Communications system
First Claim
1. An IP-based teleconferencing communications system for handling an IP-based teleconferencing communications session with a destination IP-based teleconferencing communication system, comprising:
- a first IP-based teleconferencing terminal having at least one transport address for the IP-based teleconferencing communications session,an external server, anda proxy interface agent configured to act on behalf of the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal when in communication with the external server by establishing a logical channel on one or more connections between the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and the external server, said logical channel serving as a control channel between the proxy interface agent and the external server, comprisinga Network Address Port Translator (NAPT) configured to replace a first IP-based teleconferencing terminal IP address and first port in an outbound IP packet header with a proxy interface agent IP address and proxy interface agent port for traffic outbound from the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and to replace the proxy interface agent IP address and proxy interface agent port in an inbound IP packet header with the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal IP address and the first port for traffic inbound to the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a communications system (1) for handling communications sessions, for example multimedia calls or voice calls. The communications system (1) comprises a local terminal (10), an external server (40), a proxy interface agent (PIA) (11) between the terminal (10) and a shared network (20). The communication means includes a NAT function (32) through which the communications session must pass. The communications session is carried over the network (20) over one or more logical channels between the terminal (10) and the external server (40), during which the first NAT function (32) applies network address mappings on the terminal'"'"'s transport addresses (14). The PIA (11) acts on behalf of the terminal (10) in communications with the external server (40), and establishes a logical channel on an outbound connection to the server that serves as a control channel between the PIA (11) and the server (40). The PIA (11) establishes dynamic outbound connections to the server (40), and in response to a request from the server or in response to a request from the PIA itself (11), makes one or more associations between the terminal'"'"'s transport address(es) (14) and identifiable logical channel(s) between the PIA (11) and the server. These identifiable logical channel(s) are established on one or more of the dynamic outbound connections from the PIA (11) to the server (40).
83 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An IP-based teleconferencing communications system for handling an IP-based teleconferencing communications session with a destination IP-based teleconferencing communication system, comprising:
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a first IP-based teleconferencing terminal having at least one transport address for the IP-based teleconferencing communications session, an external server, and a proxy interface agent configured to act on behalf of the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal when in communication with the external server by establishing a logical channel on one or more connections between the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and the external server, said logical channel serving as a control channel between the proxy interface agent and the external server, comprising a Network Address Port Translator (NAPT) configured to replace a first IP-based teleconferencing terminal IP address and first port in an outbound IP packet header with a proxy interface agent IP address and proxy interface agent port for traffic outbound from the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and to replace the proxy interface agent IP address and proxy interface agent port in an inbound IP packet header with the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal IP address and the first port for traffic inbound to the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal.
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2. A method of handling a IP-based teleconferencing communications session in a IP-based teleconferencing communications system, the IP-based teleconferencing communications system comprising a first IP-based teleconferencing terminal, an external server, a proxy interface agent between the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and a shared network and including a network address port translation (NAPT) function comprising:
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carrying the IP-based teleconferencing communications session over a shared communications network over one or more logical channels between the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and the external server, the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal having at least one transport address for the IP-based teleconferencing communications session; and using a proxy interface agent configured to act on behalf of the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal when in communication with the external server, including establishing, by the proxy interface agent, dynamic outbound connection(s) from the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal through the NAPT to the external server; establishing, by the proxy interface agent, a logical channel on one or more of the outbound connections to the external server, said logical channel serving as a control channel between the proxy interface agent and the external server; and making, by the proxy interface agent, one or more associations between the transport address(es) of the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and identifiable logical channel(s) between the proxy interface agent and the external server, including replacing, via the NAPT, a first terminal IP address and first port in an outbound IP packet header with a proxy interface agent IP address and proxy interface agent port for traffic outbound from the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal, and replacing the proxy interface agent IP address and the proxy interface agent port in an inbound IP packet header with the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal IP address and the first port for traffic inbound to the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A proxy interface agent in a IP-based teleconferencing communications system for handling a IP-based teleconferencing communications session with a destination IP-based teleconferencing communication system,
the IP-based teleconferencing system including a first IP-based teleconferencing terminal having at least one transport address for the IP-based teleconferencing communications session, an external server, and said proxy interface agent configured to act on behalf of the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal when in communication with the external server by establishing a logical channel on one or more connections between the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and the external server, said logical channel serving as a control channel between the proxy interface agent and the external server, comprising: a Network Address Port Translator (NAPT) configured to replace a first IP-based teleconferencing terminal IP address and first port in an outbound IP packet header with a proxy interface agent IP address and proxy interface agent IP port for traffic outbound from the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and to replace the proxy interface agent IP address and the proxy interface agent port in an inbound IP packet header with the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal IP address and the first port for traffic inbound to the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal.
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29. A method of handling a IP-based teleconferencing communications session in a IP-based teleconferencing communications system, the IP-based teleconferencing communications system comprising a first IP-based teleconferencing terminal, an external server, a proxy interface agent between the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and a shared network and including a network address port translation (NAPT) function, wherein the IP-based teleconferencing communications session is carried over a shared communications network over one or more logical channels between the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and the external server, the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal having at least one transport address for the IP-based teleconferencing communications session, and the proxy interface agent is configured to act on behalf of the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal when in communication with the external server, comprising:
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establishing, by the proxy interface agent, dynamic outbound connection(s) from the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal through the NAPT to the external server; establishing, by the proxy interface agent, a logical channel on one or more of the outbound connections to the external server, said logical channel serving as a control channel between the proxy interface agent and the external server; and making, by the proxy interface agent, one or more associations between the transport address(es) of the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal and identifiable logical channel(s) between the proxy interface agent and the external server, including replacing, via the NAPT, a first terminal IP address and first port in an outbound IP packet header with a proxy interface agent IP address and proxy interface agent port for traffic outbound from the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal, and replacing the proxy interface agent IP address and the proxy interface agent IP port in an inbound IP packet header with the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal IP address and the first port for traffic inbound to the first IP-based teleconferencing terminal.
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Specification