Call setup system and method for setting up a wireless media session extending from a first network to a second network

• US 9,414,415 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Beech, Hal S., Gorman, Pierce Andrew, Nehme Antoun, Nicolas A., Kunkel, Philip Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chau, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/022,707
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

A call setup system and method configured to setup a wireless media session extending from a first network to a second network are provided. The system in one example embodiment includes media gateways (MG-Bs) of a first network interface of an interconnect network and a soft switch B (SSW-B) within the first network. The SSW-B receives a media session initiation from a wireless communication device B (WCD-B) of the first network, wherein the WCD-B is attempting to initiate a media session to a wireless communication device A (WCD-A) of the second network, obtains a MG-Bx network address of a selected MG-Bx of the one or more MG-Bs, forwards a call initiation information to a SSW-A of the second network, and receives a media gateway MG-Ax network address from the SSW-A, wherein the WCD-B of first network is placed in communication with the WCD-A of the second network via the selected MG-Bx and the selected MG-Ax.

Claims

1. A method of operating a data communication system to exchange user data between a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over a first wireless communication network, an interconnect communication network, and a second wireless communication network, the method comprising:

a first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network receiving a first message transferred by the first wireless communication device wherein the first message indicates a first telephone number of the first wireless communication device and a second telephone number of the second wireless communication device;

the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network identifying the interconnect communication network based on the first telephone number and the second telephone number and identifying a first gateway network address for a first media gateway in the interconnect communication network;

after identifying the first gateway network address, the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network binding the first wireless communication device to the first wireless communication network and binding the first wireless communication network to the first media gateway;

the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network transferring a second message to a second soft-switch in the second wireless communication network wherein the second message indicates the first telephone number, the second telephone number, and the first gateway network address;

the second soft-switch in the second wireless communication network identifying the interconnect communication network based on the first telephone number and the second telephone number and identifying a second gateway network address for a second media gateway in the interconnect communication network;

after identifying the second gateway network address, the second soft-switch in the second wireless communication network binding the second media gateway to the second wireless communication network and binding the second wireless communication network to the second wireless communication device;

the second soft-switch in the second wireless communication network transferring a third message to the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network, wherein the third message indicates the second gateway network address; and

the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network receiving the third message that indicates the second gateway network address and in response, transferring a setup completion message to the first wireless communication device, wherein the user data is exchanged between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device over the first wireless communication network, the first media gateway, the second media gateway, and the second wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication network comprises a first Radio Access Network (RAN) and the second wireless communication network comprises a second RAN.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication network comprises a first internet protocol (IP) communication network and the second wireless communication network comprises a second IP communication network.

4. A data communication system configured to exchange user data between a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over a first wireless communication network, an interconnect communication network, and a second wireless communication network, comprising:

a first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network configured to receive a first message transferred by the first wireless communication device wherein the first message indicates a first telephone number of the first wireless communication device and a second telephone number of the second wireless communication device;

the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network configured to identify the interconnect communication network based on the first telephone number and the second telephone number and identify a first gateway network address for a first media gateway in the interconnect communication network;

the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network configured to, after identifying the first gateway network address, bind the first wireless communication device to the first wireless communication network and bind the first wireless communication network to the first media gateway;

the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network configured to transfer a second message to a second soft-switch in the second wireless communication network wherein the second message indicates the first telephone number, the second telephone number, and the first gateway network address;

the second soft-switch in the second wireless communication network configured to identify the interconnect communication network based on the first telephone number and the second telephone number and identify a second gateway network address for a second media gateway in the interconnect communication network;

the second soft-switch in the second wireless communication network configured to, after identifying the second gateway network address, bind the second media gateway to the second wireless communication network and bind the second wireless communication network to the second wireless communication device;

the second soft-switch in the second wireless communication network configured to transfer a third message to the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network, wherein the third message indicates the second gateway network address; and

the first soft-switch in the first wireless communication network configured to receive the third message that indicates the second gateway network address and in response, transfer a setup completion message to the first wireless communication device, wherein the user data is exchanged between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device over the first wireless communication network, the first media gateway, the second media gateway, and the second wireless communication network.

5. The data communication system of claim 4 wherein the first wireless communication network comprises a first Radio Access Network (RAN) and the second wireless communication network comprises a second RAN.

6. The data communication system of claim 4 wherein the first wireless communication network comprises a first internet protocol (IP) communication network and the second wireless communication network comprises a second IP communication network.