Method and system for controlling sessions from a subscriber terminal

• US 8,139,585 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mangal, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US10/616,670
• Time in Patent Office: 3,176 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370351-430, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 707 1- 4, 707/6
• US Class Current: 370/395.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]

Abstract

A method and system for providing users with the ability to control the configuration of data session initiated to connect terminals connected to the public-switched telecommunications network (“PSTN”) to services available on data networks. A legacy terminal may initiate a Voice-Over IP connection to a remote terminal by dialing the destination identifier of the remote terminal and a session code. The session code corresponds with one of several session profiles or sets of data session parameters defining characteristics of the data session. A media gateway controller detects the session code and retrieves the corresponding session profile to initiate the data session using the selected session profile.

Claims

1. A method of setting up a call from a calling device to a called device, via a softswitch comprising a media gateway and a media gateway controller, wherein a calling user operates the calling device, and wherein the called device has an associated Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client, the method comprising:

receiving into the media gateway controller a call origination request carrying digits dialed by the calling user on the calling device, the digits dialed by the calling user including (i) a feature code that designates a predefined packet-data session profile and (ii) a telephone number of the called device;

responsive to the call origination request, the media gateway controller consulting a database to determine the predefined packet-data session profile designated by the feature code included in the dialed digits; and

the media gateway controller then generating and sending a SIP INVITE message for receipt by the SIP client associated with the called device, including in the SIP INVITE message the determined packet-data session profile, to facilitate setup of the call from the calling device to the called device via a packet-data session extending from the media gateway,

wherein the feature code is one selected from a group of feature codes, each corresponding with a respective packet-data session profile, wherein each respective packet-data session profile defines a unique set of packet-based communication session parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling device is not equipped with a SIP client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digits dialed by the user define a digit string including the feature code as a prefix to the called device telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature code comprises an asterisk followed by feature code digits.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined packet-data session profile defines packet-data session features selected from the group consisting of echo cancellation, noise reduction, and bit rate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined packet-data session profile comprises a data structure formatted in accordance with the Session Description Protocol (SDP).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet-data session extending from the media gateway comprises a Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP) session.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the RTP session defines a voice-over-IP session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving into the media gateway controller the call origination request carrying digits dialed by the calling user on the calling device comprises receiving the call origination request via a public switched telephone network (PSTN) connection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the PSTN connection comprises a wireless connection to a base transceiver station (BTS).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated SIP client of the called device is at a media gateway serving the called device.

12. A method of setting up a call from a calling device to a called device, via a softswitch comprising a media gateway and a media gateway controller, wherein the calling device is not equipped with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client, wherein a calling user operates the calling device, and wherein the called device has an associated SIP client, the method comprising:

receiving into the media gateway controller a call origination request carrying digits dialed by the calling user on the calling device, the digits dialed by the calling user defining a digit string that includes (i) a feature code that designates a predefined packet-data session profile and (ii) a telephone number of the called device, wherein the feature code is included in the digit string as a prefix to the called device telephone number;

responsive to the call origination request, the media gateway controller consulting a database to obtain the predefined packet-data session profile designated by the feature code included in the dialed digits; and

the media gateway controller then generating and sending a SIP INVITE message for receipt by the SIP client associated with the called device, including in the SIP INVITE message the determined packet-data session profile as a data structure formatted in accordance with the Session Description Protocol (SDP), to facilitate setup of the call from the calling device to the called device via a Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP) session extending from the media gateway,

wherein the feature code is one selected from a group of feature codes, each corresponding with a respective packet-data session profile, wherein each respective packet-data session profile defines a unique set of packet-based communication session parameters.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the RTP session defines a voice-over-IP session.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving into the media gateway controller the call origination request carrying digits dialed by the calling user on the calling device comprises receiving the call origination request via a public switched telephone network (PSTN) connection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the PSTN connection comprises a wireless connection to a base transceiver station (BTS).

16. A softswitch configured to set up a call from a calling device to a called device, wherein a calling user operates the calling device, and wherein the called device has an associated Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client, the softswitch comprising a media gateway and a media gateway controller,

wherein the softswitch includes a first interface that receives a call origination request carrying digits dialed by a user of a calling device, the digits dialed by the calling user including (i) a feature code that designates a predefined packet-data session profile and (ii) a telephone number of the called device,

wherein, responsive to the call origination request, the softswitch consults a database to determine the predefined packet-data session profile designated by the feature code included in the dialed digits, and

wherein the softswitch then generates and sends via a second interface a SIP INVITE message for receipt by the SIP client associated with the called device, including in the SIP INVITE message the determined packet-data session profile, to facilitate setup of the call from the calling device to the called device via a packet-data session extending from the media gateway of the softswitch,

wherein the feature code is one selected from a group of feature codes, each corresponding with a respective packet-data session profile, wherein each respective packet-data session profile defines a unique set of packet-based communication session parameters.

17. A system comprising:

a calling device operated by a calling user, the calling device not being equipped with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client;

a called device having an associated SIP client;

a softswitch;

a wireless network connection facilitating communication between the calling device and the softswitch;

a packet-switched network connection facilitating communication between the softswitch and the SIP client associated with the called device; and

a database correlating various feature codes with respective packet-data session parameters,

wherein the calling device sends an origination message carrying a string of digits including (i) a feature code that designates a predefined packet-data session profile and (ii) a telephone number of the called device, and

wherein the softswitch receives the string of digits, the softswitch consults the database to determine the packet-data session profile corresponding with the feature code in the string of digits, and the softswitch then generates and sends a SIP INVITE for receipt by the SIP client associated with the called device, including in the SIP INVITE message the determined packet-data session profile, to facilitate setup of a call from the calling device to the called device via a packet-data session extending from softswitch,

wherein the feature code is one selected from a group of feature codes, each corresponding with a respective packet-data session profile, wherein each respective packet-data session profile defines a unique set of packet-based communication session parameters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the softswitch comprises a media gateway and a media gateway controller.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the digits dialed by the user define a digit string including the feature code as a prefix to the called device telephone number.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the feature code comprises an asterisk followed by feature code digits.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the determined packet-data session profile defines packet-data session features selected from the group consisting of echo cancellation, noise reduction, and bit rate.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the determined packet-data session profile comprises a data structure formatted in accordance with the Session Description Protocol (SDP).

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the packet-data session extending from the media gateway comprises a Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP) session.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the RTP session defines a voice-over-IP session.