Decomposed H.323 network border element for use in a voice-over-internet protocol network

• US 7,715,412 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian Rogers, Utano, Ralph, Afshar, Siroos K., Roy, Radhika R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): King; Simon
• Application Number:
  US10/988,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/328, 370/400, 370/401, 370/467, 709/204, 709/249
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A decomposed H.323 border element is disclosed that is useful for providing an entry point from one or more H.323-based networks into a SIP-based VoIP network. In one embodiment, the signaling element of the BE is separated into a separate functional entity from the media control element to facilitate a single signaling entity controlling multiple media entities. In another embodiment, the security element of the border element is also separated from the media control element so that firewall and network address translation elements may be performed by a separate functional entity. In a further embodiment, the media transcoding element is separated from the media control element. In a final embodiment, the internetworking facility between the SIP and H.323 element is separate from the H.323 gatekeeper elements.

Claims

1. A border element for interfacing an H.323 compliant network with a session initiation protocol (SIP) compliant network, said border element comprising:

an H.323 signaling element for providing signaling control between said H.323 compliant network and said SIP compliant network, said H.323 signaling element comprising;

a SIP-H.323 interworking facility element; and

an H.323 gatekeeping element;

wherein said SIP-H.323 interworking facility element is a separate functional entity from said H.323 gatekeeping element; and

a plurality of H.323 media elements for processing media streams, each of said plurality of H.323 media elements controlled by said H.323 signaling element and each of said plurality of H.323 media elements comprising;

a media control element;

a media transcoding element;

a firewall element; and

a network address translator element;

wherein said media control element and said media transcoding element are separate functional entities from said firewall element and said network address translator element;

wherein said H.323 signaling element is a separate functional entity from each of said plurality of H.323 media elements.