Network-independent connection management

• US 5,802,058 A
• Filed: 06/03/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Harris, Phillip E., Haserodt, Kurt H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US08/650,120
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/410, 370/431, 370/466, 370/522, 370/252, 370/254, 370/255, 370/467
• US Class Current: 370/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a telecommunications system (8) that comprises communications endpoints (14-15), communications resources (18-20), a communications server (10) that includes a media manager (21), and a network (12) that interconnects them all, a first endpoint (14) provides the media manager with an offer of a connection to a second endpoint (15) that specifies attributes desired for the connection by the first endpoint. The media manager registers the request and forwards it to the second endpoint. When the second endpoint responds with an acceptance of the connection that specifies attributes desired for the connection by the second endpoint, the media manager compares the registered offer with the received acceptance to determine any resources that are needed to bridge any differences between their attributes and to effect the connection. The media manager then marshals any needed resources for the connection, sends a modified acceptance to any marshaled resource telling it the address of the second endpoint to connect to, sends a modified acceptance to the first endpoint that tells it the address of any marshaled resource, or of the second endpoint in the absence of any marshaled resource, to connect to, and leaves it up to the endpoints and marshaled resources to interact with the network to effect the connection through the network. The media manager can therefore provide centralized call control for substantially any network, and can treat all networks generically and leave it up to the endpoints to deal with the particulars of any specific network. Communications between multiple such telecommunications systems (8, 9) can also be effected thereby.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a plurality of communications endpoints;

a communications-connection manager;

a set of communications resources;

a communications medium interconnecting the endpoints and the resources;

means in a first endpoint for sending to the manager an offer of a communication between the first and a second endpoint and attributes of the communication desired by the first endpoint;

means in the manager responsive to receipt of the offer, for sending the offer to the second endpoint;

means in the second endpoint responsive to receipt of the offer for sending to the manager an acceptance of the offer and attributes of the communication desired by the second endpoint;

means in the manager responsive to the received offer and to receipt of the acceptance, for determining any resource that is required to bridge any differences between the attributes of the offer and of the acceptance and to effect the communication;

means in the manager responsive to the determination, for marshaling any determined resource for the communication;

means in the manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to one of the first endpoint and the second endpoint instructions for the one endpoint to set up the communication between the one endpoint and another of the first endpoint and the second endpoint through any marshaled resource; and

means in the one endpoint responsive to receipt of the instructions sent by the manager, for setting up the communication between the first and second endpoints through any marshaled resource on the medium according to the received instructions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the means for sending instructions comprise

means in the manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to the first endpoint an acceptance of the offer including instructions for the first endpoint to set up the communication through any marshaled resource.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the resources have addresses on the communications medium; and

the means for sending instructions comprise

means in the manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to the one endpoint instructions for the one endpoint to set up the communication to the other endpoint through the address of any marshaled resource.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the endpoints and the resources have addresses on the communications medium; and

the means for sending instructions comprise

means in the manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to the one endpoint the address of at least one of (a) a marshaled resource and (b) the other endpoint.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the means for sending instructions comprise

means in the manager responsive to marshaling of at least one resource for the communication, for sending to the marshaled resource an acceptance of the offer including instructions for the marshaled resource to set up a communication between the marshaled resource and the second endpoint, and for sending to the first endpoint an acceptance of the offer including instructions for the first endpoint to set up a communication between the first endpoint and the marshaled resource, and further responsive to marshaling of no resource for the communication, for sending to the first endpoint an acceptance of the offer including instructions for the first endpoint to set up a communication directly between the first endpoint and the second endpoint; and

the system further comprising

means in the at least one marshaled resource responsive to receipt of the acceptance of the offer including the instructions for the marshaled resource, for setting up the communication between the marshaled resource and the second endpoint according to the received instructions.

