Method and system for providing media services

• US 6,947,417 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Movius Interactive Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ip Unity
• Inventors: McKnight, Thomas, Israel, David, Laursen, Arthur I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/122,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20030002481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/351, 370/352, 370/354, 370/356, 370/503, 370/486, 370/389, 379/67.1, 379/201.01, 379/219, 379/221.08, 379/90.01, 379/86.13, 379/88.18, 710/1
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5667 IP over ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for providing media services in Voice over IP telephony. A switch is coupled between one or more audio sources and a network interface controller. The switch can be a packet switch or a cell switch.

Claims

1. A media platform for providing media services in a voice over data call over a network, comprising:

a resource manager that manages resources used to support the media services; and

an audio processing platform that manages the call and the media services provided in the call, the audio processing platform including;

a network interface having a set of packet processors that process packets of audio data entering and exiting the media platform in the call being handled,

a set of audio processors that process the audio data according to the media services provided in the call, wherein each audio processor has at least one internal audio source and

a switch that noiselessly switches a plurality of internal streams of packets having audio data sent between a plurality of internal audio sources in one or more audio processors and packet processors in the network interface, wherein the switch further delivers the plurality of internal streams of packets to the network interface which controls the transmission of synchronous packets carrying audio from the plurality of internal streams in the call over the network.

2. The media platform according to claim 1, wherein the audio processing platform further comprises a call control and audio feature manager that controls resources and media services provided to the call processed by the audio processors.

3. The media platform according to claim 2, wherein the call control and audio feature manager includes:

a call signaling manager;

system manager;

connection manager; and

feature controller.

4. The media platform according to claim 2, wherein the audio processing platform comprises a shelf controller card.

5. The media platform according to claim 1, further comprising:

a set of ports coupled to the network; and

wherein the network interface further comprises, for each packet processor, a respective controller and forwarding information table.

6. The media platform according to claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a packet switch.

7. The media platform according to claim 1, further comprising a cell layer that combines the packets of audio data into cells of audio, and wherein the switch comprises a cell switch that switches the cells.

8. The media platform according to claim 1, wherein each audio processor comprises a digital signal processor.

9. The media platform according to claim 1, wherein each audio processor comprises a plurality of card processors coupled to a plurality of digital signal processors.

10. The media platform according to claim 1, wherein for at least one ingress audio stream, each packet processor receives IP packets with RTP information from the network and converts the IP packets to internal packets, each internal packet having a payload and header.

11. The media platform according to claim 10, wherein each audio processor processes internal packets.

12. The media platform according to claim 1, wherein for egress audio streams, each packet processor receives internal packets and generates IP packets with RTP information to be sent over the network.

13. A media platform for providing media services in a voice over data call over a network, comprising:

means for managing resources used to support the media services;

means for interfacing with a network, said interface means including means for processing packets of audio data entering and exiting the media platform in calls being handled;

means for processing the audio data according to the media services provided in the call; and

means for noiselessly switching packets of audio data sent between the means for processing the audio data and the means for interfacing with the network, wherein the means for noiselessly switching packets of audio includes means for using switched virtual circuits to noiselessly switch audio streams between the means for processing the audio data and the means for interfacing with the network.

14. A scalable audio processing platform that manages a voice over the Internet call and media services provided in the call, the platform including:

a network interface having a set of packet processors that process packets of audio data entering and exiting the platform in the call being handled;

a set of audio processors that process the audio data according to the media services provided in the call, wherein each audio processor has at least one internal audio source and

a switch coupled between the network interface and the set of audio processors that noiselessly switches a plurality of internal streams of packets having audio data sent between a plurality of internal audio sources in one or more audio processors and packet processors in the network interface, wherein the switch further delivers the plurality of internal streams of packets to the network interface which controls the transmission of synchronous packets carrying audio from the plurality of internal streams in the call over the network.

15. A method for providing media services in a voice over data call on an egress channel over a network, comprising:

managing resources used to support at least one media service provided to the voice over the Internet call;

processing audio data in a first audio stream generated by a first internal audio source and a second audio stream generated by a first internal audio source including convening audio data to internal packets in the first and second audio streams;

assigning a first switched virtual circuit between the first internal audio source and the network interface controller associated with the egress channel and a second switched virtual circuit between the second internal audio source and the network interface controller;

noiselessly switching the internal packets of audio data in the first audio stream over the first virtual circuit and internal packets of audio data in the second audio stream over the second virtual circuit; and

processing the internal packets of audio data in the first and second audio streams to provide at least one media service in the call.