Method and arrangement for controlling a multimedia communication session

• US 8,259,709 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Stille, Mats, Skog, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS, BRIAN S
• Application Number:
  US11/630,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20070297390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,888 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/353
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6483 Video, e.g. MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks

Abstract

A method and arrangement for controlling a multimedia communication session between a first terminal and a second terminal, the session being divided into a circuit-switched part and a packet-switched part. A notification on an event occurring in one of said circuit-switched and packet-switched parts is received in a common session server. The session server then reports to the other part of the communication session about said event, such that said other part can be controlled in response to said event.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a multimedia communication session between a first terminal and a second terminal, said multimedia communication session being divided into a circuit-switched part using a separate circuit-switched logic system comprising network elements or nodes handling circuit-switched voice, and a packet-switched part using a packet-switched logic system comprising network elements or nodes handling packet-switched data, comprising the following steps, executed by a common session server connected to and serving both the logic system of the circuit-switched part and the logic system of the packet-switched part:

receiving a notification on a session event occurring in one of said circuit-switched and packet-switched parts, from the logic system of that one part of the multimedia communication session,

reporting to the logic system of the other part of the multimedia communication session about said session event, wherein said other part is controlled in response to said session event, and

wherein the first terminal is currently connected to an access network and belongs to a home network different from the access network, and said session event occurs in the circuit-switched part, wherein the access network informs the home network on the session event, and that said notification on the session event is received at the common session server from the home network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit-switched part is a voice call.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the packet-switched part is used to communicate at least one media stream with data for video, text, game and/or images.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the packet-switched part of the multimedia communication session may include an IP Multimedia Services (IMS) session or an Multimedia Message Service (MMS) session.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of the access network sends information on the session event to an Intelligent Network (IN) node of the home network, and that said notification on the session event is received from the IN node.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the MSC sends said information on the session event to the IN node by means of an “

IN trigger”

or “

Parlay”

.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a voice call is first started in the circuit-switched part, wherein registration information on the started voice call is received in the common session server, and that when an application is activated in the packet-switched part during said voice call, the common session server provides said registration information to the application.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting to the logic system of the other part of the multimedia communication session about said event is based on an event subscription established for said other part.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein certain session events have been selected as being relevant for said event subscription depending on at least one of:

a provided multimedia service, and preferences and policies of the operator providing said multimedia service.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein actions are taken in response to session events depending on at least one of:

a provided multimedia service, preferences and policies of the operator providing said multimedia service, and user preferences.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said packet-switched part is suspended in response to suspension of the circuit-switched part.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the packet-switched part is automatically resumed when the circuit-switched part is resumed.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said packet-switched part is terminated in response to termination of the circuit-switched part.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the packet-switched part is automatically terminated after a predetermined time delay period after termination of the circuit-switched part, unless a terminal user has terminated the packet-switched part.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein said packet-switched part is terminated in response to suspension of the circuit-switched part.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein said packet-switched part is maintained even if the circuit-switched part is suspended or terminated.