Efficient handover of media communications in heterogeneous IP networks using handover procedure rules and media handover relays

• US 8,228,861 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Nix, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faroul, Farah
• Application Number:
  US12/557,617
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/330, 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0027 for a plurality of data sessions of end-to-end connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer end-to-end data connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for efficient handover of a media session between heterogeneous Internet Protocol (IP) networks. A mobile device with Internet access can operate a software program to communicate with a corresponding node. The corresponding node may access the Internet through a firewall which may include Network Address Translation (NAT)-routing functionality. The mobile device establishes a media session with a corresponding node via the transmission of a first media stream and receipt of a second media stream, and a media-control channel can optionally be implemented. The mobile device can acquire Internet access through a second IP address, and packets routed between the second IP address and the Internet may traverse a firewall. The mobile device can evaluate a set of network parameters at the second IP address from a stored Local Area Network (LAN) profile. A software routine can (i) evaluate that handover of the media session from the first IP address to the second IP address is preferred and (ii) select an efficient handover procedure according to handover procedure rules.

Claims

1. A method for supporting handover of a media session for a mobile device, the method comprising the mobile device:

transmitting a first media stream from a first Internet protocol (IP) address on the mobile device, wherein the first media stream includes a destination IP address;

receiving a second media stream at the first IP address, wherein the second media stream includes a source IP address that is the same as the destination IP address;

transmitting a third media stream from a second IP address on the mobile device to a third IP address, wherein the third media stream includes a destination port number;

transmitting a signal to start a fourth media stream, wherein the fourth media stream is sent to the third IP address, and wherein the mobile device begins to transmit the signal before the second media stream ends;

receiving, at the second IP address, a fifth media stream from the third IP address, which fifth media stream includes at least a portion of the data from the fourth media stream, wherein the fifth media stream includes the destination port number as a source port number; and

,

transmitting an authentication message, wherein the mobile device begins to transmit the authentication message after the second media stream begins to be received, wherein the mobile device receives at least one packet in the fifth media stream after transmitting the authentication message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a mobile phone handset, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a device that communicates with radio-frequency spectrum, and wherein the mobile device includes at least one of a session initiation protocol user agent, an extensible messaging and presence protocol user agent, a peer-to-peer client, a VoIP client, an IP Multimedia Subsystem client and a program that is downloaded and installed on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device beginning to receive the fifth media stream before the second media stream ends, and wherein the mobile device combines data it receives in the second media stream with data it receives in the fifth media stream to improve a quality of the media.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device uses one port number at the second IP address to transmit the third media stream and to receive the fifth media stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device transmits at least a portion of the third media stream concurrently with at least a portion of the first media stream, and wherein the first and third media streams comprise, at least in part, a same media when the first and third media streams are transmitted concurrently.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the media streams comprises a separate series of packets, wherein each series of packets contains a separate set of digitized media, wherein each set of digitized media comprises at least one of voice and video, and wherein each series of packets is routed through a public Internet and contains a header including a packet source IP address, a packet source port number, a packet destination IP address, and a packet destination port number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the first and third media streams is transmitted as an audio channel for a telephone call, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and third media streams is transmitted in real-time, wherein at least a portion of the set of digitized media in the series of packets contained in the second media stream, and at least a portion of the set of digitized media in the series of packets contained in the fifth media stream, are temporarily stored in a jitter buffer, wherein each series of packets is communicated as at least one datagram formatted according to one of a user datagram protocol and a transmission control protocol, and wherein a header for each set of digitized media contains a sequence number to order the digitized media.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal to start the fourth media stream comprises at least one message transmitted via at least one of (i) a call-control channel on the mobile device, (ii) the first media stream and (iii) a series of media-control channel messages associated with the second media stream, and wherein the signal is associated with an IP:

port number for the fourth media stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication message is transmitted by the mobile device at the second IP address, and wherein data included in the authentication message is associated with a security token.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the authentication message comprises at least one non-media packet that the mobile device transmits with the third media stream, and wherein said at least one non-media packet includes data determined at least in part using the security token.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the authentication message comprises at least one media packet in the third media stream, and wherein the media packet comprises conforming media.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the security token comprises at least one of the following:

a sequence number, a codec, a channel-coding parameter, a timestamp value, a frame count, a checksum, a synchronization source identifier, a real-time protocol value, a secure real-time protocol value, a call-ID number associated with a media stream, a cipher key, a session key, a differentiated services code point value, a first source IP address, the destination port number, a header value, and a value associated with at least one of the first media stream and the second media stream.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device receiving a security token associated with the authentication message, wherein the mobile device receives the security token before the mobile device starts transmitting the third media stream.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device transmitting a security token associated with the authentication message, wherein the mobile device transmits the security token before acquiring the second IP address.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication message includes data encrypted at least in part using a security token, and wherein a media handover relay decrypts the data at least in part using the security token.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a portion of at least one of the second media stream and the fifth media stream in a handover-predicting jitter buffer, wherein the size of the handover-predicting jitter buffer is (i) increased before the fifth media stream begins to be received and (ii) decreased after a packet in the fifth media stream is received.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a local area network (LAN) profile stores at least one parameter associated with the second IP address, wherein the at least one parameter is recorded in the LAN profile before the mobile device starts transmitting the first media stream, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one of a network identifier, a firewall type, a routing protocol version, a connection setup delay, a network quality value, a remote port number, a firewall port-binding timeout value and a media transport protocol, and wherein the mobile device at least in part uses the at least one parameter to format the third media stream.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device transmitting a relay request message, wherein the mobile device receives a relay response message, and wherein the relay response message includes at least one of the following:

