Patent Application
20070025358
The invention relates to a method for the establishment of a communication link between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal, with the communication link being implemented by means of interconnected network elements, and a corresponding communication system, particularly a UMTS.
The headlong spread of mobile communication has in recent years led to the development of a number of improved radio transmission methods. To integrate the advantages of the Internet into the world of mobile communication, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), as it is called, was proposed, which is what is known as an “Application Layer Control Protocol”, i.e. a signaling protocol for establishing, modifying and terminating multimedia sessions. These multimedia sessions, can, for example, include multimedia conferences, Internet-telephone links (Voice over IP) and similar applications. By means of SIP, users can be invited, or added to, existing sessions and the composition of the multimedia session can be changed. The main capabilities of SIP are address allocation or address mapping, the localization of the called user and the diversion of connections. An SIP session in this case is usually realized between two communication terminals, also called user entities UE, with the interposition of several interconnected network elements, for example proxies being realized.
SIP was chosen by 3GPP as a signaling protocol for the IP Multimedia Call Network Subsystem (IMS). According to the current 3GPP specification, an SIP session can also be established or terminated by network elements (proxies), such as the P-CSCF, S-CSCF, MGCF or AS, within the IP multimedia core network subsystem [1], [2], [3]. The cause of this session termination by the P-CSCF can, for example, be the interruption of the radio link of the UE to the UTRAN (out of coverage). The S-CSCF ends the SIP session between the UEs because of a depleted pre-paid account of one of the terminals or for administrative reasons [1].
However, the problem with this is that the SIP protocol specified in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and used by 3GPP in the IMS and adapted to this purpose is a pure end-to-end protocol. The control of the session is therefore by definition in the logic units between which they are established. These logic units are known as user agents (UA), with these being distinguished as user agent clients (UAC) or user agent servers (UAS) depending on whether they transmit an SIP request or respond to a corresponding request with an SIP response [4]. Both logic units, UAC and UAS, are contained in a UE. Hence in accordance with the SIP protocol standard (IETF version), only the UAs can end an SIP session. This impedes the integration of the SIP protocol in mobile radio systems because this integration, as explained above, requires not only AUS, i.e. not only communication terminals, but also proxies as network elements, to be able to trigger a communication link.
According to the prior art, a network element, e.g. the P-CSCF, thus terminates the SIP session. According to the prior art, the UA accordingly has no control over who terminates the session or what proxy is entitled to do so. The UA functions purely as an “instruction receiver”. This deviating functionality of the standard SIP (3GPP version) adapted from 3GPP was deprecated by the IETF. According to the present state of the art, an integration of the SIP protocol into the 3GPP standard is not possible, at least not with the agreement of the IETF.
The object of this invention is therefore to provide a method for establishing a communication link between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal that enables, under the control of a terminal, the triggering of the release of a link by a network element that realizes the link.
This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous and appropriate developments are given in the dependent claims. The independent device claim can accordingly be developed in accordance with the dependent method claims.
In accordance with the invention, selected network elements are thus authorized to trigger a release of the communication link. Communication terminals can particularly be all communication terminals that can be the start or destination of an SIP session. An example of a communication terminal is a mobile telephone, particularly a UMTS mobile telephone. However, in the context of the invention a UA, a UAS, or a UAC can also be regarded as a communication terminal.
A communication link in this case particularly includes packet-switched communication links. An invite message that is transmitted over network elements can preferably be changed by any network element and can then be passed on to the next network element.
Changed invite messages, response messages or update messages can in this case also be designated as invite messages.
The invention is thus based on the concept that not every network element, for example not every proxy, can release the link, e.g. a session, or trigger its release. In this way, for example by means of an authorization check in a communication terminal, the control of the session termination can be achieved in the communication terminal, for example by the UA, in conformity with the IETF. This means that network elements, for example proxies, can in fact trigger the ending of a communication (session) but the final release of the link is still under the control of a communication terminal.
