System and method for out-sourcing the functionality of session initiation protocol (SIP) user agents to proxies
First Claim
1. A session initiation protocol (SIP) system for communications between a client and at least one networked appliance, comprising:
- a user agent server (UAS) processor connected to said appliance so as to relay commands to said appliance and receive status information from said appliance;
a user agent client (UAC) processor having the capacity to send SIP command messages intended for said appliance to said UAS processor over a communications network and to receive over the communications network status information messages about said appliance from said UAS processor, said UAS processor translating received SIP commands into commands recognized by the appliance and translating information provided by said appliance into SIP status messages for transmission over the communications network to said UAC processor; and
a network appliance system proxy server (Proxy) located between the UAC and the UAS for receiving and conveying information between them; and
wherein the UAS processor does use address mapping capability for handling at least some of the messages to and from the appliances; and
wherein Proxy has address mapping capability to direct said at least some messages through the appropriate UAS processor to the appliance to which they are addressed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is used to communicate with Network-capable appliances. In a system employing SIP, a remote user agent client (UAC) sends a message over the Internet via a Proxy server to a user agent server at the location of the appliances, e.g., the client'"'"'s home. This communications channel allows the client to control the appliances and to determine their status. The Proxy server between the UAC and a plurality of UAS processors has the address mapping, authentication, authorization and/or translation functions out-sourced from the UAS processors to the Proxy server connected to them.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A session initiation protocol (SIP) system for communications between a client and at least one networked appliance, comprising:
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a user agent server (UAS) processor connected to said appliance so as to relay commands to said appliance and receive status information from said appliance;
a user agent client (UAC) processor having the capacity to send SIP command messages intended for said appliance to said UAS processor over a communications network and to receive over the communications network status information messages about said appliance from said UAS processor, said UAS processor translating received SIP commands into commands recognized by the appliance and translating information provided by said appliance into SIP status messages for transmission over the communications network to said UAC processor; and
a network appliance system proxy server (Proxy) located between the UAC and the UAS for receiving and conveying information between them; and
wherein the UAS processor does use address mapping capability for handling at least some of the messages to and from the appliances; and
wherein Proxy has address mapping capability to direct said at least some messages through the appropriate UAS processor to the appliance to which they are addressed. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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2. A session initiation protocol (SIP) system for communications between a client and at least one networked appliance, comprising:
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a user agent server (UAS) processor connected to said appliance so as to relay commands to said appliance and receive status information from said appliance;
a user agent client (UAC) processor having the capacity to send SIP command messages intended for said appliance to said UAS processor over a communications network and to receive status information messages over the communications network about said appliance from said UAS processor, said UAS processor translating received SIP commands into commands recognized by the appliance and translating information provided by said appliance into SIP status messages for transmission over the communications network to said UAC processor; and
a network appliance system proxy server (Proxy) located between the UAC and the UAS for receiving and conveying information between them; and
wherein the UAS processors do not use at least some message authentication capabilities; and
wherein the Proxy has authentication capabilities for the appliances connected to the UAS processors which are in turn connected to the Proxy, said authentication capabilities acting to assure that the message directed to an appliance is from an authorized client. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for communications between a client and at least one networked appliance using session initiated protocol (SIP), comprising the steps of:
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using a user agent client (UAC) processor to send SIP command messages intended for said appliance over a communications network to a Proxy server;
receiving the command message in the Proxy server;
using address mapping capability in said Proxy server to direct at least some messages to a user agent server (UAS) processor associated with said appliance;
receiving a message from said Proxy server at the UAS processor associated with said appliance; and
using said UAS processor to translating received SIP commands into commands recognized by the appliance. - View Dependent Claims (12, 16)
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13. A method for communications between a client and at least one networked appliance using session initiated protocol (SIP), comprising the steps of:
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using a user agent client (UAC) processor to send SIP command messages intended for said appliance over a communications network to a Proxy server;
receiving the command message in the Proxy server;
using authentication capability in said Proxy server to assure that the message directed to an appliance is from an a authentic client;
receiving a message from said Proxy server at the UAS processor associated with said appliance; and
using said UAS processor to translating received SIP commands into commands recognized by the appliance.
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14. A method for communications between a client and at least one networked appliance using session initiated protocol (SIP), comprising the steps of:
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using a user agent client (UAC) processor to send SIP command messages intended for said appliance over a communications network to a Proxy server;
receiving the command message in the Proxy server;
using authorization capability in said Proxy server to assure that the message directed to an appliance is contains commands authorized for the client;
receiving only authorized messages from said Proxy server at the UAS processor associated with said appliance; and
using said UAS processor to translating received SIP commands into commands recognized by the appliance.
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15. A method for communications between a client and at least one networked appliance using session initiated protocol (SIP), comprising the steps of:
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using a user agent client (UAC) processor to send SIP command messages intended for said appliance over a communications network to a Proxy server;
receiving the command message in the Proxy server;
using translation capability in said Proxy server to assure that a command in the message directed to an appliance is in a form that the appliance can interpret;
receiving a message from said Proxy server at the UAS processor associated with said appliance; and
using said UAS processor to translating received SIP commands into commands recognized by the appliance.
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Specification