6. A communications-connection manager for a telecommunications system that includes a plurality of communications endpoints that are capable of setting up communications according to received instructions, a set of communications resources, and a communications medium interconnecting the endpoints and the resources, comprising:

means responsive to receipt from a first endpoint of an offer of a communication between the first and a second endpoint and attributes of the communication desired by the first endpoint, for sending the offer to the second endpoint;

means responsive to receipt from the second endpoint of an acceptance of the offer of the communication and attributes of the communication desired by the second endpoint, for determining any resource that is required to bridge any differences between the attributes of the offer and the attributes of the acceptance and to effect the communication;

means responsive to the determination, for marshaling any determined resource for the communication; and

means responsive to the marshaling, for sending to one of the first endpoint and the second endpoint instructions for the one endpoint to set up the communication between the one endpoint and another of the first endpoint and the second endpoint on the medium through any marshaled resource.

7. The manager of claim 6 wherein:

the means for sending instructions comprise

means in the manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to the first endpoint an acceptance of the offer including instructions for the first endpoint to set up the communication through any marshaled resource.

8. The manager of claim 6 for a telecommunications system wherein the resources have addresses on the communications medium, wherein:

the means for sending instructions comprise

means in the manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to the one endpoint instructions for the one endpoint to set up the communication to the other endpoint through the address of any marshaled resource.

9. The manager of claim 6 for a telecommunications system wherein the endpoints and the resources have addresses on the communications medium, wherein:

the means for sending instructions comprise

means in the manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to the one endpoint the address of at least one of (a) a marshaled resource and (b) the other endpoint.

10. The manager of claim 6 for a telecommunications system wherein the resources are capable of setting up communications according to received instructions, wherein:

the means for sending instructions comprise

means in the manager responsive to marshaling of at least one resource for the communication, for sending to the marshaled resource an acceptance of the offer including instructions for the marshaled resource to set up a communication between the marshaled resource and the second endpoint, and for sending to the first endpoint an acceptance of the offer including instructions for the first endpoint to set up a communication between the first endpoint and the marshaled resource, and further responsive to marshaling of no resource for the communication, for sending to the first endpoint an acceptance of the offer including instructions for the first endpoint to set up a communication directly between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

11. The manager of claim 6 for a telecommunications system that includes among the resources at least one means for interconnecting the medium with a second communications medium of a second communications system that comprises at least one communications endpoint connected to the second medium and a second communications-connection manager for managing communications connections on the second medium.

12. A method of managing communications connections in a telecommunications system that includes a plurality of communications endpoints, a set of communications resources, a communications medium interconnecting the endpoints and the resources, and a communications-connection manager, the method comprising the steps of:

sending an offer of a communication between a first and a second endpoint and attributes of the communication desired by the first endpoint from the first endpoint to the manager;

in response to receipt of the offer by the manager, sending the offer from the manager to the second endpoint;

in response to receipt of the offer by the second endpoint, sending an acceptance of the offer and attributes of the communication desired by the second endpoint from the second endpoint to the manager;

in response to receipt of the acceptance by the manager, determining at the manager any resource that is required to bridge any differences between the attributes of the offer and the attributes of the acceptance and to effect the communication;

in response to the determination, marshaling any determined resource for the communication by the manager;

in response to the marshaling, sending instructions for one of the first endpoint and the second endpoint to set up the communication between the one endpoint and another of the first endpoint and the second endpoint through any marshaled resources from the manager to the one endpoint; and

in response to receipt of the instructions by the one endpoint, the one endpoint setting up the communication between the first and second endpoints through any marshaled resource on the medium according to the received instructions.

