Apparatus and method for controlling and managing individual directed sessions in a communications system

• US 6,798,755 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Keller, Matthew, Lillie, Ross J., Thale, Bryan, Mathis, James E., Newberg, Donald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): QURESHI, AFSAR M
• Application Number:
  US10/334,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 370/270, 370/312, 370/328, 370/329, 370/349, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/401, 370/447, 370/461, 370/466, 370/469, 370/338, 370/357, 379/157, 379/165, 709/200, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/238
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]

Abstract

A method for controlling and managing individual directed sessions between at least two endpoints in a communications system. The method including the steps of: intercepting a first message sent from an initiating endpoint via application layer routing to at least one other endpoint requesting an individual directed session; communicating the requested individual directed session to a service entity for determining the state of the session as a function of communication system resources and capabilities and resources of the endpoints to be included in the requested session, and if the requested individual directed session is accepted determining a set of corresponding session parameters; and communicating the state of the requested individual session to the initiating endpoint via application layer routing, and if the requested session is accepted also communicating the state of the session the at least one other endpoint via application layer routing.

Claims

1. In a communications system having a plurality of endpoints each comprising a logical entity and its physical counterpart, a method for controlling and managing individual directed sessions between at least two of the endpoints, comprising the steps of:

intercepting a first message, said first message being sent from an initiating endpoint via application layer routing to at least one other endpoint requesting an individual directed session between said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint;

communicating said requested individual directed session to a service entity for determining the state of said session as a function of communication system resources and capabilities and resources of the endpoints to be included in said requested session, and if said requested individual directed session is accepted determining a set of corresponding session parameters;

communicating the state of said requested individual session to said initiating endpoint via application layer routing, and if said requested session is accepted also communicating to said initiating endpoint the set of corresponding session parameters; and

for said accepted individual directed session, communicating the state of said session and the corresponding set of session parameters to said at least one other endpoint via application layer routing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said requested individual directed session is accepted, said method further comprising the step of communicating a change in the state of the session to said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint via application layer routing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said accepted state is modified, said method further comprising communicating a set of corresponding modified session parameters to said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein one of said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint generates a second message requesting that said accepted session between said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint be modified.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

intercepting said second message; and

communicating said requested modified session to a service entity for determining as a function of said communication system resources and resources and capabilities of said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint that said accepted session may be modified as requested, and for determining said set of corresponding modified session parameters.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said service entity causes said session to be modified without a request from one of said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said accepted state is terminated.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein one of said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint generates a second message requesting that said accepted session between said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint be terminated.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said service entity causes said session to be terminated without a request from one of said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said application layer routing is performed using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of intercepting said first message is performed through the combined use of a SIP RECORD-ROUTE and ROUTE headers.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said first message is intercepted via said application layer routing.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of intercepting said first message and communicating to said service entity is not detectable by said initiating endpoint and said at least one other endpoint.

14. In a communications system having a plurality of endpoints each comprising a logical entity and its physical counterpart and each including a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) User Agent Client (UAC) and a SIP User Agent Server (UAS), a method for controlling and managing individual directed sessions between at least two of the endpoints, comprising the steps of:

intercepting a first message from the UAC of an initiating endpoint requesting an individual directed session between said initiating endpoint and at least one other endpoint;

communicating said requested individual directed session to a service entity for determining the state of said session as a function of communication system resources and capabilities of the endpoints to be included in said requested session, and if said requested individual directed session is accepted determining a set of corresponding session parameters;

communicating the state of said requested individual session to said initiating endpoint'"'"'s UAS, and if said requested session is accepted also communicating to said initiating endpoint the set of corresponding session parameters; and

for said accepted individual directed session, communicating the state of said session to the UAC of said at least one other endpoint and the corresponding set of session parameters.

15. A device for use in a communications network having a plurality of endpoints, comprising:

a receiver for receiving information over the network;

a transmitter for transmitting information over the network; and

a processor communicatively coupled to said receiver and transmitter for performing the functions of;

intercepting a first message, said first message being sent from an initiating endpoint via application layer routing requesting an individual directed session between said initiating endpoint and at least one other endpoint;

communicating said requested individual directed session to a service entity for determining the state of said session as a function of communication system resources and capabilities of the endpoints to be included in said requested session, and if said requested individual directed session is accepted determining a set of corresponding session parameters;

communicating the state of said requested individual session to said initiating endpoint via application layer routing, and if said requested session is accepted also communicating to said initiating endpoint the set of corresponding session parameters; and

for said accepted individual directed session, communicating the state of said session and the corresponding set of session parameters to said at least one other endpoint via application layer routing.