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Method of communicating packet multimedia to restricted endpoints

  • US 7,483,437 B1
  • Filed: 11/18/2004
  • Issued: 01/27/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method, performed by a network element, for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the method comprising:

  • receiving an outbound multimedia signaling packet;

    determining if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device;

    determining and storing information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint;

    performing an action that keeps the logical pinhole open for future communication with the first endpoint by (i) determining that the first endpoint has a keep-alive timeout value that is configurable and (ii) configuring the pinhole keep-alive value of the first endpoint to modify a frequency at which the first endpoint generates periodic messages towards a signaling controller in order to keep the logical pinhole open, wherein configuring the pinhole keep-alive value comprises sending, at a particular time before a keep-alive timeout value of the first endpoint has been reached, an inquiry message to the first endpoint, determining whether the inquiry message was received;

    sending a command to the first endpoint that increases the keep-alive timeout value of the first endpoint based on a determination that the inquiry message was received, and sending, in response to determining that the inquiry message was not received, a second command to the first endpoint that sets the keep-alive timeout value of the first endpoint to a smaller value; and

    forwarding inbound multimedia signaling messages directed towards the first endpoint via the logical pinhole.

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