Prioritising Messages in a Communications Network

• US 20100316045A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Terrill, Stephen, Przybysz, Hubert
• Application Number:
  US12/445,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20100316045A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2466 using signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields

Abstract

A method and communications network node for allocating a priority level to an Internet Protocol (IP) packet containing all or part of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message. One or more characteristics of the SIP message are determined, and the characteristics are mapped to a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) value. The DSCP value is then applied to the IP packet header.

Claims

1. A method of allocating a priority to an Internet Protocol packet containing all or part of a Session Initiation Protocol message in a communications network, the method comprising:

determining one or more characteristics of the Session Initiation Protocol message;

mapping the determined characteristic(s) to a Differentiated Services Code Point value; and

applying the mapped Differentiated Services Code Point value to the Internet Protocol packet header.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristic is an explicit priority indication of the SIP message.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristic is a Session Initiation Protocol message method;

a Uniform Resource Indicator of the message;

an indication that the message is a response;

content of a header of the message; and

content of a body of the message.

4. A method according to any one of claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising, before the step of determining one or more characteristics, receiving the Session Initiation Protocol message at a Session Initiation Protocol classifier.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a Differentiated Services Code Point value applied to a Session Initiation protocol message is distinct from Differentiated Services Code Point values applied to non-Session Initiation protocol messages.

10. A communications network node according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the communications network is an IP Multimedia Subsystem network.

11. A communications network node according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the node is located at a Call Session Control Function.

6. A communications network node for allocating a priority to an IP packet containing all or part of a Session Initiation Protocol message, the node comprising:

determination means to determine one or more characteristics of the Session Initiation Protocol message;

mapping means to map the determined characteristic(s) to a Differentiated Services Code Point value; and

means to apply the mapped Differentiated Services Code Point value to the Internet Protocol packet header.

7. A communications network node according to claim 6, wherein said characteristic is an explicit priority indication of the SIP message.

8. A communications network node according to claim 6, wherein said characteristic is a Session Initiation Protocol message method;

a Uniform Resource Indicator of the message;

an indication that the message is a response;

content of a header of the message; and

content of a body of the message.

9. A communications network node according to any one of claims 6, 7 and 8, comprising receiving means to receive a Session Initiation Protocol message.

12. A communications network node for sending a Session Initiation Protocol message, the node comprising:

means to include a packet forwarding priority indication in said message.