Enhanced service delivery platform that provides a common framework for use by IMS and Web applications in delivering services

Abstract

A system for supporting Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) applications, Web based applications, and converged IMS/Web based applications that use a service delivery network includes an application services middle layer between the applications and the service delivery network that includes a plurality of common components that are usable by the different applications to provide services over the service delivery network.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams that illustrate the evolution of IMS based service delivery systems and Web based service delivery systems, respectively;

FIG. 3 is a diagram that illustrates an enhanced Service Delivery Platform (eSDP) in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram that illustrates the eSDP of FIG. 3 in greater detail in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A-5M illustrate various components of the eSDP in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are flowcharts that illustrate operations for determining what services are provided by the components comprising the eSDP and providing services over a service delivery network, respectively, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for supporting Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) applications, Web based applications, and converged IMS/Web based applications that use a service delivery network, comprising: an application services middle layer between the applications and the service delivery network that comprises a plurality of common components that are usable by the different applications to provide services over the service delivery network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the different applications comprise both third party applications and network service provider applications.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the common components provides a service to at least one application in support of the application's interaction with one or more end users.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a unified directory component that is configured to store and manage an applications services middle layer information model.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the unified directory component comprises: an identity management sub-component that is configured to support the creation and management of digital identities used for user authentication and assignment of rights and privileges to individuals within a subscription;a profile management sub-component that is configured to allow access to and manage common user data within the information model;a subscription management sub-component that is configured to provide access to and to manage subscriber information within the information model;a services support sub-component that is configured to manage and provide access to information about service providers, service features, service availability, and/or service metadata;a security support sub-component that is configured to create and maintain user and device authentication, integrity, and/or ciphering data;a session management support sub-component that is configured to support call and/or session establishment procedures; anda policy support sub-component that is configured to provide rules governing the user and delivery of the services.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a content services component that is configured to control content acquisition and delivery of the content to subscribers of content services.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the content services component comprises: a content management sub-component that is configured to manage the life cycle of content objects; anda digital rights management sub-component that is configured to control consumption of digital media objects by allowing content providers to express usage rights.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a session management component that is configured to manage the orchestration, interaction, and delivery of the services during a subscribed session.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the session management component comprises: a converged services management sub-component that is configured to manage an integration session context comprising a plurality of service types;a mobility management sub-component that is configured to enable roaming for an end user by providing hand-off of applications that are in progress; anda service policy management component that is configured to determine service characteristics based on defined rules.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a location services component that is configured to aggregate information about a physical/geographic location of a user, device, network, and/or network entity.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a notification services component that is configured to send notices to users and/or devices on demand, at a defined time, and/or on a scheduled basis.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a presence services component that is configured to aggregate user and/or device availability information across applications, devices, and/or networks.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a security component that is configured to manage security associated with delivery of the services.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the security component comprises: an authentication/authorization sub-component that is configured to authenticate users and to authorize the users to invoke the applications and/or the services;a single sign on sub-component that is configured to enable users to be authenticated across multiple services and/or applications; anda security policy management sub-component that is configured to manage policies and/or rules associated with user and/or device authentication and/or authorization.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a service creation component that is configured to support the definition, creation, and/or registering of the services.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the service creation component comprises a service definition/packaging sub-component that is configured to define and/or package the services for presentation and consumption.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a service provisioning component that is configured to create an instance of a registered service for a particular subscriber.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the service provisioning component comprises a provisioning request management sub-component that is configured to create a service instance based on a service catalog.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a performance management component that is configured to ensure that the services are delivered according to a particular quality of service (QoS).

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the performance management component comprises: a QoS event collection sub-component that is configured to detect and collect information on QoS violations; anda resource management sub-component that is configured to manage resources used to deliver the services.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a partner management component that is configured to manage the access of third parties to the applications, services, and/or common components.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the partner management component comprises: a partner services sub-component that is configured to control and/or audit access to the applications, services, and/or common components; anda third party interface sub-component that is configured to provide binding of third party applications to the applications and/or common components.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a usage data collection component that is configured to collect and aggregate information on usage of the services.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the usage data collection component comprises a usage/events collection sub-component that is configured to capture user and/or network events.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of common components comprises a gateways component that is configured to provide access to services on other networks and/or to subscriber devices.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the gateways component comprises: a circuit switched access sub-component that is configured to provide connectivity to public switched telephone network (PSTN) services;an advanced intelligent network (AIN) access sub-component that is configured to provide connectivity to PSTN signaling system seven (SS7) services; anda devices services sub-component that is configured to allow the subscriber devices to access the applications and/or services.

27. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to provide the application services middle layer recited in claim 1.

28. A method of providing services for an application middle layer between Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) applications, Web based applications, and converged IMS/Web based applications and a service delivery network, comprising: determining common services used by the different applications;abstracting the common services to provide a common interface to the services to the different applications; andincorporating the abstracted common services into the application middle layer as a plurality of common components.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the different applications comprise both third party applications and network service provider applications.

30. A method of delivering services over a service delivery network, comprising: providing an application services middle layer between Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) applications, Web based applications, and converged IMS/Web based applications and the service delivery network that comprises a plurality of common components; andmaking use of the plurality of common components by the different applications to provide services via the service delivery network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the different applications comprise both third party applications and network service provider applications.