The invention particularly includes a method for dealing with network elements, also referred to in the following as proxies, that are authorized to end an SIP session between UAs. The authorizations to terminate an SIP session can in this case be advantageously given by the UAs. The requirement of the IETF that the UAs have control over the established session is therefore taken into account. This property can, however, be restricted by a corresponding configuration and adaptation of the method, in order to meet the 3GPP-specific requirements. These requirements differ from those of the IETF in that the UMTS mobile radio network operators would like to have the maximum possible control over the SIP sessions operated in their network, i.e. in their IMS/CN. This requirement for a control of the SIP session by the network is directly opposed to the principle of the IETF for a UA-controlled SIP session.
A development of the invention provides for the transmission of an invite message from the first communication device via interconnected network elements, particularly on the signaling path, to the second communication terminal during the establishment of the communication link, and for an identification character of the network elements that require authorization for the triggering of a release of the communication link to be entered in the invite message. Information is thus entered in an invite message that signals the communication terminals regarding which network elements request authorization to release a link or to initiate release of a link.
Preferably, the method is thus characterized by the fact that the proxies, located on the signaling path between the UAs, indicate to the UAs during the session establishment whether they wish to receive the authorization to end the SIP session. For this purpose, they insert, particularly in a corresponding header field of a message or of an INVITE message, an information element that identifies it (SIP URI or SIPS URI) and indicates that the specified proxy wishes to be authorized to end the SIP session. The recipient of the INVITE message i.e. the UAS, can then check the entries in the relevant header field. Finally, the UAS can send a response, e.g. a “183 Session in Progress” message to the UAC. This message can also include a copy of the corresponding header field of the INVITE message. The UAS can, of course, delete the entries of individual proxies that are not accepted by it as session-terminating proxies. This decision can be made by the UAS, e.g. with the aid of specified criteria, a list comparison and/or by means of a configuration by the user. The identification of the authorized network elements can in this case also be stored in a subscriber identification module (SIM) within the communication terminal. After receipt of this response, that can at least run on all the proxies in the list not yet revised by the UAS, the UAC can check the list of proxies that wish to receive authorization to end the SIP session and that were accepted by the UAS. If at least one listed proxy is not accepted by the UAC, the UAC can transmit a correspondingly reduced list of proxies to the UAS in a further message. In this way, at least all the proxies listed in the list not yet revised by the UAC can be run through. The UPDATE method [6], that is an extension of [4], can, for example, be used to transmit this list. As part of the handling of proxies, multiple messages can be exchanged between the UAs until agreement is reached between the UAs. If no agreement can be reached, the session termination can be aborted. The use of a method of this kind means that the decision as to what proxy is authorized to terminate the session lies finally with the UAs.
The invention is described in more detail in the following with the aid of preferred examples of the embodiment and the following illustrations are used for explanation.
In the following example of an embodiment, a new SIP header is introduced to realize a method of the kind described in the introduction. Here this header is called a “NI-BYE-Permit”.
The following is a description of the SIP messages in
It is assumed that the P-CSCF1 of the VN wishes to have authorization to end the SIP session, so that it can insert the NI-BYE-Permit header and give its URI there. The P-CSCF1 also inserts a record-route header and also enters its URI there. All proxies listed in the record-route header are part of the SIP signaling path within the opened dialog between UE#1 and UE#2 [4]. This is a necessary precondition for the subsequent ending of the SIP session by the P-CSCF1. The message N2 ((changed) invite message) can thus be given as follows.
It is also assumed in this example of an embodiment that all proxies are entered in the NI-BYE-Permit header and thus wish to obtain authorization to end the SIP session. The messages designated N3, N4 and N5 (changed invite messages) do not differ essentially from each other, so that in this case only message N5 (changed invite message) is specified. This message contains, in the NI-BYE-Permit and record-route headers, the URIs of the proxies previously run through.
