Apparatus and method for converting megaco protocol

• US 7,756,139 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Choi, Seung-Han, Kim, Do-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Samuel; Dewanda
• Application Number:
  US11/285,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370/395.3, 370/395.5, 370/466, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/395.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for megaco protocol conversion is provided. The apparatus includes: a plurality of first protocol execution units for receiving a plurality of protocol packets, executing operations according to the received protocols, analyzing the received protocols, and generating protocol execution parameters. Databases store connection information between the objects and protocol conversion functions. A protocol conversion unit interfaces first protocol execution unit and the megaco protocol execution unit, and searches for destination objects and the protocol conversion functions in the database, and converts the generated protocol execution parameters to protocol types of the destination objects, based on condition modes of objects which transmitted the protocol packets.

Claims

1. An apparatus for converting a megaco protocol to a different protocol, comprising:

a plurality of first protocol execution means for receiving a plurality of different protocol packets, executing operations according to the received protocols, analyzing the received protocols, and generating protocol execution parameters;

a megaco protocol execution means for receiving a megaco protocol packet, executing operations according to the received protocol, analyzing the received protocol, and generating protocol execution parameters;

databases for storing connection information between objects and protocol conversion functions; and

a protocol conversion means for interworking between the first protocol execution means and the megaco protocol execution means, verifying an object condition mode of an object which transmitted the protocol packets as master or slave;

searching for destination objects and the protocol conversion functions in the database, and converting the generated protocol execution parameters to protocol types of the destination objects, based on the object condition mode,

wherein the databases include;

an object information database containing object information database entries, each entry associating an object connection identifier to a protocol type of a destination object, the object information database searched by the protocol conversion means when the object condition mode is verified to be slave to determine the protocol type of the destination object; and

a terminal information database containing terminal information database entries, each entry associating a termination identifier and the object connection identifier to the protocol type of the destination object, the terminal information database searched by the protocol conversion means when the object condition mode is verified to be master to determine the protocol type of the destination object.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including:

a master mode control means for controlling the megaco protocol execution means to operate in the master mode; and

a slave mode control means for controlling the megaco protocol execution means to operate in the slave mode.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the databases include:

the object information database including the object connection identifier for distinguishing connection relations between a master mode object and a slave mode object, an object IP address, the object condition mode for distinguishing an object mode and the protocol type of the object;

the terminal information database including a terminal subscriber'"'"'s information identifier, the object connection identifier for distinguishing connection relations between a master mode object and a slave mode object, a terminal IP address, and the protocol type of the terminal; and

a conversion function database including an input protocol type, an output protocol type and conversion functions.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the databases include:

the object information database including the object connection identifier for distinguishing connection relations between a master mode object and a slave mode object, an object IP address, the object condition mode for distinguishing an object mode and the protocol type of the object;

the terminal information database including a terminal subscriber'"'"'s information identifier, the object connection identifier for distinguishing connection relations between a master mode object and a slave mode object, a terminal IP address, and the protocol type of the terminal; and

a conversion function database including an input protocol type, an output protocol type and conversion functions.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the protocol conversion means includes:

means for determining the object condition mode from the object information database by utilizing the generated protocol execution parameters;

means for determining the protocol type of the destination object from the terminal information database if the object condition mode is master;

means for determining the protocol type of the destination object from the object information database if the object condition mode is slave; and

means for converting the generated protocol execution parameters to the determined protocol type of the destination object by utilizing the conversion functions stored in the conversion function database.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the protocol conversion means includes:

means for determining the object condition mode from the object information database by utilizing the generated protocol execution parameters;

means for determining the protocol type of the destination object from the terminal information database if the object condition mode is master;

means for determining the protocol type of the destination object from the object information database if the object condition mode is slave; and

means for converting the generated protocol execution parameters to the determined protocol type of the destination object by utilizing the conversion functions stored in the conversion function database.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method for megaco protocol conversion, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a protocol packet and generating protocol execution parameters;

b) searching an object information database entry by utilizing the generated protocol execution parameters, said database entry including identity of an object which transmitted the received protocol packet;

c) verifying an object condition mode of the searched object information database entry;

d) verifying a protocol type of a destination object by utilizing the generated protocol execution parameters, based on the verified object condition mode; and

e) converting the generated protocol execution parameters to the verified protocol type of the destination object based on the verified condition modes by utilizing parameter conversion functions;

wherein said step of d) includes the steps of;

searching a terminal information database entry by utilizing a terminal identifier from the generated protocol execution parameters and the object connection identifier from the object information database entry as an index, if an object condition mode is master;

searching an object information database entry of a master mode object by utilizing the object connection identifier of the object information database entry as an index, if the object condition mode is slave; and

verifying a protocol type of the searched database entry.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein said step b) is carried out by utilizing an object IP address from the generated protocol execution parameters as an index.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the object information database entry includes:

an object connection identifier for distinguishing connection relations between a master mode object and a slave mode object;

an object IP address;

an object condition mode for distinguishing an object mode; and

a protocol type of the object.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the terminal information database entry includes:

a terminal subscriber'"'"'s information identifier;

an object connection identifier for distinguishing connection relations between a master mode object and a slave mode object;

a terminal IP address; and

a protocol type of the terminal.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein said step e) includes the steps of:

searching a parameter conversion function database entry by utilizing a protocol type of the generated protocol execution parameters as an input index, and the protocol type of the verified destination object as an output index; and

converting the generated protocol execution parameters to a protocol type of the destination object by utilizing the conversion functions of the searched parameter conversion function database entry.