IP INTER-WORKING GATEWAY IN NEXT GENERATION NETWORK AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING INTER-WORKING BETWEEN IP DOMAINS

• US 20070211738A1
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: GUO, Dong
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

An IP inter-working gateway in an NGN includes. a transport layer module which complies with the definition of a standard TCP/IP protocol stack, for determining a service type of an IP packet from a source IP domain, and transmitting the IP packet to a service module or to a destination IP domain; the service module, for performing processing of signalling proxy, RTCP and media conversion and/or processing of control protocol for the IP packet from the transport layer module, and transmitting the IP packet processed by the service module to the destination IP domain. The embodiments of the present invention provides a method for implementing inter-working between IP domains by the IP inter-working gateway, which implements the inter-working of IP packet between heterogeneous operating networks.

Claims

1. An Internet Protocol (IP) inter-working gateway in a Next Generation Network (NGN), comprising:

a transport layer module which complies with the definition of a standard Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol stack, for determining a service type of an IP packet from a source IP domain, and transmitting the IP packet to a service module or to a destination IP domain;

the service module, for performing processing of signalling proxy, Real Time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) and media conversion and/or processing of control protocol for the IP packet from the transport layer module, and transmitting the IP packet processed by the service module to the destination IP domain.

2. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 1, wherein the service module comprises:

a signalling proxy module, for replacing source address information and destination address information in the IP packet according to proxy rules in a proxy rule table, wherein the IP packet needs to be performed the processing of the signalling proxy;

an RTCP and media conversion module, for performing audio and video encoding/decoding conversion, packet format conversion of the IP packet between heterogeneous operating networks, and re-initiation of an RTCP packet for the IP packet, wherein the IP packet is an IP packet for bearing service and needs to be performed packet format or encoding/decoding conversion;

a control protocol processing module, for receiving the IP packet which is a gateway control packet, performing cross-domain allocation of a local IP end point under the control of a softswitch to establish a bearer, setting IP Quality of Service (QoS) control on forwarding an IP packet for bearing service, setting filtering rules of a remote IP address and port number and performing processing of Network Address Translation (NAT).

3. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 2, wherein the transport layer module is used for

determining, according to the proxy rule table, that the IP packet needs to be performed the processing of the signalling proxy, and transmitting the IP packet to the signaling proxy module,

determining, according to a filtering rule table, that the IP packet is an IP packet for bearing service and determining, according to a transmission rule table, that the IP packet needs to be performed the packet format or encoding/decoding conversion, and transmitting the IP packet to the RTCP and media conversion module,

determining, according to the destination address information in the IP packet, that the IP packet is the gateway control packet, and transmitting the IP packet to the control protocol processing module, or

transmitting, according to the transmission rule table, the IP packet to the destination IP domain after modifying the source address information and the destination address information in the IP packet.

4. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 3, wherein the source address information and destination address information comprise an IP address and a port number.

5. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 3, further comprising:

an Access Control List (ACL) and firewall module, for filtering an IP packet from other IP domains according to the filtering rule table;

wherein

an IP packet passing through the ACL and firewall module is transmitted to the transport layer module by the ACL and firewall module.

6. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 5, wherein the filtering rule table is indexed by a remote IP address and port number allowed accessing the IP inter-working gateway and set by the ACL and firewall module according to manual configuration information, and is updated by the control protocol processing module using a remote IP address and port number used for establishing a bearer according to an instruction of the softswitch.

7. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 2, wherein the service module further comprises a dynamic routing module which is used for updating a routing rule table storing routing information according to routing information in the IP packet, generating a response packet according to a routing protocol, and transmitting the response packet to the destination IP domain according to transmission rules in the transmission rule table, wherein the IP packet is a routing protocol packet.

8. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 7, wherein the transport layer module is further used for determining, according to the destination address information in the IP packet, that the IP packet is the routing protocol packet, and transmitting the IP packet to the dynamic routing module.

9. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 8, wherein the resourece address information and destination address information comprise an IP address and a port number.

10. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 8, further comprising:

an Access Control List (ACL,) and firewall module, for filtering an IP packet from other IP domains according to the filtering rule table;

wherein

an IP packet passing through the ACL and firewall module is transmitted to the transport layer module by the ACL, and firewall module.

11. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 10, wherein the filtering rule table is indexed with a remote IP address and port number allowed accessing the IP inter-working gateway and set by the ACL and firewall module according to manual configuration information, and is updated by the control protocol processing module using a remote IP address and port number used for establishing a bearer according to an instruction of the softswitch.

12. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 2, wherein the signalling proxy module updates the proxy rule table according to manual configuration information or the processing of the signaling proxy.

13. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 7, wherein the transmission rule table comprises transmission rules of an IP packet not for bearing service and transmission rules of an IP packet for bearing service;

the routing rule table storing the routing information is generated by manual configuration;

transmission rules of the IP packet not for bearing service in the transmission rule table are updated according to the routing information from the routing rule table needed when the IP inter-working gateway transmits the IP packet outwards;

the tranmission rules of the IP packet for bearing service is added to the transmission rule table when the control protocol processing module allocates the local IP end point according to an instruction of the softswitch.

14. An IP inter-working gateway according to claim 13, wherein the transmission rules comprises items whose indexes are a local IP address and port number;

the items comprises an IP address and a port number of a remote IP end point, a encoding/decoding type and an IP packet format, and IP QoS control of output media flow.

15. A method for implementing inter-working between Internet Protocol (IP) domains by an IP inter-working gateway set between IP domains, comprising:

determining a service type of an IP packet, performing processing for the IP packet according to the service type of the IP packet, and transmitting the IP packet processed to a destination IP domain upon receiving the IP packet from a source IP domain.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said transmitting the IP packet processed comprises:

transmitting the IP packet processed to the destination IP domain according to transmission rules in a transmission rule table.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein said determining the service type of the IP packet and performing the processing for the IP packet, and transmitting the IP packet to the destination IP domain comprises:

determining whether the IP packet needs to be performed processing of signalling proxy according to a proxy rule table;

if the IP packet needs to be performed the processing of the signalling proxy, replacing source address information and destination address information in the IP packet according to the proxy rule table, and transmitting the IP packet processed to the destination IP domain;

otherwise,

if determining that the IP packet which does not need to be performed the processing of the signalling proxy is an IP packet for bearing service and needs to be performed packet format or encoding/decoding conversion according to a filtering rule table and a transmission rule table respectively;

performing audio and video encoding/decoding conversion, packet format conversion of the IP packet between heterogeneous operating networks, and re-initiation of an RTCP packet for the IP packet, and transmitting the IP packet processed to the destination IP domain;

if determining that the IP packet which does not need to be performed the processing of the signalling proxy is not an IP packet for bearing service, determining whether the IP packet which is an IP packet not for bearing service and does not need to be performed the processing of signalling proxy is a gateway control packet;

if it is a gateway control packet, establishing a bearer, performing IP QoS control on forwarding the IP packet, across-domain allocation of an IP address and processing of Network Address Translation (NAT), and transmitting the IP packet processed to a destination IP domain;

if it is not a gateway control packet, terminating the procedure;

if determining that the IP packet which does not need to be performed the processing of the signalling proxy is an IP packet for bearing service and does not need to be performed the packet format or encoding/decoding conversion, modifying the source address information and the destination address information in the IP packet and transmitting the IP packet to the destination IP domain.

