Media gateway appliance

• US 7,149,772 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2000
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kalavade, Asawaree P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/525,595
• Time in Patent Office: 2,464 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/221, 709/224, 709/225, 709/227, 709/247, 709/203, 709/228, 709/238, 370/356, 370/465, 370/327, 370/352, 370/359, 370/368, 707/104.1, 707/10, 455/436, 713/189, 713/195, 375/220
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method and device are disclosed which receives packets streamed over a packet network, decodes the packets received to generate a decoded signal stream and filters the decoded signal stream to generate a pulse code modulated (PCM) signal stream. The PCM signal stream may be tailored to conform to the target destination transport requirements, including call channels established over circuit-switched networks, whether wired or wireless, without modifying the capabilities associated with the network infrastructure or the client phone.

Claims

1. A method for accepting streamed media packets sent from a content provider server and converting said streamed media packets to a pulse code modulated (PCM) signal stream, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a first interface, a request from a client device for a specified media content stored by said content provider server, said specified media content comprising at least one of live and archived media content;

establishing, at said first interface and responsive to receipt of said request, a session with said content provider server for said requested media content, wherein said session is remotely controllable via said client device using control messages for controlling presentation of said requested media content;

receiving, at said first interface, said streamed media packets corresponding to said specified media content, said streamed media packets being encoded media packets adapted to one of a plurality of encoded streaming media formats;

transcoding, at said first interface, said streamed media packets received from said content provider server, to form a PCM signal stream corresponding to said specified media content; and

launching, from said first interface, said PCM signal stream onto a network operable to convey said PCM signal stream to the client device making said request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said launching step is performed over a circuit-switched line interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said client device is a telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said client device is a wireless device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said wireless device is a cellular phone.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said network is a circuit-switched network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said circuit-switched network is a wired telephony network.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said circuit-switched network is a wireless telephony network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said wireless telephony network is a cellular network.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said cellular network is a CDMA network.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said cellular network is a TDMA network.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said cellular network is a GSM network.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said specified media content is audio content.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said specified media content is video content.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said specified media content is streaming text content.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said streamed media packets are IP packets.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing step is performed via an Internet interface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said content provider server is an Internet content provider server.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

converting said request, utilizing an audio session gateway protocol, into a format recognizable by said content provider server.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

cell casting said PCM signal stream over a plurality of circuit-switched connections.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of encoded media formats comprise one of MP3, Windows Media, and RealAudio formats.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing a session comprises remotely controlling operations of said session via said client device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said remotely controlling operations of said session comprises:

initiating said session from said client device;

sending said control messages associated with at least one of normal play and trick play of said requested media content.

24. An apparatus for accepting streamed media packets sent from a content provider server and converting said streamed media packets to a pulse code modulated (PCM) signal stream, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at a first interface, a request from a client device for a specified media content stored by said content provider server, said specified media content comprising at least one of live and archived media content;

means for establishing, at said first interface and responsive to receipt of said request, a session with said content provider server for said requested media content, wherein said session is remotely controllable via said client device using control messages for controlling presentation of said requested media content;

means for receiving, at said first interface, said streamed media packets corresponding to said specified media content, said streamed media packets being encoded media packets adapted to one of a plurality of encoded streaming media formats;

means for transcoding, at said first interface, said streamed media packets received from said content provider server, to form a PCM signal stream corresponding to said specified media content; and

means for launching, from said first interface, said PCM signal stream onto a network operable to convey said PCM signal stream to the client device making said request.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said launching step is performed over a circuit-switched line interface.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said client device is a telephone.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said client device is a wireless device.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said wireless device is a cellular phone.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said network is a circuit-switched network.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said circuit-switched network is a wired telephony network.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said circuit-switched network is a wireless telephony network.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said wireless telephony network is a cellular network.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said cellular network is a CDMA network.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said cellular network is a TDMA network.

35. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said cellular network is a GSM network.

36. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said specified media content is audio content.

37. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said specified media content is video content.

38. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said specified media content is streaming text content.

39. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said streamed media packets are IP packets.

40. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said establishing step is performed via an Internet interface.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said content provider server is an Internet content provider server.

42. The method of claim 24, wherein said plurality of encoded streaming media formats comprise one of MP3, Windows Media, and RealAudio formats.

43. An apparatus for accepting streamed media packets sent from an Internet content provider server and converting said streamed media packets to a pulse code modulated (PCM) signal stream, said apparatus comprising;

a circuit-switched line interface for receiving a request from a client device for a specified media content available from said Internet content provider server, said specified media content comprising at least one of live and archived media content;

a service control module coupled with said circuit-switched line interface, said service control module operable to solicit, accept and process said request from said client device over a circuit-switched network;

a session control module coupled to said service control module and coupled to an interface to the Internet, said session control module operable to establish a session with said Internet content provider server for the purposes of receiving said streamed media packets from said Internet content provider,

wherein said session is remotely controllable via said client device using control messages for controlling presentation of said requested media content, said streamed media packets being encoded media packets adapted to one of a plurality of encoded streaming media formats; and

a media translation module coupled to said interface to the Internet, said media translation module operable to decode said streamed media packets and translate said decoded streamed media packets into said PCM signal stream, wherein said PCM signal stream is cell casted to said client device and at least one other client device.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein said PCM signal stream is launched over said circuit-switched line interface for delivery to said client device via said circuit-switched network.

45. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein said PCM signal stream is launched over said circuit-switched line interface to a plurality of client devices.