Abstract:
A method and apparatus for communicating data units (e.g., Internet Protocol or IP packets) between devices (22, 24, 36, 49) on one or more networks includes storing address and/or port translation information, and receiving a data unit having a source address and port and a destination address and port. Both the source and destination addresses and/or ports are translated, with the data unit containing the translated source and destination addresses and/or ports transmitted to a destination.
Abstract:
A communications system (10) includes a packet-based data network (12) that is coupled to various network elements (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 34) that are capable of participating in audio-based call sessions over the data network (12). The audio-based call sessions may be defined according to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or to another type of protocol (e.g., H.323). The network elements (14, 18, 22, and 34) are also capable of participating in text-based chat sessions. Text messages exchanged in such text-based chat sessions are carried in messages, such as SIP Info messages, that are defined according to the protocol for audio-based call sessions. The SIP Info messages carrying the text messages may be communicated either during an established audio-based call session or outside of an audio-based call session. Using SIP (or another signal protocol) messages to carry the text messages allows such messages to be conveniently transported through a firewall system.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus is provided to allow telephony or other types of media communications and services to be provided for a device (24) having a private network address that resides behind a firewall and network address and port translation (NAPT) module (which is not aware of the underlying protocol for the communications and services). Examples of the underlying protocol includes the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Real-Time Protocol (RTP). A path through the firewall and NAPT module is defined by use of keep-alive messages communicated through the firewall and NAPT module. Addresses that are allocated by the firewall and NAPT module are associated with the device (24) for both signaling and media communications. A feature of the firewall that enables the provision of telephony and media communications through the firewall that is protocol-unaware is that the firewall allows responses to messages initiated by the device back through the firewall.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus comprises a controller to establish a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint. Without exchanging call setup signaling with the first endpoint, the controller is able to pivot the call session from the second endpoint to another endpoint so that media communication can occur between the first and other endpoints. The first endpoint remains "anchored" in the call session. The pivot is accomplished by sending a call request to the other endpoint and exchanging messages with a media portal (44, 45) that controls the communication of packets between endpoints. The media portal (44, 45) contains a network address and translation module that performs translation of addresses and/or ports of media packets communicated from one endpoint to another.
Abstract:
Recently, network telephones have been developed that are capable of being connected directly to a data network, such as an IP network. These network telephones are capable of placing telephony calls over a data network. The voice quality offered by such telephones are typically superior to those that can be offered by computer systems, since such network telephones typically include dedicated digital signal processors (DSPs) that perform the data intensive calculations involved in speech processing. However, the existing network telephones do not provide desired multimedia presentation capabilities such as those offered by displays of computer systems. Thus, while networks telephones offer superior speech capabilities, it does have the desired multimedia capabilities. On the other hand, computer systems have superior multimedia capabilities, but they suffer from relatively poor speech processing performance. A need thus exists for an improved method and apparatus for controlling voice communications over data networks. A method and apparatus of communicating over a data network (11) includes providing a user interface (200) in a control system (32, 36) for call control and to display information relating to a call session. The control system (32, 36) communicates one or more control messages (e.g., Session Initiation Protocol or SIP messages) over the data network (11) to establish a call session with a remote device in response to receipt of a request through the user interface. One or more commands are transmitted to a voice device (30, 34) associated with the control system (32, 36) to establish the call session between the voice device (30, 34) and the remote device over the data network (11). A Real-Time Protocol (RTP) link may be established between the voice device (30, 34) and the remote device.