Method and apparatus for a SIP client manager

• US 20040107238A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mark Holden, Scott L. Orton, William S. Lee
• Inventors: Holden, Mark, Lee, William S., Orton, Scott L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for communicating using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is provided. The method, apparatus, system and computer program product provide mechanisms by which simplified messages may be utilized by client applications such that the client applications need not maintain information pertaining to the routing of messages. The system includes a network interface and a SIP client manager that receives SIP messages through the network interface. The SIP client manager contains a SIP management module and an X-SIP client module. The SIP management module contains a SIP message modifier for modifying incoming messages and outgoing messages in accordance with context information or state information for a session associated with a SIP message, and the SIP management module also contains input/output controllers for receiving, sending, or forwarding SIP messages. The X-SIP client module contains an input/output controller for receiving and sending SIP messages and also contains a SIP application programming interface (API) for handling SIP messages for a SIP-enabled application.

Claims

1. A method in a communications system for processing a message in a text based communications protocol, the method comprising:

receiving a first message from a source application, wherein the first message includes routing information for routing the first message between the source application and a target application, and information used by the target application;

generating a second message from the first message, wherein the second message includes only the information used by the target application;

storing the routing information, wherein the stored routing information is used when sending a response; and

sending the second message to the target application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing routing information forms stored routing information, the method further comprising:

receiving a first response message from the target application;

generating a second response message from the first response message and the stored routing information; and

transmitting the second response message as the response to the source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, generating, sending and storing steps are performed in a management module using the text based communication protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the target application is a C++ application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the source application is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the text based communication protocol is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the routing information forms stored routing information and wherein the stored routing information is used to route a response signal from the target application back to the source application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is a Session Initiation. Protocol (SIP) message and the source application is a SIP entity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message is a simplified Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message and the target application is an X-SIP client module.

10. A method for communicating a message, comprising the steps of:

receiving the message;

determining session context information associated with the message, the session context information including message routing information;

storing the message routing information, wherein the stored message routing information is used when sending a response signal;

modifying the message based on the message routing information; and

forwarding the modified message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the message routing information includes at least one of a via header, a route header and a record route header.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein modifying the message based on the message routing information includes removing the message routing information from the message.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein modifying the message based on the message routing information includes adding the message routing information to the message.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the message is received from a server.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the message is received from a client application.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a client application message from a client application; and

converting the client application message into the message, wherein the message is a simplified Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the simplified SIP message does not include the message routing information.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein modifying the message based on the message routing information includes adding at least one of a “

Via”

header, a “

Route”

header, and a “

Record Route”

header to the simplified SIP message.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving the message further comprises:

receiving the message at an input/output controller;

decoding the message; and

forwarding the decoded message to a context manager.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining session state information associated with the message;

determining a next session state based on the message and the associated session context information or the associated session state information; and

forwarding the modified message to an input/output controller.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of forwarding the message further comprises:

encoding the modified message at an input/output controller; and

forwarding the modified message through a socket.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein the modified message is an outgoing message to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server, and wherein the modified message is forwarded using IP data packets.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein the message is received from a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client module.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the SIP client module encodes the message.

25. The method of claim 10, wherein the modified message is an incoming message, and wherein the modified message is forwarded using TCP packets.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the modified message is received by a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client module.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the SIP client module decodes the modified message.

28. The method of claim 10, wherein the message is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message received from a SIP entity.

29. The method of claim 10, wherein the message is a simplified Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message received from an X-SIP client module.

30. A data processing system for communicating using a text based communication protocol, the data processing system comprising:

first receiving means for receiving a message;

session context information determination means for determining session context information associated with the message, the session context information including message routing information;

first storing means for storing the message routing information;

modification means for modifying the message based on the message routing information; and

first forwarding means for forwarding the modified message.

31. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the message routing information includes at least one of a via header, a route header and a record route header.

32. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the modification means modifies the message by removing the message routing information from the SIP message.

33. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the modification means modifies by adding the message routing information to the message.

34. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein the message is received from a server.

35. The data processing system of claim 33, wherein the message is received from a client application.

36. The data processing system of claim 30, further comprising:

second receiving means for receiving a client application message from a client application; and

conversion means for converting the client application message into the message, wherein the message is a simplified Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

37. The data processing system of claim 36, wherein the simplified message does not include the message routing information.