the third IP address, a domain name associated with the third IP address, the destination port number, a security token, and a security token time-to-live value.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first media stream and receiving the second media stream occurs in any order, and wherein transmitting the third media stream, transmitting the signal, and transmitting the authentication message occurs in any order.

20. A method for changing an IP address in a media session, the method comprising:

sending a first media stream, wherein the first media stream includes a first source IP address and a first destination IP address;

receiving a second media stream, wherein the second media stream includes a second source IP address that is the same as the first destination IF address;

sending a third media stream, wherein the third media stream includes a second source IP address and a second destination IP address, wherein the third media stream starts before the first media stream ends, wherein the third media stream includes at least a portion of the first media stream, and wherein the portion comprises media;

acquiring an IP;

port number, wherein the IP;

port number is associated with the second destination IP address;

sending a signal to start a fourth media stream, wherein the fourth media stream is sent to the IP;

port number; and

,

receiving a fifth media stream, wherein the fifth media stream includes the second destination IP address as a third source IP address, and wherein the fifth media stream includes at least a portion of the data from the fourth media stream.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising combining data received in the second media stream with data received in the fifth media stream to improve a quality of the media.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising using one port number at the second IP address to send the third media stream and to receive the fifth media stream.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising sending at least a portion of the third media stream concurrently with at least a portion of the first media stream, and wherein the first and third media streams comprise, at least in part, a same media when the first and third media streams are sent concurrently.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the media streams comprises a separate series of packets, wherein each series of packets contains a separate set of digitized media, wherein each set of digitized media comprises at least one of voice and video, and wherein each series of packets is routed through a public Internet and contains a header including a packet source IP address, a packet source port number, a packet destination IP address, and a packet destination port number.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the signal to start the fourth media stream comprises at least one message transferred via at least one of (i) a call-control channel, (ii) the first media stream and (iii) a series of media-control channel messages associated with the second media stream.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising recording a portion of at least one of the second media stream and the fifth media stream in a handover predicting jitter buffer, wherein the size of the handover predicting jitter buffer is (i) increased before the fifth media stream begins to be received and (ii) decreased after a packet in the fifth media stream is received.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein a local area network (LAN) profile stores at least one parameter associated with the second IP address, wherein the at least one parameter is recorded in the LAN profile before the first media stream begins, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one of a network identifier, a firewall type, a routing protocol version, a connection setup delay, a network quality value, a remote port number, a firewall port-binding timeout value and a media transport protocol, and wherein the third media stream is formatted at least in part using the at least one parameter.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising sending a relay request message and receiving a relay response message, wherein the relay response message includes at least one of the following:

the second destination IP address, a domain name associated with the second destination IP address, the IP;

port number, a security token, and a security token time-to-live value.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising sending an authentication message after the second media stream begins to be received;

wherein at least one packet in the fifth media stream is received after sending the authentication message.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the authentication message comprises at least one media packet in the third media stream, and wherein the at least one media packet comprises conforming media.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the first media stream, receiving the second media stream, and acquiring the IP:

port number occurs in any order, and wherein sending the third media stream and sending the signal occurs in any order.

32. A system for handover of a media session, the system comprising a mobile device and a server, wherein:

the mobile device transmits a first media stream from a first internet protocol (IP) address, wherein the first media stream includes a destination address;

the mobile device at the first IP address receives a second media stream from the destination address;

the server receives a third media stream from the mobile device at a second IP address, wherein at least a portion of the third media stream is transmitted concurrently with at least a portion of the first media stream;

the mobile device transmits a signal to start a fourth media stream, wherein the fourth media stream is sent from the destination address to the server;

the server receives the fourth media stream from the destination address;

the server transmits a fifth media stream to the destination address, which fifth media stream includes at least a portion of the data from the third media stream;

the server transmits a sixth media stream to the mobile device, which sixth media stream includes at least a portion of the data from the fourth media stream;

the server contains includes a first port number for the media handover relay to receive packets in the third media stream and to transmit packets in the sixth media stream;

the server includes a second port number for the media handover relay to receive packets in the fourth media stream and to transmit packets in the fifth media stream; and

,

the server receives an authentication message from the mobile device, and, after receiving the authentication message, the server transmits at least one of (i) a first packet in the fifth media stream and (ii) a second packet in the sixth media stream.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the authentication message is transmitted by the mobile device at the second IP address, and wherein data included in the authentication message is associated with a security token.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the authentication message comprises at least one non-media packet that the mobile device transmits in the third media stream, and wherein said at least one non-media packet includes data determined at least in part using the security token.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the authentication message comprises at least one media packet that the server receives in the third media stream, and wherein the server uses the security token at least in part to determine whether the at least one media packet it received comprises conforming media.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the security token comprises at least one of the following:

a sequence number, a codec, a channel-coding parameter, a timestamp value, a frame count, a checksum, a synchronization source identifier, a real-time protocol value, a secure real-time protocol value, a call-ID number associated with a media stream, a cipher key, a session key, a differentiated services code point value, a source IP address, a port number, a header value, and a value associated with at least one of the first media stream and the second media stream.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the authentication message includes a first value determined by the mobile device at least in part using a security token, and wherein the server compares the first value with a second value associated with the security token.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the first value and the second value are determined at least in part using one of a message digest algorithm, a hash algorithm and an encryption algorithm.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the security token is transmitted to the mobile device, and wherein the mobile device receives the security token before the mobile device starts transmitting the third media stream.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the security token is transmitted by the mobile device and received by the server, and wherein the mobile device transmits the security token before acquiring the second IP address.

41. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a mobile phone handset, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a device that communicates with radio-frequency spectrum.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile device comprises a radio, a device driver, an operating system, a memory and a user interface, and wherein the mobile device includes at least one of the following:

a session initiation protocol (SIP) user agent, an extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP) user agent, a peer-to-peer client, a VoIP client, an IP Multimedia Subsystem client and a program that is downloaded and installed on the mobile device.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the mobile device transmits the first media stream by recording a first value in the memory, wherein the first value is read by at least one of the operating system and the device driver, wherein the mobile device uses the radio and the first value to transmit the first media stream to a base station, wherein the mobile device receives the second and sixth media streams by reading a second value from in the memory, wherein the second value is recorded by at least one of the operating system and the device driver, and wherein the mobile device uses the radio to receive the second media stream and data associated with the second value from the base station.

44. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile device starts receiving the sixth media stream before the mobile device stops transmitting the first media stream.

45. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile device combines data received in the second media stream with data received in the sixth media stream to improve a quality of the media.

46. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile device uses a third port number to transmit the third media stream and to receive the sixth media stream.

47. The system of claim 32, wherein each of the media streams comprises a separate series of packets, wherein each series of packets contains a separate set of digitized media, wherein each set of digitized media comprises at least one of voice and video, and wherein each series of packets is routed through a public Internet and contains a header including a packet source IP address, a packet source port number, a packet destination IP address, and a packet destination port number.

48. The system of claim 32, wherein the first and third media streams comprise, at least in part, the same media when the first and third media streams are transmitted concurrently.

49. The system of claim 32, wherein the server comprises at least one of the following:

a computer, a session border controller, a back-to-back user agent, an Asterisk server, a proxy server, a media relay, and a supernode.

50. The system of claim 32, wherein the server comprises more than one computer, wherein a first computer communicates with the mobile device and a second computer communicates with the destination address, and wherein the server (i) receives the fourth media stream at a third IP address and the second port number on the second computer, (ii) transmits the sixth media stream from a fourth IP address and the first port number on the first computer and (iii) receives the third media stream at the fourth IP address and the first port number on the first computer.

51. The system of claim 32, wherein the server includes a buffer operable for at least one of:

recording a portion of the third media stream, wherein said portion is included in the fifth media stream after receiving at least one packet in the fourth media stream, and

recording a portion of the fourth media stream, wherein said portion is included in the sixth media stream after receiving at least one packet in the third media stream.

52. The system of claim 32, wherein the signal to mat-start the fourth media stream comprises at least one message transmitted via at least one of (i) a call-control channel on the mobile device, (ii) the first media stream and (iii) a series of media-control channel messages associated with the second media stream, and wherein the signal includes the second port number.

53. The system of claim 32, wherein the first port number comprises a first destination port number for packets received in the third media stream, wherein the first port number comprises a first source port number for packets transmitted in the sixth media stream, wherein the second port number comprises a second destination port number for packets received in the fourth media stream, and wherein the second port number comprises a second source port number for packets transmitted in the fifth media stream.

54. The system of claim 32, wherein the first port number and the second port number are the same number.

55. The system of claim 32, wherein the server uses a media-control-channel IP:

port number to receive a first media-control-channel message transmitted from the second IP address, wherein the server transmits a second media-control-channel message to the mobile device from the media-control-channel IP;

port number, and wherein the second media-control-channel message includes a value associated with one of the third media stream and the fifth media stream.

56. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile device records a portion of at least one of the second media stream and the sixth media stream in a handover-predicting jitter buffer, wherein a size of the handover-predicting jitter buffer is (i) increased before the sixth media stream begins to be received and (ii) decreased after a packet in the sixth media stream is received.