System and method for comprehensive service translation

• US 20050220139A1
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Aholainen, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A service translation proxy provides a variety of translation services during the service discovery and subsequent service consumption phase. The service translation proxy receives a service request in accordance with one particular Service Description Protocol (SDP) and optionally translates the service request into the correct SDP as required using the appropriate service discovery interface. In addition, session description, session media, and session transport translations are implemented by the service translation proxy as required to support the service.

Claims

1. A method for providing comprehensive service translation, comprising:

determining the protocol of a service discovery request received from a client;

translating the protocol of the service discovery request into a service discovery protocol used by a service registry, the translated service discovery request being used to discover a service provider of the service requested;

detecting incompatibilities between the client and the service provider; and

translating the service provided to the client by the service provider in response to the detected incompatibilities.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein translating the protocol includes selecting one of a plurality of service discovery interfaces that are compatible with the service registry.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the number of service discovery interfaces is programmable.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting the incompatibilities comprises analyzing session descriptions contained within Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages exchanged between the client and the service provider.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the session descriptions transmitted by the client reflect the capabilities of the client.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the capabilities of the client include media session capabilities.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the session descriptions transmitted by the service provider reflect the capabilities of the service provider.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the capabilities of the service provider include media session capabilities.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein translating the service provided comprises translating media received from the service provider into a format compatible with the media session capabilities of the client.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein translating the service provided comprises:

modifying the session descriptions received from the client to match the session descriptions received from the service provider; and

transmitting the modified session descriptions to the service provider.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein translating the service provided further comprises:

modifying the session descriptions received from the service provider to match the session descriptions received from the client; and

transmitting the modified session descriptions to the client.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein translating the service provided comprises:

receiving messages from the service provider using a first transport protocol; and

transmitting the messages received from the service provider to the client using a second transport protocol.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein translating the service provided comprises:

receiving messages from the client using the second transport protocol; and

transmitting the messages received from the client to the service provider using the first transport protocol.

14. A service translation system, comprising:

a service requestor coupled to the service translation system and adapted to submit a service request using a first protocol;

a service translation proxy coupled to the service requestor and adapted to translate the first protocol of the service request into a second protocol; and

a service provider coupled to the service translation system and adapted to provide the service requested, wherein the service translation proxy is further adapted to translate the service provided into a format that is compatible with the service requester.

15. The service translation system according to claim 14, wherein the service translation proxy comprises a programmable number of service discovery protocol interfaces.

16. The service translation system according to claim 15, further comprising a service registry coupled to receive the service request in the second protocol, wherein the service request is transmitted by one of the programmable number of service discovery protocol interfaces.

17. A service translation proxy, comprising:

means for receiving a service request from a service requester;

means for translating the service request from a first protocol to a second protocol;

means for locating a service provider to provide the service requested; and

means for translating the service provided into a format that is compatible with capability information associated with the service requester.

18. The service translation proxy according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for receiving the service provided using a first transport protocol; and

means for providing the service provided using a second transport protocol.

19. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a service translation proxy for facilitating network service translations by performing steps comprising:

receiving a service request from a service requester;

translating the service request from a first protocol to a second protocol;

locating a service provider to provide the service requested; and

translating the service provided into a format that is compatible with capability information associated with the service requestor.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein locating a service provider comprises issuing the translated service request to a service registry.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein locating a service provider comprises forwarding the service request to another service translation proxy located within the network.

22. A home network, comprising:

a plurality of home devices adapted to exchange media content in a first format;

at least one mobile device adapted to exchange media content in a second format; and

a service translation proxy coupled to the plurality of home devices and the at least one mobile device, wherein the service translation proxy is adapted to translate the media exchanged between the plurality of home devices and the at least one mobile device in response to their respective capabilities.

23. The home network according to claim 22, wherein the service translation proxy is coupled to the plurality of home devices and the at least one mobile device via a proximity connection.

24. The home network according to claim 23, wherein the proximity connection includes a Bluetooth connection.

25. A method of exchanging media between a mobile device and a home device, the method comprising:

establishing the mobile device and the home device as entities of a wireless home network;

evaluating differences in media capabilities between the mobile device and the home device; and

translating media exchanged between the mobile device and the home device in response to the media capability differences between the mobile device and the home device.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein evaluating the differences in media capabilities comprises:

automatically determining the media format capability of the mobile device using a service translation proxy; and

automatically determining the media format capability of the home device using the service translation proxy.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein translating the media comprises:

translating the media format received from the home device into media format that is compatible with the media format capability of the mobile device; and

translating the media format received from the mobile device into media format that is compatible with the media format capability of the home device.