Session control apparatus, software applied to session control apparatus, communication control method, and network system

• US 7,882,235 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kiyoto, Satoshi, Nakamura, Hitomi, Yumoto, Kazuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park; Jeong S
• Application Number:
  US10/762,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20040267939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/225, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A network system includes a session control server and a presence server. The session control server includes a presence information update unit that is started when the status changes and notifies the presence server of the changed status. The presence server includes a presence information control unit that controls the consistency of the notified update information.

Claims

1. A network system comprising

a session control server controlling a communication session created between at least two terminal devices;

and

a presence server managing status information on one of said at least two terminal devices;

wherein said session control server comprises

means for detecting based on a session control message communicated between said at least two terminal devices, a change in status information on a user of said one of said at least two terminal devices or on said one of said at least two terminal devices; and

means for notifying said presence server of an update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected.

2. The network system according to claim 1, wherein said presence server comprises

means for receiving the update request for the status information;

and

means for storing the status information; and

means for updating said means for storing based on the update request.

3. The network system according to claim 2, wherein

said presence server further comprises means for comparing the notified status information with some other status information on the terminal device or a user of the terminal device, to which the status information belongs, for checking consistency of the update request with the other status information.

4. The network system according to claim 3, wherein said presence server rewrites the other status information so that, when the other status information is not consistent with the status information specified by the update request, the other status information becomes consistent with the status information specified by the update request.

5. The network system according to claim 1, wherein SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is used.

6. The network system according to claim 1, wherein

said means for notifying said presence server generates information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected.

7. The network system according to claim 1, wherein

said means for notifying said presence server generates information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected, by reflecting the change in the status information.

8. The network system according to claim 1, wherein

said means for notifying said presence server generates information of the update request for the status information by reflecting session status of a plurality of clients.

9. A network system comprising

a session control server transferring, from a first terminal device to a second terminal device, a packet including a session control message for controlling a communication session created between at least two terminal devices including the first and second terminal devices;

a presence server managing status information on one of said at least two terminal devices;

said session control server comprises

means for detecting, based on the session control message transferred between the first and second terminal devices, a change in status information on a user of at least one of said first and second terminal devices; and

means for notifying said presence server of an update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected.

10. The network system according to claim 9, wherein

said means for notifying said second server generates information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected.

11. The network system according to claim 9, wherein

said means for notifying said second server generates information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected, by reflecting the change in the status information.

12. The network system according to claim 9, wherein

said means for notifying said second server generates information of the update request for the status information by reflecting session status of a plurality of clients.

13. A server connected via a network to a presence server managing status information on a user of a first terminal device and on the first terminal device, said server comprising:

a communication control unit that reforms header parameters, of a received packet from a second terminal device and transfers the received packet, whose header parameters have been reformed, to said first terminal device, the received packet including a session control message being transferred between the first terminal device and the second terminal device;

a status management unit that manages the status of a communication session created between the first and second terminal devices on a certain expiration time basis;

a terminal location management unit that manages address information on the first terminal device;

means for detecting a change in information on the status of the communication session based on the session control message included in the received packet and being transferred between the first and second terminal devices; and

a presence information update unit that generates a presence information update message, which informs said presence server that the status information or the address information has changed, when the change is detected and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message to said communication control unit.

14. The network system according to claim 13, wherein

information of the update request for the status information is generated when the change in the status information is detected.

15. The network system according to claim 13, wherein

information of the update request for the status information is generated when the change in the status information is detected, by reflecting the change in the status information.

16. The network system according to claim 13, wherein

information of the update request for the status information is generated by reflecting session status of a plurality of clients.

17. A server connected via a network to a presence server managing status information on a user of a terminal device or on the terminal device, said server comprising:

a communication control unit that reforms header parameters, of a received packet from a second terminal device and transfers the received packet, whose header parameters have been reformed, to said first terminal device;

a status management unit that manages the status of a communication session created between the first and second terminal devices on a certain expiration time basis;

a terminal location management unit that manages address information on the first terminal device;

means for detecting a change in information on the status of the communication session based on a session control message communicated between the first and second terminal devices; and

a presence information update unit that generates a presence information update message, which informs said presence server that the status information or the address information has changed, when the change is detected and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message to said communication control unit.

18. The server according to claim 17 wherein

said means for detecting a change in information on the status of the communication session is further implemented to detect a change in the address information receiving, from the terminal device, a location registration request message.

19. The server according to claim 18 wherein

said presence information update unit comprises means for checking if a terminal device belonging to the status information is a terminal device managed by said server and, only when the status information in which the change was detected belongs to a terminal managed by said server, generates the presence information update message.

20. The server according to claim 19 wherein

said means for checking if a terminal device belonging to the status information is a terminal device managed by said server compares the domain name of the address of the server with the domain name of the address of the terminal device and, when the domain names match, determines that the terminal is to be managed by the server.

21. The server according to claim 17 wherein

said communication control unit has a protocol stack for use by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and

said presence information update unit assumes a moment, at which a 200 response message is received in response to an INVITE request message, as a time to change to a talking status and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message.

22. The server according to claim 17 wherein

said communication control unit has a protocol stack for use by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and

said presence information update unit assumes a moment, at which an ACK message is received after a 200 response message is received in response to an INVITE request message, as a time to change to a talking status and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message.

23. The server according to claim 17 wherein

said communication control unit has a protocol stack for use by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and

said presence information update unit assumes a moment, at which a BYE request is received, as a time to change to a terminating status and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message.

