Session initiation protocol (SIP) message incorporating a multi-purpose internet mail extension (MIME) media type for describing the content and format of information included in the SIP message

• US 7,330,483 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peters, Robert Y. Jr., Samarasinghe, Harish
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALIYUR, VENKATESH N
• Application Number:
  US10/324,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 370230-231, 370/295.2, 370354-356, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.21, 370/401, 370/409, 370/466, 709/200, 709/203, 709/249, 709224-230, 709/206
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast

Abstract

A system and method for processing a plurality of requests for multi-media services received at a call control element (CCE) defined on the system from a plurality of IP-communication devices. The system includes at least one Network Routing Element (NRE), a Service Broker (SB), a media sever, a plurality of application servers (ASs) and a plurality of border elements, all of which are coupled to the CCE. The CCE is adapted to receive requests for multi-media services and to generate subsequent requests for the multi-media services, which are communicated to the SB for processing. The subsequent requests can each include a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message including a message identifier portion having at least a first predetermined information field and a second predetermined information field. The message identifier portion of the SIP message declares the content and format of the SIP message to a recipient device defined on the system.

Claims

1. A method of processing multi-media service requests received at a multi-media services provider system to form a multi-media communication path between at least a first communication device and at least a second communication device of a plurality of communication devices, the method comprising:

receiving at least a first request message for at least one multi-media service at a call control element located on the multi-media services provider system;

processing the first request message at the call control element for generating a second request message for the at least one multi-media service and including a message content identifier portion having at least a first predetermined information field and a second predetermined information field, wherein generating the second request message and including the message content identifier portion includes generating a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE message and including a Content-Type field; and

processing the second request message at a service broker element located on the multi-media services provider system for identifying a format and content of the second request message.

2. A system for processing multi-media service requests to form a multi-media communication path between at least a first communication device and at least a second communication device of a plurality of communication devices, the system comprising:

a call control element located on the system and being adapted to receive at least a first request message for at least one multi-media service from the first communication device and to process the first request message to generate a second request message for the at least one multi-media service, wherein the second request includes a message identifier portion having at least a first predetermined information field and a second predetermined information field, wherein the first predetermined information field includes a Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) Media Type field; and

a service broker element located on the system and being adapted to receive and process the second request message to identify a format and content of the second request message.

3. The system for processing multi-media service requests of claim 2, wherein the MIME Media Type field includes the parameters:

application/sdp.

4. The system for processing multi-media service requests of claim 2, wherein the MIME Media Type field includes the parameters:

application/vnd.att-advanced-intelligent-features.

5. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for processing multi-media service requests to form a multi-media communication path between at least a first communication device and at least a second communication device of a plurality of communication devices, comprising:

receiving at least a first request message for at least one multi-media service at a call control element located on the multi-media services provider system;

processing the first request message at the call control element for generating a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message for the at least one multi-media service and including a Content-Type portion having a Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) Media Type field and a MIME Media Subtype field, wherein the MIME Media Type field declares a data type associated with the SIP message and wherein the MIME Media Subtype field specifies a format for the data type that allows a predetermined network element to identify the format and content of the SIP message in relation to advanced intelligent services; and

processing the SIP message at a service broker element located on the multi-media services provider system for identifying a format and content of the SIP message.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5, further including:

generating a SIP Redirect message.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 5, further including:

generating a SIP INFO message.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 5, further including:

generating a SIP UPDATE message.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 5, further including:

generating a SIP BYE message.