Multiplexing media components of different sessions

• US 7,522,613 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Rotsten, Kirsi, Koskinen, Juha Pekka, Rodrigo, Inmaculada Carrion, Sugar, Robert, Erzsebet, Erdei, Lahtinen, Lauri, Honkasalo, Zhi-Chun, Bertenyi, Balazs, Stura, Marco, Narhi, Anne, Poikselka, Miikka, Huotari, Seppo, Vimpari, Markku, Rasanen, Juha, Hongisto, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): King; Simon
• Application Number:
  US10/838,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20040223489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/390, 370/352, 370/432, 455/518, 455/517, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2093 Push to talk
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections

Abstract

A method of multiplexing different sessions using the same authorized contexts for media, comprising: distinguishing the sessions to be multiplexed, by a device; creating a new session on a control plane; indicating media flows of different sessions; and enabling the sessions to share the same authorized context for media, thus being multiplexed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

distinguishing different control plane sessions;

identifying media flows of a same application among the different control plane sessions; and

enabling, with an enabler, the different control plane sessions with media flows of the same application to share a same authorized user plane context to multiplex the different control plane sessions with media flows of the same application.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing comprises distinguishing the control plane sessions by one selected from the group consisting of a user equipment, a general terminal, a network element, and an application server.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the network element is selected from the group consisting of a proxy call state control function and a policy decision function.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a packet data protocol context as the same authorized user plane context for the media flows,

wherein authorization for the user plane context and the sharing by the different control plane sessions is controlled by a policy decision function.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises enabling the different control plane sessions with media flows of the same application to share a packet data protocol context, and wherein the sharing of the different control plane sessions with media flow of the same application is controlled by a user equipment.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a half-duplex service.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the providing comprises providing the half-duplex service comprising push over cellular service.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

adding a new session initiation protocol session as a new media component to the same authorized packet data protocol context.

9. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

sending a predefined wildcard port number range using an application server.

10. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

sending a predefined wildcard port number range using an application server.

11. The method according to claim 4, further comprising;

filtering incoming packets for port numbers using an application server.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating to a user equipment during a session establishment, whether a network supports multiplexing of the media flows of separate control plane sessions on the same authorized context.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the indicating comprises including a flag in a session establishment signaling to permit the sharing of the different control plane sessions with media flows of the same application.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating which session can be multiplexed by using a session related grouping identifier,

wherein the session related grouping identifier is configured to specify that media flows of different control plane sessions comprising a same identifier can be multiplexed on the same authorized context, while media flows of control plane sessions comprising different identifiers cannot be multiplexed on the same authorized context.

15. A system, comprising:

a distinguisher configured to distinguish different control plane sessions;

an identifying processor configured to identify media flows of a same application among the different control plane sessions; and

an enabler configured to enable the different control plane sessions with media flows of the same application to share a same authorized user plane context for to multiplex the different control plane sessions with media flows of the same application.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the system comprises at least one of a user equipment, a network element, or an application server as the distinguisher, the identifying processor, or the enabler.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the network element comprises one of a proxy call state control function and a policy decision function.

18. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

an indicator configured to indicate user equipment during a control plane session establishment, whether a network supports multiplexing of media flows of separate control plane sessions on the same user plane context.

19. The system according to claim 15, further comprising an indicator configured to indicate a user equipment by a network which control plane session can be multiplexed by using a session related grouping identifier,

wherein the session related grouping identifier is configured to specify that media flows of control plane sessions comprising the same identifier can be multiplexed on the same user plane context, while media flows of control plane sessions comprising different identifiers cannot be multiplexed on the same user plane context.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a multiplexer configured to multiplex different control plane sessions with media flows of a same application on a same user plane context; and

a processor configured to distinguish the different control plane sessions related to the same application from other control plane sessions.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a service enabled terminal.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the service comprises a half-duplex-service.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the half-duplex service comprises a push to talk over cellular service.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a controller configured to authorize a packet data protocol context and a session initial protocol session multiplexing.

25. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a half-duplex-service.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the half-duplex service comprises a push to talk over cellular service.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a predefined wildcard port number range.

29. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the apparatus is one of a user equipment or an application server.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a multiplexing means for multiplexing different control plane sessions with media flows of a same application on a same user plane context; and

a distinguishing means for distinguishing the different control plane sessions related to the same application from other control plane sessions.

30. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform:

distinguishing different control plane sessions;

identifying media flows of a same application among the different control plane sessions; and

enabling the different control plane sessions with media flows of the same application to share a same authorized user plane context to multiplex the different control plane sessions with media flows of the same application.