H.323 user, service and service provider mobility framework for the multimedia intelligent networking

• US 7,508,835 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roy, Radhika R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Tri H
• Application Number:
  US11/509,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20060285541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 370400-401, 370/349, 370/389, 370/392, 4554321-433, 455/435.1, 455/436
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2596 Translation of addresses of the same type other than IP, e.g. translation from MAC to MAC addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for assuring H.323 alias address portability to an H.323 user in real-time H.323 multimedia communications where the H.323 user is registered with a home gatekeeper for the home zone of the H.323 user. Alias address portability may be obtained using a central database that is known to the administrative zones and is used for alias address mapping, or alternatively, may be obtained by using a distributed database. The method may be implemented by: sending, by the H.323 user, a message with a called H.323 entity'"'"'s alias address, to the home gatekeeper to originate a call to the called H.323 entity; confirming that the alias address, services, and service providers are portable; converting the alias address to a called routable alias address for the called H.323 entity and sending the alias address to the H.323 user; and placing the call to the called H.323 entity.

Claims

1. A method comprising the activities of:

for an H.323 multimedia communication between a first H.323 entity and a second H.323 entity;

receiving a first routable address associated with the first H.323 entity at a first non-gatekeeper database external to a first domain associated with the first H.323 entity and external to a second domain associated with the second H.323 entity, the first H.323 entity registered in a home zone of a first gatekeeper database in the first domain, the first H.323 entity associated with a first alias address;

communicating the first routable address and the first alias address to a second non-gatekeeper database, the second non-gatekeeper database external to the first domain and external to the second domain.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first non-gatekeeper database, receiving, from a third domain, information indicative that the first H.323 entity is located in a third domain, the first H.323 entity registered in a visiting zone of a third gatekeeper database of the third domain, the first non-gatekeeper database partitioned by alias address type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first non-gatekeeper database, receiving, from a third domain, information indicative that the first H.323 entity is located in a third domain, the first H.323 entity registered in a visiting zone of a third gatekeeper database of the third domain, the first non-gatekeeper database partitioned by portable alias address; and

registering the first H.323 entity to receive incoming calls in the third domain.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first non-gatekeeper database, receiving, from a third domain, information indicative that the first H.323 entity is located in a third domain, the first H.323 entity registered in a visiting zone of a third gatekeeper database of the third domain, the first non-gatekeeper database partitioned by non-portable alias address; and

communicating the location of the first H.323 entity in the third domain to the second database.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first non-gatekeeper database, receiving, from a third domain, information indicative that the first H.323 entity is located in a third domain, the first H.323 entity registered in a visiting zone of a third gatekeeper database of the third domain, wherein the first H.323 entity uses a different terminal in the third domain than the first H.323 entity uses in the first domain.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first non-gatekeeper database, receiving, from a third domain, information indicative that the first H.323 entity is located in a third domain, the first H.323 entity registered in a visiting zone of a third gatekeeper database of the third domain, wherein the first H.323 entity uses a different terminal type in the third domain than the first H.323 entity uses in the first domain.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity; and

determining a domain of a service provider of the second H.323 entity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity, the request comprising an alias address for the second H.323 entity; and

determining that the alias address of the second H.323 entity is portable.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity, the request comprising an alias address for the second H.323 entity; and

querying the first non-gatekeeper database to obtain a current location of the second H.323 entity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity, the request comprising an alias address for the second H.323 entity; and

querying the first non-gatekeeper database to obtain a current location of the second H.323 entity; and

mapping the alias address to a routable address for the second H.323 entity via the first non-gatekeeper database.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity, the request comprising an alias address for the second H.323 entity; and

querying the first non-gatekeeper database to obtain a current location of the second H.323 entity;

mapping the alias address to a routable address for the second H.323 entity via the first database; and

communicating the routable alias address for the second H.323 entity to the first H.323 entity.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity, the request comprising an alias address for the second H.323 entity; and

querying the first non-gatekeeper database to obtain a current location of the second H.323 entity;

mapping the alias address to a routable address for the second H.323 entity via the first non-gatekeeper database;

communicating the routable alias address for the second H.323 entity to the first H.323 entity; and

establishing the multimedia communication between the first H.323 entity and the second H.323 entity, wherein audio and video of the multimedia communication follows a first path and data of the multimedia communication follows a second path.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity, the request comprising an alias address for the second H.323 entity; and

querying the first non-gatekeeper database to obtain a current location of the second H.323 entity;

mapping the alias address to a routable address for the second H.323 entity via the first database; and

providing the routable alias address to a cache at the first gatekeeper.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity, the request comprising an alias address for the second H.323 entity; and

querying the first non-gatekeeper database to obtain a current location of the second H.323 entity;

mapping the alias address to a routable address for the second H.323 entity via the first database; and

providing the routable alias address to a cache at the first gatekeeper, wherein the first gatekeeper removes another alias address associated with a third H.323 entity responsive to a cache policy.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first H.323 entity to place a multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity, the request comprising an alias address for the second H.323 entity;

querying the first non-gatekeeper database to obtain a current location of the second H.323 entity; and

providing a billing rate for the multimedia communication to the second H.323 entity.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining services available to the first H.323 entity based upon subscription information associated with the first H.323 entity.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first non-gatekeeper database, receiving from a third domain information indicative that the first H.323 entity is located in the third domain, the first H.323 entity registered in a visiting zone of a third gatekeeper of the third domain; and

obtaining a same service subscribed to by the first H.323 entity in the first domain while in the third domain.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first non-gatekeeper database, receiving from a third domain information indicative that the first H.323 entity is located in a third domain, the first H.323 entity registered in a visiting zone of a third gatekeeper of the third domain; and

registering the first H.323 entity to receive incoming calls in the third domain.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing a multi-point to multi-point communication comprising the first H.323 entity and the second H.323 entity.