Virtual Gateway

• US 20070115997A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fang, Zheng, Carpico, Christian
• Application Number:
  US11/539,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20070115997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2567 for reachability, e.g. inquiring the address of a correspondent behind a NAT server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A virtual gateway bridges voice and related signaling traffic between multiple endpoints behind the same or different Network Address Translation devices or firewalls or neither. The virtual gateway also serves as a mixer when used in a teleconferencing mode, which handles a number of endpoints that are behind the same Network Address Translation device or firewall or not. In this mode, the virtual gateway mixes packets on its incoming side with other packets on its incoming side so that all outgoing packets include voice (or other) data from all sources. The embodiments herein may be used with Voice over IP (VoIP) connections and applications, as well as other applications in which two or more endpoints are attempting to establish a communications channel and their IP addresses are otherwise not suitable for the communications application.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a communications channel over an IP-based network comprising:

receiving first endpoint information from a first endpoint, wherein said first endpoint information includes at least a first IP address associated with the first endpoint;

receiving second endpoint information from a second endpoint wherein, the second endpoint information includes at least a second IP address associated with the second endpoint;

and

providing a first cross-connection ID to the first endpoint wherein the first cross-connection ID comprises a third IP address different from the first IP address and the second IP address.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first cross-connection ID further includes a port ID.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

providing the first cross-connection ID to the second endpoint.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

providing a second cross-connection ID to the second endpoint wherein the second cross-connection ID comprises a fourth IP address not associated with either the first endpoint or the second endpoint and different from the third IP address.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first endpoint information and second endpoint information are received from an intermediate device attempting to establish a communications channel between the first and second endpoints.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising receiving one or more packets from the first endpoint at the third IP address and port specified in the first cross-connection ID.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising forwarding a first set of one or more packets from the first endpoint received at the third IP address and a first port to an outgoing port associated with the second endpoint.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising forwarding the first set of one or more packets from the first endpoint to the second endpoint.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a second set of one or more packets from the second endpoint at the fourth IP address and a second port specified in the second cross-connection ID.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising forwarding the second set of one or more packets from the second endpoint received at the fourth IP address and the second port to an outgoing port associated with the first endpoint.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising forwarding the second set of one or more packets from the second endpoint to the first endpoint.

12. A method for establishing a communications channel over an IP-based network between at least three endpoints comprising:

receiving first endpoint information from a first endpoint, wherein the first endpoint information includes at least a first IP address for the first endpoint;

receiving second endpoint information from a second endpoint wherein the second endpoint information includes at least a second IP address for the second endpoint;

receiving third endpoint information from a third endpoint wherein the third endpoint information includes at least a third IP address for the third endpoint;

and

providing a first cross-connection ID to the first endpoint wherein the first cross-connection ID includes a fourth IP address different from first, second and third IP addresses.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first, second and third endpoint information is received from an intermediate device attempting to establish a communications channel between the three endpoints.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving a first set of one or more packets from the first endpoint at the fourth IP address and a port specified in the first cross-connection ID.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising receiving a second set of one or more packets from the second endpoint at a fifth IP address specified in a second cross-connection ID.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising receiving a third set of one or more packets from the third endpoint at a sixth IP address specified in a third cross-connection ID.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

mixing at least one of the packets from the first set of one or more packets and at least one of the packets from the second set of one or more packets to create a first mixed set of one or more packets;

mixing at least one of the packets from the first set of one or more packets and at least one of the packets from the third set of one or more packets to create a second mixed set of one or more packets; and

mixing at least one of the packets from the second set of one or more packets and at least one of the packets from the third set of one or more packets to create a third mixed set of one or more packets.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

outputting the first mixed set of one or more packets to a first port associated with the third endpoint;

outputting the second mixed set of one or more packets to a second port associated with the second endpoint; and

outputting the third mixed set of one or more packets to a third port associated with the first endpoint.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

forwarding the first mixed set of one or more packets to the third endpoint;

forwarding the second mixed set of one or more packets to the second endpoint; and

forwarding the third mixed set of one or more packets to the first endpoint.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first cross-connection ID includes a port ID.

21. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

providing a second cross-connection ID to the second endpoint wherein the second cross-connection ID includes a fifth public address different from the first, second or third public addresses.

22. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

providing a third cross-connection ID to the third endpoint wherein the third cross-connection ID includes a sixth public address not associated with the first, second or third endpoints.

23-25. -25. (canceled)