Providing dynamic changes to packet flows

• US 8,018,955 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starent Networks LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghai, Rajat, Agarwal, Kaitki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Salman
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAU, PETER P
• Application Number:
  US11/953,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20080137541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/7453 using hashing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/918 Location

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing dynamic changes to a packet flow in a communication network are described. The dynamic changes can include upgrading and downgrading quality of service (QoS), adapting the stream to a receiving device, modifying the stream to counter-act changes in an air interface, and modifying the stream to accommodate an inter-technology handover. These changes can be provided by inspecting packets at a gateway and setting up a proxy for multimedia stream packet flows. The proxy can coordinate transcoding to take place to change the stream. The gateway can also monitor conditions at the mobile node using a real time control protocol or other applicable protocols.

Claims

1. A gateway in a communication network comprising:

a proxy instance residing in the gateway that inspects packets received from at least one mobile node to detect information regarding setup of a media stream and information regarding a level of quality of service (QoS) of an existing media stream, wherein the gateway is in communication with a media server and provides packet routing and session management for the at least one mobile node, the media stream using a first access technology;

an inline service residing in the gateway and in communication with the proxy instance that;

responsive to detection of the information regarding the level of QoS, provides dynamic changes to the QoS by re-negotiating a session with a first mobile node to adjust media stream parameters, the first mobile node having mobile node characteristics and being associated with a user identity,

responsive to detection of the information regarding setup of the media stream, monitors the media stream for information indicating that the user identity has changed associations to a second mobile node having different mobile node characteristics and handover information indicating that the media stream has changed to use a second access technology associated with a handover of the either of the first mobile node or second mobile node from the first access technology to the second access technology, and

manages transcoding; and

a digital signal processor (DSP) residing in the gateway and in communication with the inline service that transcodes at a direction of the inline service, including changing media stream parameters to provide a dynamic upgrade or downgrade of QoS level and converting the media stream from a first format received from the media server to a second format sent to either the first mobile node or second mobile node based at least in part on the information indicating user identity change including the characteristics of whichever of the first mobile node or second mobile node the user identity is associated with and the handover information including characteristics of whichever of the first access technology or second access technology the media stream is using.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein:

the proxy instance inspects real-time streaming protocol (RTSP) packets for the setup of a session; and

the inline service inspects real-time control protocol (RTCP) packets for feedback from the first mobile node for the level of QoS of an existing session.

3. The gateway of claim 1, further comprising the proxy instance detecting a setup of a media stream, modifying message received to pass the media stream through an inline service, and setting up an inline service to manage the media stream.

4. A method comprising:

inspecting packets received from at least one mobile node, at a gateway that provides packet routing and session management for the at least one mobile node, to detect information regarding a setup of a media stream to a first mobile node and information regarding a level of Quality of Service (QoS) of an existing media stream, the first mobile node having mobile node characteristics and associated with a user identity, the media stream using a first access technology;

modifying setup messages, at the gateway, to pass the media stream through an inline service in communication with the gateway;

responsive to detection of the information regarding the level of QoS, providing, at the inline service, dynamic changes to the QoS by renegotiating a session with the first mobile node to adjust media stream parameters;

responsive to detection of the information regarding the setup of the media stream, monitoring, at the inline service, the media stream for information indicating that the user identity has changed associations to a second mobile node having different mobile node characteristics and handover information indicating that the media stream has changed to use a second access technology associated with a handover of the either of the first mobile node or second mobile node from the first access technology to the second access technology;

transcoding, at a digital signal processing (DSP) engine and at a direction of the inline service, the media stream including changing media stream parameters to provide a dynamic upgrade or downgrade of QoS level and converting the media stream from a first format received from a media server to a second format sent to either the first mobile node or second mobile node based at least in part on the information indicating user identity change including the characteristics of whichever of the first mobile node or second mobile node the user identity is associated with and the handover information including characteristics of whichever of the first access technology or second access technology the media stream is using.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein real-time streaming protocol (RTSP) packets are inspected to detect setup of a media stream and real-time control protocol (RTCP) packets are monitored to obtain feedback from the first mobile node.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving instructions from a policy and charging rules function (PCRF); and

dynamically changing, at a media server in communication with the gateway and as directed by the gateway, a quality of service (QoS) delivered to whichever of the first mobile node or second mobile node the user identity is associated with.