38. The data processing system of claim 36, wherein the modification means modifies the message by adding at least one of a “

Via”

header, a “

Route”

header, and a “

Record Route”

header to the simplified SIP message.

39. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the first receiving means includes an input/output controller for receiving the message, a decoder for decoding the message, and a second forwarding means for forwarding the decoded message to a context manager.

40. The data processing system of claim 30, further comprising:

session state information determination means for determining session state information associated with the message;

next session state determination means for determining a next session state based on the message and the associated session context information or the associated session state information; and

second forwarding means for forwarding the modified message to an input/output controller.

41. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the first forwarding means includes:

an encoder for encoding the modified message at an input/output controller; and

a second forwarding means for forwarding the modified message through a socket.

42. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the modified message is an outgoing message to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server, and wherein the modified message is forwarded using IP data packets.

43. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the message is received from a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client module.

44. The data processing system of claim 43, wherein the SIP client module encodes the message.

45. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the modified message is an incoming message, and wherein the modified message is forwarded using TCP packets.

46. The data processing system of claim 45, wherein the modified message is received by a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client module.

47. The data processing system of claim 46, wherein the SIP client module decodes the modified message.

48. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the message is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message received from a SIP entity.

49. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the message is a simplified Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message received from an X-SIP client module.

50. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for use in a data processing system for communicating a message, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving the message;

second instructions for determining session context information associated with the message, the session context information including message routing information;

third instructions for storing the message routing information;

fourth instructions for modifying the message based on the message routing information; and

fifth instructions for forwarding the modified message.

51. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the message routing information includes at least one of a via header, a route header and a record route header.

52. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the fourth instructions include instructions for removing the message routing information from the message.

53. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the fourth instructions include instructions for adding the message routing information to the message.

54. The computer program product of claim 50, further comprising:

sixth instructions for receiving a client application message from a client application; and

seventh instructions for converting the client application message into the message, wherein the message is a simplified Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

55. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the simplified SIP message does not include the message routing information.

56. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the fourth instructions include instructions for adding at least one of a “

Via”

header, a “

Route”

header, and a “

Record Route”

header to the simplified SIP message.

57. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the first instructions include instructions for receiving the message at an input/output controller, instructions for decoding the message, and instructions for forwarding the decoded message to a context manager.

58. The computer program product of claim 50, further comprising:

sixth instructions for determining session state information associated with the message;

seventh instructions for determining a next session state based on the message and the associated session context information or the associated session state information; and

eighth instructions for forwarding the modified message to an input/output controller.

59. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the fifth instructions include:

instructions for encoding the modified message at an input/output controller; and

instructions for forwarding the modified message through a socket.

60. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the modified message is an outgoing message to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server, and wherein the modified message is forwarded using IP data packets.

61. A data processing system for communicating using a text based communication protocol, the data processing system comprising:

a network interface; and

a client manager, wherein the client manager receives messages through the network interface, and wherein the client manager comprises a message modifier for modifying incoming messages and outgoing messages in accordance with context information associated with a message, wherein the context information includes message routing information.

62. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the message routing information includes at least one of a via header, a route header and a record route header.

63. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the message modifier modifies the message by removing the message routing information from the message.

64. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the message modifier modifies the message by adding the message routing information to the message.

65. The data processing system of claim 63, wherein the message is received from a server.

66. The data processing system of claim 64, wherein the message is received from a client application.

67. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the client manager receives a client application message from a client application and converts the client application message into the message, wherein the message is a simplified SIP message.

68. The data processing system of claim 67, wherein the simplified SIP message does not include the message routing information.

69. The data processing system of claim 67, wherein the message modifier modifies the message by adding at least one of a “

Via”

header, a “

Route”

header, and a “

Record Route”

header to the simplified SIP message.

70. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the client manager includes an input/output controller for receiving the message and a decoder for decoding the message.

71. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the client manager determines session state information associated with the message and determines a next session state based on the message and the associated session context information or the associated session state information.

72. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the client manager includes:

an encoder for encoding the modified message at an input/output controller; and

a socket for forwarding the modified message.

73. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the modified message is an outgoing message to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server, and wherein the modified message is forwarded using IP data packets.

74. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the message is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message received from a SIP entity.

75. The data processing system of claim 61, wherein the message is a simplified Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message received from an X-SIP client module.