Method and system for transmitting a multimedia stream

• US 9,654,330 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Inventors: Van Deventer, Mattijs Oskar, Niamut, Omar Aziz, Stokking, Hans Maarten, Walraven, Fabian Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US14/015,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 709227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• 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 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method is described for transmitting a multimedia stream from a first terminal and receiving an associated second multimedia stream at a second terminal. The first and second terminal are connected to at least one gateway for enabling the transmission of the stream and the receiving of the associated stream. The method comprises: —initiating the exchange of first multimedia session information between the first terminal and the gateway, using a first protocol; —providing a trigger to the second terminal to initiate the exchange of second multimedia session information between the second terminal and the gateway, using a second protocol; —in response to providing the trigger, the second terminal initiating the exchange of second multimedia session information between the second terminal and the gateway, using a third protocol; —transmitting a first multimedia stream from the first terminal and receiving a second associated multimedia stream at the second terminal.

Claims

1. A method, wherein a gateway is capable of communicating with a first terminal and a second terminal, the method comprising:

the gateway or the first terminal using a first protocol to exchange first multimedia session information between the first terminal and the gateway, wherein the exchange of the first multimedia session information sets up a first media stream from the first terminal, and wherein the first multimedia session information includes a type of media;

the second terminal using a second protocol to receive a trigger provided by the gateway or first terminal, wherein the trigger is to initiate an exchange of second multimedia session information between the gateway and the second terminal, and wherein the trigger serves to inform the second terminal of availability of a new multimedia stream;

in response to receiving the trigger, the second terminal using a third protocol to initiate the exchange of the second multimedia session information between the gateway and the second terminal, wherein the exchange of the second multimedia session information sets up a second media stream to the second terminal in which the second terminal participates; and

the second terminal receiving the second media stream, wherein the second media stream is associated with the first media stream.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of the first multimedia session information comprises:

the gateway providing to the first terminal at least part of the second multimedia session information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of the second multimedia session information comprises:

the gateway providing to the second terminal at least part of the first multimedia session information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of the first multimedia session information comprises:

the gateway receiving, from the first terminal, an identifier of the second terminal.

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

before using the second protocol to provide the trigger to the second terminal, the gateway resolving the identifier of the second terminal into a network address of the second terminal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein providing the trigger to the second terminal comprises the gateway transmitting the trigger to the resolved network address of the second terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the third protocol is different from the second protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first multimedia stream is the second multimedia stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a peer-to-peer protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the third protocol is a client-server protocol, and wherein the second receiving terminal has client capabilities of the third protocol and not server capabilities of the third protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises a network address of the gateway.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network address is a URI or a URI reference.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are identical.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway is configured to associate the first multimedia session information with the second multimedia session information.

16. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon software instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

using a first protocol to initiate an exchange of first multimedia session information between a first terminal and a gateway, wherein the exchange of the first multimedia session information sets up a first media stream from the first terminal, and wherein the first multimedia session information includes a type of media;

using a second protocol to provide a trigger to a second terminal, wherein the trigger is to initiate an exchange of second multimedia session information between the gateway and the second terminal, and wherein the trigger serves to inform the second terminal of availability of a new multimedia stream;

using a third protocol to conduct the exchange of the second multimedia session information between the gateway and the second terminal, wherein the exchange of the second multimedia session information sets up a second media stream to the second terminal in which the second terminal participates; and

using the first protocol to transmit a response to the first terminal, wherein the response causes the first terminal to begin transmission of the first media stream from the first terminal, wherein the second media stream to the second terminal is associated with the first media stream from the first terminal.

17. A gateway comprising:

a communication interface; and

memory that stores software instructions that, when executed by the gateway, cause the gateway to;

(i) exchange first multimedia session information with a first terminal using a first protocol, wherein the exchange of the first multimedia session information sets up a first media stream from the first terminal, and wherein the first multimedia session information includes a type of media,

(ii) provide a trigger to a second terminal, wherein the trigger is provided using a second protocol, in response to which the second terminal is able to initiate exchange of second multimedia session information with the gateway, and wherein the trigger serves to inform the second terminal of availability of a new multimedia stream, and

(iii) exchange second multimedia session information with the second terminal, using a third protocol, wherein the third protocol is different from the first protocol, wherein the exchange of the second multimedia session information sets up a second media stream to the second terminal in which the second terminal participates.

18. The gateway of claim 17, wherein the gateway is configured to connect to a first terminal supporting a first protocol and to a second terminal supporting a second protocol,

wherein the first protocol is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and the second protocol is Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP),

wherein the first terminal is an originating SIP client of a user at a user side,

wherein the gateway acts as a terminating SIP client,

wherein the gateway is configured to confirm that the gateway is able to receive a multimedia session from the user and to provide the first terminal with multimedia session information,

wherein the second terminal is an RTSP client,

wherein the gateway acts as an RTSP server on behalf of the user,

wherein the second terminal uses RTSP for session control, and

wherein the gateway is configured to inform the second terminal that an incoming session is pending and notify the RTSP client to connect to an RTSP server function of the gateway.

19. The gateway of claim 17, wherein the gateway is configured to transmit a notification message to the second terminal in response to an invitation of the first terminal, in order to activate the second terminal to set up a second multimedia session between the second terminal and the gateway.

20. The gateway of claim 17, wherein the gateway is embedded in an IP Multi-Media Subsystem (IMS) network architecture, wherein the first protocol is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), wherein the third protocol is Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), the IMS network architecture comprising a service-control-function component and a media-function component, wherein the memory of the gateway is distributed in the IMS network architecture, such that:

exchanging the first multimedia session information is handled by the service-control-function component within the IMS network architecture;

triggering the second terminal is controlled by the service-control-function component within the IMS network architecture; and

exchanging second multimedia session information is handled by the media-function component within the IMS network architecture.

21. The gateway of claim 17, wherein the gateway is configured to associate the first multimedia session information and the second multimedia session information with each other.

22. The gateway of claim 17, wherein the gateway further comprises Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client functionality and Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) server functionality.