Method for maintaining communication between communication devices having inconsistent protocols

• US 20040003089A1
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation), University of Maryland
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Chiu, Tienyu
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• 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

A method for supporting communication between communication devices (102, 104, 106) having inconsistent protocols, such as may result from protocol changes or upgrades. Protocol registers (302, 304) maintained in association with the communication devices contain respective first and second protocols (e.g., current and previous protocols) of the communication devices. A sending (or receiving) device, upon being upgraded from protocol C to N, updates (206) its protocol register to indicate N as the current protocol and C as the previous protocol. The device initially attempts to send (222) a message (or attempts 212 to recognize a message) using its current protocol N and, if that fails, the device sends (230) (or attempts 216 to recognize the message) using its previous protocol C. In such manner, when a communication device is upgraded to a new protocol causing a protocol inconsistency with a peer device, the communication device may revert to its previous protocol to restore communication relatively quickly.

Claims

1. A method comprising a sending device performing steps of:

maintaining a protocol register containing a first and second protocol;

determining whether a peer device is using a protocol inconsistent with the first protocol;

if the peer device is determined to be using a protocol inconsistent with the first protocol, retrieving the second protocol from the protocol register; and

attempting delivery of a message from the sending device to the peer device using the second protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining a protocol register comprises:

storing, in a first register of the sending device, a current protocol;

storing, in a second register of the sending device, a previous protocol; and

upon the sending device receiving a new protocol,

in the first register, replacing the current protocol with the new protocol, the new protocol defining the first protocol and the current protocol defining a former current protocol;

in the second register, replacing the previous protocol with the former current protocol, the former current protocol defining the second protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining a protocol register comprises:

storing, in a first register of the sending device, a current protocol; and

upon the sending device receiving a new protocol,

in the first register, replacing the current protocol with the new protocol, the new protocol defining the first protocol and the current protocol defining a former current protocol;

in a second register, storing the former current protocol, the former current protocol defining the second protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises:

sending a message from the sending device to the peer device using the first protocol;

determining whether a response is received from the peer device within a designated time period after sending the message; and

if a response is not received from the peer device within the designated time period, determining that the peer device is using a protocol inconsistent with the first protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises:

sending a message from the sending device to the peer device using the first protocol;

receiving a response from the peer device including indicia of confusion of the peer device, thereby indicating that the peer device is using a protocol inconsistent with the first protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises:

sending a message from the sending device to the peer device using the first protocol;

receiving a response from the peer device using the first protocol, thereby indicating that the peer device is not using a protocol inconsistent with the first protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises:

receiving a message from the peer device using the first protocol, thereby indicating that the peer device is not using a protocol inconsistent with the first protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol comprises a current protocol and the second protocol comprises a previous protocol of the sending device.

9. A method comprising a receiving device performing steps of:

maintaining a protocol register containing a first and second protocol associated with the receiving device;

receiving a message from a peer device;

attempting to process the message using the first protocol;

if the receiving device is unable to process the message using the first protocol, retrieving the second protocol from the protocol register; and

attempting to process the message using the second protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of maintaining a protocol register comprises:

storing, in a first register of the receiving device, a current protocol;

storing, in a second register of the receiving device, a previous protocol; and

upon the receiving device receiving a new protocol,

in the first register, replacing the current protocol with the new protocol, the new protocol defining the first protocol and the current protocol defining a former current protocol;

in the second register, replacing the previous protocol with the former current protocol, the former current protocol defining the second protocol.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of maintaining a protocol register comprises:

storing, in a first register of the receiving device, a current protocol; and

upon the receiving device receiving a new protocol,

in the first register, replacing the current protocol with the new protocol, the new protocol defining the first protocol and the current protocol defining a former current protocol;

in a second register, storing the former current protocol, the former current protocol defining the second protocol.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein, responsive to attempting to process the message using the second protocol, the receiving device is unable to process the message, the receiving device sends a message to the peer device including indicia of confusion.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first protocol comprises a current protocol and the second protocol comprises a previous protocol of the receiving device.

14. In a communication system including at least a first and second device adapted for communication using a common protocol, the first and second device being subject to protocol upgrades at different times causing a protocol inconsistency, a method comprising:

sending, from the first device to the second device, a message using a current protocol of the first device;

attempting, by the second device, to process the message using a current protocol of the second device;

if the second device is unable to process the message using the current protocol of the second device, attempting, by the second device, to process the message using a previous protocol of the second device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by the first device, that the second device is unable to process the message sent using the current protocol of the first device; and

sending, from the first device to the second device, a message using a previous protocol of the first device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

maintaining, by the first device, a protocol register containing a first and second protocol of the first device;

maintaining, by the second device, a protocol register containing a first and second protocol of the second device;

upon either of the first and second devices receiving a new protocol,

replacing the first protocol with the new protocol, the new protocol defining the current protocol;

replacing the second protocol with the first protocol, the first protocol defining the previous protocol.