Method and apparatus for improving call setup efficiency in multimedia communications systems
First Claim
1. A method for improving call setup efficiency in multimedia communication systems, comprising:
- placing a call at a first endpoint to a remote endpoint;
requesting admission from a gatekeeper for the call;
returning an accept message to the first endpoint, the accept message including a token for providing information to the remote endpoint alleviating the need of the remote endpoint to request admission from a gatekeeper;
routing a setup message to the remote endpoint, the setup message including the token; and
completing a call setup based upon information in the token.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for improving call setup efficiency in multimedia communication systems is disclosed. The present invention performs call setup in H.323 systems using fewer message exchanges, thereby resulting in a more efficient call setup mechanism. Moreover, no call setup functionality is sacrificed by resorting to fewer message exchanges. The method includes placing a call at a first endpoint to a remote endpoint, requesting admission from a gatekeeper for the call, returning an accept message to the first endpoint, the accept message including a token for providing information to the remote endpoint alleviating the need of the remote endpoint to request admission from a gatekeeper, routing a setup message to the remote endpoint, the setup message including the token and completing a call setup based upon information in the token.
78 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for improving call setup efficiency in multimedia communication systems, comprising:
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placing a call at a first endpoint to a remote endpoint;
requesting admission from a gatekeeper for the call;
returning an accept message to the first endpoint, the accept message including a token for providing information to the remote endpoint alleviating the need of the remote endpoint to request admission from a gatekeeper;
routing a setup message to the remote endpoint, the setup message including the token; and
completing a call setup based upon information in the token. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
requesting admission by the first endpoint from the first gatekeeper;
analyzing by the first gatekeeper the admission request to determine if a criterion for the call is acceptable according to requirements local to the first gatekeeper;
routing the admission request to the second gatekeeper when the first gatekeeper determines the criterion for the call is acceptable;
analyzing by the second gatekeeper the admission request to determine if a criterion for the call is acceptable according to requirements local to the second gatekeeper; and
sending an admission confirmation including the token to the first gatekeeper when a required criterion for the call is determined to be acceptable according to the requirements local to the second gatekeeper.
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7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first and second gatekeepers implement direct call signaling, the routing of the setup message being performed by transmitting directly to the remote endpoint the setup message including the token.
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8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first gatekeeper implements direct call signaling and the second gatekeeper implements routed call signaling, the routing of the setup message is performed by transmitting the setup message including the token to the second gatekeeper and the second gatekeeper transmitting the setup message including the token to the remote endpoint.
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9. The method of claim 8 wherein the completing the call setup further comprises routing of the setup message by transmitting connect/facility messages from the remote endpoint to the second gatekeeper and transmitting the connect/facility messages to the first endpoint setup message from the second gatekeeper.
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10. The method of claim 6 wherein the first gatekeeper implements routed call signaling and the second gatekeeper implements direct call signaling, the routing of the setup message is performed by transmitting the setup message including the token to the first gatekeeper and the first gatekeeper transmitting the setup message including the token to the remote endpoint.
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11. The method of claim 10 wherein the completing the call setup further comprises routing of the setup message by transmitting connect/facility messages from the remote endpoint to the first gatekeeper and transmitting the connect/facility messages to the first endpoint setup message from the first gatekeeper.
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12. The method of claim 6 wherein the first gatekeeper and the second gatekeeper implement routed call signaling, and wherein the routing of the setup message comprises transmitting the setup message including the token to the first gatekeeper, transmitting the setup message including the token from the first gatekeeper to the second gatekeeper, and transmitting the setup message including the token from the second gatekeeper to the remote endpoint.
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13. The method of claim 12 wherein the completing the call setup further comprises routing of the setup message by transmitting connect/facility messages from the remote endpoint to the second gatekeeper, transmitting the connect/facility messages to the first gatekeeper from the second gatekeeper, and transmitting the connect/facility messages to the first endpoint setup message from the first gatekeeper.
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14. The method of claim 6 wherein the routing the admission request to the second gatekeeper further comprises routing the admission request through a cloud of gatekeepers.
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15. The method of claim 5 wherein the token comprises a transport address of the second gatekeeper.
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16. The method of claim 1 wherein the token comprises resource allocations for the call.
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17. An multimedia communications system, comprising:
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a first endpoint for placing a call to a remote endpoint;
a gatekeeper, operatively coupled to the first endpoint, the gatekeeper performing address translation, admission control and bandwidth control;
wherein the first endpoint requests admission from the gatekeeper for the call, the gatekeeper returns an accept message to the first endpoint, the accept message including a token for providing information to the remote endpoint alleviating the need of the remote endpoint to request admission from a gatekeeper, the first endpoint routes a setup message to the remote endpoint, the setup message including the token and the remote endpoint completes the call setup based upon information in the token. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification