RCS URL Manipulation for Cross-Network File Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile network operators face challenges in identifying and retrieving Rich Communications Services (RCS) data files when they need to traverse a Network-to-Network Interface (NNI), as existing systems lack efficient mechanisms to determine the originating MNO identity and locate RCS files across different networks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a URL manipulation function that modifies network addresses to indicate the originating and terminating mobile networks, allowing content systems to identify and retrieve RCS data files across NNIs, enabling efficient file transfer and security protocols for cross-network communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If content systems use standard URL retrieval mechanisms, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but the system cannot identify the originating MNO and locate RCS files across different networks
Solution Approach 1:
The URL is segmented into multiple components, with the originating MNO identity embedded as a distinct segment within the URL structure. This allows the content system to extract and identify the originating network without requiring complex additional lookup mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between information completeness and system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The originating MNO identity is preliminarily embedded into the URL before the file retrieval process begins. This preliminary action ensures that the identity information is already available when the content system receives the URL, eliminating the need for subsequent complex queries or lookups to determine cross-network retrieval requirements.
2Productivity
If the system implements cross-network file retrieval with MNO identification, then the productivity of RCS service delivery is improved, but the device complexity increases due to URL manipulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The URL serves as an intermediary that carries the originating MNO identity information from the source network to the content system. This intermediary mechanism enables efficient cross-network file retrieval by embedding necessary identification data directly in the retrieval request, avoiding the need for complex real-time network queries or additional authentication handshakes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter structure of the URL to include MNO identification information. By modifying the URL format to incorporate network identity parameters, the content system can efficiently determine whether cross-network retrieval is needed and process the request accordingly, improving productivity without requiring fundamental system architecture changes.
3Loss of information
If no URL modification is implemented, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the loss of information about originating location prevents successful cross-network file retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The originating MNO identity information is merged directly into the URL structure itself, combining the location identification function with the existing file retrieval mechanism. This merging approach preserves the simplicity of the URL retrieval process while simultaneously solving the information loss problem, as the modified URL contains both the file location and network identity without requiring separate lookup operations.
Data Source
AI summary
When a Rich Communications Services (RCS) data file is to be provided to a terminating user equipment (UE) that is on a different mobile communications network than an originating UE, the network address, or uniform resource locator (URL), of the RCS data file may be modified to indicate that the RCS data file is to traverse a network-to-network interface (NNI). An RCS system on the originating mobile communications network may identify if the terminating UE is on the same or different mobile communications network. If the terminating UE is on a different mobile communications network, then the RCS system may modify the URL to indicate the originating and terminating mobile communications networks and send the URL to an RCS system of the terminating mobile communications network. The modified URL enables retrieval of the RCS data file network by a content system of the terminating mobile communications network.