Methods and apparatus for handling a communication session for an unregistered internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) device

• US 8,363,640 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasrebi, Mehrad, Ku, Bernard, Qiu, Chaoxin Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, ANTHONY S
• Application Number:
  US11/669,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20080181198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,190 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/411, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/466, 455/521, 709/206, 709/227, 370/352
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for handling a communication session for an unregistered Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) device are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving an IMS session initiation message from an un-registered user endpoint, determining whether the IMS session initiation message is directed to an exception endpoint, and establishing an IMS session on behalf of the unregistered user endpoint when the IMS session initiation is directed to the exception endpoint.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining whether a user endpoint associated with an internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is registered;

when the user endpoint is determined to be unregistered, determining whether the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to a first exception endpoint listed in an exception endpoint list by performing a lookup in the endpoint exception list based upon a destination specified in the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message, the first exception endpoint corresponding to a service to establish an account for the user endpoint;

performing an electronic numbering query to obtain routing to the first exception endpoint; and

establishing an internet protocol multimedia subsystem session on behalf of the user endpoint determined to be unregistered when the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to the first exception endpoint.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user endpoint comprises an internet protocol multimedia subsystem device.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising rejecting the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message when the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is not directed to one of the exception endpoints of the exception endpoint list and the user endpoint is unregistered.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message comprises a session initiation protocol INVITE protocol message.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein establishing the initiated internet protocol multimedia subsystem session comprises sending a session initiation protocol INVITE protocol message to the first exception endpoint.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to the first exception endpoint is performed by a proxy call session control function server.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining at a serving call session control function server whether a profile for the user endpoint determined to be unregistered is available.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising determining at the serving call session control function server whether the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to the first exception endpoint.

9. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising sending a session initiation protocol INVITE protocol message to the first exception endpoint when the profile is available.

10. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the profile comprises at least one of an assigned telephone number, an Internet protocol address for a serving call processor, a quality of service parameter or a maximum allowable transmit bandwidth.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the exception endpoint list comprises a public safety answering point.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the exception endpoint list comprises a security system monitoring station number.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, when the user endpoint is registered, establishing the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session on behalf of the user endpoint without determining whether the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to one of the exception endpoints of the exception endpoint list.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing machine readable instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining whether a user endpoint associated with an internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is registered;

when the user endpoint is determined to be unregistered, determining whether the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to a first exception endpoint included in an exception endpoint list by performing a lookup in the endpoint exception list based upon a destination specified in the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message, the first exception endpoint corresponding to a service to register the user endpoint;

performing an electronic numbering query to obtain routing to the first exception endpoint; and

establishing an internet protocol multimedia subsystem session on behalf of the user endpoint determined to be unregistered when the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to the first exception endpoint.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising a second memory to store the exception endpoint list.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is a session initiation protocol INVITE protocol message.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is to establish the initiated internet protocol multimedia subsystem session by sending a session initiation protocol INVITE protocol message to the first exception endpoint.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is to reject the communication session initiation message when the communication session initiation message is not directed to any of the exception endpoints included in the exception endpoint list.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is to implement a call session control function server.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is to determine whether a profile for the user endpoint determined to be unregistered is available.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein the processor is to send a second session initiation message to the first exception endpoint when the profile is available.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the exception endpoint list comprises a public safety answering point.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein, when the internet protocol multimedia subsystem device is determined to be registered, the processor is to establish the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session on behalf of the user endpoint determined to be registered without determining whether the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to one of the exception endpoints of the exception endpoint list.

24. A memory comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method comprising:

determining whether a user endpoint associated with an internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is unregistered;

when the user endpoint is unregistered, determining whether the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to a first exception endpoint identified in an exception endpoint list by performing a lookup in the endpoint exception list based upon a destination specified in the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message, the first exception endpoint corresponding to a service for registration of the user endpoint;

performing an electronic numbering query to determine routing to the first exception endpoint; and

establishing an internet protocol multimedia subsystem session on behalf of the user endpoint determined to be unregistered when the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to the first exception endpoint.

25. The memory as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions are to cause the machine to reject the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message when the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is not directed to one of the exception endpoints of the exception endpoint list.

26. The memory as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions are to cause the machine to establish the initiated internet protocol multimedia subsystem session when the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to the first exception endpoint by sending a session initiation protocol INVITE protocol message to the first exception endpoint.

27. The memory as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions are to cause the machine to determine whether a profile for the user endpoint determined to be unregistered is available.

28. The memory as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions are to cause the machine to establish the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session without determining whether the internet protocol multimedia subsystem session initiation message is directed to one of the exception endpoints of the exception endpoint list when the user endpoint is registered.