Intelligent media gateway selection for multimedia communication sessions

• US 20070189268A1
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Saniee, Iraj, Mitra, Debasis, Widjaja, Indra, Walid, Anwar
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A method of operating a packet network includes the step of selecting one of a plurality of candidate gateways to connect a multimedia communication session between the packet network and a TDM network. The packet network has a source node of the multimedia communication session, and the TDM network has a destination of the multimedia communication session. The candidate gateways interconnect the packet network and the TDM network. The selecting step includes comparing end-to-end congestions for bearer traffic between the source node and different candidate gateways of the plurality.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of candidate gateways to connect a multimedia communication session between a packet network and a time-division multiplexed network, the packet network having a source or ingress node for the multimedia communication session, the time-division multiplexed network having a destination of the multimedia communication session, the candidate gateways interconnecting the packet network and the time-division multiplexed network; and

wherein the selecting step includes comparing end-to-end congestions for bearer traffic between the source node and different candidate gateways of the plurality.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-division multiplexed network is a public switched telephone network and the packet network is an MPLS network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet network supports an IP multimedia subsystem.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia communication session is a voice over IP call.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the selecting step is performed by a border gateway control function of the IP multimedia subsystem.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes admitting a multimedia communication session in response to determining that an end-to-end congestion between the source node and one or more of the candidate gateways is below a preselected threshold for a quality of service required by the multimedia communication session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the multimedia communication session is a voice over IP call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises:

searching entries of a routing table, each entry providing the end-to-end congestion between the source node and a candidate gateway corresponding the each entry.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selecting selects one of the candidate gateways in response to the one of the candidate gateways having the lowest end-to-end congestion among the candidate gateways corresponding to the entries searched.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises

randomly choosing a proper subset of the candidate gateways;

and

then, selecting from the proper subset that one of the candidate gateways for which the end-to-end congestion for bearer traffic with the source node is lowest.

11. A method, comprising:

selecting and assigning one of a plurality of candidate media gateways to connect a requested multimedia communication session between a packet network and a time-division multiplexed network, the packet network having a source node for the multimedia communication session and supporting an IP multimedia subsystem, the time-division multiplexed network having a destination of the multimedia communication session, the candidate media gateways interconnecting the packet network and the time-division multiplexed network; and

wherein the selecting step includes comparing an end-to-end congestion for bearer traffic between the source node and a first of the candidate gateways to an end-to-end congestion for bearer packet traffic between the source node and a second of the candidate gateways.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the multimedia communication session is a voice over IP call.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the selecting step includes admitting a multimedia communication session in response to determining that an end-to-end congestion between the source node and one or more candidate gateways is below a preselected threshold for a quality of service required by the multimedia communication session.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the multimedia communication session is a voice over IP call.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the selecting further comprises:

searching entries of a routing table, each entry providing the end-to-end congestion between the source node and a candidate gateway corresponding the each entry; and

wherein the selecting selects the one of the candidate gateways in response to the one of the candidate gateways having the lowest end-to-end congestion among the candidate gateways corresponding to the entries searched.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the selecting further comprises

randomly choosing a proper subset of the candidate gateways;

and

then, selecting from the proper subset that one of the candidate gateways for which the end-to-end congestion for bearer traffic with the source node is lowest.

17. A server or router storing a machine executable program of instructions to perform steps of a method, the steps comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of candidate media gateways to connect a requested VoIP call between a packet network and a time-division multiplexed network, the packet network having a source node for the VoIP call, the time-division multiplexed network having a destination of the VoIP call, the candidate media gateways interconnecting the packet network and the time-division multiplexed network; and

wherein the selecting step includes comparing end-to-end congestions for bearer traffic between the source node and first and second of the candidate gateways of the plurality; and

wherein the server or router is located in the packet network and supports SIP.

18. The server or router of claim 17, wherein the instructions for performing the step of selecting include instructions for admitting the requested VoIP in response to determining that an end-to-end congestion between the source node and one or more candidate gateways is below a preselected threshold for a quality-of-service required by the VoIP call.

19. The server or router of claim 17, wherein the steps for the selecting further comprise:

searching entries of a routing table, each entry providing the end-to-end congestion between the source node and a candidate gateway corresponding the each entries; and

wherein the selecting selects the one of the candidate gateways in response to the one of the candidate gateways having the lowest end-to-end congestion among the candidate gateways corresponding to the entries searched.

20. The server or router of claim 17, wherein the steps for the selecting further comprise:

randomly choosing a proper subset of the candidate gateways; and

then, selecting from the proper subset that one of the candidate gateways for which the end-to-end congestion for bearer traffic with the source node is lowest.