# US 2008/0186985 A1 · Methods and systems to communicate media data across different networks

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- Number: US 2008/0186985 A1
- Document ID: US20080186985A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 11/672,401
- Filed: 2007-02-07
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2007-02-07
- Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Inventors: Niral Sheth; Bernard Ku; Arshad Khan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080186985A1

## CPC

- H04L 45/00: Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks (routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00)
- H04L 45/04: {Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing}
- H04L 45/22: {Alternate routing}
- H04L 65/1016: IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
- H04L 65/1026: {at the edge}
- H04L 65/1036: {at the edge}
- H04L 63/0272: {Virtual private networks}
- H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment
- H04L 65/1104: Session initiation protocol [SIP]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to communicate media across different networks are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves storing via a first network device in a first network a first descriptor in a first data packet. The first data packet is then communicated to a second network device in a second network. A second data packet is then received from the second network device, and the first descriptor is compared to a second descriptor from the second data packet. When the first descriptor matches the second descriptor, an internet protocol address of the second network device is communicated to a communication source to cause the communication source to bypass the first network device and to communicate data to the second network device without passing that data to the first network device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method to communicate information between different networks, comprising:
storing via a first network device in a first network a first descriptor in a first data packet;
communicating the first data packet to a second network device in a second network;
receiving a second data packet from the second network device;
comparing the first descriptor to a second descriptor from the second data packet; and
when the first descriptor matches the second descriptor, communicating an internet protocol address of the second network device to a communication source to cause the communication source to bypass the first network device and communicate data to the second network device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first network device is a first session border controller of the first network and the second network device is a second session border controller of the second network.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the data is associated with a voice over internet protocol communication.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the communication source communicates directly with the second network device when the first network device is bypassed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing the first descriptor in a field associated with an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC) 3455 private header.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing the first descriptor in an access-type field of a first header in the first data packet, wherein the second descriptor is stored in an access-info field of a second header in the second data packet.

### Claim 7

An apparatus to communicate information between different networks, comprising:
a data writer in a first network configured to store a first descriptor in a first field of a first header;
a first network interface in the first network configured to communicate the first header to a second network interface of a second network and receive a second header from the second network interface;
a comparator in the first network to compare the first descriptor to a second descriptor from the second header; and
an internet protocol address provider configured to communicate an internet protocol address associated with the second network interface to a communication source when the first descriptor matches the second descriptor to cause the communication source to bypass the first network interface and communicate data to the second network interface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the communication source communicates directly with the second network device when the first network device is bypassed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first network interface is associated with a first session border controller of the first network and the second network interface is associated with a second session border controller of the second network.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the data is associated with a voice over internet protocol communication.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first header comprises an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC) 3455 private header.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the writer is to store the first descriptor in an access-type field of the first header.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

An apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising a reader to read the second descriptor from an access-info field of the second header.

### Claim at position 14

14-20. (canceled)

### Claim 20

A method to communicate information, comprising:
storing via a first network device a first descriptor in a first field;
communicating the first field to a second network device;
receiving a second field from the second network device;
comparing the first descriptor of the first field to a second descriptor of the second field; and
when the first descriptor matches the second descriptor, communicating an internet protocol address of the second network device to a communication source.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the first network device is a first session border controller of a first network and the second network device is a second session border controller of a second network.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the first network device stores the first descriptor in the first field in response to receiving a call request from the communication source.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the call request is associated with a voice over internet protocol communication.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

A method as defined in claim 20, wherein communicating the internet protocol address of the second network device to the communication source causes the communication source to bypass the first network device and to communicate data directly to the second network device.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the data includes at least one of audio data, video data, voice data, or graphics data.

### Claim 26 (depends on 20)

A method as defined in claim 20, further comprising when the second descriptor does not match the first descriptor, communicating an internet protocol address of the first network device to the communication source.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

A method as defined in claim 26, wherein communicating the internet protocol address of the first network device to the communication source causes the communication source to communicate data to the second network device via the first network device.

### Claim 28 (depends on 20)

A method as defined in claim 20, wherein each of the first field and the second field is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC) 3455 private header.

### Claim 29 (depends on 20)

A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the first field is an access-type field of a first header, and wherein the second field is an access-info field of a second header.

### Claim at position 25

30-36. (canceled)