Method, gateway system and arrangement in a communication network

• US 20010034784A1
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Published: 10/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Eriksson, Goran, Holler, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

The present invention relates to multimedia communication between end systems in IP environments and more particularly it relates to the problem that all services concerning processing of media streams are bundled.

The solution, according to the invention is a communications system in which a service is publicly available by any end system via a published Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

Claims

1. A method for controlling processing of streaming media (C1) used in interpersonal communication services, sent from a second end system (B) over an IP network, via a gateway system (S), over the IP network (102) to a first end system (A), by means of the gateway system (S) providing a service of streaming media processing said service being independent of the end user application control, the gateway system (S) comprising a gateway controller (202) having a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) which is known to any potential service user, such that the gateway system (S) is available for external control by any potential service user, through the gateway controller (202), the method comprising the steps of:

the second end system (B) addressing the gateway controller (202) in a first path, for the purpose of controlling the service by configuration and activation, by means of the known URI;

processing the streaming media (C1) in a second path that is separate from the first path, in such a way that the data is processed and forwarded to the first end system (A) continuously without having received the complete media stream (C1) before starting the processing.

2. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein the first end system is the same as the second end system.

3. The method according to any of the claims 1-2, wherein the step of configuring the service is performed by sending a service request message from the first entity (A) to the gateway system (S).

4. The method according to

claim 3

, wherein the service request message comprises information about a type of service required.

5. The method according to

claim 3

, wherein the service request message includes information about the address to which the stream should be sent.

6. The method according to any of the claims 1-2, wherein the step of configuring the service is performed by sending a response message to the service request, from the gateway system (S) to the first entity (A).

7. The method according to

claim 6

, wherein the response message includes address information of the inlet to the gateway (203).

8. The method according to any of the claims 1-7, wherein the step of activating the service is performed by sending a service activation request message from the first entity (A) to the gateway system (S).

9. The method according to any of the claims 1-2, wherein the step of configuration and the step of activation is carried in the same request message.

10. A computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer within an end system or terminal, gateway or gateway system in a multimedia communication system, comprising the software code portions for performing the steps of any of the claims 1-9, when said product is run on a computer.

11. A computer program product stored on a computer usable medium, comprising readable program for causing a computer, within an end system or terminal, gateway or gateway system in a multimedia communication system, to control an execution of the steps of any of the claims 1-9.

12. Communications system (101) for processing streaming media (C1) used in inter-personal communication services, including a first entity (A), a second entity (B) and a service providing gateway system (S) all being connected to an IP network (102) within the communications system (101), characterised in that

the gateway system (S) is adapted to provide a service of streaming media processing, said service being independent of the end user application control, the first entity (A), the second entity (B) and the gateway system (S),

the gateway system (S) has means for processing a streaming media (C1), sent from the first entity (A) via the IP network (102) to the second entity (B), in such a way that the data is processed and forwarded to the first end system (A) continuously without having received the complete media stream (C1) before starting the processing

the gateway system (S) comprises a gateway controller (202) adapted to control the service by configuration and activation, said controller having a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) which is known to any potential service user, including the first entity (A), such that the gateway system (S) is available for control by any potential service user, through the gateway controller (202).

13. The communications system (101) according to

claim 12

characterised by the first entity (A) having means for configuring the service.

14. The communications system (101) according to

claim 13

characterised by the first entity (A) having means for performing the configuration by sending a service request message to the gateway system (S).

15. The communications system (101) according to

claim 12

characterised by the gateway system (S) having means for sending a response message to the first entity (A)

16. The communications system (101) according to any of the claims 12-15 characterised by the first entity having means for activating the service.

17. The communications system (101) according to

claim 16

characterised by the first entity (A) having means for sending an activating request message to the gateway system (S).

18. The communications system (101) according to any of the claims 12-17 characterised by the gateway system (S) having means for processing the media stream.

19. Gateway system (201) connected to an IP network, the gateway system (201) offering a service of processing a media stream (C1) sent between end systems connected to the IP network, the gateway system (201) including a gateway (203) having means (204) for processing the media stream (C1) sent from a first end system via the IP network, the gateway system (201) further including a gateway controller (202) managing the gateway (203) and having a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) characterised in that the gateway system (201) is known to any potential service user, including the first end system, via the URI of the gateway controller (202) and the gateway system (201) further has means for being configured by any of the potential service users.

20. Gateway system (201) according

claim 19

characterised by the gateway controller (202) having means for performing the configuration by receiving a service request from the end system.

21. Gateway system (201) according

claim 19

characterised by the gateway controller (202) having means for performing the configuration by sending a response message to the end system.

22. Gateway system (201) according

claim 19

characterised by having means for activating the service.

23. Gateway system (201) according

claim 22

characterised by the gateway controller (202) having means for performing the activation of the service by receiving a service activation request from the end system.