Interaction in a communication system

• US 20030169751A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spyder Navigations LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Pistemaa, Marita, Koistinen, Tommi, Pulkka, Pekka
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gateway between two networks of a communication system. A plurality of communication service classes is available for the communication between the networks. In the method a call is routed from a network to another network via the gateway. The type of the call is defined. A gateway controller also determines the communication service class that is to be used for the call. The gateway controller communicates information that associates with the determined service class to the gateway. The communication is based on a communication protocol message that has been adapted to transport said information between the gateway controller and the gateway. The call is then processed based on said information

Claims

1. A method in a communication system, comprising:

routing a call from a first network to a second network via a gateway;

definial the type of the call;

determining in a gateway controller function a communication service class that is to be used for the call;

communicating to the gateway information that associated with the determined communication service class by means of a communication protocol message adapted to transport said information from the gateway controller to the gateway; and

processing the call based on said information received at the gateway.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication service classes comprise at least two quality of service classes.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication protocol message is based on a gateway control protocol.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the protocol is based on ITU-T recommendation No. H.248 which has been extended to include an element that is capable of communicating information regarding the determined service class.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the type of the call is defined to be one of the following:

a voice call;

a modem call;

a fax call;

a data call;

a call for channel associated signalling.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the type of the call is defined based on information from a call type detection function provided in the gateway.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the defining of the type of the call comprises monitoring for a predefined tone in the call signalling.

8. A method as claimed in any of claim 6 or 7, wherein the detection of the type of the call comprises monitoring for a predefined bit pattern.

9. A method as claimed in claims 7 and 8, wherein the type of the call is assumed to be a voice call if neither the predefined tone or predefined bit pattern is detected.

10. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the step of defining the type of the call is based on information that associates with the call and that is available for the gateway controller.

11. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the service class information is contained in a data element included in the protocol message.

12. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the networks is a packet switched data network.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one network is an Internet protocol data network.

14. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the call comprises a voice call between two terminals, the first terminal being connected to the first network and the second terminal being connected to the second network.

15. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the call is classified by a classifier function of the gateway based on the class information received from the gateway controller function.

16. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the protocol message is adapted to transport information that associates with the type of service field of the call.

17. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the protocol message is adapted to transport information that associates with differentiated services codepoint.

18. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the protocol message is adapted to transport information that associates with multi-protocol label switched/asynchronous transfer mode parameter.

19. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the service differentiation is based on mapping between multi-protocol label switched tunnels and asynchronous transfer mode channels.

20. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gateway assigns data packets that associate with the call with a class identifier based on said information of the determined service class.

21. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gateway controller determines the service class based on at least one of the following information:

origin of the call;

destination of the call;

alias of the call.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the gateway controller monitors for each call whether origin of the call and/or destination of the call and/or alias of the call information fields include an indication of the service class.

23. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gateway controller provides dynamic control of the classification function of the gateway.

24. A communication system, wherein a plurality of communication service classes may be used for calls in said system, comprising:

a first network;

a second network;

a gateway between said networks;

processor means for defining the type of a call routed through the gateway;

a gateway controller for controlling the gateway, the gateway controller being adapted to determine the communication service class of the call;

interface between the gateway controller and the gateway for communicating information that associates with the determined service class by means of a communication protocol message adapted for the transport of said information; and

call processing means for processing the call in accordance with the information received at the gateway.

25. A communication system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the call processing means comprise a classifier arranged to classify the call between at least two quality of service classes.

26. A communication system as claimed in claim 24 or 25, wherein the communication protocol message is based on ITU-T recommendation No. H.248 which has been extended to include an element capable of communicating said information regarding the determined service class.

27. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 26, wherein the type of the call is one of the following:

a voice call;

a modem call;

a fax call;

a data call;

a call for channel associated signalling.

28. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 27, wherein the gateway is provided with a call type detection function.

29. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 28, wherein the gateway controller is adapted to define the type of the call.

30. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 29, wherein said information is included in a data element of the protocol message.

31. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 30, wherein at least one of the networks is a packet switched data network.

32. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 31, wherein the protocol message is adapted to transport information that associates with at least one of the following:

the type of service field of the call;

differentiated services codepoint;

multi-protocol label switched/asynchronous transfer mode parameter.

33. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 32, wherein the system is adapted map multi-protocol label switched tunnels and asynchronous transfer mode channels.

34. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 33, wherein the gateway is adapted to assign data packets associated with the call with a class identifier based on said information of the determined service class.

35. A communication system as claimed in any of claims 24 to 34, wherein the gateway controller is adapted to monitor if an information field that associates with the call includes an indication of the service class.

36. A gateway arrangement for a communication system, comprising:

a gateway function;

a controller for controlling the gateway function, the controller function being adapted to determine the communication service class of a call routed through the gateway function;

processor means for defining the type of the call routed through the gateway function;

interface between the controller and the gateway function for communicating information that associate with the determined service class by means of a communication protocol message adapted for the transport of said information; and

call processing means for processing the call in the gateway function in accordance with the information received at the gateway.