Utilization of media capabilities in a mixed environment

• US 8,171,146 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Yaan Mirng Jeffrey, Kannan, Vijay Arumugam, Tamsil, Yosef Rizal, Sivayudeen, Faisal
• Primary Examiner(s): Mattis, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duffy, James P
• Application Number:
  US11/765,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20080317065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0072 Speech codec negotiation H04L65/1069 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network

Abstract

An apparatus and method for negotiating media capabilities is described. The method may comprise receiving an invite to establish a connection between a caller endpoint device and one of a plurality of callee endpoint devices of a shared line and identifying an initial common media capability between the caller endpoint device and the plurality of endpoint devices. Thereafter, the method may comprise negotiating a connection between the caller endpoint device and the callee endpoint device using the common media capability and determining if the caller endpoint device and the callee endpoint device have a common enhanced media capabilities. The connection may be re-negotiated using the enhanced media capability.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an invite to establish a connection between a caller endpoint device and one of a plurality of callee endpoint devices coupled to a gateway, the invite comprising a media capability of the caller endpoint device;

retrieving a device profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a device profile database based on the media capability of the caller endpoint device, a network profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a network profile database, and a device usage profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a device usage database, the device profile comprising bandwidth and Compression/Decompression (CODECs) requirements and device usage data of one of the callee endpoint devices, the network profile comprising network protocol requirements of one of the callee endpoint devices, the device usage profile comprising data related to the bandwidth usage of the callee endpoint device, and time and date upon which one of the callee endpoint devices can be used;

determining a set of capabilities associated with the plurality of callee endpoint devices coupled to the gateway based on the device profile, the network profile, and the device usage profile of one of the callee endpoint devices;

identifying an initial common media capability between the media capability of the caller endpoint device and the set of capabilities associated with the plurality of callee endpoint devices;

negotiating a connection between the caller endpoint device and a particular callee endpoint device of the plurality of endpoint devices using the initial common media capability;

determining, using one or more processor, if the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device have a common enhanced media capability; and

re-negotiating the connection between the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device using the enhanced media capability when the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device have the common enhanced media capability, the re-negotiating including a request to tear down the negotiated connection between the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of callee endpoint devices have different media capabilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the initial common media capability comprises identifying a lowest media capability common to the plurality of callee endpoint devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the common enhanced media capability comprises predicting an optimal media capability.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the optimal media capability is at least one of a higher quality media connection, a lower bandwidth consumption connection, or a secure connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the common media capability comprises a Compression/Decompression (CODECs) algorithm that is initially negotiated during the establishment of the connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial common media capability is an audio capability, and the enhanced media capability is a video capability.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of callee endpoint devices comprises a single destination identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the common enhanced media capability comprises at least one of a video media capability, an audio media capability, a data media capability, or a security media capability.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system allowed bandwidth, the VoIP system allowed bandwidth based upon at least one of a service level agreement, or a user defined preference in the form of a voice system configuration value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a mismatch analysis using an off-hook signal, the off-hook signal identifying the particular callee endpoint device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mismatch is a difference in media Capabilities.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the mismatch analysis uses a user defined preference to determine the existence of the mismatch.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the mismatch analysis uses an auto-select feature to implement a service level agreement.

15. A network device comprising:

a receiver to receive an invite to establish a connection between a caller endpoint device and one of a plurality of callee endpoint devices coupled to a gateway, the invite comprising a media capability of the caller endpoint device;

a media capability engine to retrieve a device profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a device profile database based on the media capability of the caller endpoint device, a network profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a network profile database, and a device usage profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a device usage database, the device profile comprising bandwidth and Compression/Decompression (CODECs) requirements and device usage data of one of the callee endpoint devices, the network profile comprising network protocol requirements of one of the callee endpoint devices, the device usage profile comprising data related to the bandwidth usage of the callee endpoint device, and time and date upon which one of the callee endpoint devices can be used;

the media capability engine to determine a set of capabilities associated with the plurality of callee endpoint devices coupled to the gateway, to identify an initial common media capability between the media capability of the caller endpoint device and the set of capabilities associated with the plurality of callee endpoint devices based on the device profile, the network profile, and the device usage profile of one of the callee endpoint devices;

a negotiation engine to negotiate a connection between the caller endpoint device and a particular callee endpoint device of the plurality of endpoint devices using the initial common media capability;

a comparison engine to determine if the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device have a common enhanced media capability; and

a re-negotiation engine to re-negotiate the connection between the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device using the enhanced media capability when the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device have the common enhanced media capability, the re-negotiating including a request to tear down the negotiated connection between the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein at least two of the plurality of callee endpoint devices have different media capabilities.