13. A telecommunications system comprising:

a first communications endpoint;

a first communications-connection manager;

a set of first communications resources;

a first communications medium interconnecting the first endpoint and the first resources;

a second communications endpoint;

a second communications-connection manager;

a set of second communications resources;

a second communications medium interconnecting the second endpoint and the second resources;

means for interconnecting the first medium with the second medium;

means in the first endpoint for sending to the first manager an offer of a communication between the first and the second endpoints and attributes of the communication desired by the first endpoint;

means in the first manager responsive to receipt of the offer, for sending the offer to the second manager;

means in the second manager responsive to receipt of the offer, for sending the offer to the second endpoint;

means in the second endpoint responsive to receipt of the offer, for sending to the second manager an acceptance of the offer and attributes of the communication desired by the second endpoint;

means in the second manager responsive to the received offer and to receipt of the acceptance, for determining any second resource that is required to bridge any differences between the attributes of the offer and the attributes of the acceptance and to effect the communication;

means in the second manager responsive to the determination, for marshaling any determined second resource for the communication;

means in the second manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to one of the interconnecting means and the second endpoint first instructions for the one of the interconnecting means and the second endpoint to set up the communication between the one of the interconnecting means and the second endpoint on the second medium through any marshaled second resource;

the one of the interconnecting means and the second endpoint being responsive to receipt of the first instructions for setting up the communication on the second medium according to the first instructions;

means in the second manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to the first manager an acceptance of the offer and the attributes of the acceptance modified for those attributes bridged by any second resource marshaled by the second manager;

means in the first manager responsive to the received offer and to receipt of the acceptance, for determining any first resource that is required to bridge any differences between the attributes of the offer and the modified attributes of the acceptance and to effect the communication;

means in the first manager responsive to the determination, for marshaling any determined first resource for the communication;

means in the first manager responsive to the marshaling, for sending to one of the interconnecting means and the first endpoint second instructions for the one of the interconnecting means and the first endpoint to set up the communication between the one of the first endpoint and the interconnecting means on the first medium through any marshaled first resource; and

the one of the interconnecting means and the first endpoint being responsive to receipt of the second instructions, for setting up the communication on the first medium according to the second instructions.

14. A method of managing communications connections in a telecommunications system that includes a first communications endpoint, a set of first communications resources, a first communications medium interconnecting the first endpoint and the first resources, a first communications-connection manager for the first medium, a second communications endpoint, a set of second communications resources, a second communications medium interconnecting the second endpoint and the second resources, a second communications-connection manager for the second medium, and means for interconnecting the first medium with the second medium, the method comprising the steps of:

sending an offer of a communication between the first and the second endpoints and attributes of the communication desired by the first endpoint from the first endpoint to the first manager;

in response to receipt of the offer by the first manager, sending the offer from the first manager to the second manager;

in response to receipt of the offer by the second manager, sending the offer from the second manager to the second endpoint;

in response to receipt of the offer by the second endpoint, sending an acceptance of the offer and attributes of the communication that are desired by the second endpoint from the second endpoint to the second manager;

in response to receipt of the offer and the acceptance by the second manager, determining at the second manager any second resource that is required to bridge any differences between the attributes of the offer and the attributes of the acceptance and to effect the communication;

in response to the determination, marshaling any determined second resource for the communication by the second manager;

in response to the marshaling, sending first instructions for one of the interconnecting means and the second endpoint to set up the communication between the one of the interconnecting means and the second endpoint on the second medium through any marshaled second resource from the second manager to the one of the interconnecting-means and the second endpoint;

in response to receipt of the first instructions by the one of the interconnecting means and the second endpoint, setting up the communication on the second medium according to the first instructions by the one of the interconnecting means and the second endpoint;

in response to the marshaling, sending an acceptance of the offer and the attributes of the acceptance modified for those attributes bridged by any second resource marshaled by the second manager from the second manager to the first manager;

in response to receipt of the offer and of the acceptance by the first manager, determining any first resource that is required to bridge any differences between the attributes of the offer and the modified attributes of the acceptance and to effect the communication at the first manager;

in response to the determination, marshaling any determined first resource for the communication by the first manager;

in response to the marshaling, sending second instructions for one of the interconnecting means and the first endpoint to set up the communication between the one of the first endpoint and the interconnecting means on the first medium through any marshaled first resource from the first manager to the one of the interconnecting means and the first endpoint; and

in response to receipt of the second instructions at the one of the interconnecting means and the first endpoint, setting up the communication on the first medium according to the second instructions by the one of the interconnecting means and the first endpoint.