Media sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9497108-B2
Application number	US-201414339321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Jul 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

Measures for enabling media bypass of one or more session border controllers (SBCs) in a telecommunications network which includes a plurality of SBCs. An SBC receives an inbound offer message requesting setup of a media session between an originating endpoint device and a terminating endpoint device. The SBC transmits an outbound offer message to an ensuing SBC, wherein the originating endpoint device address comprised in the inbound offer message is re-written with an SBC address in the outbound offer message. The SBC receives an inbound answer message including a terminating endpoint device address. In response to receipt of the inbound answer message, the SBC transmits an outbound answer message to the originating endpoint device without re-writing the terminating endpoint device address, whereby the SBC and the ensuing SBC are bypassed in the media path for the media session.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of enabling media bypass of one or more session border controllers (SBCs) in a telecommunications network which comprises a plurality of SBCs via which a signalling path for transfer of signalling information for setup of a media session between endpoint devices can be established, the method comprising, at a SBC:
receiving an inbound offer message requesting setup of a media session between an originating endpoint device and a terminating endpoint device in the telecommunications network, the inbound offer message being received along an inbound offer signaling path to the SBC;
transmitting an outbound offer message along an outbound offer signaling path from the SBC to an ensuing SBC located between the SBC and the terminating endpoint device in the signaling path for the media session, wherein the originating endpoint device address comprised in the inbound offer message is re-written with an SBC address in the outbound offer message, the SBC address comprising a network address associated with the SBC which is capable of being used for the transfer of media data in the media session, the originating endpoint device address comprising a network address associated with the originating endpoint device which is capable of being used for the transfer of media data in the media session;
receiving an inbound answer message along an inbound answer signaling path, the answer message comprising a terminating endpoint device address, the terminating endpoint device address comprising a network address associated with the terminating endpoint device and which is capable of being used for the transfer of media data in the media session; and
in response to receipt of the inbound answer message, transmitting an outbound answer message to the originating endpoint device without re-writing the terminating endpoint device address, the outbound answer message being transmitted along an outbound answer signaling path to the originating endpoint device;
whereby the SBC and the ensuing SBC are bypassed in the media path for the media session,
wherein in addition to the originating endpoint device address comprised in the inbound offer message, the inbound offer message comprises one or more alternative network addresses associated with the originating endpoint device which are capable of being used for the transfer of media data in the media session,
wherein the inbound and outbound offer messages comprise Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, messages, and
wherein the inbound and outbound answer messages comprise Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, messages.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining that the terminating endpoint device supports media bypass functionality,
wherein the SBC does not re-write the terminating endpoint device address in the outbound answer message in response to the determination.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determination comprises determining that the inbound answer message comprises a plurality of terminating endpoint device addresses comprising network addresses associated with the terminating endpoint device which are capable of being used for the transfer of media data in the media session.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determination comprises determining that the outbound offer message comprises a plurality of originating endpoint device addresses comprising network addresses associated with the originating endpoint device which are capable of being used for the transfer of media data in the media session.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determination comprises determining that the terminating endpoint device has at least a first and second associated network addresses which are capable of being used for the transfer of media data in the media session.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determination comprises determining that the terminating endpoint device supports Interactive Connectivity Establishment, ICE, media bypass functionality.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inbound and outbound offer messages are configured according to a standard, wherein the standard comprises:
a first standard field, which is specified in the standard, the contents of which are specified as including an address as an offered address for transfer of media data during the media session; and
a second standard field, which is specified in said standard the contents of which are specified as including an address as an offered alternative address for transfer of media data during the media session.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the inbound offer message is configured according to the standard, the originating endpoint device address is comprised in the first standard field and the one or more alternative network addresses are comprised in the second standard field.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the outbound offer message is configured according to the standard and the SBC address is comprised in the first standard field.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the inbound and outbound answer messages are configured according to the standard, the terminating endpoint device address is comprised in the first standard field and one or more terminating endpoint device addresses comprising network addresses associated with the terminating endpoint device which are capable of being used for the transfer of media data in the media session is comprised in the second field.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the originating endpoint device address and the SBC address are comprised in Interactive Connectivity Establishment, ICE, fields of one or more of the inbound and outbound offer messages.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the terminating endpoint device address and the one or more terminating endpoint device addresses are comprised in Interactive Connectivity Establishment, ICE, fields of one or more of the inbound and outbound answer messages.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of:
the network address associated with the originating endpoint,
the one or more alternative network addresses associated with the originating endpoint,
the network address associated with the terminating endpoint device,
the one or more further terminating endpoint device addresses,
the at least first and second associated network addresses associated with the terminating endpoint device,
the network address associated with the SBC,
the network address associated with a preceding SBC, and
the network address associated with an ensuing SBC, comprises one or more of an internet layer address and a transport layer address.

14. A system for use in enabling media bypass of one or more session border controllers (SBCs) in a telecommunications network which comprises a plurality of SBCs via which setup of a media session between endpoint devices can be established, the system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause a SBC to:
receive an inbound offer message requesting setup of a media session between an originating endpoint device and a terminating endpoint device in the telecommunications network, the inbound offer message being received along an inbound offer signaling path to the SBC;
transmit an outbound offer message along an outbound offer signaling path from the SBC to an ensuing SBC located between the SBC and the terminating endpoint device in the signaling path, wherein the originating endpoint device address comprised in the inbound offer message is re-written with a SBC address in the outbound

Assignees

• Metaswitch Networks Ltd

Inventors

• Larkin Nicholas Peter

Classifications

• H04L45/74 Primary

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04L65/1073

  Registration or de-registration · CPC title

• H04L65/104

  in the network · CPC title

• H04L45/22 Primary

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• H04L65/1006

  Electricity · mapped topic