Head end apparatus for media gateway control protocol type voice over internet protocol call service

• US 7,450,564 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Dong-Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US10/434,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20030219011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/354, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2517 using port numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/255 Maintenance or indexing of mapping tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2582 through control of the NAT server, e.g. using universal plug and play [UPnP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• 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

Abstract

A head end apparatus is used in a VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) network providing a VoIP service to subscribers by using an MGCP (media gateway control protocol, the VoIP network employing data communication terminals together with VoIP terminals. The head end apparatus allows the VoIP network to provide data communication service as well as VoIP service to the subscribers by minimizing lack of authorized IP (Internet protocol) addresses. The head end apparatus having an MGCP network address translator (NAT) router establishes a second path for VoIP communication between a VoIP terminal and an IP (Internet protocol) network which is separated from a first path for data communication established between a data communication terminal and the IP network by a contemporary router.

Claims

1. A head end apparatus used in a voice over Internet protocol network providing a voice over Internet protocol service to subscribers using data communication terminals together with voice over Internet protocol terminals, by using a media gateway control protocol and including a call agent and a gateway connected to an Internet with an authorized Internet protocol address for providing voice over Internet protocol service to the voice over Internet protocol terminals, the head end apparatus comprising:

a dynamic host configuration protocol server assigning the authorized Internet protocol address to the data communication terminals and a private Internet protocol address to the voice over Internet protocol terminals;

a router accommodating a routing of an Internet protocol packet transmitted between the data communication terminals and the Internet and blocking the Internet protocol packet when the Internet protocol packet includes a user datagram protocol packet with having a destination address identical to an Internet protocol address of the call agent or the gateway; and

a media gateway control protocol network address translator router transmitting the Internet protocol packet to the Internet by changing a source Internet protocol address of the Internet protocol packet to the authorized Internet protocol address while assigning a new user datagram protocol port number when the Internet protocol packet having the user datagram protocol packet with the source Internet protocol address identical to the private Internet protocol address and the destination Internet protocol address identical to the Internet protocol address of the call agent or the gateway is received from the voice over Internet protocol terminal, for registering the Internet protocol addresses and the user datagram protocol port numbers to a translation table, and for transmitting the Internet protocol packet by changing the destination Internet protocol address and user datagram protocol port number of the Internet protocol packet to a registered private Internet protocol address and a registered user datagram protocol port number when it receives from the Internet the Internet protocol packet having the source Internet protocol address identical to the Internet protocol address of the call agent or the gateway and the user datagram protocol port number registered in the translation table.

2. The head end apparatus of claim 1, with the subscribers including any one of a cable network, an asymmetric digital subscriber line network, and a local area network private line.

3. The head end apparatus of claim 1, said media gateway control protocol network address translator router further comprising:

a controller accommodating a controlling of said a media gateway control protocol network address translator router;

a memory connected to said controller and storing information used by said controller;

a first network interface connecting said controller to a modem accommodating a connection with said voice over Internet protocol terminals and said data communication terminals; and

a second network interface connecting said controller to the Internet.

4. The head end apparatus of claim 3, with said controller with said memory further comprising:

a first section accommodating message processing using media gateway control protocol;

a second section in communication link with said first section, said second section accommodating a transmitting and receiving of Internet protocol packets;

a third section providing a real time operating system for said first and second sections; and

a fourth section providing a network interface for said third section.

5. The head end apparatus of claim 1, with said media gateway control protocol network address translator router further comprising:

a controller accommodating a controlling of said a media gateway control protocol network address translator router; and

a memory connected to said controller and storing information used by said controller,

with said controller with said memory further comprising;

a first section accommodating message processing using media gateway control protocol;

a second section in communication link with said first section, said second section accommodating a transmitting and receiving of Internet protocol packets;

a third section providing a real time operating system for said first and second sections; and

a fourth section providing a network interface for said third section.

6. The head end apparatus of claim 2, said media gateway control protocol network address translator router further comprising:

a controller accommodating a controlling of said a media gateway control protocol network address translator router;

a memory connected to said controller and storing information used by said controller;

a first network interface connecting said controller to a modem accommodating a connection with said voice over Internet protocol terminals and said data communication terminals; and

a second network interface connecting said controller to the Internet.

7. The head end apparatus of claim 6, with said controller with said memory further comprising:

a first section accommodating message processing using media gateway control protocol;

a second section in communication link with said first section, said second section accommodating a transmitting and receiving of Internet protocol packets;

a third section providing a real time operating system for said first and second sections; and

a fourth section providing a network interface for said third section.

