Traffic Routing Across and Between Networks
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of routing signalling plane traffic through or out of an IP Multimedia Subsystem, IMS, network. The method comprises maintaining within user profile data stored in a subscriber database of the IMS network, routing information defining signalling plane routing profiles for a user associated with the user profile data. Said routing information is transferred from the subscriber database to a Call Session Control Function, CSCF, of the IMS network at or following registration of said user to the IMS network. The method then comprises handling a Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, request for said user at the CSCF including adding said routing information into the request and forwarding the SIP request to a next hop node, and, at said next hop node or at a further downstream node, making a routing decision for the SIP request or for related signalling on the basis of the routing information contained within the SIP request.
18 Citations
34 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method of routing signaling plane traffic through or out of an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, the method comprising:
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configuring, for a user, a list of routing profiles within a subscriber database of the IMS network, each routing profile controlling a different kind of signaling plane routing behavior for the user; at or following registration of the user to the IMS network, transferring the routing profiles for the user from the subscriber database to a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) of the IMS network; handling a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request for the user at the CSCF including adding the routing profiles into the request and forwarding the SIP request to a next hop node; and at the next hop node, or at a further downstream node, making a routing decision for the SIP request or for related signaling based on the routing profiles contained within the SIP request. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus configured to operate as a Call Session Control Function, (CSCF) within an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, the apparatus comprising:
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an interface circuit configured to receive, from a Home Subscriber Server of the IMS network, user profile data for a given user, the user profile data including a plurality of routing profiles, each profile controlling a different kind of signaling plane routing behavior of the user; a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request handler circuit configured to; add the plurality of routing profiles to a SIP request associated with the user; and forward the SIP request to a next hop node. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. An apparatus configured to operate as an interconnection control function for an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network;
- the apparatus interconnecting, at the signaling plane, the IMS network to a plurality of external networks via a plurality of link;
the apparatus comprising;memory containing mappings between destination addresses and links to the external networks, the mappings including for at least some of the destination addresses a plurality of possible links; a receiving circuit configured to receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request from an upstream node within the IMS network; a router for downstream forwarding of signaling associated with the SIP request over one of the links; a router controller configured to; inspect a received SIP request to identify both a destination address and a plurality of routing profiles, each profile controlling a different kind of signaling plane routing behavior for a user; use the destination address and the routing profiles as a lookup to the memory to determine a forwarding link; and control the router to forward the signaling via the determined forwarding link. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
- the apparatus interconnecting, at the signaling plane, the IMS network to a plurality of external networks via a plurality of link;
Specification