SIP-based session control among a plurality of multimedia devices

• US 7,626,950 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimler, Randy, Wright, Steven A., Whited, Albert, Anschutz, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haile; Awet
• Application Number:
  US11/026,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20060041688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/262, 370/277, 370/352, 370/282, 370/278, 370/390, 370/270, 370/401, 370/395.2, 370/467, 370/395.72, 709/207, 709/227, 709/229, 455/411, 455/426.1, 455/503, 719/318, 725/95, 348/14.08, 704/271, 379/114.13, 705/51, 707/13
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/806 Broadcast or multicast traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

These exemplary embodiments utilize Sessions Initiation Protocol (SIP) for admission control among a plurality of multimedia devices. The use of the SIP allows a SIP server to perform admission control functions. The use of RSVP linkages is reduced. The use of SIP for admission control allows an application to communicate, or “talk,” to a network and other multimedia devices and to request that resources within the network be reserved. Any communications device that uses sessions may utilize the SIP protocol for admission control. The SIP protocol may be used for unicast and multicast media sessions including video-on-demand and/or multicast video access control.

Claims

1. A method for providing media delivery services comprising:

receiving a session initiation protocol invitation from a first multimedia device to request a media stream, the invitation further comprising a first private communications address for communicating with the first multimedia device;

communicating the session initiation protocol invitation to a multimedia content server via a communications network;

receiving a session initiation protocol update from the multimedia content server via the communications network to access the media stream from a second multimedia device having a second private communications address;

communicating the session initiation protocol invitation from the first multimedia device to the second multimedia device;

wherein communicating the session initiation protocol invitation is performed by a residential gateway, wherein the residential gateway forwards the session initiation protocol invitation to a source, the source responding with the second private communications address, the residential gateway forwarding the session initiation protocol invitation to the first multimedia device for transmission to the second private communications address of the second multimedia device;

receiving a session initiation protocol confirmation from the second multimedia device to communicate the media stream, the confirmation further comprising a communications identifier for identifying the media stream; and

communicating the media stream from the second multimedia device to the private communications address of the first multimedia device;

wherein the multimedia content server is a multicast source;

wherein communicating the session initiation protocol invitation to the multicast source via the communications network comprises translating the session initiation protocol invitation to an internet group management protocol join and communicating the internet group management protocol join to the multicast source via the communications network and wherein receiving a session initiation protocol update from the multicast source via the communications network comprises receiving an internet group management protocol update via the communications network, the update further comprising the second private communications address of the second multimedia device.

2. A method for providing a media stream to a multimedia system comprising:

initiating an order for the media stream from a first multimedia device via a session initiation protocol invitation over a communications network, wherein at least one multicast multimedia content server identifies a second multimedia device as a media stream content source;

wherein a residential gateway forwards the session initiation protocol invitation to the multicast multimedia content server, the multicast multimedia content server responding with a second private communications address of the second multimedia device, the residential gateway forwarding the session initiation protocol invitation to the first multimedia device for transmission to the second private communications address of the second multimedia device;

communicating an internet group management protocol update, the update identifying the second private communications address of the second multimedia device for accessing, ordering and otherwise managing the media stream;

communicating the internet group management protocol update from the at least one multicast multimedia content server via the communications network to the first multimedia device;

using the update to communicate an updated session initiation protocol invitation from the first multimedia device to the second multimedia device;

communicating and identifying the media stream from the second multimedia device to the first multimedia device; and

presenting the media stream to the first multimedia device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the first multimedia device and the second multimedia device are residential set top boxes.