Text-based communications over a data network

• US 6,757,732 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Sollee, Patrick N., Haun, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/527,097
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 709/102, 709/207, 709/218, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0254 Stateful filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems email H04Q2213/13375
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13339 Ciphering, encryption, security
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

A communications system (10) includes a packet-based data network (12) that is coupled to various network elements (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 34) that are capable of participating in audio-based call sessions over the data network (12). The audio-based call sessions may be defined according to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or to another type of protocol (e.g., H. 323). The network elements (14, 18, 22, and 34) are also capable of participating in text-based chat sessions. Text messages exchanged in such text-based chat sessions are earned in messages that are defined according to the protocol for audio-based call sessions. In one example, such messages may be SIP Info messages. The SIP Info messages carrying the text messages may be communicated either during an established audio-based call session or outside of an audio-based call session. Using SIP (or another signal protocol) messages to carry the text messages allows such messages to be conveniently transported through a firewall system.

Claims

1. A method of providing a text-based chat session over a data network, comprising:

establishing an audio-based call session between a first network element and another network element over the data network, the audio-based call session associated with at least one signaling path; and

communicating a text-based chat message over the at least one signaling path in the data network during the audio-based call session,

wherein communicating the text-based chat message includes embedding the text-based chat message in a Session Initiation Protocol message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating audio streaming data during the audio-based call session.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising communicating video data during the audio-based call session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a received text-based chat message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the audio-based call session includes establishing a Session Initiation Protocol session.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface screen including at least one selector useable for establishing the audio-based call session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the user interface screen further includes providing at least one selector for starting a text-based chat session.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the Session Initiation Protocol message comprises communicating a Session Initiation Protocol Info message.

9. A method of providing a text-based communications session over a data network, comprising:

creating one or more messages according to a protocol for establishing audio-based call sessions, wherein creating the one or more messages includes creating one or more Session Initiation Protocol messages;

receiving a user-entered text string;

embedding the user-entered text string in the one or more Session Initiation Protocol messages, wherein each of the one or more Session Initiation Protocol messages has a header portion and a body portion, the header portion defined according to the protocol providing for audio-based call sessions and the body portion containing the user-entered text string; and

sending the one or more messages over the data network to a target network element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein creating the one or more messages includes creating one or more Session Initiation Protocol Info messages.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more Info messages are communicated inside an audio-based call session.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more Info messages are communicated outside an audio-based call session.

13. A system for the use in a packet-based network, comprising:

a user interface including at least one selector to start a text-based communications session and a portion to receive user-input text; and

a controller adapted to create one or more Session Initiation Protocol messages to carry the user-input text, the user-input text embedded in the one or more Session Initiation Protocol messages.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more messages include one or more Session Initiation Protocol Info messages.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each Info message includes a message body to carry the user-input text.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user-input text is in Hypertext Markup Language format.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to communicate the one or more messages outside an audio-based call session.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to communicate the one or more messages along a signaling path of an established audio-based call session.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface includes at least one selector to establish the audio-based call session.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface includes a first screen including the at least one selector and a second screen including the portion to receive user-input text.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the second screen includes another portion to display text messages that have been communicated.

22. An article including one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions for controlling communication over a packet-based network, the instructions when executed causing a system to:

provide a user interface containing control selectors for an audio-based call session and a text-based chat session over the data network;

establish an audio-based call session in response to selection of one or more first control selectors;

establish a text-based chat session in response to selection of one or more second control selectors; and

generate Session Initiation Protocol messages to carry text data of the text-based chat session, wherein the text data of the text-based chat session is embedded in the Session Initiation Protocol messages.

23. The article of claim 22, wherein the one or more storage media contain instructions that when executed cause the system to further employ at least a signaling path of the audio-based call session for the text-based chat session.

24. The article of claim 22, wherein the Session Initiation Protocol messages include Info messages.

25. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave containing a data structure accessible by elements coupled to a packet-based network, the data structure comprising:

a header portion defined according to a protocol providing for audio based call sessions;

a body portion containing a text-based chat string, wherein the data structure is defined according to a Session Initiation Protocol message, wherein the text-based chat string is embedded in the Session Initiation Protocol message.

26. The data signal of claim 25, wherein the data structure is defined according to an Info message.

27. The data signal of claim 25, wherein the text-based chat string is in Hypertext Markup Language format.

28. A method of text-based messaging over a packet-based network, comprising:

receiving messages defined according to a Session Initiation Protocol providing for audio-based communications, the messages including text exchanged in a text-based communications session and embedded in the Session Initiation Protocol messages; and

determining if the received messages are to be blocked or permitted to be transferred between a first network and a second network.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the determining act is performed by a firewall system.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving the messages includes receiving the messages along a signaling path of an audio-based call session.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the determining act includes checking a received message against a current state of the audio-based call session.

32. A system, comprising:

interfaces to a first network and a second network; and

a firewall module to control access between the first and second networks, the firewall module allowing messages according to a Session Initiation Protocol defining audio-based call sessions to be passed between the first and second networks, wherein a text-based chat message is embedded in each of the Session Initiation Protocol messages.