SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION SETUP VIA RECONCILIATION OF INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESSES

• US 20130163583A1
• Filed: 12/26/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Guy Fighel
• Inventors: MEGHANI, Jaya, Gorrepati, Chakrapani, Zhu, Binou, Fighel, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 9,313,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]

Abstract

Systems and methods for forwarding data packets to facilitate an IP telephony communication make use of a media relay to accomplish the forwarding actions. The media relay is configured receive setup signaling indicating a first acceptable originating IP address for received data packets. The media relay also allows the acceptable originating IP address to change once after the initial call setup has occurred. Also, if a REINVITE action occurs during a call, the media relay will allow the acceptable originating IP address to change once after the REINVITE signaling has been completed.

Claims

1. A method of forwarding data packets containing media of a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) communication, comprising:

receiving VoIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

setting the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

receiving a data packet;

evaluating the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

determining whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling; and

discarding the data packet based upon the results of the determining step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet matches the acceptable originating IP address, the method further comprises forwarding the data packet to a destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has not changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the method further comprises:

resetting the acceptable originating IP address to the originating IP address of the received data packet; and

forwarding the data packet to a destination.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the data packet is discarded.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the data packet is discarded.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a media relay.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving VoIP communication setup signaling comprises receiving initial call setup signaling.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving VoIP communication setup signaling comprises receiving SIP REINVITE setup signaling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the data packet to a destination comprises forwarding the data packet to a destination IP address identified in the VoIP communication setup signaling.

10. A system for forwarding data packets containing media of a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) communication, comprising:

means for receiving VoIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

means for setting the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

means for receiving a data packet;

means for evaluating the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

means for determining whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling; and

means for discarding the data packet based upon the results of the determining step.

11. A system for forwarding data packets containing media of a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) communication, comprising:

a communication setup unit that receives VoIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

an IP address setting unit that sets the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

a data packet handling unit that receives a data packet an evaluating unit that evaluates the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

a determining unit that determines whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling, wherein the data packet handling unit discards the data packet based upon an output of the determining unit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein if the evaluating unit indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet matches the acceptable originating IP address, the data packet handing unit forwards the data packet to a destination.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein if the determining unit determines that the acceptable originating IP address has not changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the IP address setting unit resets the acceptable originating IP address to the originating IP address of the received data packet, and the data packet handling unit forwards the data packet to a destination.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein if the determining unit determines that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the data packet handling unit discards the received data packet.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein if the determining unit determines that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the data packet handling unit discards the received data packet.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication setup unit, the IP address setting unit and the data packet handling unit are part of a media relay.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein when the communication setup unit receives VoIP communication setup signaling for an initial VoIP communication setup, and the first originating IP address is an IP address associated with a first data network access point used by a telephony device to setup the VoIP communication.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein when the communication setup unit receives VoIP communication setup signaling indicating that the telephony device has switched from the first data network access point to a second data network access point, the first originating IP address is an IP address associated with the second data network access point.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the data packet handling unit forwards received data packets to destination IP addresses specified in VoIP communication setup signaling.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a media relay, cause the media relay to perform a method comprising:

receiving VoIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

setting the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

receiving a data packet;

evaluating the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

determining whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling; and

discarding the data packet based upon the results of the determining step.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions also cause the media relay to forward the data packet to a destination if performance of the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet matches the acceptable originating IP address.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein if performance of the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has not changed since receipt of the setup signaling the instructions also cause the media relay to:

reset the acceptable originating IP address to the originating IP address of the received data packet; and

forward the data packet to a destination.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein if performance of the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the instructions also cause the media relay to discard the data packet.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein if performance of the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the instructions also cause the media relay to discard the data packet.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions also cause the media relay to perform the forwarding step such that the data packet is forwarded to a destination IP address specified in received VoIP communication setup signaling.