Signaling method for Internet telephony

• US 20050165934A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Schulzrinne, Henning G., Rosenberg, Jonathan David
• Granted Patent: US 9,537,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/561 by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A method for creating, modifying, and terminating connections between Internet end systems, particularly, although not exclusively, for Internet telephony communication. The method relies on several request messages sent between a client and a server and the response messages sent back in response. Each request and response message may contain one or more header fields which modify or more uniquely link the messages with a given connection. On this basis, advanced telephony services, such as call forwarding, call transferring, and multiparty conferencing are provided.

Claims

1. In a computer network, a method for letting a first party participating in a bridged conference invite a second party into the conference, comprising the steps of:

having the first party establish a communication connection with the second party, outside of the bridged conference;

having the first party instruct the second party to establish a communication connection with a bridge in the conference;

having the bridge instruct the second party to terminate the communication connection to the first party established outside of the bridged conference, whereby the first and second party communicate as part of the bridged conference.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of having the first party instruct the second party to establish a communication connection with a bridge in the conference comprises:

having the first party send a first request message to the second party indicating a desire to establish a communication connection with the second party, the request message including a header field specifying the bridge and acting to cause the second party to send a second request message to the bridge indicating a desire of the second party to establish a communication connection with the bridge.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first and second request messages are INVITE request messages, and the header field included in the second request message is an ALSO header field specifying the bridge.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of having the bridge instruct the second party to terminate the communication connection to the first party established outside of the bridged conference comprises:

having the bridge send a request message to the second party indicating a desire to establish a communication connection with the second party, the request message including a header field specifying the first party and acting to cause the second party to terminate any direct communication connection with the first party.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the request message is an INVITE request message including a REPLACES header field specifying the first party.

6. A method by which a first party participating in a network conference with a plurality of second parties invites a conference bridge into the conference so as to establish a bridged conference, comprising the steps of:

having the first party establish a communication connection with the conference bridge;

having the first party identify each second party to the conference bridge;

having the conference bridge instruct each second party to communicate with the conference bridge in place of the remaining second parties.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said steps of having the first party establish a communication connection with the conference bridge and identify each second party to the conference bridge comprise having the first party send an INVITE request message to the conference bridge acting to establish a communication connection between the first party and the conference bridge, the INVITE request message containing an ALSO header field containing each second party, the ALSO header field acting to instruct the conference bridge to establish a communication connection with each second party.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of having the conference bridge instruct each second party to communicate with the conference bridge in place of the remaining second parties comprises:

having the conference bridge send a first INVITE request message to each second party so as to establish a communication connection with each second party, each first INVITE request message including a REPLACES header field acting to instruct each second party to replace the communication connection between the second party and the first party with the communication connection established between the second party and the conference bridge;

having the second party respond to the first INVITE request message sent by the conference bridge so as to indicate acceptance or rejection of the establishment of a communication connection between the second party and the conference bridge; and

for each accepting second party, having the conference bridge send a second INVITE request message to each remaining second party besides the accepting second party, the second INVITE request message containing a REPLACES header field containing the accepting second party and acting to cause each remaining second party to establish a communication connection with the conference bridge and terminate a communication connection with the accepting second party.

9. In a computer network, a method for changing a multi-unicast distribution conference of participants to a multicast distribution conference, comprising the steps of:

having a first participant send a first message to each of the remaining participants, the first message soliciting an indication of willingness to change the conference to a multicast distribution;

having each of the remaining participants respond to the first message so as to indicate acceptance or rejection of the transition to multicast distribution; and

having each accepting remaining participant send a second message to the other remaining participants, the second message indicating an acceptance of the transition to multicast distribution.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first and second messages are first and second INVITE request messages, respectively.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second INVITE request message contains an Session Description Protocol message.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a response indicating acceptance of the transition to multicast distribution is a 200-class Session Initiation Protocol response including a header field containing a multicast address.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the 200-class Session Initiation Protocol response includes a Session Description Protocol.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the response indicating rejection of the transition to multicast distribution is one of a 400, 500, and 600-class Session Initiation Protocol response.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein a response indicating acceptance of the transition to multicast distribution is a 200-class Session Initiation Protocol response.