Systems and methods for registering a client device in a data communication system

Abstract

A two-way wireless communication system comprises a central authority in communication with a plurality of client devices via both a circuit switched data communication system and a packet switched data communication system. The packet switched communication system can assign packet switched network addresses to the client devices dynamically. Therefore, the central authority can be configured to send a circuit switched message, through the circuit switched data network, to a client device requesting the client device to register with the central authority through the packet switched data network

1 . A communication system, comprising:
 a circuit switch network;   a packet switch data network configured to assign network addresses in a dynamic fashion;   a client device configured to send and receive packet switched and circuit switched communications over the packet switched data network and the circuit switch data network, respectively; and   a central authority configured to send a circuit switch message to the client device through the circuit switched data network requesting that the client device register with the central authority through the packet switch network,   wherein the central authority is further configured to send a new circuit switch message to the client device if the client device has not communicated with the central authority for a predetermined time.   
     
     
         2 . A central authority comprising circuit switched data communication capability and packet switched data communication capability, the central authority configured to send a circuit switch message to a client device through a circuit switched data network requesting that the client device register with the central authority through a packet switch network, and wherein the central authority is further configured to transmit a new circuit switch message to the client device if the client device has not communicated with the central authority for a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         3 . The central authority of  claim 2 , wherein the circuit switch message sent to the client device is a short message service message. 
     
     
         4 . The central authority of  claim 2 , further configured to receive a packet switched registration message from the client device in response to the circuit switched message sent to the client device. 
     
     
         5 . The central authority of  claim 4 , further configured to extract a packet data network address associated with the client device from the packet switch registration message received from the client device. 
     
     
         6 . The central authority of  claim 5 , further comprising a data base configured to store information related to the client device, and wherein the central authority is configured to update the information stored in the data base based on information contained in the received packet switched registration message. 
     
     
         7 . The central authority of  claim 6 , further configured to update the information stored in the data base based on the packet data network address extracted from the received packet switch registration message. 
     
     
         8 . The central authority of  claim 7 , further configured to send a message to the client device using the packet data network address stored in the data base. 
     
     
         9 . The central authority of  claim 2 , further configured to send the circuit switched message to the client device using a circuit switched network identifier associated with the client device. 
     
     
         10 . The central authority of  claim 9 , wherein the circuit switched network identifier is a mobile identification number associated with the client device. 
     
     
         11 . The central authority of  claim 2 , further comprising a shared secret that is shared between the client device and the central authority, wherein the shared secret is used for authentication. 
     
     
         12 . The central authority of  claim 11 , further configured to encrypt the circuit switched message sent to the client device using the shared secret. 
     
     
         13 . The central authority of  claim 2 , further comprising a random or pseudo-random number generator, and wherein the circuit switched message sent to the client device includes a random or pseudo-random number generated by the random or pseudo-random number generator. 
     
     
         14 . The central authority of  claim 13 , further configured to encrypt the circuit switched message sent to the client device using a random or pseudo-random number generated by the random or pseudo-random number generator. 
     
     
         15 . The central authority of  claim 2 , further configured to receive a packet switched registration message from the client device in response to the circuit switch message sent to the client device, and wherein the central authority is further configured to extract an authentication factor from the packet switched registration message received from the client device.