24. The server according to claim 17 wherein

said communication control unit has a protocol stack for use by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and

said presence information update unit assumes a moment, at which a 200 response message is received in response to a BYE request, as a time to change to a terminating status and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message.

25. The server according to claim 17 wherein

said communication control unit has a protocol stack for use by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and

said presence information update unit assumes a moment, at which a registration is made by a REGISTER message, as a time to change to an on-line status and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message.

26. The server according to claim 17 wherein

said communication control unit has a protocol stack for use by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and

said presence information update unit assumes a moment, at which a registration is deleted by a REGISTER message, as a time to change to an off-line status and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message.

27. The server according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for reading information on an expiration date of the session specified by a control message issued in the communication session; and

means for comparing the message that has been read with the current time of day,

wherein said presence information update unit assumes a time, at which the current time of day has passed the expiration time, as a time to change the status of the communication session and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message.

28. The server according to claim 27 wherein

said terminal location management unit has a timer to count the time of day, and

said presence information update unit assumes a time, at which the expiration time has expired, as a time to change the status to an off-line status and issues an instruction to send the presence information update message.

29. The server according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for generating a PUBLISH message or REGISTER message including in a body thereof the status information or the address information,

wherein the PUBLISH message or REGISTER message is sent to said presence server as the presence information update message.

30. The server according to claim 29 wherein the body of the PUBLISH message or REGISTER message includes one of the following information:

session type, information on the terminal device that has established the session, and information on a coding system and a communication speed used by the established session.

31. The server according to claim 17 wherein

said communication control unit has a function to send a new request message.

32. The server according to claim 17, wherein

said presence information update unit generates information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected.

33. The server according to claim 17, wherein

said presence information update unit generates information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected, by reflecting the change in the status information.

34. The network system according to claim 17, wherein

said presence information update unit generates information of the update request for the status information by reflecting session status of a plurality of clients.

35. A presence server, connected via a network to a session control server managing a communication session created between at least two terminal devices, for managing status information on said communication session, said presence server comprising:

an interface receiving a status information update message received from said session control server if the session control server detects a change in the communication session based on a session control message communicated between the at least two terminal devices;

storage means for storing a plurality of status information pieces;

means for changing a content stored in said storage means; and

means for judging whether there is an inconsistency between the status information included in the update message (first status information) and other status information (second status information) stored in said storage means and belonging to a terminal to which the first status information belongs,

wherein, if there is an inconsistency between the first status information and the second status information, the second status information is made to match the first status information.

36. A communication control method for use in communication using one or more servers, each having a function to manage a communication session created between terminal devices, and a presence server in which status information describing the status of the terminal devices or the status of a terminal user is stored, said method comprising the steps of:

starting the communication session using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol);

detecting a change in the status information based on a session control message communicated between the terminal devices; and

notifying, by one of the one or more servers other than said presence server, the change in the status information to said presence server upon detecting the change.

37. The communication control method according to claim 36, wherein a session control server with a function to manage the communication session is used as one of said one or more server.

38. The communication control method according to claim 36, wherein said notification is made by sending a PUBLISH message or REGISTER message, whose body includes the status information or address information on said terminal device, to the presence server.

39. The communication control method according to claim 38, wherein the body of the PUBLISH message or REGISTER message includes one of the following information:

session type, information on the terminal device that has established the session, and information on a coding system and a communication speed used by the established session.

40. The communication control method according to claim 36, wherein the step of notifying, by one of the one or more servers other than said presence server, the change in the status information to said presence server when the change is detected further comprises the step of generating information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected.

41. The communication control method according to claim 36, wherein the step of notifying, by one of the one or more servers other than said presence server, the change in the status information to said presence server when the change is detected further comprises the step of generating information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected, by reflecting the change in the status information.

42. The communication control method according to claim 36, wherein the step of notifying, by one of the one or more servers other than said presence server, the change in the status information to said presence server when the change is detected further comprises the step of generating information of the update request for the status information by reflecting session status of a plurality of clients.

43. A server control method for use by a server that has a control function, said server being in communication with a presence server in which status information describing the status of a terminal device or a terminal device user is stored, said control function controlling a communication session created between at least two terminal devices, said server control method comprising the steps of:

managing the communication session to detect a change in the status information based on a session control message communicated between the at least two terminal devices;

generating an update request message about the status information when the change is detected; and

sending the update request message to said presence server.

44. The server control method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of generating information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected.

45. The server control method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of generating information of the update request for the status information when the change in the status information is detected, by reflecting the change in the status information.

46. The server control method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of generating information of the update request for the status information by reflecting session status of a plurality of clients.

47. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium for recording a control program for use by a server that has a control function, said server being in communication with a presence server in which status information describing the status of a terminal device or a terminal device user is stored, said control function controlling a communication session via SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) created between at least two terminal devices, said control program executing the steps of:

managing the communication session to detect a change in the status information based on a session control message communicated between the at least two terminal devices;

generating an update request message about the status information when the change is detected; and

sending the update request message to said presence server.

48. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 47 wherein the step of generating an update request message about the status information includes the step of:

generating a PUBLISH message or REGISTER message whose body includes the status information and address on the terminal device.

49. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 48, comprising the step of generating the PUBLISH message or REGISTER message whose body includes the following information:

session type, information on the terminal device that has established the session, and information on a coding system and a communication speed used by the established session.