Method and Arrangement for Controlling a Multimedia Communication Session

• US 20070297390A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Skog, Robert, Stille, Mats
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6483 Video, e.g. MPEG
• 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 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks

Abstract

A method and arrangement for controlling a multimedia communication session between a first terminal and a second terminal, the session being divided into a circuit-switched part and a packet-switched part. A notification on an event occurring in one of said circuit-switched and packet-switched parts is received in a common session server. The session server then reports to the other part of the communication session about said event, such that said other part can be controlled in response to said event.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a multimedia communication session between a first terminal and a second terminal, said session being divided into a circuit-switched part using a separate circuit-switched logic system comprising network elements or nodes handling circuit-switched voice, and a packet-switched part using a packet-switched logic system comprising network elements or nodes handling packet-switched data, comprising the following steps, executed by a common session server connected to and serving both the logic system of the circuit-switched part and the logic system of the packet-switched part:

receiving a notification on a session event occurring in one of said circuit-switched and packet-switched parts, from the logic system of that one part of the session, and

reporting to the logic system of the other part of the session about said session event, wherein said other part is controlled in response to said session event.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit-switched part is a voice call.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the packet-switched part is used to communicate at least one media stream with data for video, text, game and/or images.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the packet-switched part of the communication session may include an IMS (IP Multimedia Services) session or an MMS (Multimedia Message Service) session.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal is currently connected to an access network and belongs to a home network different from the access network, and said session event occurs in the circuit-switched part, wherein the access network informs the home network on the session event, and that said event notification is received at the session server from the home network.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein an MSC (Mobile Switching Center) of the access network sends information on the session event to an IN (Intelligent Network) node of the home network, and that said event notification is received from the IN node.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the MSC sends said session event information to the IN node by means of an “

IN trigger”

or “

Parlay”

.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal is currently connected to an access network and said session event occurs in the circuit-switched part, wherein said event notification is received at the session server directly from the access network.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein a voice call is first started in the circuit-switched part, wherein registration information on the started voice call is received in the session server, and that when an application is activated in the packet-switched part during said voice call, the session server provides said registration information to the application.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting to the other part of the communication session about said event is based on an event subscription established for said other part.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein certain session events have been selected as being relevant for said event subscription depending on at least one of:

a provided multimedia service, and preferences and policies of the operator providing said multimedia service.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein actions are taken in response to session events depending on at least one of:

a provided multimedia service, preferences and policies of the operator providing said multimedia service, and user preferences.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said packet-switched part is suspended in response to suspension of the circuit-switched part.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the packet-switched part is automatically resumed when the circuit-switched part is resumed.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein said packet-switched part is terminated in response to termination of the circuit-switched part.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the packet-switched part is automatically terminated after a predetermined time delay period after termination of the circuit-switched part, unless a terminal user has terminated the packet-switched part.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein said packet-switched part is terminated in response to suspension of the circuit-switched part.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein said packet-switched part is maintained even if the circuit-switched part is suspended or terminated.

19. A session server for controlling a multimedia communication session between a first terminal and a second terminal, said session being divided into a circuit-switched part using a separate circuit-switched logic system comprising network elements or nodes handling circuit-switched voice, and a packet-switched part using a packet-switched logic system comprising network elements or nodes handling packet-switched data, wherein the session server is connected to and serves both the logic system of the circuit-switched part and the logic system of the packet-switched part, comprising:

means for receiving information on session events occurring in one of said circuit-switched and packet-switched parts, from the logic system of that one part of the session, and

means for reporting to the logic system of other part of the session about said session events, wherein said other part can be controlled in response to said session events.

20. A session server according to claim 19, wherein said receiving means comprises a first receiving unit adapted to receive event reports from a circuit-switched logic system of said circuit-switched part, and that said reporting means comprises a first sending unit adapted to send event notifications of the circuit-switched part to a packet-switched logic system of said packet-switched part.

21. A session server according to claim 20, wherein said receiving means further comprises a second receiving unit adapted to receive event subscription requests from the packet-switched logic system.

22. A session server according to claim 21, wherein the second receiving unit is further adapted to receive event reports from the packet-switched logic system.

23. A session server according to claim 20, wherein the first receiving unit is further adapted to receive event subscription requests from the circuit-switched logic system.

24. A session server according to claim 20, wherein said reporting means further comprises a second sending unit adapted to send event notifications of the packet-switched part to the circuit-switched logic system.

25. A session server according to claim 20, wherein the session server further comprises a central logic unit connected to each of said sending and receiving units, and which is adapted to process messages and information received by the receiving unit(s), and to prepare messages and information to be sent from the sending unit(s).

26. A session server according to claim 25, wherein the session server further comprises a session database connected to said logic unit, which is adapted to store relevant session information on at least one of said circuit-switched and packet-switched parts, wherein the logic unit is further adapted to retrieve relevant session information from the session database in order to provide such information to the sending unit(s).