Apparatus, and Associated Method, for Facilitating Multi-Media Service in an Ethernet Network

• US 20080159304A1
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Badt, Sig Hal, Tancevski, Ljubisa, Rouyer, Jessy, Ozugur, Timucin
• Granted Patent: US 8,693,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating performance of multi-media, and other communication, services at an Ethernet network. A bridge provides communication control operations at the Ethernet network. Audio-video bridge domains are defined at the network. Service discovery messages generated by communication devices of a particular domain are forwarded only to other communication devices of the same domain. Redefinition and reconfiguration of the domains is made, as needed, all best to facilitate performance of the communication service.

Claims

1. Apparatus for facilitating performance of a multimedia communication service between communication devices at an Ethernet network, said apparatus comprising:

an audio video bridge configured selectably to relay multimedia communication data communicated at the Ethernet network;

a first domain formed of the first portion of the Ethernet network, the first portion forming said first domain defined by said audio video bridge, service discovery permitted between communication devices at said first domain; and

a second domain formed of a second portion of the Ethernet network, the second portion forming said second domain defined by said audio video bridge, service discovery permitted between communication devices at said second domain.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first domain formed of the portion of the Ethernet network comprises a first logical domain.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second domain formed of the second portion of the Ethernet network comprises a second logical domain.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first domain formed of the first portion of the Ethernet network is defined at a first area.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second domain formed of the second portion of the Ethernet network is defined at a second area.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the service discovery permitted between the communication devices at said first domain is performed through generation of service discovery packets and wherein said audio video bridge is further configured to forward first domain generated service discovery packets to communication devices at said first domain.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each communication device at said first domain is identified with a first identifier value and wherein said audio video bridge is further configured to forward first domain generated service discovery packets to communication devices identified with the first identifiers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the service discovery permitted between the communication devices at said second domain is performed through generation of service discovery packets and wherein said audio video bridge is further configured to forward second domain generated service discovery packets to communication devices at said second domain.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each communication device at said second domain is identified with a second identifier value and wherein said audio video bridge is further configured to forward second domain generated service discovery packets to communication devices identified with the second identifiers.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said audio video bridge is further configured to filter service discovery requests generated pursuant to service discovery, filtering provided by said filter pursuant to filter characteristics of said filter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the filter characteristics of said audio video bridge prevent service discovery of communication devices at said first domain beyond said first domain and prevent service discovery of communication devices at said second domain beyond said second domain.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion defined by said audio video bridge and the second portion defined by said audio video bridge are redefineable by said audio video bridge.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein group Medium Access Control, MAC, addresses are defined at the Ethernet network and associated with said first domain and said second domain, respectively, and wherein redefinition of said first domain and said second domain by said audio video bridge utilize the MAC addresses associated with said first and second domains, respectively.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein Medium Access Control, MAC, addresses are defined at the Ethernet network and wherein service discovery permitted at said first domain and at said second domain utilize MAC addresses.

15. A method for facilitating performance of a multimedia communication service between communication devices at an Ethernet network, said method comprising the operations of:

positioning an audio video bridge at the Ethernet network;

defining a first portion of the Ethernet network to be a first domain;

defining a second portion of the Ethernet network to be a second domain;

controlling forwarding by the audio video bridge of service discovery requests such that service discovery requests of communication devices at the first domain are forwarded only within the first domain and such that service discovery requests of communication devices at the second domain are forwarded only within the second domain.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said operations of defining the first domain and of defining the second domain are performed at the audio video bridge.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the operations of redefining the first domain and redefining the second domain.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the service discovery requests, forwarding of which are controlled during said operation of controlling, comprise service discovery packets generated at communication devices at the Ethernet network.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the service discovery packets comprise identifiers that identify communication devices to be associated with a selected one of the first domain and the second domain.

20. In an Ethernet network, an improvement of:

an audio video bridge that defines a first domain formed of a first portion of the Ethernet network and a second domain formed of a second portion of the Ethernet network, said audio video bridge configured to permit forwarding of service discovery requests within the first domain and forwarding of service discovery requests within the second domain and configured to prevent forwarding of service discovery requests between the first and second domains.