Method for setting up a useful data link between terminals in a VoIP system

• US 7,372,876 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Abel, Urich, Bozionek, Bruno, Roth, Roland, Zimmermann, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mais, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US10/655,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20040170180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.2, 370464-467, 370/229, 370/230, 370/235, 370/351, 370/352, 370/354, 370/357, 370/360, 370/384, 370/385, 370/386, 370/389, 370/392, 370/400, 370/401, 370/422, 370/426, 370/438, 370/439, 370/469, 370/474, 370/522, 370/524
• US Class Current: 370/524
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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: H04M 7/0093 signalling arrangements in networks

Abstract

At least one switching instance is provided in a VoIP system in order to set up a useful data link between a calling terminal and a called terminal. A first signaling link is set up between each terminal and the at least one switching instance for interchanging information on the basis of a first protocol, a second signaling link is set up between them for interchanging information on the basis of a standardization second protocol, in which the useful data link is set up on the basis of the information interchanged on the basis of the second protocol. At least the second signaling link is initiated by the calling terminal, with the information which is transmitted via the first signaling link and in parallel via the second signaling link from the terminals being in each case combined.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a useful data line between a calling terminal and a called terminal in a voice over IP system having at least one switching unit, comprising:

setting up first signaling links respectively between the calling terminal and the switching unit and between the called terminal and the switching unit for interchanging information on the basis of a first protocol;

initiating second switching links from the calling terminal;

setting up second signaling links respectively between the calling terminal and the switching unit and between the called terminal and the switching unit for interchanging information on the basis of a standardized second protocol;

setting up a useful data link on the basis of the information interchanged on the basis of the second protocol;

transmitting information in parallel via the first signaling link and via the second signaling link; and

combining the information transmitted in parallel wherein

information relating to features which are not defined in the second protocol is transmitted using the first protocol.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the useful data link is established once the signaling link between the terminals has been set up, before the called terminal accepts a call originating from the calling terminal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information transmitted in parallel is handled by the switching unit after combining as if it had been transmitted via a single signaling link.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

there are two switching units between the terminals, and

information transmitted in parallel is transmitted within one signaling link between the switching units after being combined.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second protocol is the ITU-H.323 Protocol or the IETF-SIP-Protocol.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a proprietary protocol.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information transmitted in parallel is handled by the switching unit after combining as if it had been transmitted via a single signaling link.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein

there are two switching units between the terminals, and

information transmitted in parallel is transmitted within one signaling link between the switching units after being combined.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second protocol is the ITU-H.323 Protocol or the IETF-SIP-Protocol.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first protocol is a proprietary protocol.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the calling terminal is connected to a first switching unit and the called terminal is connected to a second switching unit, and

the first and second switching units tunnel the information from the first signaling link for transmission between the first and second switching units, and

the first and second switching units extract the information of the first signaling link for transmission between the first switching unit and the calling terminal and between the second switching unit and the called terminal.

11. A method for setting up a voice over IP connection in a communication system comprising a calling terminal, a called terminal, and first and second switching unit, the method comprising:

setting up first signaling links respectively between the calling terminal and the first switching unit and between the called terminal and the second switching unit, for interchanging information on the basis of a first protocol;

setting up second signaling links respectively between the calling terminal and the first switching unit and between the called terminal and the second switching unit for interchanging information on the basis of a standardized second protocol, which is different from the first protocol;

exchanging first and second portions of the signaling information separately on the first and second links, respectively, between the calling terminal and the first switching unit and between the called terminal and the second switching unit;

tunneling and extracting the first portion of the signaling information at the switching units such that between the first and second switching units, the first and second portions of the signaling information are exchanged together; and

setting up a useful data link between the first and second terminals for exchanging voice over IP data on the basis of the second protocol.