Interaction in a communication system

• US 7,710,873 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spyder Navigations LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Koistinen, Tommi, Pulkka, Pekka, Pistemaa, Marita
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINKANTARAKORN, PAWARIS
• Application Number:
  US10/332,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20030169751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,263 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/332, 370352-356, 370/389, 370/395.4, 370/395.43, 370/253, 370/401, 370/468, 370/395.21, 370/395.42, 379/386, 709/238, 709/240
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gateway between two networks of a communication system. A plurality of communication service classes is available for the communication between the networks. In the method a call is routed from a network to another network via the gateway. The type of the call is defined. A gateway controller also determines the communication service class that is to be used for the call. The gateway controller communicates information that associates with the determined service class to the gateway. The communication is based on a communication protocol message that has been adapted to transport the information between the gateway controller and the gateway. The call is then processed based on the information.

Claims

1. A method in a communication system, comprising:

receiving a call to be routed from a first network to a second network at a gateway;

determining the type of the call, wherein the type of the call is selected from the group consisting of a voice call, a modem call, a fax call, a data call, and a call for channel associated signaling, and further wherein the type of the call is determined to be a voice call if neither a predefined tone nor a predefined bit pattern is detected;

determining in a gateway controller a communication service class that is to be used for the call;

communicating information that is associated with the determined communication service class from the gateway controller to the gateway using a communication protocol message configured to transport said information from the gateway controller to the gateway, wherein the communication protocol message is based on a modified version of ITU-T recommendation No. H.248, the modified version including an element that is configured to communicate information regarding the determined service class; and

processing the call based on said information received at the gateway.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication service classes comprise at least two quality of service classes.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication protocol message is based on a gateway control protocol.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the type of the call is determined based on information from a call type detection function provided in the gateway.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining of the type of the call comprises monitoring for the predefined tone in a call signaling.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining of the type of the call comprises monitoring for the predefined bit pattern.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining of the type of the call is based on information that associates with the call and that is available to the gateway controller.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service class information is contained in a data element included in the protocol message.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the networks is a packet switched data network.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said at least one network is an Internet protocol data network.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call comprises a voice call between two terminals, the first terminal being connected to the first network and the second terminal being connected to the second network.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call is classified by a classifier function of the gateway based on the class information received from a gateway controller function.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protocol message is configured to transport information that associates with the type of service field of the call.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protocol message is configured to transport information that associates with differentiated services codepoint.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protocol message is configured to transport information that associates with multi-protocol label switched/asynchronous transfer mode parameter.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a service differentiation is based on mapping between multi-protocol label switched tunnels and asynchronous transfer mode channels.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway assigns data packets that associate the call with a class identifier based on said information of the determined communication service class.

18. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway controller determines the service class based on at least one of the following information:

origin of the call;

destination of the call;

alias of the call.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the gateway controller monitors for each call whether or not origin of the call and/or destination of the call and/or alias of the call information fields include an indication of the service class.

20. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway controller provides dynamic control of the classification function of the gateway.

21. A gateway arrangement for a communication system, comprising:

a gateway;

a gateway controller configured to control the gateway and configured to determine the communication service class of a call routed through a gateway function;

a processor configured to determine a type of the call routed through the gateway, wherein the type of the call is selected from the group consisting of a voice call, a modem call, a fax call, a data call, and a call for channel associated signaling, and further wherein the type of the call is determined to be a voice call if neither a predefined tone nor a predefined bit pattern is detected;

an interface between the gateway controller and the gateway configured to communicate information that is associated with the determined service class using a communication protocol message configured to transport said information, wherein the communication protocol message is based on a modified version of ITU-T recommendation No. H.248, the modified version including an element that is configured to communicate information regarding the determined service class; and

a call processor configured to process the call in the gateway in accordance with the information received at the gateway.

22. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the communication protocol message is based on a gateway control protocol.

23. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the call is classified by a classifier function of the gateway based on the communicated information received from the gateway controller.

24. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the communication protocol message is configured to communicate information that associates with the type of service field of the call.

25. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the communication protocol message is configured to communicate information that associates with differentiated services codepoint.

26. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the communication protocol message is configured to communicate information that associates with multi-protocol label switched/asynchronous transfer mode parameter.

27. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein a service differentiation is based on mapping between multi-protocol label switched tunnels and asynchronous transfer mode channels.

28. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the gateway is configured to assign data packets that associate the call with a class identifier based on the communicated determined service class.

29. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the gateway controller is configured to determine the service class based on at least one of the following information:

origin of the call;

destination of the call;

alias of the call.

30. A gateway arrangement for a communication system, comprising:

a gateway;

gateway controller means to control the gateway and for determining the communication service class of a call routed through the gateway;

interface means for connecting the gateway controller means and the gateway and configured to communicate information that is associated with the determined communication service class by a communication protocol message configured to transport said information, wherein the communication protocol message is based on a modified version of ITU-T recommendation No. H.248, the modified version including an element that is configured to communicate information regarding the determined service class; and

processor means configured to determine a type of the call routed through the gateway, wherein the type of the call is selected from the group consisting of a voice call, a modem call, a fax call, a data call, and a call for channel associated signaling, and further wherein the type of the call is determined to be a voice call if neither a predefined tone nor a predefined bit pattern is detected, the processor means further configured to process the call in the gateway in accordance with the information received at the gateway.

31. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 30, wherein the gateway controller means is configured to monitor for each call whether or not origin of the call and/or destination of the call and/or alias of the call information fields include an indication of the service class.

32. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 30, wherein the communication protocol message is configured to communicate information that associates with the type of service field of the call.

33. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 30, wherein the communication protocol message is configured to communicate information that associates with differentiated services codepoint.

34. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 30, wherein the communication protocol message is configured to communicate information that associates with multi-protocol label switched/asynchronous transfer mode parameter.

35. A gateway arrangement as claimed in claim 30, wherein a service differentiation is based on mapping between multi-protocol label switched tunnels and asynchronous transfer mode channels.