Method and system for transmitting a multimedia stream

• US 8,549,151 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV, Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Stokking, Hans Maarten, Van Deventer, Mattijs Oskar, Walraven, Fabian Arthur, Niamut, Omar Aziz
• Primary Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US12/808,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method is described for transmitting a multimedia stream from a first end-terminal to a second end-terminal. The first and second end-terminal are connected to at least one gateway for enabling the multimedia stream to be transmitted from the first end-terminal to the second end-terminal. The method comprising the steps of: the first end-terminal inviting the gateway to set up a first multimedia session between the first end-terminal and the gateway, the first multimedia session being controlled by a first protocol; the gateway notifying—in response to the invitation—the second end-terminal of the pending invitation; the second end-terminal setting up—in response to the notification—a second multimedia session between the second end-terminal and the gateway, the second multimedia session being controlled by a second protocol; the gateway setting up—in response to the invitation—the first multimedia session; and transmitting a multimedia stream from the first end-terminal to the second end-terminal. The first protocol may be SIP, the second protocol may be RTSP.

Claims

1. A method, wherein a gateway is capable of communicating with a first terminal and a second terminal, the method comprising:

the gateway or the first terminal using a first protocol to exchange first media session information between the first terminal and the gateway, wherein the exchange of the first media session information sets up a first media stream from the first terminal;

the second terminal using a second protocol to receive a trigger provided by the gateway, wherein the trigger is to initiate an exchange of second media session information between the gateway and the second terminal;

in response to receiving the trigger, the second terminal using a third protocol to initiate the exchange of the second media session information between the gateway and the second terminal, wherein the exchange of the second media session information sets up a second media stream in which the second terminal participates; and

the second terminal receiving the second media stream, wherein the second media stream is associated with the first media stream;

wherein the first media stream is between the first terminal and a media server, wherein the second media stream is between said media server and the second terminal, and wherein said media server buffers at least part of the first media stream received from the first terminal before transmitting the second media stream to the second terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of the first media session information comprises:

the gateway providing to the first terminal at least part of the second media session information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of the second media session information comprises:

the gateway providing to the second terminal at least part of the first media session information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of the first media session information comprises:

the gateway receiving, from the first terminal, an identifier of the second terminal.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

before using the second protocol to provide the trigger to the second terminal, the gateway resolving the identifier of the second terminal into a network address of the second terminal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein providing the trigger to the second terminal comprises the gateway transmitting the trigger to the resolved network address of the second terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the third protocol is different from the second protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first terminal transmits the first multimedia stream and the second terminal receives the second multimedia stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger serves to inform the second terminal of availability of a new multimedia stream.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a peer-to-peer protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the third protocol is a client-server protocol, and wherein the second receiving terminal has client capabilities of the third protocol and not server capabilities of the third protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises a network address of the gateway.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the network address is a URI or a URI reference.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are identical.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway is configured to associate the first multimedia session information with the second multimedia session information.

17. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon software instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

using a first protocol to initiate an exchange of first media session information between a first terminal and a gateway, wherein the exchange of the first media session information sets up a first media stream from the first terminal;

using a second protocol to provide a trigger to a second terminal, wherein the trigger is to initiate an exchange of second media session information between the gateway and the second terminal;

using the second protocol to conduct the exchange of the second media session information between the gateway and the second terminal, wherein the exchange of the second media session information sets up a second media stream in which the second terminal participates; and

using the first protocol to transmit a response to the first terminal, wherein the response causes the first terminal to begin transmission of the first media stream;

wherein the first media stream is between the first terminal and a media server, wherein the second media stream is between said media server and the second terminal, and wherein said media server buffers at least part of the first media stream received from the first terminal before transmitting the second media stream to the second terminal.

18. A gateway comprising:

a communication interface; and

memory that stores software instructions that, when executed by the gateway, cause the gateway to;

(i) exchange first multimedia session information with a first terminal using a first protocol, wherein the exchange of the first media session information sets up a first media stream from the first terminal,

(ii) provide a trigger to a second terminal, wherein the trigger is provided using a second protocol, in response to which the second terminal is able to initiate the exchange of second multimedia session information with the gateway, and

(iii) exchange second multimedia session information with the second terminal, using a third protocol, wherein the third protocol is different from the first protocol, wherein the exchange of the second media session information sets up a second media stream in which the second terminal participates;

wherein the gateway further comprises a media server, wherein the first media stream is between the first terminal and said media server, wherein the second media stream is between said media server and the second terminal, and wherein said media server buffers at least part of the first media stream received from the first terminal before transmitting the second media stream to the second terminal.

19. The gateway of claim 18, wherein the gateway is configured to connect to a first terminal supporting a first protocol and to a second terminal supporting a second protocol,

wherein the first protocol is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and the second protocol is Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP),

wherein the first terminal is an originating SIP client of a user at a user side,

wherein the gateway acts as a terminating SIP client,

wherein the gateway is configured to confirm that the gateway is able to receive a multimedia session from the user and to provide the first terminal with multimedia session information,

wherein the second terminal is an RTSP client,

wherein the gateway acts as an RTSP server on behalf of the user,

wherein the second terminal uses RTSP for session control, and

wherein the gateway is configured to inform the second terminal that an incoming session is pending and notify the RTSP client to connect to an RTSP server function of the gateway.

20. The gateway of claim 18, wherein the gateway is configured to transmit a notification message to the second terminal in response to an invitation of the first terminal, in order to activate the second terminal to set up the second multimedia session between the second terminal and the gateway.

21. The gateway of claim 18, wherein the gateway is embedded in an IP Multi-Media Subsystem (IMS) network architecture, wherein the first protocol is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), wherein the third protocol is Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), the IMS network architecture comprising a service-control-function component and a media-function component, wherein the memory of the gateway is distributed in the IMS network architecture, such that:

exchanging the first multimedia session information is handled by the service-control-function component within the IMS network architecture;

triggering the second terminal is controlled by the service-control-function component within the IMS network architecture; and

exchanging second multimedia session information is handled by the media-function component within the IMS network architecture.

22. The gateway of claim 18, wherein the gateway is configured to associate the first multimedia session information and the second multimedia session information with each other.

23. The gateway of claim 18, wherein the gateway further comprises Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client functionality and Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) server functionality.