Method and system of session media negotiation

• US 20070116043A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acme Packet Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Acme Packet Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Penfield, Robert, MeLampy, Patrick, Gray, David, Spencer, Clifford
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• 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 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 : Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13178 : Control signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 : Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing a signaling message are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: determining a first transcoding policy associated with an originator endpoint contained in a received first call offer; determining a second transcoding policy associated with an answerer endpoint contained in the first call offer; applying the first transcoding policy to a first offer codec set in the first call offer to produce a second call offer containing a second offer codec set; applying the second transcoding policy to the second codec set to produce a third call offer containing a third offer codec set; comparing a first answerer codec set in a received first answer and a second answerer codec set contained in the second call offer; and determining whether or not to perform transcoding based on a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A method for processing a signaling message, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a first transcoding policy associated with an originator endpoint contained in a received first call offer;

determining a second transcoding policy associated with an answerer endpoint contained in the first call offer;

applying the first transcoding policy to a first offer codec set in the first call offer to produce a second call offer containing a second offer codec set;

applying the second transcoding policy to the second codec set to produce a third call offer containing a third offer codec set;

comparing a first answerer codec set in a received first answer and a second answerer codec set contained in the second call offer; and

determining whether or not to perform transcoding based on a result of the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating a second answer with contents based on result of the comparison.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the first call offer indicating the originator endpoint and the answerer endpoint;

sending the third call offer to the answerer endpoint;

receiving the first answer to the third call offer; and

sending the second answer to the originator endpoint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the first transcoding policy step further comprises the step of:

parsing the first transcoding policy to determine a codec that is allowed by the first transcoding policy;

parsing the first offer codec set to determine whether the allowed codec is present; and

copying the allowed codec, if present, to the first offer codec set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the first transcoding policy step further comprises the step of:

parsing the first transcoding policy to determine a codec that is disallowed by the first transcoding policy;

parsing the first offer codec set to determine whether the disallowed codec is present; and

removing the disallowed codec, if present, from the first offer codec set.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the first transcoding policy step further comprises the step of:

parsing the first transcoding policy to determine one or more codecs that are forced by the first transcoding policy;

parsing the first offer codec set to determine whether the forced codecs are present; and

if the forced codec is present, removing any codecs other than the forced codecs from the first offer codec set.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the first transcoding policy step further comprises the steps of:

parsing the first transcoding policy to determine a codec that is added by the first transcoding policy; and

adding the added codec to the first offer codec set.

8. A system for processing a signaling message, the system comprising:

means for determining a first transcoding policy associated with an originator endpoint contained in a received first call offer;

means for determining a second transcoding policy associated with an answerer endpoint contained in the first call offer;

means for applying the first transcoding policy to a first offer codec set in the first call offer to produce a second call offer containing a second offer codec set;

means for applying the second transcoding policy to the second codec set to produce a third call offer containing a third offer codec set;

means for generating a second answer based on a comparison of a first answerer codec set in a received first answer and a second answerer codec set contained in the second call offer; and

means for determining whether or not to perform transcoding based on the comparison.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for receiving the first call offer indicating the originator endpoint and the answerer endpoint;

means for sending the third call offer to the answerer endpoint;

means for receiving the first answer to the third call offer; and

means for sending the second answer to the originator endpoint.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for applying the first transcoding policy further comprises:

means for parsing the first transcoding policy to determine a codec that is allowed by the first transcoding policy;

means for parsing the first offer codec set to determine whether the allowed codec is present; and

means for copying the allowed codec, if present, to the first offer codec set.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for applying the first transcoding policy further comprises:

means for parsing the first transcoding policy to determine a codec that is disallowed by the first transcoding policy;

means for parsing the first offer codec set to determine whether the disallowed codec is present; and

means for removing the disallowed codec, if present, from the first offer codec set.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for applying the first transcoding policy further comprises:

means for parsing the first transcoding policy to determine one or more codecs that are forced by the first transcoding policy;

means for parsing the first offer codec set to determine whether the forced codecs are present; and

means for removing, if the forced codec is present, any codecs other than the forced codecs from the first offer codec set.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for applying the first transcoding policy further comprises:

means for adding a new codec to the first offer codec set as indicated by the first transcoding policy.

14. A computer-readable medium having a program for processing a signaling message, the program comprising logic for performing the steps of:

receiving a first call offer indicating an originator endpoint, an answerer endpoint, and an offer codec list;

determining whether a first transcoding policy is associated with the originator endpoint;

if no first transcoding policy is associated with the originator endpoint, sending a second call offer containing the offer codec list to the answerer endpoint;

receiving a first answer to the second call offer, the first answer indicating an answerer codec list;

determining whether a second transcoding policy is associated with the answerer endpoint; and

if no second transcoding policy is associated with the answerer endpoint, sending a second call offer containing the answerer codec list to the answerer endpoint.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the applying the first transcoding policy step further comprises the step of:

removing at least one of the codecs in the first offer codec set as indicated by the first transcoding policy.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the applying the first transcoding policy step further comprises the step of:

adding a new codec to the first offer codec set as indicated by the first transcoding policy.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising logic for performing the steps of:

determining whether one of a plurality of signaling realms is associated with the originator endpoint,

wherein if no signaling realm is associated with the originator endpoint then it is determined that no first transcoding policy is associated with the originator endpoint.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising logic for performing the steps of:

receiving a definition of the first transcoding policy; and

receiving a definition of the second transcoding policy,

wherein each of the policy definitions specifies at least one rule for processing a codec list contained with a signaling message.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising logic for performing the steps of:

determining whether one of a plurality of signaling realms is associated with the originator endpoint; and

determining, if one signaling realm is associated with the originator endpoint, whether one of a plurality of transcoding policies is associated with the one signaling realm,

wherein if one of the transcoding policies is associated with the originator endpoint, then it is determined that the one associated transcoding policy is the first transcoding policy.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising logic for performing the steps of:

receiving a definition of the first signaling realm; and

receiving a definition of the second signaling realm,

wherein each of the signaling realm definitions specifies a set of endpoints and associates one of the plurality of transcoding policies with the signaling realm.