Method and Arrangement for Remotely Controlling Multimedia Communication Across Local Networks

• US 20100135279A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gerdes, Martin, Skog, Robert, Petersson, Justus
• Granted Patent: US 9,742,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method and arrangement for remotely controlling the communication of media between devices in different local networks (200, 202) using a remote control device (200b). The remote control device obtains discovery information on a first device (200c) and sends a remote access request over a multimedia service network to a home multimedia gateway (202b) in the opposite local network (202) for a connection to a second device (202c) therein. The home multimedia gateway then responds with communication parameters established for the second device in a residential gateway, and the remote control device can then order the first device to execute a multimedia session with the second device by using said communication parameters. This solution enables a remote control device visiting a local network to order a device in that network to fetch media content from a device in another home network, or vice versa.

Claims

1. A method of remotely controlling the communication of media between a first device in a first local network and a second device in a second local network by means of a remote control device present in the first local network, the first and second local networks each comprising a residential gateway for external connections, comprising the following steps executed by the remote control device:

obtaining discovery information on the first device by conducting a discovery process in the first local network,

sending a remote access request over a multimedia service network to a home multimedia gateway in the second local network, for a connection to the second device,

receiving communication parameters established for the second device in the residential gateway of the second local network, from the home multimedia gateway over the multimedia service network in response to said remote access request, and

ordering the first device to execute a multimedia session with the second device by using said communication parameters for the second device in the residential gateway of the second local network.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote control device uses the received communication parameters for media browsing in the second device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote control device orders the first device to fetch media content from the second device.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the remote control device sends to the first device the received communication parameters and a URL or URI pointing to the selected media content in the second device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote control device orders the first device to send media content to the second device.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote access request is an IMS session invite message directed to an IMS identity of the multimedia gateway.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein SIP is used for communication with the home multimedia gateway over the multimedia service network, and the IMS session invite message is a SIP INVITE message.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote access request includes an external IP address used by the residential gateway of the first local network for external communication.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the received communication parameters include an external IP address and port number of the residential gateway of the second local network according to a NAT binding or port mapping established for the second device in the residential gateway.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote access request includes a local identity of the second device.

11. An arrangement in a remote control device for remotely controlling the communication of media between a first device in a first local network and a second device in a second local network when the remote control device is present in the first local network, the first and second local networks each comprising a residential gateway for external connections, the remote control device comprising:

a discovery unit adapted to obtain discovery information on the first device by conducting a discovery process in the first local network,

a sending unit adapted to send a remote access request over a multimedia service network directed to a home multimedia gateway in the second local network, for a connection to the second device,

a receiving unit adapted to receive communication parameters established for the second device in the residential gateway of the second local network, from the home multimedia gateway over the multimedia service network in response to said remote access request, and

an ordering unit adapted to order the first device to execute a multimedia session with the second device by using said communication parameters for the second device in the residential gateway of the second local network.

12. An arrangement according to claim 11, the remote control device further comprising a browsing unit adapted to use the received communication parameters for media browsing in the second device.

13. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the ordering unit is further adapted to order the first device to fetch selected media content from the second device.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the ordering unit is further adapted to send to the first device the received communication parameters and a URL or URI pointing to the selected media content in the second device.

15. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the ordering unit is further adapted to order the first device to send media content to the second device.

16. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the remote access request is an IMS session invite message directed to an IMS identity of the multimedia gateway.

17. An arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the sending and receiving units are further adapted to use SIP for communication with the home multimedia gateway over the multimedia service network, and the IMS session invite message is a SIP INVITE message.

18. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the sending unit is further adapted to include an external IP address in the remote access request, used by the residential gateway of the first local network for external communication.

19. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the received communication parameters include an external IP address and port number of the residential gateway of the second local network according to a NAT binding or port mapping established for the second device in the residential gateway.

20. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the remote access request includes a local identity of the second device.

21. An arrangement in a home multimedia gateway for enabling remote control of media communication between a first device in a first local network and a second device in a second local network by means of a remote control device present in the first local network, the first and second local network each comprising a residential gateway for external connections and the home multimedia gateway being connected to the second local network, the home multimedia gateway comprising:

a receiving unit adapted to receive a remote access request from the remote control device over a multimedia service network, for a connection to the second device,

a port mapping unit adapted to obtain communication parameters for the second device in the residential gateway of the second local network, in response to the received remote access request, and

a sending unit adapted to send said communication parameters to the remote control device, thereby enabling the remote control device to order the first device to execute a multimedia session with the second device by using said communication parameters.

22. An arrangement according to claim 21, wherein the port mapping unit is further adapted to obtain a NAT binding and port mapping as said communication parameters in the residential gateway of the second local network, mapping the local IP address and port number of the second device with an external public IP address and a port number of the residential gateway of the second local network.