System and methods for providing service-specific support for multimedia traffic in wireless networks

• US 8,897,211 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Benco, David S., Overend, Kevin J., Sheen, Baoling S., True, Sandra L., Voight, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US11/824,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,706 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/389, 370/401, 370/236, 370/231, 455/67.11, 455/466, 455/436, 455/426, 455/552, 455/445, 455/405, 455/422, 709/226, 709/219, 709/206, 709/203, 709/204, 725/62, 719/322
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers

Abstract

A system for providing service-specific support for multimedia traffic in a telecommunications system comprises a subscriber terminal, a base station operatively coupled to the subscriber terminal, a mobile switching center (MSC) operatively coupled to the base station, a media gateway control function (MGCF) and a media gateway (MGW), each coupled to the MSC. The subscriber terminal is adapted to generate multimedia traffic of at least one service category, wherein the multimedia traffic may be any of several distinct types defined within the service category. The subscriber terminal is further adapted to identify, when establishing a connection to the MSC to carry multimedia traffic, the type of that traffic in a connection request message. The MSC is adapted to further identify, when establishing a connection between the MSC and the MGCF/MGW to carry multimedia traffic, the type of that traffic in a message, responsive to the identification of the traffic type in the connection request message. The MGCF/MGW are adapted to identify, when converting, reformatting, or encapsulating multimedia traffic into a form to be carried over a packet network (for example, in TCP segments), the type of traffic being carried. The MGCF, MGW, or MSC may optionally perform service-specific processing on the multimedia traffic responsive to the traffic type indicator. When multimedia traffic is delivered to a destination network for ultimate delivery to a destination endpoint, an MGCF/MGW may reverse the effects of prior service-specific processing.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a subscriber terminal;

said subscriber terminal being adapted to produce multimedia traffic of at least one of a plurality of service types encompassed in a defined service category;

said subscriber terminal being further adapted to send a message for a mobile switching center of a wireless network to initiate a session to carry said multimedia traffic;

wherein said message comprises a transaction ID, which identifies the service category of the session, and further comprises a traffic type parameter, which identifies a type of said multimedia traffic for the service category of the session;

said subscriber terminal being further adapted to identify said type of multimedia traffic for differential processing of said multimedia traffic by the wireless network to provide service-specific support therefor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said message transmitted by said subscriber terminal is a connection request message formatted according to the CDMA Radio Link Protocol, and said subscriber terminal is adapted to identify the type of said multimedia traffic by incorporating an indicium of said type of said multimedia traffic in a traffic type field of said message.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said second message transmitted by said mobile switching center is formatted according to H.248 protocol, and said mobile switching center is adapted to identify the type of said multimedia traffic by incorporating an indicium of said type of said multimedia traffic in a media descriptor element of said second message.

3. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first message to initiate a session to carry multimedia traffic produced by a subscriber terminal, said multimedia traffic being of at least one of a plurality of service types encompassed in a defined service category, wherein said first message comprises a transaction ID, which identifies the service category of the session and further comprises a traffic type parameter, which identifies a type of said multimedia traffic for the service category of the session; and

processing some types of said multimedia traffic differently from other types of said multimedia traffic responsive to said first message to provide service-specific support to multimedia traffic within a service category.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of receiving comprises:

receiving the first message at a mobile switching center;

the method further comprising the step of;

said mobile switching center identifying the type of said multimedia traffic in a second message transmitted to at least one of the group consisting of said media gateway and a control function for said media gateway.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

said mobile switching center mapping the traffic type of said multimedia traffic identified in said first message from said subscriber terminal to a media descriptor element of a second message in the H.248 protocol.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

said mobile switching center processing some types of said multimedia traffic differently from other types of said multimedia traffic responsive to said first message.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of receiving comprises:

receiving the first message at a media gateway from a mobile switching center;

the method further comprising the step of;

said media gateway identifying the type of said multimedia traffic in packets containing said multimedia traffic transmitted to a packet network.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

said media gateway applying compression to some types of said multimedia traffic, responsive to said first message from said mobile switching center.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

said media gateway applying a measurement process to some types of said multimedia traffic responsive to said first message from said mobile switching center.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a mobile switching center (MSC) of a wireless network;

said MSC being adapted to receive a first message to initiate a session to carry multimedia traffic produced by a subscriber terminal;

said multimedia traffic being of at least one of a plurality of service types encompassed in a defined service category;

wherein said first message comprises a transaction ID, which identifies the service category of the session, and further comprises a traffic type parameter, which identifies a type of said multimedia traffic for the service category of the session;

said MSC being further adapted to identify said type of said multimedia traffic for differential processing of said multimedia traffic by the wireless network to provide service-specific support therefor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said mobile switching center is adapted to identify the type of said multimedia traffic in a second message transmitted to at least one of the group consisting of said media gateway and a control function for said media gateway, responsive to said first message.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said mobile switching center applies compression to some types of multimedia traffic, responsive to said first message.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said mobile switching center applies a measurement process to some types of multimedia traffic, responsive to said first message.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a media gateway of a wireless network;

said media gateway being adapted to receive a first message, from a mobile switching center of the wireless network, to initiate a session to carry multimedia traffic produced by a subscriber terminal, said first message describing said multimedia traffic;

said multimedia traffic being of at least one of a plurality of service types encompassed in a defined service category;

wherein said first message comprises a transaction ID, which identifies the service category of the session, and further comprises a traffic type parameter, which identifies a type of said multimedia traffic for the service category of the session;

said media gateway being further adapted to identify said type of said multimedia traffic for differential processing of said multimedia traffic by the wireless network to provide service- specific support therefor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said media gateway is adapted to identify the type of said multimedia traffic in data units containing said multimedia traffic transmitted to a packet network, responsive to said first message from said mobile switching center.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said media gateway processes some types of said multimedia traffic differently from other types of said multimedia traffic, responsive to said first message from said mobile switching center.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said data units transmitted to said packet network are formatted according to Transmission Control Protocol, and said media gateway is adapted to identify the type of said multimedia traffic by incorporating an indicium of said type of said multimedia traffic in an option field of a header of said Transmission Control Protocol.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said media gateway applies compression to some types of multimedia traffic, responsive to said first message from said mobile switching center.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said media gateway applies a measurement process to some types of multimedia traffic, responsive to said first message from said mobile switching center.