Dynamic association of endpoints to media gateway controllers

• US 6,799,210 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2000
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Christie, IV, Samuel H., Gentry, William D., Emery, Jason G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/598,867
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/226-230, 709/235-238, 709/244, 709/249-250, 370/229, 370/352-356, 370/400-401
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides an architecture for a media gateway to identify and register with multiple media gateway controllers for various types of voice and data services, along with having the media gateway appear to each of these media gateway controllers as a single, dedicated control entity. A logical layer, referred to as a virtualizer, is associated with each media gateway and appears to the media gateway as a single media gateway controller. To each media gateway controller the virtualizer supports, the virtualizer appears as a single media gateway. In essence, the virtualizer is a protocol manager and message router. The virtualizer supports the registration of multiple media gateways and then creates virtual gateways based on requirements of the media gateway controllers serving these virtual gateways. Preferably, subscribers associated with endpoints handled by the media gateway are grouped into a virtual gateway being served by a select media gateway controller or group thereof.

Claims

1. A system for associating endpoints of a media gateway with a plurality of media gateway controllers, said system comprising a control system adapted to dynamically associate at least one endpoint from a media gateway such that said at least one endpoint can receive service from any one of a plurality of media gateway controllers within a network independent of a second media gateway controller providing service to other endpoints from the media gateway wherein said control system has a logical layer providing virtual gateways for mapping said at least one endpoint to a media gateway controller, such that each said virtual gateway appears as a media gateway to a media gateway controller and appears as a media gateway controller to a media gateway.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is further adapted to dynamically associate at least one endpoint with a virtual gateway and register said virtual gateway with a corresponding one of the media gateway controllers.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is flintier adapted to dynamically associate at least one endpoint to be registered with a certain media gateway controller and create one said virtual gateway mapping said at least one endpoint to the media gateway controller.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is further adapted to communicate with a network manager to identify a select one of the media gateway controllers to associate with said at least one endpoint and configure the associated virtual gateway accordingly.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is filer adapted to cooperate with said logical layer to provide protocol translation between a first protocol used by the media gateway and a second protocol used by the media gateway controller.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is further adapted to cooperate with said logical layer to reassign an endpoint from one virtual gateway to another virtual gateway.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is further adapted to cooperate with said logical layer to assign an endpoint to an existing virtual gateway being served by a media gateway controller.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is further adapted to cooperate with said logical layer to store a secondary media gateway controller for serving a virtual gateway and reassign the virtual gateway from a primary media gateway controller to the secondary media gateway controller as conditions necessitate.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said control system is further adapted to cooperate with said logical layer to register said reassigned virtual gateway with said secondary media gateway controller.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is further adapted to cooperate with said logical layer to associate a first virtual gateway to a first media gateway controller for a first service provider and a second virtual gateway to a second media gateway controller for a second service provider such that endpoints on a common media gateway may be served by multiple service providers.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is further adapted to dynamically associate one endpoint from a media gateway with a plurality of media gateway controllers such that said one endpoint can receive service from said plurality of media gateway controllers.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is further adapted to cooperate with said logical layer to associate select endpoints from a plurality of media gateways with one virtual gateway.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is embedded within a media gateway.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is embedded within a media gateway controller.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is embedded within a device other than a media gateway and media gateway controller.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system facilitates a service broker function adapted to assist in identifying at least one media gateway controller for the at least one endpoint.

17. A computer readable media comprising software for instructing a control system to dynamically associate at least one endpoint from a media gateway such that said at least one endpoint can receive service from any one of a plurality of media gateway controllers within a network independent of a second media gateway controller providing service to other endpoints from the media gateway wherein endpoints of a media gateway may be associated with different media gateway controllers wherein said control system is further instructed to create a logical layer providing virtual gateways for mapping said at least one endpoint to a media gateway controller, such that each said virtual gateway appears as a media gateway to a media gateway controller and appears as a media gateway controller to a media gateway.

18. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein said control system is further instructed to dynamically associate at least one endpoint with a virtual gateway and register said virtual gateway with a corresponding one of the media gateway controllers.

19. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein said control system is further instructed to dynamically associate at least one endpoint to be registered with a certain media gateway controller and create one said virtual gateway mapping said at least one endpoint to the media gateway controller.

20. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein said control system is further instructed to cooperate with said logical layer to store a secondary media gateway controller for serving a virtual gateway and reassign the virtual gateway from a primary media gateway controller to the secondary media gateway controller as conditions necessitate.

21. The computer readable media of claim 20 wherein said control system is further instructed to cooperate with said logical layer to register said reassigned virtual gateway with said secondary media gateway controller.

22. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein said control system is further instructed to cooperate with said logical layer to associate a first virtual gateway to a first media gateway controller for a fist service provider and a second virtual gateway to a second media gateway controller for a second service provider such, that endpoints on a common media gateway may be served by multiple service providers.

23. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein said control system is further instructed to dynamically associate one endpoint from a media gateway with a plurality of media gateway controllers such that said one endpoint can receive service from said a plurality of media gateway controllers.

24. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein said control system is further instructed to cooperate with said logical layer to associate select endpoints from a plurality of media gateways with one virtual gateway.

25. A system for associating endpoints of a media gateway with a plurality of media gateway controllers, said system comprising means adapted to dynamically associate at least one endpoint from media gateway such that said at least one endpoint can receive service from one of a plurality of media gateway controllers within a network independent of a second media gateway controller providing service to other endpoints from the media gateway, said means adapted to dynamically associate further provides virtual gateways for mapping said at least one endpoint receiving service to a media gateway controller, such that each said virtual gateway appears as a media gateway to a media gateway controller and appears as a media gateway controller to a media gateway.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

a) means to interface with a plurality endpoints of a media gateway;

b) means to interface with a packet network to facilitate communication with said media gateway controller, and

c) means to facilitate a media path to after media entity based on instruction from the media gateway controller.

27. A method of associating endpoints of a media gateway with a plurality of media gateway controllers comprising:

a) providing virtual gateways associated with a media gateway;

b) associating at least one endpoint of at least one media gateway with one said virtual gateway such that said at least one endpoint can receive service from one of a plurality of media gateway controllers via the virtual gateway independent of a media gateway controller providing service to other endpoints from the media gateway;

c) mapping signals received from the media gateway controller to the media gateway for the at least one endpoint; and

d) mapping signals received from the media gateway for the at least one endpoint to the media gateway controller.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein providing virtual gateways associated with the media gateway comprises providing virtual gateways associated with the media gateway with a logical layer.