PROVIDING SIP INTERWORKING IN A NEXT GENERATION NETWORK

• US 20080144602A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Casey, Liam
• Application Number:
  US11/610,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144602A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

Methods and systems for extending the IMS/SIP architecture of the NGN to provide QoS service to generic bearer flows. Providing QoS treatment, of a bearer flow within a communication session established between two end devices using a different in-band signalling protocol is supported. A Signalling Inter-Working Function (SIWF) is provided in a path of the in-band signalling between the two end devices. The SIWF is operative to: detect at least a signal state of the in-band signalling; and establish a communications session with QoS treatment of bearer flows spanning at least a portion of an end-to-end path between the two end points, based on the detected signal state.

Claims

1. In a communication network in which Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is used to establish communications sessions with QoS treatment of bearer flows, a method of providing QoS treatment of a bearer flow within a communication session established between two end devices using a different in-band signalling protocol, the method comprising a step of providing a Signalling Inter-Working Function (SIWF) in a path of the in-band signalling between the two end devices, the SIWF being operative to:

detect at least a signal state of the in-band signaling; and

establish a communications session with QoS treatment of bearer flows spanning at least a portion of an end-to-end path between the two end points, based on the detected signal state.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing the communication session comprises steps of:

receiving in-band signalling protocol messages generated by a first one of the two end-points, for setting up a communication path with the second one of the two end-points;

generating one or more SIP messages that are functionally equivalent to the received in-band signalling protocol messages;

receiving SIP messages establishing the communication session with QoS treatment; and

generating one or more in-band signalling protocol messages that are functionally equivalent to the received SIP messages.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the in-band signalling protocol is one of Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) and Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first end-point is any one of:

an non-SIP client attached to the network via an attachment gateway (AG); and

a node of a legacy Autonomous System (AS) attached to the network via a border gateway (BG).

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the SIWF is associated with a Call State Control Function (CSCF) controlling the associated gateway.

6. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of generating one or more SIP messages that are functionally equivalent to the received in-band signalling protocol messages comprises a step of including an explicit identification of a desired QoS treatment of the bearer flow.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the explicit identification of desired QoS treatment comprises information identifying at least a required bandwidth.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the explicit identification of desired QoS treatment further comprises information identifying a required traffic class.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information comprises an identifier representative of at least a predetermined bandwidth.

10. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second end-point is a SIP speaker connected to the network, and wherein the SIP messages establishing the communication session are generated by the second end-point.

11. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second end-point is a non-SIP client attached to the network via respective attachment gateway (AG), and wherein the SIP messages establishing the communication session are generated by a generic proxy on behalf of the second end-point.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the generic proxy is associated with a Call State Control Function (CSCF) controlling the respective attachment gateway.

13. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second end-point is a node of a legacy Autonomous System (AS) attached to the network via a border gateway (BG), and wherein the SIP messages establishing the communication session are generated by a peer Signalling Inter-Working Function (SIWF) based on in-band signalling messages received from the second end-point.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the peer Signalling Inter-Working Function is associated with a border Call State Control Function (b-CSCF) controlling the border gateway (BG).

19. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the SIWF is associated with a Call State Control Function (CSCF) controlling the associated gateway.

15. In a communication network in which Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is used to establish communications sessions with QoS treatment of bearer flows, a computer readable medium comprising software code for providing QoS treatment of a bearer flow within a communication session established between two end devices using a different in-band signalling protocol, the software code implementing a Signalling Inter-Working Function (SIWF) in a path of one in-band signalling between the two end devices, the SIWF being operative to:

detect at least a signal state of the in-band signalling; and

establish a communications session with QoS treatment of bearer flows spanning at least a portion of an end-to-end path between the two end points, based on the detected signal state.

16. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the softare code for establishing the communication session comprises steps of:

receiving in-band signalling protocol messages generated by a first one of the two end-points, for setting up a communication path with the second one of the two end-points;

generating one or more SIP messages that are functionally equivalent to the received in-band signalling protocol messages;

receiving SIP messages establishing the communication session with QoS treatment; and

generating one or more in-band signalling protocol messages that are functionally equivalent to the received SIP messages.

17. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the in-band signalling protocol is one of Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) and Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).

18. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first end-point is any one of:

an non-SIP client attached to the network via an attachment gateway (AG); and

a node of a legacy Autonomous System (AS) attached to the network via a border gateway (BG).

20. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of generating one or more SIP messages that are functionally equivalent to the received in-band signalling protocol messages comprises a step of including an explicit identification of a desired QoS treatment of the bearer flow.

21. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 20, wherein the explicit identification of desired QoS treatment comprises information identifying at least a required bandwidth.

22. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 21, wherein the explicit identification of desired QoS treatment further comprises information identifying a required traffic class.

23. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 21, wherein the information comprises an identifier representative of at least a predetermined bandwidth.

24. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second end-point is a SIP speaker connected to the network, and wherein the SIP messages establishing the communication session are generated by the second end-point.

25. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second end-point is a non-SIP client attached to the network via respective attachment gateway (AG), and wherein the SIP messages establishing the communication session are generated by a generic proxy on behalf of the second end-point.

26. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 25, wherein the generic proxy is associated with a Call State Control Function (CSCF) controlling the respective attachment gateway.

27. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second end-point is a node of a legacy Autonomous System (AS) attached to the network via a border gateway (BG), and wherein the SIP messages establishing the communication session are generated by a peer Signalling Inter-Working Function (SIWF) based on in-band signalling messages received from the second end-point.

28. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 27, wherein the peer Signalling Inter-Working Function is associated with a border Call State Control Function (b-CSCF) controlling the border gateway (BG).