Bridging user agent and a proxy server for supporting network services

• US 20030097447A1
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, Alan B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/902 Packet switching

Abstract

An approach for providing voice processing over a packet switched network is disclosed. A communication system includes a special forking proxy server that receives a message for establishing a session between a calling user agent and a called user agent. The message has a first payload corresponding to a first call leg. The system also includes a bridging user agent that communicates with the first network element and generates a response that contains the first payload and a second payload that corresponds to a second call leg. The bridging user agent is configured to bridge the first call leg and the second call leg to establish a session between the calling user agent and the called user agent. The special forking proxy server is configured to fork an acknowledgement message from the calling party to acknowledge the session establishment by the called user agent. The present invention has particular applicability to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) IP (Internet Protocol) telephony services.

Claims

1. A method for supporting voice processing over a packet switched network, the method comprising:

receiving a message for establishing a session between a calling user agent and a called user agent; and

establishing the session via a network element configured to bridge a first call leg and a second call leg associated with the calling user agent and the called user agent, respectively, wherein the establishing step comprises,

forking a message acknowledging establishment of the session from the calling user agent.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the message for session establishment has a first payload corresponding to the first call leg, the establishing step further comprising:

forwarding the message for session establishment to the network element;

receiving a first response from the network element, the response containing the first payload and a second payload that corresponds to the second call leg;

transmitting another message that contains the second payload to the called user agent;

receiving a second response that contains the second payload from the called user agent; and

forwarding the second response to the calling user agent.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the forking step comprises:

generating a plurality of acknowledgement messages, one of the plurality of acknowledgement messages being sent to the network element, the one acknowledgement message containing the second payload, another one of the plurality of acknowledgement messages being sent to the called user agent.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message for terminating the session from the called user agent, the message for terminating the session being associated with the first call leg; and

forwarding another message for terminating the session associated with the second call leg to the network element.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the message for establishing the session in the receiving step conforms with a Session Initiation Protocol.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network element in the establishing step supports at least one of an anonymizer service, a Codec Conversion service, a network bridging service, and a firewall service.

7. A communication system for providing voice processing over a packet switched network, the communication system comprising:

a first network element configured to receive a message for establishing a session between a calling user agent and a called user agent, the message having a first payload corresponding to a first call leg; and

a second network element configured to communicate with the first network element and to generate a response that contains the first payload and a second payload that corresponds to a second call leg,

wherein the second network element is configured to bridge the first call leg and the second call leg to establish a session between the calling user agent and the called user agent, and the first network element is configured to fork an acknowledgement message from the calling party to acknowledge the session establishment by the called user agent.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein first network element and the second network element are configured to conform with a Session Initiation Protocol.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the second network element comprises a plurality of user agents that are identified by a single address.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein first network element and the second network element support at least one of an anonymizer service, a Codec Conversion service, a network bridging service, and a firewall service.

11. A system according to claim 7, wherein the calling user agent communicates with the second network element over a data network that is separate from the packet switched network.

12. A network apparatus for supporting voice processing over a packet switched network, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a message for establishing a session between a calling user agent and a called user agent; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to establish the session via a bridging user agent that is configured to bridge a first call leg and a second call leg associated with the calling user agent and the called user agent, respectively, wherein the processor is configured to fork a message acknowledging establishment of the session from the calling user agent.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to conform with a Session Initiation Protocol.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the bridging user agent comprises a plurality of user agents that are identified by a single address.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to support at least one of an anonymizer service, a Codec Conversion service, a network bridging service, and a firewall service.

16. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the calling user agent communicates with the bridging user agent over a data network that is separate from the packet switched network.

17. A network apparatus for supporting voice processing over a packet switched network, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a message for establishing a session between a calling user agent and a called user agent from a proxy server; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to establish the session by bridging a first call leg and a second call leg associated with the calling user agent and the called user agent, respectively,

wherein the proxy server is configured to fork a message acknowledging establishment of the session from the calling user agent.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to conform with a Session Initiation Protocol.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to support at least one of an anonymizer service, a Codec Conversion service, a network bridging service, and a firewall service.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

another communication interface configured to communicate with the calling user agent over a data network that is separate from the packet switched network.

21. A network apparatus for providing voice processing over a packet switched network, the network apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a message for establishing a session between a calling user agent and a called user agent; and

means for establishing the session via a network element configured to bridge a first call leg and a second call leg associated with the calling user agent and the called user agent, respectively, wherein the establishing means comprises,

means for forking a message acknowledging establishment of the session from the calling user agent.

22. A network apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the message for session establishment has a first payload corresponding to the first call leg, the establishing means further comprising:

means for forwarding the message for session establishment to the network element;

means for receiving a first response from the network element, the response containing the first payload and a second payload that corresponds to the second call leg;

means for transmitting another message that contains the second payload to the called user agent;

means for receiving a second response that contains the second payload from the called user agent; and

means for forwarding the second response to the calling user agent.

23. A network apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the forking means comprises:

means for generating a plurality of acknowledgement messages, one of the plurality of acknowledgement messages being sent to the network element, the one acknowledgement message containing the second payload, another one of the plurality of acknowledgement messages being sent to the called user agent.

24. A network apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving a message for terminating the session from the called user agent, the message for terminating the session being associated with the first call leg; and

means for forwarding another message for terminating the session associated with the second call leg to the network element.

25. A network apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the message for establishing the session conforms with a Session Initiation Protocol.

26. A network apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the network element supports at least one of an anonymizer service, a Codec Conversion service, a network bridging service, and a firewall service.

27. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for providing voice processing over a packet switched network, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a message for establishing a session between a calling user agent and a called user agent; and

establishing the session via a network element configured to bridge a first call leg and a second call leg associated with the calling user agent and the called user agent, respectively, wherein the establishing step comprises,

forking a message acknowledging establishment of the session from the calling user agent.

28. A computer-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the message for session establishment has a first payload corresponding to the first call leg, the establishing step further comprising:

forwarding the message for session establishment to the network element;

receiving a first response from the network element, the response containing the first payload and a second payload that corresponds to the second call leg;

transmitting another message that contains the second payload to the called user agent;

receiving a second response that contains the second payload from the called user agent; and

forwarding the second response to the calling user agent.

29. A computer-readable medium according to claim 28, wherein the forking step comprises:

generating a plurality of acknowledgement messages, one of the plurality of acknowledgement messages being sent to the network element, the one acknowledgement message containing the second payload, another one of the plurality of acknowledgement messages being sent to the called user agent.

30. A computer-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:

receiving a message for terminating the session from the called user agent, the message for terminating the session being associated with the first call leg; and

forwarding another message for terminating the session associated with the second call leg to the network element.

31. A computer-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the message for establishing the session in the receiving step conforms with a Session Initiation Protocol.

32. A computer-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the network element in the establishing step supports at least one of an anonymizer service, a Codec Conversion service, a network bridging service, and a firewall service.