Method for providing IP telephony with QoS using end-to-end RSVP signaling

• US 20020041590A1
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Donovan, Steven R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,369,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1275 Methods and means to improve the telephone service quality, e.g. reservation, prioritisation or admission control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method whereby the separate protocols: session initiation protocol SIP. resource reservation protocol RSVP. common open policy service COPS. and open settlement protocol OSP are used together to setup. maintain. and teardown Internet communications having an acceptable QoS. This process is accomplished by dynamically establishing RSVP policy based on SIP telephony requests to provide IP communications with QoS across the Internet. The QoS policy is installed in network elements at the request of the network elements. The network elements receive a RSVP PATH or RESV request and queries the policy server; the policy server queries a Local database about ID and services for the user and a clearinghouse server (if available) or a policy server in a corresponding network; upon positive acknowledgement from the local database and/or the clearinghouse server. the policy server confirms policy in network elements to accept RSVP PATH and RESV requests for the particular reserved data flow to the SIP client. In this manner, the called telephone will not ring until policy has been provisioned in the network elements and resources have been reserved end-to-end to ensure an acceptable level of QoS.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing quality of service in an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony session between a calling party and a called party, comprising:

a calling party station;

a first device coupled to the calling party station, the first device having IP capability;

a first session initiation protocol client coupled to the first device;

a first session initiation protocol proxy server coupled to the first session initiation protocol client;

a second session initiation protocol proxy server coupled to the first session initiation protocol proxy server;

a second device coupled to the second session initiation protocol proxy server, the second device having IP capability; and

a called party station coupled to the second device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first device is a router.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second device is a router.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first session initiation protocol client is configured to generate a first session initiation protocol call setup request with quality of service.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first session initiation protocol client is configured to transport the first session initiation protocol call request to the first session initiation protocol proxy server.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a remote policy server.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a client policy server.

8. A method for providing quality of service in an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony session between a calling party and a called party, comprising:

providing transporting IP media for the IP telephony session between the calling party and a first device having IP capability;

providing transporting IP media for the IP telephony session between the called party and a second device having IP capability;

establishing an IP connection between the first device and the second device; and

reserving network resources for the IP telephony session, reserving network resources including;

generating, at a first session initiation protocol client, a first session initiation protocol call setup request with quality of service;

transporting the first session initiation protocol call setup request to a first session initiation protocol proxy server.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first device is a router.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein reserving network resources for the IP telephony session is achieved via a resource reservation protocol.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein reserving network resources for the IP telephony session further comprises notifying the first session initiation protocol client of the call progress.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating, at the first session initiation protocol proxy server, a second session initiation protocol call setup request with quality of service; and

transporting the second session initiation protocol call setup request to a second session initiation protocol proxy server.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

provisioning policy by a remote policy server in the second device and the second session initiation protocol proxy server.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

provisioning policy by a client policy server in the first device and the first session initiation protocol proxy server upon successful provisioning of policy in the second device and the second session initiation protocol proxy server; and

notifying the session initiation protocol client of the call progress.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

installing quality of service in a remote local area network using a remote subnet bandwidth manage and the second device;

informing the first device of the quality of service installation in the remote local area network;

installing quality of service in a client local area network using a client subnet bandwidth manage and the first device;

confirming and acknowledging the call progress; and

establishing real-time transfer protocol (RTP) streaming.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one network element is an edge router.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the installing the quality of service policy is performed before the called terminal signals a reception of an incoming call.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the installing the quality of service policy further includes the steps of sending a decision message to a common outsourcing policy service from the policy server to an edge router.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending a reservation confirmation message from the called terminal to the calling terminal upon completion of the installation of quality of service in the at least one network element.

16. A method for installing quality of service policy in a network for an internet protocol (IP) telephone call between a calling terminal and a called terminal, comprising:

receiving a request for resource reservation from the calling terminal by at least one network element in the network;

querying a policy server for installing the quality of service policy by the at least one network element; and

installing the quality of service policy in the at least one network element to accept resource reservation for the call.