IMS network architecture with integrated network elements
First Claim
1. An IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected IMS network elements; and
an integrated IMS network control unit interfaced with said plurality of IMS network elements;
wherein the control unit is a single network node; and
wherein the control unit includes a multimedia resource function (MRF) module, a media gateway control function (MGCF) module, and a media gateway (MGW) module integrated into the single network node of the control unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network includes (i) a plurality of network elements that are directly or indirectly interconnected for carrying out communications and (ii) an integrated IMS network control unit interfaced with the other network elements. The control unit integrates three IMS network functions into one network node: a multimedia resource function (MRF) module, which incorporates a multimedia resource function controller (MRFC) and/or one or more multimedia resource function processors (MRFP), e.g., media servers; a media gateway control function (MGCF); and a media gateway (MGW). The external physical interface of the control unit mimics the typical interfaces of the MRF/MRFC, MGCF, and MGW, were they to be provided as separate network elements/nodes. As such, the control unit is both physically and logically transparent to the rest of the network, as relating to the integrated MRF, MGCF, and MGW functions.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network comprising:
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a plurality of interconnected IMS network elements; and an integrated IMS network control unit interfaced with said plurality of IMS network elements; wherein the control unit is a single network node; and wherein the control unit includes a multimedia resource function (MRF) module, a media gateway control function (MGCF) module, and a media gateway (MGW) module integrated into the single network node of the control unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An integrated control unit for an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network, said control unit comprising:
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a multimedia resource function (MRF) module, a media gateway control function (MGCF) module, and a media gateway (MGW) module, wherein the modules are integrated together in the control unit as a single network node of the IMS network; and an external physical interface operably connected to said modules for transferring data received from one or more external IMS network elements to the modules. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of exchanging data in an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network, said method comprising:
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transferring data between a plurality of IMS network elements and a single node of the IMS network, said single node being interfaced with said plurality of IMS network elements for communicating there with; wherein the single node includes a multimedia resource function (MRF) module, a media gateway control function (MGCF) module, and a media gateway (MGW) module, said modules being integrated together and conforming to at least one specification of the IMS network for performing MRF, MGCF, and MGW functions. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification