Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing transcoder free operation (TrFO) and interworking between unlicensed mobile access (UMA) and universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) call legs using a media gateway

• US 7,835,346 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: He, Yong, Shen, Mansong, Lee, Weijun
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELLIOTT IV, BENJAMIN H
• Application Number:
  US11/351,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/235, 370/335, 370/395.1, 370/466, 455/72, 455/403, 455/445, 455/452.2, 455/519, 455/560
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/181 Transcoding devices; Rate adaptation devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for establishing transcoding free connections between UMA and UMTS call legs are disclosed. According to one method, a media gateway determines whether codec configurations used by UMA and UMTS legs of a call are compatible. In response to determining that the configurations are compatible, media gateway determines whether rate control is necessary to establish a transcoding free connection. In response to determining that rate control is necessary, the media gateway issues rate control requests on the UMA and UMTS legs as appropriate. The media gateway determines whether the rate control requests are successful. In response to determining that the requests are successful, the media gateway establishes a transcoding free connection between the UMA and the UMTS legs of the call.

Claims

1. A media gateway for establishing a transcoding free connection between unlicensed mobile access (UMA) and universal mobile telecommunications service (UMTS) legs of a connection, the media gateway comprising:

(a) at least one broadband interface for sending media packets to and from a UMA leg and a UMTS leg of a connection;

(b) a packet switching fabric for forwarding media packets between the at least one broadband interface and at least one internal processing resource of the media gateway;

(c) at least one voice server for performing voice processing functions for media packets received from the UMA leg and the UMTS leg; and

(d) a UMA-UMTS transcoder free operation controller for establishing a transcoding free connection within the media gateway between the UMA and the UMTS legs via the at least one broadband interface, the packet switching fabric, and the at least one voice server.

2. The media gateway of claim 1 wherein the at least voice server is adapted to issue a rate control request to at least one of the UMA leg and the UMTS leg to establish the transcoding free connection.

3. The media gateway of claim 2 wherein the at least one voice server is adapted to issue a UMTS rate control request to the UMTS leg.

4. The media gateway of claim 3 wherein the at least one voice server is adapted to monitor the encoding rate being used by the UMTS leg.

5. The media gateway of claim 3 wherein the at least one voice server is adapted to monitor the UMTS leg for an acknowledgement to the rate control request.

6. The media gateway of claim 3 wherein the at least one voice server is adapted to issue a codec mode request (CMR) to the UMA leg.

7. The media gateway of claim 6 wherein the at least one voice server is adapted to monitor the encoding rate being used by the UMA leg.

8. The media gateway of claim 7 wherein the at least one voice server is adapted to send an acknowledgement to the UMTS leg in response to determining that the codec mode request on the UMA leg is successful.

9. The media gateway of claim 7 wherein the at least one voice server is adapted to send a negative acknowledgement to the UMTS leg in response to failing to detect a change in the encoding rate on the UMA leg.

10. The media gateway of claim 1 wherein the at least one voice server is adapted to maintain the transcoding free connection.

11. The media gateway of claim 10 wherein, in maintaining the transcoding free connection, the at least one voice server is adapted to perform redundancy reconciliation between the UMA and UMTS legs.

12. The media gateway of claim 11 wherein, in performing the redundancy reconciliation, the at least one voice server is adapted to build redundant voice frames to be transmitted over the UMA leg based on packets received over the UMTS leg.

13. The media gateway of claim 11 wherein, in performing the redundancy reconciliation, the at least one voice server is adapted to receive redundant voice frames from the UMA leg and transmit current voice frames over the UMTS leg.