8. A method, comprising:

changing an original private Internet protocol address to an authorized Internet protocol address by a first router including a media gateway control protocol network address translator, when a voice over Internet protocol terminal transmits a setup message by using the original private Internet protocol address and a user datagram protocol port number, the authorized Internet protocol address providing voice over Internet protocol service to voice over Internet protocol terminals;

transmitting the setup message by said first router to said call agent while assigning a new user datagram protocol port number from an original user datagram protocol port number;

sending a dial tone packet by a gateway to said first router with the authorized Internet protocol address and new datagram protocol port number while hooking-off of a public switched telephone network; and

sending a user datagram packet by said first router to said voice over Internet protocol terminal by changing the authorized Internet protocol address back to the private Internet protocol address and the new user datagram protocol port back to the original datagram protocol port accommodating the subscriber to use a voice over Internet protocol service.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising of sending an acknowledgment by said call agent to said first router and said gateway with the authorized Internet protocol address and new user datagram protocol port number.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising of sending a setup message acknowledgment by said first router to said voice over Internet protocol terminal by changing the Internet protocol address and user datagram protocol port number.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising of sending a setup message acknowledgment by said first router to said voice over Internet protocol terminal by changing the Internet protocol address and user datagram protocol port number.

12. A method, comprising:

checking whether an Internet protocol packet includes a user datagram protocol packet by a first router having a media gateway control protocol network address translator;

checking whether a destination address of the Internet protocol packet corresponds to an Internet protocol address of a call agent or a gateway;

changing a source Internet protocol address of the Internet protocol packet to an authorized Internet protocol address and new user datagram protocol numbers are assigned when the destination address of the Internet protocol packet corresponds to an Internet protocol address of a call agent or a gateway, the authorized Internet protocol address providing voice over Internet protocol service to voice over Internet protocol terminals;

transmitting the authorized Internet protocol address and the new user datagram protocol numbers to the Internet; and

registering the Internet protocol addresses and port numbers into a translation table.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising of discarding the Internet protocol packet when the Internet protocol packet has no user datagram protocol packet, the Internet protocol packet is not adapted for voice over Internet protocol service using media gateway control protocol.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising of sending the Internet protocol packet to said call agent or said gateway from said voice over Internet protocol terminal when the destination address of the Internet protocol packet corresponds to the Internet protocol address of said call agent or said gateway, respectively.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising of discarding the Internet protocol packet when the destination address of the Internet protocol packet does not correspond to the Internet protocol address of said call agent or said gateway.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

checking by said first router whether a source address of the Internet protocol packet corresponds to an Internet protocol address of said call agent or said gateway;

checking whether the Internet protocol packet and the new user datagram protocol port number have been registered in the translation table when the source address of the Internet protocol packet corresponds to the Internet protocol address of said call agent or said gateway;

changing the destination Internet protocol address of the Internet protocol packet to the original private Internet protocol address and the new user datagram protocol numbers to the original user datagram protocol numbers registered in the translation table when the Internet protocol packet and the user datagram protocol port number has been registered in the translation table.

17. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

changing an original private Internet protocol address to an authorized Internet protocol address by a first router including a media gateway control protocol network address translator, when a voice over Internet protocol terminal transmits a setup message by using the original private Internet protocol address and a user datagram protocol port number, the authorized Internet protocol address providing voice over Internet protocol service to voice over Internet protocol terminals;

transmitting the setup message by said first router to said call agent while assigning a new user datagram protocol port number from an original user datagram protocol port number;

sending a dial tone packet by a gateway to said first router with the authorized Internet protocol address and new datagram protocol port number while hooking-off of a public switched telephone network; and

sending a user datagram packet by said first router to said voice over Internet protocol terminal by changing the authorized Internet protocol address back to the private Internet protocol is address and the new user datagram protocol port back to the original datagram protocol port accommodating the subscriber to use a voice over Internet protocol service.

18. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable information, the computer-readable medium comprising:

a first field of the information containing data representing a checking of whether an Internet protocol packet includes a user datagram protocol packet by a first router having a media gateway control protocol network address translator;

a second field of the information containing data representing a checking of whether a destination address of the Internet protocol packet corresponds to an Internet protocol address of a call agent or a gateway;

a third field of the information containing data representing a changing of a source Internet protocol address of the Internet protocol packet to an authorized Internet protocol address and new user datagram protocol numbers are assigned when the destination address of the Internet protocol packet corresponds to an Internet protocol address of a call agent or a gateway, the authorized Internet protocol address providing voice over Internet protocol service to voice over Internet protocol terminals;

a fourth field of the information containing data representing transmitting the authorized Internet protocol address and the new user datagram protocol numbers to the Internet; and

a fifth field of the information containing data representing registering the Internet protocol addresses and port numbers into a translation table.