Method and Arrangement for Communicating Multimedia Content

• US 20080114850A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Movander, Joakim, Skog, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method and arrangement for conveying selected media content from a sending entity (A) to a receiving terminal (B) when the sending entity sends the media content for immediate delivery over IP. A session manager detects that the receiving terminal is unable to receive the selected multimedia content by immediate delivery over IP. A format converter (308,608) converts the media content into a format adapted for deferred delivery involving temporary storage of the media content in an intermediate messaging center (310,610), and sends the converted media content to the messaging center for deferred delivery to the receiving terminal. The session manager and the format converter are both implemented in an originating multimedia service network (300,600) serving the sending entity, or in a terminating multimedia service network (302,602) serving the receiving terminal.

Claims

1. A method of conveying selected media content from a sending entity to a receiving terminal when the sending entity sends the media content for immediate delivery over IP, as executed in an originating multimedia service network serving the sending entity, or in a terminating multimedia service network serving the receiving terminal, the method comprising:

detecting that the receiving terminal is unable to receive said media content by immediate delivery over IP.

converting said media content in a format converter into a format adapted for deferred delivery, and

sending the converted media content to an intermediate messaging center for deferred delivery to the receiving terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the media content is sent as an MMS message to the messaging center.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a session initiating message directed to the receiving terminal is first received from the sending entity, said message being intended to initiate a session for immediate delivery over IP of the selected media content.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the session initiating message is to be followed by the transfer of the media content from the sending entity, an acknowledging message being sent to the sending entity in response to the session initiating message, giving an address of the format converter as the receiving address for said media transfer, such that the sending entity transfers the media content to the format converter.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the session initiating message contains the actual media content, said session initiating message containing the media content being transferred to the format converter for said format conversion.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method is performed in said originating network, said detecting step being executed when a session manager in the originating network receives an error message from a session manager in the terminating network, in response to said session initiating message.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the session manager in the originating network rewrites said error message by changing it into said acknowledging message before sending it to the sending entity.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method is performed in said terminating network, said detecting step being executed when a session manager in the terminating network determines that the receiving terminal is incompatible.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the originating and terminating networks are IMS networks using SIP signaling for session management.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the session initiating message is “

SIP INVITE”

to be followed by the transfer of the media content.

11. The method according to claim 5, wherein the session initiating message is “

SIP MESSAGE”

containing the actual media content.

12. An arrangement for conveying selected media content from a sending entity to a receiving terminal when the sending entity sends the media content for immediate delivery over IP, the arrangement comprising:

a session manager including means for detecting that the receiving terminal is unable to receive said media content by immediate delivery over IP, and

a format converter including means for converting said media content into a format adapted for deferred delivery, and means for sending the converted media content to an intermediate messaging center for deferred delivery to the receiving terminal, wherein said session manager and format converter are implemented in an originating multimedia service network serving the sending entity, or in a terminating multimedia service network serving the receiving terminal.

13. The arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the format converter further includes means for sending the media content as an MMS message to the messaging center.

14. The arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the session manager further includes means for receiving a session initiating message from the sending entity, directed to the receiving terminal and intended to initiate a session for immediate delivery over IP of the selected media content.

15. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the session initiating message is to be followed by the transfer of the media content from the sending entity, the session manager further includes means for sending an acknowledging message to the sending entity in response to the session initiating message, giving an address of the format converter as the receiving address for said media transfer, such that the sending entity transfers the media content to the format converter.

16. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the session initiating message contains the actual media content, wherein the session manager further includes means for transferring said session initiating message containing the media content to the format converter for the format conversion.

17. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said session manager and format converter are implemented in said originating network, wherein the session manager further includes means for detecting said inability of the receiving terminal by receiving an error message from a session manager in the terminating network, in response to said session initiating message.

18. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the session manager in the originating network further includes means for rewriting said error message by changing it into said acknowledging message before sending it to the sending entity.

19. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said session manager and format converter are implemented in said terminating network, wherein the session manager further includes means for detecting said inability of the receiving terminal by determining that the receiving terminal is incompatible.

20. The arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the originating and terminating networks are IMS networks using SIP signaling for session management.

21. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the session initiating message is “

SIP INVITE”

to be followed by the transfer of the media content.

22. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the session initiating message is “

SIP MESSAGE”

containing the actual media content.

23. A session manager, in an arrangement for conveying selected media content from a sending entity to a receiving terminal when the sending entity sends the media content for immediate delivery over IP, the session manager comprising:

means for detecting that the receiving terminal is unable to receive said media content by immediate delivery over IP, and

means for ensuring that said media content is transferred to a format converter for conversion into a format adapted for deferred delivery, such that the converted media content can be sent to an intermediate messaging center for deferred delivery to the receiving terminal.

24. The session manager according to claim 23, further comprising means for receiving a session initiating message from the sending entity, directed to the receiving terminal and intended to initiate a session for immediate delivery over IP of the selected media content.

25. The session manager according to claim 24, wherein the session initiating message is to be followed by the transfer of the media content from the sending entity, the session manager further comprising

means for sending an acknowledging message to the sending entity in response to the session initiating message, giving an address of the format converter as the receiving address for said media transfer, such that the sending entity transfers the media content to the format converter.

26. The session manager according to claim 24, wherein the session initiating message contains the actual media content, further comprising means for transferring said session initiating message containing the media content to the format converter for the format conversion.

27. The session manager according to claim 24, wherein that the session manager is implemented in said originating network, the session manager further including means for detecting said inability of the receiving terminal by receiving an error message from a session manager in the terminating network, in response to said session initiating message.

28. The session manager according to claim 25, further comprising means for rewriting said error message by changing it into said acknowledging message before sending it to the sending entity.

29. The session manager according to claim 24, wherein the session manager is implemented in said terminating network, the session manager further including means for detecting said inability of the receiving terminal by determining that the receiving terminal is incompatible.

30. The session manager according to claim 23, wherein the originating and terminating networks are IMS networks using SIP signalling for session management.

31. The session manager according to claim 25, wherein the session initiating message is “

SIP INVITE”

to be followed by the transfer of the media content.

32. The session manager according to claim 26, wherein the session initiating message is “

SIP MESSAGE”

containing the actual media content.

33. A format converter in an arrangement for conveying selected media content from a sending entity to a receiving terminal when the sending entity sends the media content for immediate delivery over IP, the format converter comprising:

means for receiving said media content when it is detected that the receiving terminal is unable to receive said media content by immediate delivery over IP,

means for converting the media content into a format adapted for deferred delivery, and

means for sending the converted media content to an intermediate messaging center for deferred delivery to the receiving terminal.

34. The format converter according to claim 33, further comprising means for sending the media content as an MMS message to the messaging center.