Dynamic insertion of a quality enhancement gateway

• US 9,521,015 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany, Taylor, Richard Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, YOGESHKUMAR G
• Application Number:
  US12/974,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/E07.078, 370/352, 370/401
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for enhancing media quality by dynamically inserting a quality enhancement gateway are disclosed. According to one method, steps are performed at a service node. The method includes detecting a condition associated with a session between two endpoints that indicates that the session could benefit from media quality enhancement processing. The method also includes signaling the endpoints to route at least a portion of the session through a quality enhancement gateway (QEG) capable of providing the media quality enhancement processing for the session.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, at a service node, a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invite message sent by a first endpoint to a second endpoint to initiate a session between the first and second endpoints, wherein the session includes a video portion, wherein the first SIP invite message passes through the service node and specifies a first codec for the video portion, wherein the first and second endpoints are configured to communicate over a first bearer path that bypasses a quality enhancement gateway (QEG), and wherein the first bearer path is entirely within a packet network distinct from a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

detecting, by the service node, that the second endpoint supports a second codec; and

in response to the detection;

signaling the QEG, by the service node, to obtain port information required to route the video portion of the session through the QEG, wherein the QEG is configured to signal the service node to establish a second bearer path between the first endpoint and the QEG and a third bearer path between the second endpoint and the QEG;

sending to the second endpoint by the service node, a second SIP invite message specifying the second codec for receiving the video portion and the first codec for sending the video portion;

receiving, at the service node from the second endpoint, a first SIP ringing message specifying the second codec for sending the video portion and the first codec for receiving the video portion;

sending, by the service node to the first endpoint, a second SIP ringing message specifying the first codec for sending and receiving the video portion; and

signaling the QEG, by the service node, to set processing options for the session, wherein the QEG is configured to provide media quality enhancement processing for the video portion of the session, wherein the first bearer path originates at the second endpoint and terminates at the first endpoint for communicating the video portion using the first codec, wherein the second bearer path originates at the first endpoint and terminates at the QEG for communicating the video portion using the first codec, and wherein the third bearer path originates at the QEG and terminates at the second endpoint for communicating the video portion using the second codec, and wherein the second and third bearer paths are entirely within the packet network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service node is a stand-alone node or a component of a call server/softswitch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service node is configured to operate in a network in which the session neither originates nor terminates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service node is configured as an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application server (AS), a media resource function controller (MRFC), or a call session control function (CSCF).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling comprises session initiation protocol (SIP) signaling or extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP) signaling.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting includes detecting a wireless endpoint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first codec is a quarter common intermediate format (QCIF) codec and wherein the second codec is a common intermediate format (CIF) codec.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing option includes color balancing the video portion encoded with the QCIF codec.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the session includes an audio portion communicated over the first bearer path.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the media quality enhancement processing includes at least one of:

video blocking reduction, video frame interpolation, video line interpolation, video motion interpolation, or two-dimensional (2D) video to three-dimensional (3D) video simulation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the service node applies a policy to determine what, if any, signaling should be performed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the policy is at least one of a network policy, a user policy, a user-configuration policy, a session-specific policy, an operator policy, a service provider policy, a codec-specific policy, a route-specific policy, or a media-specific policy.

13. A service node, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the service node to;

identify a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message sent by a first endpoint to a second endpoint to initiate a session between the first and second endpoints, wherein the session includes a video portion, wherein the first SIP invite message specifies a first codec for the video portion, wherein the first and second endpoints are configured to communicate over a first bearer path that bypasses a quality enhancement gateway (QEG), and wherein the first bearer path is entirely within a packet network distinct from a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

detect that the second endpoint supports a second codec; and

in response to the detection;

signal the QEG to obtain port information required to route the video portion of the session through the QEG, wherein the QEG is configured to signal the service node to establish a second bearer path between the first endpoint and the QEG and a third bearer path between the second endpoint and the QEG;

send to the second endpoint, a second SIP invite message specifying the second codec for receiving the video portion and the first codec for sending the video portion;

receive, from the second endpoint, a first SIP ringing message specifying the second codec for sending the video portion and the first codec for receiving the video portion;

send, to the first endpoint, a second SIP ringing message specifying the first codec for sending and receiving the video portion; and

signaling the QEG to set processing options for the session, wherein the QEG is configured to provide media quality enhancement processing for the video portion of the session, wherein the first bearer path originates at the second endpoint and terminates at the first endpoint for communicating the video portion using the first codec, wherein the second bearer path originates at the first endpoint and terminates at the QEG for communicating the video portion using the first codec, wherein the third bearer path originates at the QEG and terminates at the second endpoint for communicating the video portion using the second codec, and wherein the second and third bearer paths are entirely within the packet network.

14. The service node of claim 13, wherein the service node is a stand-alone node or a component of a call server/softswitch.

15. The service node of claim 13, wherein the service node is configured to operate in a network in which the session originates, a network in which the session terminates, or a network in which the session neither originates nor terminates.

16. The service node of claim 13, wherein the service node is configured as an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) application server (AS), a media resource function controller (MRFC), or a call session control function (CSCF).

17. The service node of claim 13, wherein the signaling comprises session initiation protocol (SIP) signaling or extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP) signaling.

18. The service node of claim 13, wherein the first codec is a quarter common intermediate format (QCIF) codec and wherein the second codec is a common intermediate format (CIF) codec.

19. The service node of claim 18, wherein the processing option includes color balancing the video portion encoded with the QCIF codec.

20. The service node of claim 13, wherein the session includes an audio portion communicated over the first bearer path.

21. The service node of claim 13, wherein the media quality enhancement processing includes at least one of:

video blocking reduction, video frame interpolation, video line interpolation, video motion interpolation, or two-dimensional (2D) video to three-dimensional (3D) video simulation.

22. The service node of claim 13, wherein the service node applies a policy to determine what, if any, signaling should be performed.

23. The service node of claim 22, wherein the policy is at least one of:

a network policy, a user policy, a user-configuration policy, a session-specific policy, an operator policy, a service provider policy, a codec-specific policy, a route-specific policy, or a media-specific policy.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a service node, causes the service node to:

identify a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invite message sent by a first endpoint to a second endpoint to initiate a session between the first and second endpoints, wherein the session includes a video portion, wherein the first SIP invite message passes through the service node and specifies a first codec for the video portion, wherein the first and second endpoints are configured to communicate over a first bearer path that bypasses a quality enhancement gateway (QEG), and wherein the first bearer path is entirely within a packet network distinct from a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

detect that the second endpoint supports a second codec; and

in response to the detection;

signal the QEG to obtain port information required to route the video portion of the session through the QEG, wherein the QEG is configured to signal the service node to establish a second bearer path between the first endpoint and the QEG and a third bearer path between the second endpoint and the QEG;

send to the second endpoint a second SIP invite message specifying the second codec for receiving the video portion and the first codec for sending the video portion;

receive, from the second endpoint, a first SIP ringing message specifying the second codec for sending the video portion and the first codec for receiving the video portion;

sending, to the first endpoint, a second SIP ringing message specifying the first codec for sending and receiving the video portion; and

signaling the QEG to set processing options for the session, wherein the QEG is configured to provide media quality enhancement processing for the video portion of the session, wherein the first bearer path originates at the second endpoint and terminates at the first endpoint for communicating the video portion using the first codec, wherein the second bearer path originates at the first endpoint and terminates at the QEG for communicating the video portion using the first codec, wherein the third bearer path originates at the QEG and terminates at the second endpoint for communicating the video portion using the second codec, and wherein the second and third bearer paths are entirely within the packet network.