Presence server, session control server, and packet relay system

• US 7,668,911 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yumoto, Kazuma, Miyata, Tatsuhiko, Kasuga, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, THOMAS W
• Application Number:
  US11/050,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/227, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

The object of the invention is to make communication between users smoother utilizing terminal type information. To achieve the object, a terminal type is specified based upon information in login and information acquired by adding the information to presence information is notified. Besides, terminals of the same type are connected by an SIP server. The selection of the communication means of voice communications and a character chat when communication is started and the specification of a calling terminal at a partner terminal are enabled by adding terminal information to presence information and grasping mutual owned terminals. Detailed status can be grasped based upon presence information of the same name by grasping presence information and terminal information. Further, in the case of a terminal not provided with a presence function, an SIP server also identifies terminal type information by deputy and can also specify a calling terminal.

Claims

1. A session control server for communication control between plural terminals, comprising:

a line interface to be coupled via a network to plural first terminals related to a first user which can use at least the first terminals and to plural second terminals related to a second user which can use the partner terminal, and said line interface being coupled via a network to a presence server to be stored with terminal type information and session status information between one of the first terminals and one of the second terminals which communicates with said one first terminal in a state in which the respective information is related; and

a controller coupled to the line interface;

wherein the controller extracts the terminal type information of one of the first terminals of a packet received via the line interface from header information of the received packet,

the controller acquires, from the presence server, terminal type information of one of said second terminals as a destination of the received packet,

the controller selects a second terminal among the second terminals to be communicated between the first user and the second user on the basis of the extracted terminal type information of said one first terminal, and the controller transfers a message for the second user to the selected second terminal, the message which is received from one of the first terminal,

wherein the terminal type information comprises information regarding a hardware configuration of the terminal.

2. A session control server according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects the same terminal type between said one second terminal and said one first terminal when determining which one of the second terminals to be selected.

3. A session control server according to claim 1, wherein the controller extracts a message type of a packet received via the line interface from header information of the received packet, and the controller determines whether a terminal type of the second terminal is required to select or not on the basis of the message type of the received packet.

5. A session control server according to claim 1, wherein a terminal type is a chat terminal, a meeting terminal, an IP phone, or a TV phone.

4. A communication control system comprising:

a session control server for communication control between plural terminals to be coupled, via a network, to plural first terminals related to a first user which can use at least the first terminals and to plural second terminals related to a second user which can use the second terminals; and

a presence server coupled, via a network, to the session control server,

wherein the presence server stores terminal type information and session status information between one of the first terminals and one of the second terminals which communicates with said one first terminal in a state in which the respective information is related,

the session control server extracts terminal type information of one of the first terminals of a packet received via the line interface from header information of the received packet,

the session control server acquires, from the presence server, terminal type information of one of the second terminals as a destination of the received packet,

the session control server selects a second terminal among the second terminals to be communicated between the first user and the second user on the basis of the extracted terminal type information of said one first terminal, and

the session control server transfers a message for the second user to the selected second terminal, the message which is received from one of the first terminal,

wherein the terminal type information comprises information regarding a hardware configuration of the terminal.

6. A communication control system according to claim 4, wherein a terminal type is a chat terminal, a meeting terminal, an IP phone, or a TV phone.