Bearer path optimization

• US 9,161,101 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mahdi, Kaniz
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thai
• Application Number:
  US13/620,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,123 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/355, 370/471, 370/466, 455/445, 455/436, 455/439
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1255 where the switching fabric and the switching logic are decomposed such as in Media Gateway Control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

Call control for originating and terminating calls in a visited circuit-switched subsystem (CS) or home multimedia subsystem (MS) as well as transferring calls between the visited CS and the home MS may be anchored at a continuity control function (CCF) in the home MS. Call signaling for the call may be passed through the CCF. When the user element is homed to the home MS and served by the visited CS, the bearer path for the call is established based on the relative proximity of the home MS and the visited CS. When a local MS is more proximate to the visited CS, the bearer path may be routed through a gateway in the local MS, instead of through the gateway in the home MS. When the home MS is sufficiently proximate to the visited CS, the bearer path is routed through the gateway in the home MS.

Claims

1. A method of providing bearer path establishment comprising:

receiving a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request at an application server (AS) in a first multimedia subsystem providing continuity;

in response to receiving the SIP INVITE request, establishing a signaling anchor point at the AS for an access signaling leg and a remote signaling leg for a call between a user element served by a visited circuit-switched subsystem and a remote end-point; and

sending a SIP message from the AS, the message effecting establishment of at least part of a circuit-switched portion of a bearer path for the call via a first gateway in a second multimedia subsystem.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the SIP message is one of a SIP 200 ok message, a SIP provisional message, a SIP Provisional Acknowledgement message, or a SIP response message to the SIP INVITE request.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the bearer path comprises a packet-based portion extending from the first gateway toward the remote endpoint.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user element comprises a circuit-switched client and a multimedia subsystem client and further comprising anchoring calls supported by the circuit-switched client and the multimedia subsystem client in the first multimedia subsystem.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user element is homed to the first multimedia subsystem and being served by the visited circuit-switched subsystem.

6. An application server comprising:

a memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

a control system associated with the memory and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request at the application server (AS) in a first multimedia subsystem providing continuity;

in response to receipt of the SIP INVITE request, establish a signaling anchor point at the AS for an access signaling leg and a remote signaling leg for a call between a user element served by a visited circuit-switched subsystem and a remote end-point; and

send a SIP message from the AS, the message effecting establishment of at least part of a circuit-switched portion of a bearer path for the call via a first gateway in a second multimedia subsystem.

7. The application server of claim 6, wherein the SIP message is one of a SIP 200 ok message, a SIP provisional message, a SIP Provisional Acknowledgement message, or a SIP response message to the SIP INVITE request.

8. The application server of claim 6 wherein the bearer path comprises a packet-based portion extending from the first gateway toward the remote endpoint.

9. The application server of claim 6 wherein the user element comprises a circuit-switched client and a multimedia subsystem client and further comprising anchoring calls supported by the circuit-switched client and the multimedia subsystem client in the first multimedia subsystem.

10. The application server of claim 6 wherein the user element is homed to the first multimedia subsystem and being served by the visited circuit-switched subsystem.

11. A method of providing bearer path establishment comprising:

sending a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request from a first control function in a first multimedia system;

in response to the SIP INVITE request, effecting a signaling anchor point at an application server (AS) in a second multimedia system for an access signaling leg and a remote signaling leg for a call between a user element served by a visited circuit-switched subsystem and a remote end-point; and

receiving a SIP message at the first control function, the SIP message effecting establishment of at least part of a circuit-switched portion of a bearer path for the call via a first gateway in the second multimedia subsystem.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the SIP message is one of a SIP 200 ok message, a SIP provisional message, a SIP Provisional Acknowledgement message, or a SIP response message to the SIP INVITE request.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the bearer path comprises a packet-based portion extending from the first gateway toward the remote endpoint.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the user element comprises a circuit-switched client and a multimedia subsystem client and further comprising anchoring calls supported by the circuit-switched client and the multimedia subsystem client in the first multimedia subsystem.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the user element is homed to the first multimedia subsystem and being served by the visited circuit-switched subsystem.

16. A control function node comprising:

a memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

a control system associated with the memory and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

send a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request from a first control function in a first multimedia system;

in response to the SIP INVITE request, effect a signaling anchor point at an application server (AS) in a second multimedia system for an access signaling leg and a remote signaling leg for a call between a user element served by a visited circuit-switched subsystem and a remote end-point; and

receive a SIP message at the first control function, the SIP message effecting establishment of at least part of a circuit-switched portion of a bearer path for the call via a first gateway in the second multimedia subsystem.

17. The control function node of claim 16, wherein the SIP message is one of a SIP 200 ok message, a SIP provisional message, a SIP Provisional Acknowledgement message, or a SIP response message to the SIP INVITE request.

18. The control function node of claim 16 wherein the bearer path comprises a packet-based portion extending from the first gateway toward the remote endpoint.

19. The control function node of claim 16 wherein the user element comprises a circuit-switched client and a multimedia subsystem client and further comprising anchoring calls supported by the circuit-switched client and the multimedia subsystem client in the first multimedia subsystem.

20. The control function node of claim 16 wherein the user element is homed to the first multimedia subsystem and being served by the visited circuit-switched subsystem.