The UE#2 or the UAS now checks the URIs in the NI-BYE-Permit header. It is now assumed that the UAS S-CSCF1 is not accepted as a possible session-ending proxy. The UAS therefore deletes the URI of the S-CSCF1 from the NI-BYE-Permit header and sends the message N6, that can be in the form of a response message or also as a particularly changed invite message, with the help of the Via header to the UAC:
The 183 session progress report, that can also be particularly in the form of a changed invite message, runs on the signaling path to the UAC via all the proxies listed in
This message passes through all the proxies given in the route header, so that the P-CSCF2 knows, by means of the NI-BYE-Permit header, that it is no longer authorized to end the session between the UAs. In this way, the S-CSCF2 and the P-CSCF1 also know that their URI continues to be contained in the NI-BYE-Permit header. After receipt of message N15, the UAS checks the new proposal of the UAC in the NI-BYE-Permit header. It is assumed that the UAS accepts this proposal and confirms it by means of message N16:
The session termination (signaling messages are not completely contained in
In the following example of an embodiment, no new header is introduced to realize the method in accordance with the invention. In this particularly advantageous example of an embodiment, the record-route header is expanded in order to realize the method.
The message N1 for establishing the session does not change when the record-route header is used, i.e. it is identical to message N1 in the first example of an embodiment. It is further assumed that the P-CSCF1 of the VN wishes to obtain the authorization to end the SIP session. To do this, this proxy must moreover insert a record-route header in the INVITE message so that for future requests it continues to be part of the SIP signaling path (see [4] and first example of an embodiment). To realize the method, the record-route header is expanded by an information element per entry, i.e. per URI. This field contains the value NI-BYE-YES if the corresponding proxy wishes to obtain the authorization to terminate the session. If it does not want this, the information element is advantageously not inserted. The permanent transmission of this element is also possible. In this case, a NI-BYE-NO must then be transmitted. The message N2 can thus be given as follows:
It is again assumed that all proxies wish to be authorized to end the SIP session. The messages designated N3, N4 and N5 do not differ essentially from each other, so that only message N5 is given here:
The UE#2 or the UAS checks, in accordance with the invention, the URIs in the record-route header. It is now assumed that the UAS does not accept the S-CSCF1 as a possible session-ending proxy. Therefore, the UAS deletes the “NI-BYE-YES” information element of the S-CSCF1 from the record-route header and sends message N6 to the UAC with the aid of the VIA headers. Alternatively, the UAS can also logically set the information element to “not accepted”, i.e. send back “NI-BYE-NO”. The first method mentioned here has the advantage compared to this message that less signaling data has to be transferred.
The 183 session progress report, also called the specifically changed invite message, runs on the signaling parts to the UAC via all the proxies listed in
This message passes through all the proxies given in the route header, so that the P-CSCF2 knows by means of the record-route header that it no longer authorized to end the session between the UAs. In this way, the S-CSCF2 and the P-CSCF1 detect that the NI-BYE-YES information element is still present behind their URI, so that they continue to be authorized to end the session. After receipt of message N15, the UAS checks the new proposal of the UAC, contained in the record-route header. It is assumed that the UAS accepts this proposal and confirms it by means of message N16:
The session establishment is concluded in accordance with the method described here for managing proxies authorized to terminate SIP sessions (signaling messages are not completely contained in
Using the lowest, i.e. the first Via header inserted, the UAC (UE#2) detects the source of this message. The record-route header and the proxies authorized to end the SIP session are stored in the transaction state by the UAs (Note: The proxies of the IMS are all state-full proxies [4]). The UA therefore know which proxy is authorized to end the SIP session even if no record-route header is contained in the message. Consequently, the UAC does not accept the BYE message from the P-CSCF1 and sends an error message, i.e. a 4xx (401) message, in N24-N26, back to the P-CSCF1. The same applies to messages N35-N38 between P-CSCF1 and UE#1.
The P-CSCF1 then ends the SIP session between UE#1 and UE#2, in that it sends a BYE message to both UAs. This is very similar to message N23 so that no further details are given here. Using the Via header, the UAs detect the source of this BYE request, and a correlation with the information stored in the transaction state thus shows that the P-CSCF1 is authorized to end the session. Consequently, UE#1, with N40, and UE#2 with N31-N34, each send a 200 OK to the P-CSCF1. This ends the SIP session and the UEs release the (radio) resources used.
In addition to the above variants of embodiments of the invention, a number of other variants of embodiments are available within the scope of the invention, that are not further described here but can be put into practice easily on the basis of the explained examples of embodiment.
As part of this application, reference is made to the following documents:
The following abbreviations are used in this application:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10322539.0 | May 2003 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP04/50784 | 5/13/2004 | WO | 10/17/2006 |
