Methods and systems for controlling a communication session

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9467325-B2
Application number	US-201313777973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 27, 2012
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A method of controlling a communication session is provided. The communication session is established in a telecommunications network between a first communication client of a plurality of communication clients on one or more communication devices associated with a first party and a communication device associated with a second party, the established communication session comprising at least a first communication session leg established between the first communication client and an intermediate node in the telecommunications network. The method includes detecting a loss in connectivity associated with the first communication session leg, and in response to detecting the loss in connectivity, initiating set up of a second communication session leg between an intermediate node in the telecommunications network and at least a second communication client of the plurality of communication clients on one or more communication devices associated with the first party.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a communication session established in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:
detecting a loss in connectivity associated with a first communication session leg of a communication session, the communication session having been established between a first communication client of a plurality of communication clients on a plurality of communication devices associated with a first party and a communication device associated with a second party,
wherein the established communication session comprises at least the first communication session leg, the first communication session having been established between the first communication client and a first intermediate node in the telecommunications network;
in response to detecting said loss in connectivity, initiating set up of a second communication session leg between a second intermediate node in said telecommunications network and at least a second communication client of said plurality of communication clients on the plurality of communication devices associated with the first party; and
identifying, among the plurality of communication clients associated with the first party, one or more communication clients which are co-located with the first communication client on a given communication device in the plurality of communication devices associated with the first party,
wherein the initiating comprises transmitting a communication session setup request to the identified one or more co-located communication clients on the given communication device in preference to at least one other communication client associated with the first party on at least one communication device other than the given communication device in the plurality of communication devices associated with the first party.

2. The method according claim 1 , wherein said established communication session further comprises a third communication session leg established between a third intermediate node in said telecommunications network and the communication device associated with the second party, the method comprising maintaining said third communication session leg subsequent to detecting said change in connectivity.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising bridging said third communication session leg and said second communication session leg in response to establishing said second communication session leg.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising establishing said second communication session leg in response to receiving a communication session acceptance message from said second communication client in relation to the set up of said second communication session leg.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising tearing down said first communication session leg in response to establishing said second communication session leg.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said initiating step comprises transmitting a communication session setup request to one or more further communication clients associated with said first party, said one or more further communication clients including at least said second communication client.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising including in said communication session setup request, an identifier associated with said one or more identified co-located communication clients, whereby to allow establishment of said communication session to be automatically accepted by one of said one or more identified co-located communication clients.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising including in said communication session setup request, an identifier for said communication session, whereby to allow establishment of said second communication session leg to be automatically accepted by one of said one or more identified co-located communication clients.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising transmitting said communication session setup request to one or more of said remaining communication clients associated with the first party in response to determining, upon a predetermined amount of time elapsing after initiating setup of said second communication session leg, that said second communication session leg has not been established.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising revoking said communication session setup requests in relation to the other of said further communication clients in response to establishing said second communication session leg in relation to said second communication client.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a communication session maintenance notification to the communication device associated with said second party, whereby to inform said second party that an attempt to maintain the communication session is being performed, after the loss of connectivity in the first communication session leg has been detected, and before the second communication session leg has been established.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said communication session maintenance notification is transmitted in response one or more trigger conditions occurring after the loss of connectivity in the first communication session leg has been detected, and before the second communication session leg has been established.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said trigger condition comprises determining, upon a predetermined amount of time elapsing after detecting said loss in connectivity, that said second communication session leg has not been established.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising tearing down said established communication session in response to determining, upon a predetermined amount of time elapsing after initiating setup of said second communication session leg, that said second communication session leg has not been established.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first communication client is associated with a first communication interface capable of communicating via a first part of said telecommunications network and said second communication client is associated with a second communication interface capable of communicating via a second, different part of said telecommunications network.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said first communication interface and said second communication interface are associated with different access technologies.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein said call control system comprises one or more of said first or second intermediate nodes.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein said call control system is located in a packet-switched part of said telecommunications network.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said method is performed at a call control system.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second intermediate nodes are a single intermediate node.

21. Apparatus for use in controlling a communication session established in a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code being configured to cause the processor to:
detect a loss in connectivity associated with a first communication session leg of a communication session, the communication session having been established between a first communication client of a plurality of communication clients on a plurality of communication devices

Assignees

• Metaswitch Networks Ltd

Inventors

• Cook Alan

Classifications

• H04L65/1083 Primary

  In-session procedures · CPC title

• H04L65/1094

  Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing · CPC title

• H04L29/06027 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L69/40

  for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection (management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06) · CPC title

• H04M3/42263

  where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism · CPC title