Method of communicating packet multimedia to restricted endpoints
First Claim
1. A method, performed by a network element, for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the method comprising:
- receiving an outbound multimedia signaling packet;
determining if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device;
determining and storing information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint;
determining that the first endpoint permits adding a software component that generates periodic messages for keeping the logical pinhole open;
installing, with the network element, the software component on the first endpoint;
activating the software component to generate periodic messages toward a signaling controller in order to keep the logical pinhole open;
sending a command to the first endpoint to cause the software component to modify a frequency at which it generates periodic messages; and
forwarding inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole.
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Abstract
A method, performed in a network element, for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the method comprising the machine-implemented steps of receiving an outbound multimedia data packet; determining if the outbound multimedia data packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determining and storing information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint; performing an action that keeps the logical pinhole open during all of a communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint; and forwarding inbound multimedia data packets directed from the second endpoint to the first endpoint via the logical pinhole.
20 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method, performed by a network element, for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the method comprising:
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receiving an outbound multimedia signaling packet; determining if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determining and storing information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint; determining that the first endpoint permits adding a software component that generates periodic messages for keeping the logical pinhole open; installing, with the network element, the software component on the first endpoint; activating the software component to generate periodic messages toward a signaling controller in order to keep the logical pinhole open; sending a command to the first endpoint to cause the software component to modify a frequency at which it generates periodic messages; and forwarding inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method, performed by a network element, for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the method comprising:
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receiving an outbound multimedia signaling packet; determining if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determining and storing information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint; determining, from the outbound multimedia signaling packet, address information identifying a local network address of the first endpoint and an address of a security device that the first endpoint is behind; storing the address information in association with information identifying the first endpoint; receiving a request to provide the physical location of the first endpoint; providing, in a response message, the address information for the first endpoint; and forwarding inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method, performed by a network element, for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the method comprising:
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receiving an outbound multimedia signaling packet; determining if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determining and storing information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint; forwarding inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole; receiving a keep-alive message from the first endpoint; determining that the keep-alive message originated from a registered endpoint; and acknowledging the keep-alive message without forwarding the keep-alive message to a call-control server that services calls from and to the first endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A method, performed by a network element, for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the method comprising:
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receiving an outbound multimedia signaling packet; determining if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determining and storing information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint; forwarding inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole; receiving a signaling message from the first endpoint; allocating a port pair on a media controller for the use of streams of media; modifying the signaling message to point the streams of media to an address and port that have been allocated at the media controller for processing packets of a communication session between the second endpoint and the first endpoint; forwarding the modified signaling message to a destination entity, wherein the media controller determines the logical pinhole based on receiving the streams of media from the second endpoint at the allocated address and port; and waiting, at the media controller, for the streams of media to arrive from both endpoints to detect media pinholes and for relaying the streams of media between the two endpoints.
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10. An apparatus for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface that receives an outbound multimedia signaling packet; a processor configured to; determine if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determine and store information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint; determine that the first endpoint permits adding a software component that generates periodic messages for keeping the logical pinhole open; install the software component on the first endpoint; activate the software component to generate periodic messages in order to keep the logical pinhole open, forward inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole; and a storage module that stores the information identifying the logical pinhole, wherein the communication interface sends a command to the first endpoint to modify a frequency at which the first endpoint generates the periodic messages. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface that receives an outbound multimedia signaling packet; a processor configured to; determine if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determine and store information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint forward inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole; and a storage module that stores the information identifying the logical pinhole, wherein the processor is configured to determine, from the outbound multimedia signaling packet, address information identifying a local network address of the first endpoint and an address of a security device that the first endpoint is behind, wherein the storage module stores the address information in association with information identifying the first endpoint, and wherein the communication interface; receives a request to provide the physical location of the first endpoint, and sends, in a response to the request, the address information for the first endpoint.
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15. An apparatus for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface that receives an outbound multimedia signaling packet; a processor configured to; determine if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determine and store information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint forward inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole; and a storage module that stores the information identifying the logical pinhole, wherein the communication interface receives a keep-alive message from the first endpoint, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the keep-alive message originated from a registered endpoint, and wherein the communication interface acknowledges the keep-alive message without forwarding the keep-alive message to a call-control server that services calls from and to the first endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An apparatus for communicating packet multimedia data between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface that receives an outbound multimedia signaling packet; a processor configured to; determine if the outbound multimedia signaling packet originated from a first endpoint that is logically behind a security device; determine and store information identifying a logical pinhole in the security device, wherein the logical pinhole is associated with expected inbound multimedia data packets directed to the first endpoint forward inbound multimedia signaling messages directed toward the first endpoint via the logical pinhole; and a storage module that stores the information identifying the logical pinhole, a media controller, wherein the communication interface receives a signaling message from the first endpoint, wherein the media controller allocates a port for the use of streams of media, wherein the processor modifies the signaling message to point the streams of media to an address and port that have been allocated at the media controller for processing packets of a communication session between the second endpoint and the first endpoint, wherein the communication interface forwards the modified signaling message to a destination entity, wherein the media controller determines the logical pinhole based on receiving the streams of media from the second endpoint at the allocated address and port, and wherein the media controller waits for media to arrive from both endpoints so media pinholes can be detected and media can be relayed between the two endpoints.
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Specification