Application Server Offline User Capability Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for discovering user capabilities in RCS-e telecommunication systems are inefficient, particularly when users are offline or unreachable, leading to inconclusive results and missed opportunities for service discovery and communication.
Innovation Solution
An application server is introduced on the signalling path to provide a response with service tags on behalf of the offline or unreachable user, allowing the discovery of available services even when the user is not registered or reachable, by routing requests through specific communication ports and using service profiles to determine and respond with feature tags.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a peer-to-peer SIP OPTIONS message is sent to discover user capabilities, then real-time capability discovery is achieved, but the system cannot determine capabilities when the user is offline or unreachable
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-registers capability information in the HSS database before the user goes offline. When a capability discovery request arrives for an offline user, the system retrieves the pre-stored capability data from HSS, enabling capability discovery to succeed even when the user is unreachable.
Solution Approach 2:
The HSS acts as an intermediary between the capability discovery request and the user. Instead of directly querying the offline user's device, the system queries the HSS which holds the user's capability information, thereby mediating the discovery process for offline users.
2Measurement precision
If the system waits for user registration before discovering capabilities, then accurate capability information is obtained, but service discovery is delayed and user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Capability information is pre-populated in the HSS during user registration or profile setup. This preliminary action ensures that when capability discovery is needed, the information is already available in the database, eliminating the need to wait for user registration at the time of service discovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares capability information in advance and stores it in HSS as a buffer. This cushioning mechanism ensures that even if user registration is delayed or the user is offline, the capability information is already prepared and available for immediate retrieval, preventing service discovery delays.
3Loss of information
If the Presence Server mechanism is used to discover user capabilities, then comprehensive capability information is obtained, but hardware costs, licensing costs, and network infrastructure costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The HSS, which already exists in the network for user profile management and authentication, is extended to also store and provide capability information. This multi-functional use of the HSS eliminates the need for a separate Presence Server infrastructure, reducing hardware, licensing, and network costs while maintaining capability information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the capability information storage function into the existing HSS database, combining multiple functions (authentication, profiling, and capability management) into a single infrastructure. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate Presence Server hardware and licensing.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is provided for discovering capabilities of a first device communicating with a second device using a telecommunications network. The first and second devices are registered at a service platform. The first and second devices access the service platform through first and second core networks. At the first core network, a request is received from the second device for discovering capabilities of the first device. The first core network determines a first status indicator of the first device. The request is routed from the second device to an application server. The first status indicator of the first device is identified by the application server and a second status indicator of the first device is determined. A response is sent from the application server to the second device, the response containing feature tags describing a set of services supported by the first device.