Conveying Session Continuity Information in a Multi-Component Communication Session

• US 20090319676A1
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jin, Haipeng, Mahendran, Arungundram C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,124,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• 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 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0027 for a plurality of data sessions of end-to-end connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer end-to-end data connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

In a multimedia communication session with multiple media components, one or more media components can be transferred from one access network to another access network and yet maintain the continuity of the overall communication session. Each session is first identified and thereafter the media component intended to be transferred is also identified. The identities of the identified session and component are sent to one or more entities within the communication network for executing the media component transfer.

Claims

1. A method operable by a user entity in a communication system, comprising:

receiving a session identification;

establishing a communication session including a plurality of session components; and

sending the session identification to a network entity for transfer of a component from the plurality of session components.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the component from the plurality of session components as the identified component for transfer; and

providing information of the identified component to a network entity for the transfer of the identified component from the communication session.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising providing the network entity a designated value for the identified component as the information of the identified component for transfer, wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of the plurality of session components in a session initiation protocol message.

4. The method as in claim 2 further comprising providing the network entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and another port number having a value different from the zero value as the information of the identified component for the transfer.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the session identification is selected from a group consisting of a SIP-URI (Session Initiation Protocol-Uniform Resource Identification), a telephone URI, and a SIP dialog ID (Identifier).

6. A method operable by a user entity in a communication system, comprising:

establishing a communication session including a plurality of session components;

identifying a component from the plurality of session components as the identified component for transfer; and

providing information of the identified component to a network entity for the transfer of the identified component from the communication session.

7. The method as in claim 6 further comprising providing the network entity a designated value for the identified component as the information of the identified component for transfer, wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of the plurality of session components in a session initiation protocol message.

8. The method as in claim 6 further comprising providing the network entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and another port number having a value different from the zero value as the information of the identified component for the transfer.

34. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium physically embodied with computer-readable program code for executing the method of claim 6.

9. A method operable by a network entity in a communication system, comprising:

assigning a session identification for a multi-component communication session;

sending the session identification to a user entity; and

receiving the session identification from the user entity for transfer of a component from the multi-component communication session.

10. The method as in claim 9 further comprising receiving from the user entity a designated value for the component identified for the transfer, wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of a plurality of session components of the multi-component communication session, and wherein the order of listing is provided for in a session initiation protocol message.

11. The method as in claim 9 further comprising receiving from the user entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and anther port number having a value different from the zero value for the component intended for the transfer.

35. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium physically embodied with computer-readable program code for executing the method of claim 9.

12. A user equipment, comprising:

means for receiving a session identification;

means for establishing a communication session including a plurality of media components; and

means for sending the session identification to a network entity for transfer of a component from the plurality of media components.

13. The user equipment as in claim 12 further comprising:

means for identifying the component from the plurality of media components as the identified component for transfer; and

means for providing information of the identified component to a network entity for the transfer of the identified component from the communication session.

14. The user equipment as in claim 13 further comprising means for providing the network entity a designated value for the identified component as the information of the identified component for transfer, wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of the plurality of media components in a session initiation protocol message.

15. The user equipment as in claim 13 further comprising means for providing the network entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and another port number having a value different from the zero value as the information of the identified component for the transfer.

16. The user equipment as in claim 12 wherein the session identification is selected from a group consisting of a SIP-URI (Session Initiation Protocol-Uniform Resource Identification), a telephone URI, and a SIP dialog ID (Identifier).

17. A user equipment, comprising:

means for establishing a communication session including a plurality of media components;

means for identifying a component from the plurality of session components as the identified component for transfer; and

means for providing information of the identified component to a network entity for the transfer of the identified component from the communication session.

18. The user equipment as in claim 17 further comprising means for providing the network entity a designated value for the identified component as the information of the identified component for transfer, wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of the plurality of media components in a session initiation protocol message.

19. The user equipment as in claim 17 further comprising means for providing the network entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and another port number having a value different from the zero value as the information of the identified component for the transfer.

20. An infrastructure equipment, comprising:

means for assigning a session identification for a multi-component communication session;

means for sending the session identification to a user entity; and

means for receiving the session identification from the user entity for transfer of a component from the multi-component communication session.

21. The infrastructure equipment as in claim 20 further comprising means for receiving from the user entity a designated value for the component identified for the transfer, wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of a plurality of media components of the multi-component communication session, and wherein the order of listing is provided for in a session initiation protocol message.

22. The infrastructure equipment as in claim 20 further comprising means for receiving from the user entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and anther port number having a value different from the zero value for the component intended for the transfer.

23. A user apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

circuitry coupled to the processor configured to receive a session identification, establish a communication session including a plurality of media components, and send the session identification to a network entity for transfer of a component from the plurality of media components.

24. The user apparatus as in claim 23 wherein the processor and the circuitry are further configured to identify the component from the plurality of media components as the identified component for transfer, and provide information of the identified component to a network entity for the transfer of the identified component from the communication session.

25. The user apparatus as in claim 24 wherein the processor and the circuitry are further configured to provide the network entity a designated value for the identified component as the information of the identified component for transfer, and wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of the plurality of media components in a session initiation protocol message.

26. The user apparatus as in claim 24 wherein the processor and the circuitry are further configured to provide the network entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and another port number having a value different from the zero value as the information of the identified component for the transfer.

27. The user apparatus as in claim 23 wherein the session identification is selected from a group consisting of a SIP-URI (Session Initiation Protocol-Uniform Resource Identification), a telephone URI, and a SIP dialog ID (Identifier).

28. A user apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

circuitry coupled to the processor configured to establish a communication session including a plurality of media components, identify a component from the plurality of session components as the identified component for transfer, and provide information of the identified component to a network entity for the transfer of the identified component from the communication session.

29. The user apparatus as in claim 28 wherein the processor and the circuitry are further configured to provide the network entity a designated value for the identified component as the information of the identified component for transfer, and wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of the plurality of media components in a session initiation protocol message.

30. The user apparatus as in claim 28 wherein the processor and the circuitry are further configured to provide the network entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and another port number having a value different from the zero value as the information of the identified component for the transfer.

31. An infrastructure apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

circuitry coupled to the processor configured to assign a session identification for a multi-component communication session, send the session identification to a user entity, and receive the session identification from the user entity for transfer of a component from the multi-component communication session.

32. The infrastructure apparatus as in claim 31 wherein the processor and the circuitry are further configured to receive from the user entity a designated value for the component identified for the transfer, wherein the designated value is derived from the order of listing of a plurality of media components of the multi-component communication session, and wherein the order of listing is provided for in a session initiation protocol message.

33. The infrastructure apparatus as in claim 31 wherein the processor and the circuitry are further configured to receive from the user entity a port number having a zero value for another component not intended for transfer and anther port number having a value different from the zero value for the component intended for the transfer.