Transfer device
The user of a mobile station which is prepared to receive information providing services from unspecified IP (Information Providers) accesses a gateway server and performs a pre-registration procedure (S 71 ). When an IP server has information to provide to users, it constructs the information in the form of electronic mail, appends user attribute data, and sends this to the gateway server (S 72 ). Upon receiving electronic mail with attribute data, the gateway server stores the electronic mail in a third mailbox, makes a comparison of the user attributes, and calls the mobile stations of relevant users (S 73 ). A user who has received a call requests a download of the electronic mail from the gateway server (S 74 ). The gateway server sends electronic mail to the mobile station which made the request (S 75 , S 76 ).
1. A transfer device located in a mobile packet communication network (MPN) and interconnecting the MPN with a second, separate network, the transfer device communicating with at least one information provider server via the second network and communicating with a plurality of user terminals via the MPN , the transfer device comprising:
at least one memory; and
a processor in communication with the at least one memory, the processor of the transfer device configured to:
convert communication protocols so that the transfer device being located in the MPN serves as a gateway server to interconnect the MPN with the second network;
register, in the at least one memory of the transfer device, network addresses of the user terminals, corresponding attributes of users of the user terminals and information provider server identification information, wherein the registration solely involves the MPN;
receive, from an information provider server, push-type information and attribute information appended to the push-type information, which is received via the second network and subjected to a communication protocol conversion by the transfer device, the attribute information describing attributes of users which are to receive the push-type information;
compare the attribute information from the information provider server with the registered attributes of users;
determine at least one network addresses of the user terminals to send the push-type information to based on comparing the registered attributes of users with the attribute information;
send a communication start notification signal routing of which solely involves the MPN to make at least one user terminal having the determined network address ready for packet switching with the transfer device before transmitting the push-type information to the at least one user terminal;
determine, based on the information provider server identification information, which party to bill for receiving the push-type information, either an information provider of the information provider server or a respective user of the at least one user terminal; and
at least partly bill the party determined to be billed.
2. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the user attributes are not network addresses for the second network.
3. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the attributes are outside of context of the second network.
4. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the attributes are selected from the group consisting of name, sex, postal address, and birthdate.
5. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein comparing comprises determining whether the attribute information from the information provider server matches at least one registered attribute of the user.
6. The transfer device of claim 5 , wherein determining whether the attribute information from the information provider server matches at least one registered attribute of the user comprises determining whether the attribute information from the information provider server matches a plurality of registered attributes of the user.
7. The transfer device of claim 1 , the processor is further configured to:
register at least one information provider server with the transfer device;
determine whether the information provider server from which the push-type information is received is registered with the transfer device; and
reject the push-type information if the information provider is not registered with the transfer device.
8. The transfer device of claim 7 , wherein rejecting comprises disposing of the push-type information.
9. The transfer device of claim 7 , wherein registering at least one information provider server with the transfer device comprises registering a network address of the respective at least one information provider server.
10. The transfer device of claim 9 , the processor is further configured to detect a network address of the information provider server which sent the push-type information.
11. The transfer device of claim 10 , wherein the network address of the information provider server is received from the information provider server.
12. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the information provider server in the first network follows a first communication protocol,
wherein the plurality of user terminals is in the second network follows a second communication protocol, and
wherein the transfer device comprises a gateway server converting between the first and second communication protocols.
13. The transfer device of claim 12 , wherein the first network comprises an Internet;
wherein the second network comprises a mobile communication network; and
wherein the user terminals comprise mobile terminals.
14. The transfer device of claim 1 , the processor is further configured to transmit at least a portion of the push-type information to the determined network addresses.
15. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the transfer device comprises a gateway server; and
wherein the gateway server sends the communication start notification signal to a packet processing module.
16. The transfer device of claim 15 , wherein the packet processing module sends a communication to the user terminal designated in the communication start notification signal; and
wherein the designated user terminal, in response to receiving the communication from the packet processing module, enters a state of being capable of packet switching with the transfer device.
17. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein receiving the push-type information and the attribute information from the information provider server comprises a one-way communication that is solely used to communicate the attribute information from the information provider server to the transfer device.
18. The transfer device of claim 17 , wherein both the attribute information and the push-type information are pushed from the information provider server to the transfer device in the one way communication.
19. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the attribute information received is selected by the information provider server independent of the transfer device.
20. A method performed by a transfer device being located in a mobile packet communication network (MPN) and interconnecting the MPN with a second, separate network, the transfer device communicating with at least one information provider server via the second network and communicating with a plurality of user terminals via the MPN, the method comprising:
converting communication protocols so that the transfer device being located in the MPN serves as a gateway server to interconnect the MPN with the second network;
registering, in the transfer device, network addresses of the user terminals, corresponding attributes of users of the user terminals and information provider server identification information, wherein the registration solely involves the MPN;
receiving, from an information provider server, push-type information and attribute information appended to the push-type information, which is received via the second network and subjected to a communication protocol conversion by the transfer device, the attribute information describing attributes of users which are to receive the push-type information;
comparing the attribute information from the information provider server with the registered attributes of users;
determining at least one network addresses of the user terminals to send the push-type information to based on comparing the registered attributes of users with the attribute information;
sending a communication start notification signal routing of which solely involves the MPN to make at least one user terminal having the determined network address ready for packet switching with the transfer device before transmitting the push-type information to the at least one user terminal
determining, based on the information provider server identification information, which party to bill for receiving the push-type information, either an information provider of the information provider server or a respective user of the at least one user terminal; and
at least partly billing the party determined to be billed.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the user attributes are not network addresses for the second network.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the attributes are outside of context of the second network.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the attributes are selected from the group consisting of name, sex, postal address, and birth date.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein comparing the attribute information comprises determining whether the attribute information from the information provider server matches at least one registered attribute of the user.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein determining whether the attribute information from the information provider server matches at least one registered attribute of the user comprises determining whether the attribute information from the information provider server matches a plurality of registered attributes of the user.
26. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
registering at least one information provider server with the transfer device;
determining whether the information provider server from which the push-type information is received is registered with the transfer device; and
rejecting the push-type information if the information provider is not registered with the transfer device.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein rejecting comprises disposing of the push-type information.
28. The method of claim 26 , wherein registering at least one information provider server with the transfer device comprises registering a network address of the respective at least one information provider server.
29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising detecting a network address of the information provider server which sent the push-type information.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the network address of the information provider server is received from the information provider server.
31. The method of claim 20 , wherein the information provider server in the first network follows a first communication protocol,
wherein the plurality of user terminals is in the second network follows a second communication protocol, and
wherein the transfer device comprises a gateway server converting between the first and second communication protocols.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the first network comprises an Internet;
wherein the second network comprises a mobile communication network; and
wherein the user terminals comprise mobile terminals.
33. The method of claim 20 , further comprising transmitting at least a portion of the push-type information to the determined network addresses.