System for routing incoming message to various devices based on media capabilities and type of media session

• US 6,985,961 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2001
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Campion, Philip John, Ramsayer, Christopher G., Kim, Jeong Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US10/006,942
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/232, 709/246, 709238-243, 370351-421
• US Class Current: 709/238
• 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: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composite user agent acting on behalf of a group of member user agents in a communication network. The composite user agent provides its group of member user agents with a specialized proxy function while representing the group to the network as a single user agent. To devices on the communication network, the composite user agent behaves and is viewed as a user agent. To the group of member user agents, the composite user agent behaves and is viewed as both a registrar and a proxy server.

Claims

1. A system for providing a composite user agent for a plurality of devices in a user domain, the system comprising:

a) an interface facilitating communications; and

b) a control system associated with the interface and adapted to;

i) represent the plurality of devices within the user domain as a single user agent to devices outside of the user domain;

ii) receive an incoming session message associated with initiating a media session;

iii) determine a media type for the session based on the incoming message;

iv) identify at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type; and

v) route the incoming session message to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to route outgoing messages associated with the media session to a device associated with the media session and outside of the user domain.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the control system is further adapted to route incoming messages from devices outside of the user domain and associated with the media session to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to route incoming messages from devices outside of the user domain and associated with the media session to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to register each of the plurality of devices in the user domain and identify media types supported by the plurality of devices.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the media session requires a first media session for a first media type supported by a first one of the plurality of devices and a second media session for a second media type supported by a second one of the plurality of devices, the control system further adapted to:

a) determine the first and second media types for the first and second media sessions based on at least one incoming message;

b) identify the first device supporting the first media type and the second device supporting the second media type; and

c) route the at least one incoming message to the first device and to the second device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) access a profile identifying a preferred one of at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type identified for the media session; and

b) select the preferred one of the at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type identified for the media session, wherein the incoming session message is routed to the preferred one of the at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein control system communicates using the session initiation protocol (SIP);

the single user agent is a SIP user agent;

each of the plurality of the devices includes a SIP agent; and

the session message is a SIP message.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the control system is further adapted to act as a SIP proxy for the SIP user agents of the plurality of devices.

10. A system for providing a composite user agent for a plurality of devices in a user domain, the system comprising:

a) an interface facilitating communications; and

b) a control system associated with the interface and adapted to;

i) represent the plurality of devices within the user domain as a single user agent to devices outside of the user domain;

ii) act as a proxy for the plurality of devices within the user domain;

iii) receive incoming session messages associated with session requiring support of a media type; and

iv) route the incoming session messages to at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the control system is further adapted to determine the media type based on information within at least one of the incoming messages and select the at least one of the plurality of devices based on the media type.

12. A method for providing a composite user agent for a plurality of devices in a user domain, the method comprising:

a) representing the plurality of devices within the user domain as a single user agent to devices outside of the user domain;

b) receiving an incoming session message associated with initiating a media session;

c) determining a media type for the session based on the incoming message;

d) identifying at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type; and

e) routing the incoming session message to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising routing outgoing messages associated with the media session to a device associated with the media session and outside of the user domain.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising routing incoming messages from devices outside of the user domain and associated with the media session to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising routing incoming messages from devices outside of the user domain and associated with the media session to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising registering each of the plurality of devices in the user domain and identifying media types supported by the plurality of devices.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the media session requires a first media session for a first media type supported by a first one of the plurality of devices and a second media session for a second media type supported by a second one of the plurality of devices, the method further comprising:

a) determining the first and second media types for the first and second media sessions based on at least one incoming message;

b) identifying the first device supporting the first media type and the second device supporting the second media type; and

c) routing the at least one incoming message to the first device and to the second device.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

a) accessing a profile identifying a preferred one of at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type identified for the media session; and

b) selecting the preferred one of the at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type identified for the media session, wherein the incoming session message is routed to the preferred one of the at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising communicating using the session initiation protocol (SIP);

the single user agent is a SIP user agent;

each of the plurality of the devices includes a SIP agent; and

the session message is a SIP message.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing a SIP proxy for the SIP user agents of the plurality of devices.

21. A computer readable medium with software for providing a composite user agent for a plurality of devices in a user domain, the software comprising instructions for a computing device to:

a) represent the plurality of devices within the user domain as a single user agent to devices outside of the user domain;

b) receive an incoming session message associated with initiating a media session;

c) determine a media type for the session based on the incoming message;

d) identify at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type; and

e) route the incoming session message to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21 further comprising instructions to route outgoing messages associated with the media session to a device associated with the media session and outside of the user domain.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22 further comprising instructions to route incoming messages from devices outside of the user domain and associated with the media session to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21 further comprising instructions to route incoming messages from devices outside of the user domain and associated with the media session to the at least one of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 21 further comprising instructions to register each of the plurality of devices in the user domain and identify media types supported by the plurality of devices.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the media session requires a first media session for a first media type supported by a first one of the plurality of devices and a second media session for a second media type supported by a second one of the plurality of devices, the computer readable medium further comprising instructions to:

a) determine the first and second media types for the first and second media sessions based on at least one incoming message;

b) identify the first device supporting the first media type and the second device supporting the second media type; and

c) route the at least one incoming message to the first device and to the second device.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 21 further comprising instructions to:

a) access a profile identifying a preferred one of at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type identified for the media session; and

b) select;

the preferred one of the at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type identified for the media session, wherein the incoming session message is routed to the preferred one of the at least two of the plurality of devices supporting the media type.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 21 further comprising instructions to communicate using the session initiation protocol (SIP);

the single user agent is a SIP user agent;

each of the plurality of the devices includes a SIP agent; and

the session message is a SIP message.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28 further comprising instructions to provide a SIP proxy for the SIP user agents of the plurality of devices.