Proximity detection for media proxies

• US 9,043,491 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sen, Sanjoy, March, Sean, Aoun, Cedric
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US14/174,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709/227, 709/228, 709/239, 370/241, 370/252
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method of detecting proximity between a media proxy and a client uses a proximity probe to query a plurality of media proxies, forcing the media proxies to respond to a proximity server. The proximity server uses an algorithm to determine which media proxy is closest to the client based on the responses. In an alternate embodiment, the same sorts of proximity probes may be used to determine if two media endpoints have a direct connection such that they may bypass a media proxy.

Claims

1. A method of assigning a media proxy to a client based on proximity of the media proxy, comprising:

a first server receiving a request from the client for a media session;

the first server transmitting a list of media proxies to the client, wherein the client is configured to transmit a request to each of a plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies;

the first server receiving a plurality of messages from the plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies in response to requests sent from the client to the plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies;

the first server determining proximity between the client and each of the plurality of media proxies based on the plurality of messages received from the plurality of media proxies; and

the first server assigning a first media proxy of the list of media proxies based on determined proximity between the client and each of the one or more media proxies.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on times of receipt of responses received from the plurality of media proxies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on:

times of receipt of responses received from the plurality of media proxies; and

round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies;

wherein the proximity between the client and each of the one or more media proxies is determined by a proximity server, wherein the times of receipt of the responses are detected by the proximity server receiving the responses, and wherein the round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies is relative to the proximity server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server comprises an application server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the client comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) request.

7. A first server, comprising:

communication circuitry configured to communicate with a client; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware is configured to;

receive a request from the client for a media session;

transmit a list of media proxies to the client, wherein the client is configured to transmit a request to each of a plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies;

receive a plurality of messages from the plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies in response to requests sent from the client to the plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies;

determine proximity between the client and each of the plurality of media proxies based on the plurality of messages received from the plurality of media proxies; and

assign a first media proxy of the list of media proxies based on determined proximity between the client and each of the one or more media proxies.

8. The first server of claim 7, wherein determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on times of receipt of responses received from the plurality of media proxies.

9. The first server of claim 7, wherein said determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies.

10. The first server of claim 7, wherein said determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on:

times of receipt of responses received from the plurality of media proxies; and

round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies;

wherein the proximity between the client and each of the one or more media proxies is determined by a proximity server, wherein the times of receipt of the responses are detected by the proximity server receiving the responses, and wherein the round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies is relative to the proximity server.

11. The first server of claim 7, wherein the first server comprises an application server.

12. The first server of claim 7, wherein the request from the client comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) request.

13. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for assigning a media proxy to a client based on proximity of the media proxy, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

receive a request from the client for a media session;

transmit a list of media proxies to the client, wherein the client is configured to transmit a request to each of a plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies;

receive a plurality of messages from the plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies in response to requests sent from the client to the plurality of media proxies in the list of media proxies;

determine proximity between the client and each of the plurality of media proxies based on the plurality of messages received from the plurality of media proxies; and

assign a first media proxy of the list of media proxies based on determined proximity between the client and each of the one or more media proxies.

14. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 13, wherein determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on times of receipt of responses received from the plurality of media proxies.

15. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 13, wherein said determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies.

16. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 13, wherein said determining the proximity between the client and each of the plurality of messages is performed based on:

times of receipt of responses received from the plurality of media proxies; and

round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies;

wherein the proximity between the client and each of the one or more media proxies is determined by a proximity server, wherein the times of receipt of the responses are detected by the proximity server receiving the responses, and wherein the round trip times to and from the one or more media proxies is relative to the proximity server.

17. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are executable by an application server.