Multiservice use of network connection capability

• US 7,889,717 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cunetto, Philip, Schneider, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, SIMON
• Assistant Examiner(s): King; Simon
• Application Number:
  US11/333,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 370/392, 370/400, 370/410, 370/352, 709/227, 709/203
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5605 Fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5614 User Network Interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5629 Admission control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5665 Interaction of ATM with other protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5669 Multiprotocol over ATM [MPOA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A system that controls access to a communications network in accordance with a network service includes a service controller and a network connector. The service controller receives a request for the network service from an end system, provides the end system with a unique setup identifier and an enabling certificate, and instructs the end system to send a connection setup request to access the communications network, the connection setup request including the certificate and the unique setup identifier. The certificate includes information relating to a permitted setup and service policy or logic representing service capabilities or service permissions. The network connector receives the connection setup request from the end system, processes the connection setup request based on the certificate and the unique identifier, and establishes a network connection in accordance with at least the certificate.

Claims

1. A system for controlling access to a communications network in accordance with a network service, the system comprising:

a service controller configured to receive a request for the network service from an end system;

to provide the end system with a unique setup identifier and an enabling certificate, the certificate comprising information relating to a permitted setup and service policy or logic representing service capabilities or service permissions; and

to instruct the end system to send a connection setup request to access the communications network, the connection setup request including the certificate and the unique setup identifier; and

a network connector configured to receive the connection setup request from the end system and that processes the connection setup request based on the certificate and the unique identifier, the network connector establishing a network connection in accordance with at least the certificate.

2. The system according to claim 1, the service controller comprising a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy server.

3. The system according to claim 1, the service controller comprising a SIP user agent client and a SIP user agent server.

4. The system according to claim 1, the network connector comprising an Internet protocol (IP) router.

5. The system according to claim 4, in which the connection setup request comprises a resource reservation protocol (RSVP) request.

6. The system according to claim 1, the network connector comprising one of a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) router, an optical switch and a time division multiplexing (TDM) switch.

7. The system according to claim 6, in which the connection setup request comprises a RSVP-te request.

8. The system according to claim 6, in which the connection setup request comprises a constraint-based routed label distribution protocol (CR-LDP) request.

9. The system according to claim 1, in which the network connector comprises an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch.

10. The system according to claim 9, in which the connection setup request comprises a user-to-network interface (UNI) protocol request.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program, executable by a tangible network controller, for controlling access to a communications network in accordance with a network service, the computer readable medium comprising:

a receiving code segment executable by the network controller to receive a request for the network service from an end system;

a providing code segment executable by the network controller to provide the end system with a unique identifier and an enabling certificate in response to the request, the certificate comprising information relating to a permitted setup and service policy or logic representing service capabilities or service permissions; and

an instructing code segment executable by the network controller to instruct the end system to send a connection setup request to a network connection capability to access the communications network, the connection setup request including the certificate and the unique identifier;

the network connection capability processing the connection setup request based on the certificate and the unique identifier, and establishing a network connection in accordance with at least the certificate.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, the network connection capability comprising a router.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, the network connection capability comprising one of an optical switch, a time division multiplexing (TDM) switch and an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch.

14. A system for controlling access to a communications network associated with a plurality of network services, the system comprising:

a service controller configured to receive a request for at least one network service of the plurality of network services from an initiating end system;

to instruct the initiating end system to perform a connection setup request; and

to specify a unique identifier to be included in the connection setup request, the unique identifier correlating the connection setup request and the at least one network service; and

a network connector configured to receive the connection setup request from the initiating end system;

to process the connection setup request based on the unique identifier and service parameters, the service parameters comprising information relating to a permitted setup and service policy or logic representing service capabilities or service permissions; and

to perform one of establishing a network connection to a terminating end system and rejecting the connection setup request based on the processing, in accordance with the service parameters.

15. The system according to claim 14, the service controller comprising a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy server.

16. The system according to claim 14, in which the service controller pushes the service parameters into the network connector prior to instructing the initiating end system to perform the connection setup request.

17. The system according to claim 16, in which the connection setup request is in accordance with resource reservation protocol (RSVP) and pushing the service parameters into the network connector is in accordance with common open policy service-policy rule (COPS-PR) protocol.

18. The system according to claim 14, in which the network connector pulls the service parameters from the service controller after receiving the connection setup request from the initiating end system.

19. The system according to claim 18, in which the connection setup request is in accordance with RSVP and pulling the service parameters is in accordance with COPS protocol.

20. The system according to claim 14, in which the network connector queries the service controller and receives the service parameters in response to the query.

21. The system according to claim 20, in which the connection setup request is in accordance with RSVP, and querying the service controller and receiving the service parameters in response to the query is in accordance with COPS protocol.

22. The system according to claim 14, in which the network connector comprises an Internet protocol router.

23. The system according to claim 22, in which the connection setup request is in accordance with RSVP.

24. The system according to claim 14, in which the network connector comprises one of a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) label switching router, an optical switch and a time division multiplexing (TDM) switch.

25. The system according to claim 24, in which the connection setup request is in accordance with one of RSVP-te and constraint-based routed label distribution protocol (CR-LDP).

26. The system according to claim 14, in which the network connector comprises an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch.

27. The system according to claim 26, in which the connection setup request is in accordance with user-to-network interface (UNI) protocol.