IMS Public Identity Handling via Profile Key Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current IMS network standards have limitations in handling wildcarded public identities, particularly in supporting different service profiles for distinct identities within a wildcarded identity range, leading to incorrect service profile application and registration challenges.

Innovation Solution

The method involves enhancing the Cx interface to make the profile key mandatory for indicating wildcarded identities, allowing the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) to handle wildcarded information, and the Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) node to rely on the HSS for fetching user/service profiles, avoiding wildcarded/regular expression matching and ensuring correct service profile application.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If wildcarded public identities are used to represent a collection of IMPUs sharing the same service profile, then registration efficiency is improved through single implicit registration, but the ability to assign different service profiles to distinct identities within the wildcarded range is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregistration efficiencyVSAvoidservice profile differentiation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the service profile handling by introducing a profile key parameter that can be associated with specific identities within a wildcarded set. This allows the S-CSCF to retrieve and apply different service profiles for different identities (e.g., president vs. regular employees) while maintaining the wildcarded registration structure, thus resolving the contradiction between registration efficiency and profile differentiation capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies local quality by allowing different service profiles to be assigned to different identities within the same wildcarded public identity range. The profile key mechanism enables specific identities (like the president's identity) to have customized service profiles while other identities in the range use the default wildcarded profile, achieving localized differentiation without breaking the overall wildcarded structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the S-CSCF performs wildcarded/regular expression matching to handle public identities, then routing flexibility is improved, but service profile application accuracy deteriorates when distinct identities have different profiles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting flexibilityVSAvoidservice profile application accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces a profile key as an intermediary element between the wildcarded public identity matching and the service profile application. The profile key is retrieved based on the matched identity and serves as a mediator to select the correct service profile from the HSS, ensuring that wildcarded matching flexibility does not compromise service profile application accuracy for distinct identities

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If all IMPUs within a wIMPU must belong to the same Implicit Registration Set, then registration management is simplified, but individual registration capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregistration management complexityVSAvoidindividual registration capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces dynamic behavior to the registration system by allowing the S-CSCF to individually process and register specific identities within a wildcarded set based on incoming requests. While the HSS maintains the static wildcarded structure for efficient bulk management, the S-CSCF dynamically handles individual registration needs by retrieving appropriate profile keys and applying them, thus enabling both simplified management and individual registration capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2583427B1Method and apparatus for handling public identities in an internet protocol multimedia subsystem network
Publication Date: 2016.06.01 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP2583427B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2583427B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2583427B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention concern methods and apparatuses for handling public identities in an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem, IMS, network A Serving Call Session Control Function, S-CSCF, node (125) receives (601) a message including a public identity If the message does include a profile key with a wildcarded identity, the S-CSCF (125) uses (603) the wildcarded identity received with the profile key to fetch a user/service profile related to the wildcarded identity if the message does not include a profile key with a wildcarded identity, the S-CSCF 125 uses (604) the public identity received in the message to fetch a user/service profile related to the pubic identity.