METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING A COMMUNICATION SESSION FOR AN UNREGISTERED INTERNET PROTOCOL MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEM (IMS) DEVICE

• US 20080181198A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP
• Inventors: Ku, Bernard, Yasrebi, Mehrad, Qiu, Chaoxin Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for handling a communication session for an unregistered Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) device are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving an IMS session initiation message from an un-registered user endpoint, determining whether the IMS session initiation message is directed to an exception endpoint, and establishing an IMS session on behalf of the unregistered user endpoint when the IMS session initiation is directed to the exception endpoint.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session initiation message from an un-registered user endpoint;

determining whether the IMS session initiation message is directed Lo an exception endpoint; and

establisling an IMS session on behalf of the unregistered user endpoint when the IMS session initiation is directed to the exception endpoint.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining whether the user endpoint is un-registered.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the un-registered user endpoint comprises an IMS device that is not currently registered to an IMS network.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising rejecting the IMS session invitation message when the IMS session initiation message is not directed to the exception endpoint.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the IMS session initiation message comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE protocol message.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein establishing the initiated IMS session when the IMS session initiation is directed to the exception endpoint comprises sending a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE protocol message to the exception endpoint.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the IMS session initiation message is directed to the exception endpoint comprises performing a lookup in an endpoint exception list based upon a destination specified in the IMS session initiation.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the IMS session initiation message is directed to the exception endpoint is performed by a proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) server.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

determining at a serving call session control function (S-CSCF) server whether a profile for the unregistered endpoint is available.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising determining at the S-CSCF server whether the IMS session initiation message is directed to the exception endpoint.

12. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising sending a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE protocol message to the exception endpoint when the profile is available.

13. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the profile comprises at least one of an assigned telephone number, an Internet protocol (IP) address for a serving call processor, a quality of service (QoS) parameter or a maximum allowable transmit bandwidth.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the exception endpoint is a public safety answering point (PSAP).

15. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the exception endpoint is a customer service endpoint.

10. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. An apparatus comprising:

an exception checker to determine whether a communication session initiation invitation received from an un-registered Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) device is directed to an exception endpoint by comparing a destination specified in the communication session initiation invitation to a list of one or more exception endpoints; and

an inviter to send a second communication session invitation to the exception endpoint when the destination matches the exception endpoint.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising a memory to store the list of one or more exception endpoints.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein at least one of the first and the second communication session initiation invitations is a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE message.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising a subscriber checker to determine whether the IMS device is un-registered.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising an unregistered device handler to instruct the inviter to send the second communication session invitation Lo the exception endpoint based upon an output of the exception checker.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the apparatus is to reject the communication session initiation invitation when the communication session initiation invitation is not directed to any of the one or more exception endpoints.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the apparatus comprises a call session control function (CSCF) server.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the apparatus is to determine whether a profile for the unregistered endpoint is available.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein the inviter is to send the second communication session initiation invitation to the exception endpoint when the profile is available.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the exception endpoint is a public safety answering point (PSAP).

31. (canceled)

32. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session initiation message from an un-registered user endpoint;

determine whether the IMS session initiation message is directed to an exception endpoint; and

establish an IMS session on behalf of the unregistered user endpoint when the IMS session initiation is directed to the exception endpoint.

33. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 32, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine whether the user endpoint is un-registered.

34. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 32, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to reject the IMS session invitation message when the IMS session initiation message is not directed to the exception endpoint.

35. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 32, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to establish the initiated IMS session when the IMS session initiation is directed to the exception endpoint by sending a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE protocol message to the exception endpoint.

36. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 32, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine whether the IMS session initiation message is directed to the exception endpoint by performing a lookup in an endpoint exception list based upon a destination specified in the IMS session initiation.

37. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 32, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine whether a profile for the unregistered endpoint is available.

38-47. -47. (canceled)