

[0071] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means at least two.

[0072] Any process or method description in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the invention includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, as will be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of the invention pertain.

[0073] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods implementing the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0075] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this invention can be integrated into a single processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a single module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The aforementioned storage medium can be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0076] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0077] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic routing and networking method for a distributed IMS system, applied to a communication system comprising multiple integrated IMS backpack stations, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Each integrated IMS backpack station in the communication system is pre-configured with a unique network element ID, and a mandatory mapping relationship is established between the user number and the network element ID of the backpack station, as well as between the network element ID of the backpack station and the IMS service interconnection network address. When any calling user's home station receives an initial call request, the called user's number in the initial call request is extracted and parsed, so as to obtain the network element ID of the called user's home station according to the forced mapping relationship between the user number and the home station's network element ID. The calling back station determines whether the network element ID of the called back station is the same as its own network element ID; If the determination result is negative, the calling back station will find the IMS service interconnection network address corresponding to the network element ID of the called back station according to the forced mapping relationship between the back station network element ID and the IMS service interconnection network address, and route the initial call request to the IMS service interconnection network address. as well as If the determination result is yes, the calling station will directly route the initial call request to the called user within the station.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mandatory mapping relationship between the user number and the network element ID of the home station is achieved by encoding the network element ID into a preset field of the user number.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preset field is either a prefix field or a suffix field of the user number.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mandatory mapping relationship between the user number and the network element ID of the home station is achieved by deploying a number resolution server in the network, which stores a mapping table between user number ranges and network element IDs.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The forced mapping relationship between the backpack station network element ID and the IMS service interconnection network address is as follows: for a backpack station with network element ID X, its IMS service interconnection network address is an IP address generated based on the network element ID X according to a preset rule.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the calling back station cannot resolve a valid network element ID from the called user's number, it forwards the initial call request to a preset headquarters IMS core network.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The user number is the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) or the Mobile International Subscriber Number (MSISDN).

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The integrated IMS backpack stations forward the initial call request to each other via the Mw interface.

9. An automatic routing and networking device for a distributed IMS system, applied to an integrated IMS backpack station, characterized in that, include: The configuration unit is used to store the unique network element ID configured for the integrated IMS back station, as well as the forced mapping relationship between the user number and the network element ID of the back station, and between the network element ID of the back station and the IMS service interconnection network address. The receiving unit is used to receive an initial call request; The parsing unit is used to extract and parse the called user number in the initial call request, so as to obtain the network element ID of the called back station to which the called user belongs according to the forced mapping relationship; The routing unit is used to determine whether the network element ID of the called back station is the same as its own network element ID, and if the determination result is not, to find the IMS service interconnection network address corresponding to the network element ID of the called back station according to the forced mapping relationship, and then to route the initial call request to the IMS service interconnection network address; and, if it is determined that the network element ID of the called back station is the same as its own network element ID, to directly route the initial call request to the called user within the station.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The routing unit is also used for: When the parsing unit is unable to parse a valid network element ID from the called user number, it forwards the initial call request to a preset headquarters IMS core network.

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