SESSION PERSISTENT DATA AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF

• US 20150019747A1
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Baer, Anders, Khan, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,848,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for generating, storing and transmitting information relating to a session between an endpoint in an enterprise and an endpoint remote from the enterprise to enable the remote endpoint to contact the enterprise endpoint in a subsequent communications session. The information generated includes, at least, a session identifier identifying the session and the identity of the enterprise endpoint. Advantageously the remote endpoint is also provided with the enterprise communication identity or other means to enable the remote endpoint to associate the session identifier with the enterprise'"'"'s communication identity.

Claims

1. A method, in a communications network including an enterprise endpoint and a remote endpoint, comprising the steps of:

storing, for a communications session between the enterprise endpoint and the remote endpoint, session information including at least a unique session identifier for the communications session and the identity of the enterprise endpoint;

the remote endpoint sending a session request including the session identifier;

retrieving the identity of the enterprise endpoint using the session identifier in the session request;

setting up a further communications session between the remote endpoint and the enterprise endpoint using the identity of the enterprise endpoint in the session information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting the session identifier for the communications session to the remote endpoint.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the remote endpoint associating the session identifier with a communication identity for the enterprise including the enterprise endpoint.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the session information further comprises context information and the remote endpoint is configured to store the context information and display the context information in response to the communication identity associated with the session information being selected at the remote endpoint.

5. The method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the session information is transmitted to the remote endpoint as an IP based SMS.

6. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising the step of the remote endpoint transmitting the session information as part of a SIP INVITE request.

7. The method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the session information further comprises at least one of context information and lifetime value.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising the step of transmitting the session information in the header of a SIP message.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the step of storing the session information is performed in response to one of session set up or session termination.

10. The method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the apparatus is a node in an IP telephony network, a node in an IP Multimedia Subsystem or an enterprise gateway.

12. Apparatus in an IP network configured to:

store, for a communications session between an enterprise endpoint and a remote endpoint, session information including at least a unique session identifier for the communications session and the identity of the enterprise endpoint;

receive a session request from the remote endpoint including the session identifier;

retrieve the identity of the enterprise endpoint using the session identifier in the session request;

set up a communications session between the remote endpoint and the enterprise endpoint using the identity of the enterprise endpoint stored in the session information.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the apparatus further comprises an output configured to transmit at least the unique identifier to the remote endpoint.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13 wherein the IMS is configured to transmit session information to the remote endpoint as an IP based SMS.

15. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein the session request comprises a SIP INVITE request.

16. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15 wherein the session information further comprises at least one of context information and lifetime value.

17. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 16 further comprising the step of transmitting the session information in the header of a SIP message.

18. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 17 wherein the step of storing the session information is performed in response to one of session set up or session termination.

19. A user endpoint comprising:

an input configured to receive a message including session information of at least an identifier for a communications session between the user endpoint and an enterprise endpoint;

a processor to associate the session information with a communication identity for the enterprise; and

memory to store, for the communications session, at least the identifier for the communications session in association with a number for the enterprise of the enterprise endpoint.

20. The user endpoint as claimed in claim 19 wherein the session information includes a communication identity of the enterprise.

21. The user endpoint as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20 further configured to retrieve and display the session information when the communication identity of the enterprise is selected.

22. The user endpoint as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21 wherein the session information further comprises context information and the user endpoint is configured to store the context information and display the context information in response to the communication identity of the enterprise being selected at the user endpoint.

23. The user endpoint as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 22 further comprising a processor to insert the session identifier into a header of a SIP INVITE request.

24. The user endpoint as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 23 wherein the session information further comprises a lifetime value at the end of which the user endpoint deletes the session information from the memory.

25. A method, in a user endpoint, comprising the steps of:

receiving a message including session information of at least an identifier for a communications session between the user endpoint and an enterprise endpoint; and

storing, for the communications session, at least the identifier for the communications session in association with a number for the enterprise of the enterprise endpoint.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25 wherein the session information includes a communication identity of the enterprise.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25 or claim 26 wherein the session information further comprises context information and the method further comprises the steps of storing the context information and displaying the context information in response to the telephone number associated with the session information being selected.

28. The method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 27 further comprising the step of inserting at least the session identifier into a header of a SIP INVITE request requesting a connection to the enterprise of the enterprise endpoint

29. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a user endpoint to, upon receiving a message including session information of at least an identifier for a communications session between the user endpoint and an enterprise endpoint, store, for the communications session, at least the identifier for the communications session in association with a number for the enterprise of the enterprise endpoint.