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

before terminating the procedure,

determining whether the IP packet which is not the IP packet for bearing service and does not need to be performed the processing of signalling proxy is a routing protocol packet;

if it is the routing protocol packet, updating routing information in a routing rule table according to routing information in the IP packet, transmitting a response packet generated according to a routing protocol to the destination IP domain, and terminating the procedure;

if it is not a routing protocol packet, terminating the procedure.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said determining whether the IP packet is the routing protocol packet comprises:

determining that the IP packet is the routing protocol packet if a destination IP address and port number in the IP packet are respectively an IP address and port number corresponding to an routing protocol packet specified by the IP inter-working gateway.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

before determining whether the IP packet needs to be performed the processing of the signalling proxy,

determineing whether the IP packet is normal when the IP packet passes through the IP inter-working gateway;

if the IP packet is normal, determining, the service type of an IP packet passing through an Access Control List (ACL) and firewall module in the IP inter-working gateway, performing the processing for the IP packet and transmitting the IP packet to the destination IP domain;

if the IP packet is abnormal, discarding the IP packet, and terminating the procedure after doing a statistics.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein said determining whether the IP packet needs to be performed processing of signalling proxy comprises:

if a destination IP address and port number in the IP packet are respectively the same as a local IP address and port number that are allowed to be used by the IP inter-working gateway as a signalling proxy and recorded in the proxy rule table, determining that the IP packet needs to be performed the signalling proxy;

otherwise, determining that the IP packet does not need to be performed the signalling proxy.

22. A method according to claim 17, wherein said determining whether the IP packet is the IP packet for bearing service and needs to be performed the packet format or encoding/decoding conversion comprises:

determing that the IP packet is the IP packet for bearing service and needs to be performed the packet format or encoding/decoding conversion if a source IP address and port number in the IP packet are respectively the same as a remote IP address and port number stored in the filtering rule table according to a standard procedure of ETSI and an instruction of a softswitch;

searching for a record whose a local IP address and port number recorded in the transmission rule table according to the standard procedure of ETSI are respectively the same as the destination IP address and port number in the IP packet;

if the record instructs that encoding/decoding types or packet formals of the two IP end points corresponding to the IP packet are different, determining that the IP packet needs to be performed the packet format or encoding/decoding conversion;

otherwise, determining that the IP packet does not need to be performed the packet format or encoding/decoding conversion.

23. A method according to claim 17, wherein said modifying the source address information and the destination address information in the IP packet comprises:

replacing the source address information in the IP packet with address information of another local end point in the transmission rule table;

replacing the destination address information in the IP packet with address information of a remote end point used for establishing a bearer with another local end point in the transmission rule table;

wherein the address information comprises an IP address and a port number.

24. A method according to claim 17, wherein said determining whether the IP packet is a gateway control packet comprises:

if a destination IP address and port number in the IP packet are respectively an IP address and a port number which are used by the gateway control protocol and recorded in the IP inter-workiong gateway, determining that the IP packet is a gateway control packet.

25. A method according to claim 17, further comprises:

before determining whether the IP packet needs to be performed the processing of the signalling proxy,

determineing whether the IP packet is normal when the IP packet passes through the IP inter-working gateway;

if the IP packet is normal, determining, the service type of an IP packet passing through an Access Control List (ACL) and firewall module in the IP inter-working gateway, performing the processing for the IP packet and transmitting the IP packet to the destination IP domain;

if the LP packet is abnormal, discarding the IP packet, and terminating the procedure after doing a statistics.

26. A method according to claims 17, wherein the source address information and the destination information comprise an IP address and a port number

27. A method according to claim 16, wherein said transmitting the IP packet processed according to the transmission rules in the transmission rule table comprises:

transmitting the IP packet for bearing service according to transmission rules of transmitting an IP packet for bearing service;

transmitting the IP packet not for bearing service according to transmission rules of transmitting an IP packet not for bearing service.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the IP packet not for bearing service comprises one of an IP packet based on a gateway control protocols an IP packet based on a dynamic routing protocol and an IP packet of a signalling related to call;

the IP packet for bearing service is an IP packet containing user service data.

29. A method according to claims 23, wherein the source address information and the destination address information comprise an IP address and a port number.