System, apparatus, and method for establishing circuit-switched communications via packet-switched network signaling

• US 7,359,373 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kuusinen, Jarmo, Turunen, Matti, Mutikainen, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Juntima; Nittaya
• Application Number:
  US10/688,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 370230-231, 370352-356, 370/401, 370465-467, 370/410
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for establishing circuit-switched (CS) communications in packet-switched (PS) multimedia networks such as IMS, and providing services via the PS networks to CS domain users. A dialog is established between terminals through the PS multimedia network. A service is provided to at least one of the terminals by way of the dialog. CS bearer information, including an indication that a communication flow is requested via a CS network, is communicated between the terminals by way of the dialog. A communication flow via the CS network is effected between the terminals as directed by the CS bearer information. IMS or other PS multimedia network services can thus be provided to users otherwise communicating via the CS-domain.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE message via an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network to establish an IMS-specific service between a plurality of terminals coupled to the IMS network;

establishing a SIP dialog between the plurality of terminals using the SIP INVITE message;

communicating CS bearer information between the plurality of terminals via the SIP dialog by way of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message having SDP extensions indicating the CS bearer information, wherein the CS bearer information includes at least an indication that a CS communication flow is requested via a CS network, and wherein the CS communication flow is bound together in the plurality of terminals with the IMS-specific service;

parsing the SDP message in the plurality of terminals receiving the SDP message to determine the CS bearer information; and

effecting the CS communication flow between the plurality of terminals via the CS network as directed by the CS bearer information and in conjunction with the establishment of the IMS-specific service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein effecting the CS communication flow is initiated after the sending of the SIP INVITE message but before the establishment of the IMS-specific service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of terminals is incapable of engaging in streaming communications via the PS multimedia network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises Multimedia Caller Line Identification.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the CS-communication flow comprises an audio transmission through the CS-network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the CS-communication flow comprises a multiparty conferencing call facilitated by a server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the server facilitates the conference call via the provision of a dynamic routing number.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises a multimedia conference service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the CS-communication flow comprises a video transmission through the CS network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the CS-communication flow comprises a facsimile transmission through the CS network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises a video service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises an audio service.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises a video telephony service.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMS-specifie service comprises a multimedia conference service.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises a voicemail service.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises a call-transfer service.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises an application sharing service.

18. A terminal, comprising:

one or more network interfaces capable of receiving services via an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network and communicating via a circuit-switched (CS) network;

a processing system;

a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) user agent that causes the processing system to establish a SIP dialog via the IMS netWork in response to transmission of a SIP INVITE message, wherein the SIP dialog is used to establish an IMS-specific service with at least one target terminal of the IMS network, wherein the SIP dialog is established by communicating an SDP message having SDP extensions with CS bearer information that indicates that a CS communication flow is requested via the CS network, wherein the SIP user agent causes the processing system to identify the CS bearer information in the SDP message; and

a CS communications user agent operable via the processing system and that causes the processing system to effect the CS communication flow between the terminal and the at least one target terminal via the CS network as directed by the CS bearer information, wherein at least one of the SIP user agent and the CS communication agent causes the processing system to bind the CS communication flow together with the IMS-specific service.

19. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the CS communication agent initiates effecting the CS communication flow after the transmission of the SIP INVITE message but before the establishment of the IMS-specific service.

20. The terminal of claim 18, wherein at least one of the terminal and the target terminal is incapable of engaging in streaming communications via the PS multimedia network.

21. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the IMS-specific service comprises Multimedia Caller Line Identification.

22. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the CS-communication flow comprises a multiparty conferencing call facilitated by a server.

23. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a processor to perform steps comprising:

sending a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) iNVITE message via an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network to establish an IMS-specific service between a plurality of terminals coupled to the IMS network;

establishing a SIP dialog bctween the plurality of terminals using the SIP INVITE message;

communicating CS bearer information between the plurality of terminals via the SIP dialog by way of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message having SDP extensions indicating the CS bearer information, wherein the CS bearer information includes at least an indication that a CS communication flow is requested via a CS network, and wherein the CS communication flow is bound together in the plurality of terminals with the IMS-specific service;

parsing the SDP message in the plurality of terminals receiving the SDP message to determine the CS bearer information; and

effecting the CS communication flow between the plurality of terminals via the CS network as directed by the CS bearer information and in conjunction with the establishment of the IMS-specific service.

24. A system comprising:

an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network;

a circuit-switched (CS) network; and

a plurality of terminals capable of being coupled to IMS network and the CS network, each of the plurality of terminals comprising a processing system and instructions that cause the respective processing system to;

establish a SIP dialog via the IMS network in response to transmission of a SIP INVITE message on the IMS network, wherein the SIP dialog is used to establish an IMS-specific service with at least one target terminal of the IMS network, wherein the SW dialog is established by communicating an SDP message having SDP extensions with CS bearer information that indicates that a CS communication flow is requested via the CS network;

identify the CS bearer information in the SDP message;

effect the CS communication flow between the plurality of terminals via the CS network as directed by the CS bearer information; and

bind the CS communication flow together with the IMS-specific service.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a server that facilitates multiparty conferencing via the CS network, and wherein the CS-communication flow comprises a multiparty conferencing call facilitated by the server.