Systems and methods for communication setup via reconciliation of internet protocol addresses

• US 9,313,238 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2011
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Network LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Meghani, Jaya, Gorrepati, Chakrapani, Zhu, Binou, Fighel, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): KASSIM, KHALED M
• Application Number:
  US13/337,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20130163583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370/329, 370/328, 709/227, 709/221
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]

Abstract

Systems and methods for forwarding data packets to facilitate an IP telephony communication make use of a media relay to accomplish the forwarding actions. The media relay is configured receive setup signaling indicating a first acceptable originating IP address for received data packets. The media relay also allows the acceptable originating IP address to change once after the initial call setup has occurred. Also, if a REINVITE action occurs during a call, the media relay will allow the acceptable originating IP address to change once after the REINVITE signaling has been completed.

Claims

1. A method of forwarding data packets containing media of a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) communication, comprising:

receiving VOIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

setting the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

receiving a data packet;

evaluating the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

determining whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling; and

discarding the data packet based upon the results of the determining step;

wherein if the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has not changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the method further comprises;

resetting the acceptable originating IP address to the originating IP address of the received data packet; and

forwarding the data packet to a destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet matches the acceptable originating IP address, the method further comprises forwarding the data packet to a destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the data packet is discarded.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the data packet is discarded.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a media relay and wherein the received data packet contains media of a VOIP communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving VOIP communication setup signaling comprises receiving initial call setup signaling.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving VOIP communication setup signaling comprises receiving SIP REINVITE setup signaling.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the data packet to a destination comprises forwarding the data packet to a destination IP address identified in the VOIP communication setup signaling.

9. A system for forwarding data packets containing media of a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) communication, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:

receive VOIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

set the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

receive a data packet;

evaluate the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

make a determination whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling; and

discard the data packet based upon the results of the determination

wherein the one or more processors are configured, if the originating IP address of the received data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and if the acceptable originating IP address has not changed since receipt of the setup signaling, to reset the acceptable originating IP address to the originating IP address of the received data packet, and to forward the data packet to a destination.

26. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured, if the originating IP address of the data packet matches the acceptable originating IP address, to forward the data packet to a destination.

27. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured, if the originating IP address of the received data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and if the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, to discard the received data packet.

28. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured, if the originating IP address of the data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and if the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, to discard the received data packet.

29. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors comprises a media relay.

10. A system for forwarding data packets containing media of a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) communication, comprising:

a communication setup unit that receives VOIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

an IP address setting unit that sets the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

a data packet handling unit that receives a data packet

an evaluating unit that evaluates the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

a determining unit that determines whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling, wherein the data packet handling unit discards the data packet based upon an output of the determining unit;

wherein if the evaluating unit determines that the originating IP address of the received data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and the determining unit determines that the acceptable originating IP address has not changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the IP address setting unit resets the acceptable originating IP address to the originating IP address of the received data packet, and the data packet handling unit forwards the data packet to a destination.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein if the evaluating unit indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet matches the acceptable originating IP address, the data packet handing unit forwards the data packet to a destination.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein if the evaluating unit determines that the originating IP address of the received data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and the determining unit determines that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the data packet handling unit discards the received data packet.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein if the evaluating unit determines that the originating IP address of the data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and the determining unit determines that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the data packet handling unit discards the received data packet.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication setup unit, the IP address setting unit and the data packet handling unit are part of a media relay.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein when the communication setup unit receives VOIP communication setup signaling for an initial VOIP communication setup, the first originating IP address is an IP address associated with a first data network access point used by a telephony device to setup the VOIP communication.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein when the communication setup unit receives VOIP communication setup signaling indicating that the telephony device has switched from the first data network access point to a second data network access point, the first originating IP address is an IP address associated with the second data network access point.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the data packet handling unit forwards received data packets to destination IP addresses specified in VOIP communication setup signaling.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a media relay, cause the media relay to perform a method comprising:

receiving VOIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

setting the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

receiving a data packet;

evaluating the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

determining whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling; and

discarding the data packet based upon the results of the determining step;

wherein if performance of the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the received data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and performance of the determining, step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has not changed since receipt of the setup signaling the instructions also cause the media relay to;

reset the acceptable originating IP address to the originating IP address of the received data packet; and

forward the data packet to a destination.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions also cause the media relay to forward the data packet to a destination if performance of the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet matches the acceptable originating IP address.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein if performance of the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and performance of the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the instructions also cause the media relay to discard the data packet.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein if performance of the evaluating step indicates that the originating IP address of the data packet does not match the acceptable originating IP address, and performance of the determining step indicates that the acceptable originating IP address has changed since receipt of the setup signaling, the instructions also cause the media relay to discard the data packet.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions also cause the media relay to perform the forwarding step such that the data packet is forwarded to a destination IP address specified in received VOIP communication setup signaling.

23. A method of forwarding data packets containing media of a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) communication, comprising:

receiving VOIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

setting the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

receiving a data packet;

evaluating the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

determining whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling;

discarding the data packet based upon the results of the determining step;

wherein during the setting step, an IP address switch flag is initialized when the first originating IP address is set as the acceptable originating IP address,

wherein when a media data packet for the VOIP communication is received from a first different originating IP address, the acceptable originating IP address is set to the first different originating IP address, and the IP address switch flag is incremented; and

wherein if a subsequent media data packet for the VOIP communication is received from a second different originating IP address, the IP address switch flag is checked to determine if the acceptable originating IP address has already changed one time after call setup, and if so, the subsequent media data packet is discarded and further changes of the acceptable originating IP address are prevented.

24. A system for forwarding data packets containing media of a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) communication, comprising:

a communication setup unit that receives VOIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

an IP address setting unit that sets the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

a data packet handling unit that receives a data packet

an evaluating unit that evaluates the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

a determining unit that determines whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling, wherein the data packet handling unit discards the data packet based upon an output of the determining unit,

wherein the IP address setting unit is configured such that when the first originating IP address is set as the acceptable originating address, an IP address switch flag is initialized;

wherein when the evaluating unit determines that a media data packet has been received from a first different originating IP address, the IP address setting unit sets the acceptable originating IP address to the first different originating IP address and the IP address switch flag is incremented; and

wherein when the evaluating unit determines that a subsequent media data packet has been received from a second different originating IP address, the determining unit checks the IP address flag to determine if the acceptable IP address has changed since it was originally set, and if so, the determining unit discards the second media packet.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a media relay, cause the media relay to perform a method comprising:

receiving VOIP communication setup signaling that includes an indication of a first originating IP address for data packets that are to be forwarded;

setting the first originating IP address as an acceptable originating IP address;

receiving a data packet;

evaluating the originating IP address of the data packet against the acceptable originating IP address;

determining whether the acceptable originating IP address has been changed since receipt of the setup signaling; and

discarding the data packet based upon the results of the determining step and

wherein the instructions cause the media relay to perform further acts such that;

an IP address switch flag is initialized when the first originating IP address is set as the acceptable originating IP address;

when the evaluating step indicates that a media data packet has been received from a first different originating IP address, the acceptable originating IP address is set to the first different originating IP address and the IP address switch flag is incremented; and

when the evaluating step indicates that a subsequent media data packet has been received from a second different originating IP address, the IP address switch flag is checked to determine if acceptable originating IP address has changed since it was originally set, and if so, the subsequent media packet is discarded and further changes of the acceptable originating IP address are prevented.