17. The network device of claim 15, wherein to identify the initial common media capability comprises identifying a lowest media capability common to the plurality of callee endpoint devices.

18. The network device of claim 15, wherein to determine the common enhanced media capability comprises predicting an optimal media capability.

19. The network device of claim 18, wherein the optimal media capability is at least one of a higher quality media connection, a lower bandwidth consumption connection, or a secure connection.

20. The network device of claim 15, wherein the common media capability comprises a Compression/Decompression (CODECs) algorithm that is initially negotiated during the establishment of the connection.

21. The network device of claim 15, wherein the initial common media capability is an audio capability, and the enhanced media capability is a video capability.

22. The network device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of callee endpoint devices comprises a single destination identifier.

23. The network device of claim 15, wherein the common enhanced media capability comprises at least one of a video media capability, an audio media capability, a data media capability, or a security media capability.

24. The network device of claim 15, further comprising a system bandwidth engine to set a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system allowed bandwidth, the VoIP system allowed bandwidth based upon at least one of a service level agreement, or a user selected preference in the form of a voice system configuration value.

25. The network device of claim 15, further comprising a mismatch trigger to initiate a mismatch analysis to analyze a mismatch using an off-hook signal, the off-hook signal identifying the particular callee endpoint device.

26. The network device of claim 25, wherein the mismatch is a difference in media capabilities.

27. The network device of claim 25, wherein the mismatch analysis uses a user defined preference to determine the existence of the mismatch.

28. The network device of claim 25, wherein the mismatch analysis uses an auto-select feature to implement a service level agreement.

29. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an invite to establish a connection between a caller endpoint device and one of a plurality of callee endpoint devices coupled to a gateway, the invite comprising a media capability of the caller endpoint device;

means for retrieving a device profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a device profile database based on the media capability of the caller endpoint device, a network profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a network profile database, and a device usage profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a device usage database, the device profile comprising bandwidth and Compression/Decompression (CODECs) requirements and device usage data of one of the callee endpoint devices, the network profile comprising network protocol requirements of one of the callee endpoint devices, the device usage profile comprising data related to the bandwidth usage of the callee endpoint device, and time and date upon which one of the callee endpoint devices can be used;

means for determining a set of capabilities associated with the plurality of callee endpoint devices coupled to the gateway based on the device profile, the network profile, and the device usage profile of one of the callee endpoint devices;

means for identifying an initial common media capability between the media capability of the caller endpoint device and the set of capabilities associated with the plurality of callee endpoint devices;

means for negotiating a connection between the caller endpoint device and a particular callee endpoint device of the plurality of endpoint devices using the initial common media capability;

means for determining if the caller endpoint device and the particular caller endpoint device have a common enhanced media capability; and

means for re-negotiating the connection between the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device using the enhanced media capability when the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device have the common enhanced media capability, the re-negotiating including a request to tear down the negotiated connection between the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device.

30. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more machines that cause the one or more machines to perform the following operations:

receiving an invite to establish a connection between a caller endpoint device and one of a plurality of callee endpoint devices coupled to a gateway, the invite comprising a media capability of the caller endpoint device;

retrieving a device profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a device profile database based on the media capability of the caller endpoint device, a network profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a network profile database, and a device usage profile of one of the callee endpoint devices from a device usage database, the device profile comprising bandwidth and Compression/Decompression (CODECs) requirements and device usage data of one of the callee endpoint devices, the network profile comprising network protocol requirements of one of the callee endpoint devices, the device usage profile comprising data related to the bandwidth usage of the callee endpoint device, and time and date upon which one of the callee endpoint devices can be used;

determining a set of capabilities associated with the plurality of callee endpoint devices coupled to the gateway based on the device profile, the network profile, and the device usage profile of one of the callee endpoint devices;

identifying an initial common media capability between the media capability of the caller endpoint device and the set of capabilities associated with the plurality of callee endpoint devices;

negotiating a connection between the caller endpoint device and a particular callee endpoint device of the plurality of endpoint devices using the initial common media capability;

determining if the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device have a common enhanced media capability; and

re-negotiating the connection between the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device using the enhanced media capability when the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device have the common enhanced media capability, the re-negotiating including a request to tear down the negotiated connection between the caller endpoint device and the particular callee endpoint device.