Open control plane function for wireless networks

A method of sending one or more signaling messages generated in a mobile network, the mobile network comprising a separate control plane and user plane, the control plane comprising at least one control function, the at least one control function generating the one or more signaling messages, the one or more signaling messages transmitted to an application, the application external to the control plane and operated by a mobile operator or a third-party service provider, the method, as implemented in an Open Control Plane Function (OCPF) comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a first registration message from the at least one control function and, upon receipt of the first registration message, registering the one control function in the OCPF;
• (b) receiving a second registration message from the application and, upon receipt of the second registration message, registering the application in the OCPF, the registering allowing the application to receive and/or modify the one or more signaling messages originating from the at least one control function, the one or more signaling messages pertaining to a group of users of the mobile network;
• (c) receiving from the control function a given signaling message and, upon receiving the given signaling message, control function suspending normal signaling message process for the group of users;
• (d) relaying the given signaling message to the application, wherein the application either generates a new signaling message or modifies the given signaling message to form a modified signaling message in response to the received given signaling message;
• (e) receiving the new signaling message or the modified signaling message from the application;
• (f) relaying the new signaling message or the modified signaling message to the control function;
• wherein the control function receives the new signaling message or the modified signaling message and resumes normal signaling message process with the received new signaling message or the modified signaling message for the group of users.

A control function of the control plane of the mobile operator, the control function comprising:

• (a) a first registration interface to register a plurality of external applications;
• (b) a first database storing information on the plurality of external applications;
• (c) a second registration interface to register a plurality of control functions;
• (d) a second database storing information on the plurality of control functions;
• (e) a subfunction receiving a service request of the external application for handling certain signaling messages of each of the plurality of control functions;
• (f) a third database storing the service request of each the external application for each message type;
• (g) a first control messaging interface to communicate with the plurality of external applications;
• (h) a second control messaging interface to communicate with the plurality of control functions;
• and
• (i) a control message processor to manage the state of each signaling message that is in the processing by said external application.

An article of manufacture comprising non-transitory computer storage medium storing computer readable program code which, when executed by a processor implements a method as implemented in an Open Control Plane Function (OCPF) of sending one or more signaling messages generated in a mobile network, the mobile network comprising a separate control plane and user plane, the control plane comprising at least one control function, the at least one control function generating the one or more signaling messages, the one or more signaling messages transmitted to an application, the application external to the control plane and operated by a mobile operator or a third-party service provider, the medium comprising:

• (a) computer readable program code receiving a first registration message from the at least one control function and, upon receipt of the first registration message, registering the one control function in the OCPF;
• (b) computer readable program code receiving a second registration message from the application and, upon receipt of the second registration message, registering the application in the OCPF, the registering allowing the application to receive the one or more signaling messages from the at least one control function, the one or more signaling messages pertaining to a group of users of the mobile network;
• (c) computer readable program code receiving the one or more signaling messages pertaining to the group of users from the at least one control function, the one or more signaling messages received at the at least one control function from the group of users prior to being relayed to the OCPF;
• and
• (d) computer readable program code relaying the one or more signaling messages to the application.