METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING SESSION DESCRIPTION FOR A MEDIA SESSION

• US 20130132588A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oran, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes constructing at a source node, a session description pointer to a session description for a media session, inserting the session description pointer in a packet in a media stream of the media session, and transmitting the packet to a receiver node. The session description pointer is configured for use in obtaining the session description by an intermediate node located between the source node and the receiver node. An apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

constructing at a source node, a session description pointer to a session description for a media session;

inserting the session description pointer in a packet in a media stream of the media session; and

transmitting the packet to a receiver node;

wherein the session description pointer is configured for use in obtaining said session description by an intermediate node located between the source node and the receiver node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said session description pointer comprises a uniform resource identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the uniform resource identifier comprises a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier pointing to a session participant containing said session description.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the uniform resource identifier points to a server containing said source description.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the uniform resource identifier comprises a Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) uniform resource locator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet comprises a media packet in the media stream.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the media packet comprises a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) packet.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet comprises a control packet in the media stream.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the media session comprises a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) session and the control packet comprises a Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) packet for the RTP session.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor for processing a packet received from a source of a media session in a media stream and containing a session description pointer to a session description for the media session, transmitting a request for the session description using said session description pointer, and processing said session description for use in interpreting the media stream at an intermediate node located between the source and a receiver; and

memory for storing said session description.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said session description pointer comprises a uniform resource identifier.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the uniform resource identifier comprises a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier pointing to a session participant containing said session description.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the uniform resource identifier comprises a Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) uniform resource locator and transmitting said request comprises transmitting an RTSP describe request.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the packet comprises a media packet in the media stream.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the media packet comprises a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) packet.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the packet comprises a control packet in the media stream.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the media session comprises a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) session and the control packet comprises a Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) packet for the. RTP session.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor for constructing a session description pointer to a session description for a media session, inserting the session description pointer in a packet in a media stream of the media session, and transmitting the packet to a receiver node; and

memory for storing said session description;

wherein the session description pointer is configured for use in obtaining said session description by an intermediate node located between the apparatus and the receiver node.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the packet comprises a media packet in the media stream.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the packet comprises a control packet in the media stream.