Enhanced circuit-switched media transmission over IP access networks
AssigneeIP. Access Limited
InventorsNeil Piercy, Nick Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An enhanced circuit-switched media transmission over packet-switched, or Internet Protocol, access networks. Access legs of calls between terminal devices are monitored at a gateway positioned at the interface between packet-switched and circuit-switched networks. Access legs are identified which connect terminal devices residing in the same access network through monitoring of media data transmission. Terminal devices with identified connections are instructed to communicate directly while the gateway maintains the connection on the circuit-switched network.
Claims19
A method of handling circuit-switched media transmission over packet-switched access networks having a plurality of terminal devices, a gateway that operably couples a packet-switched access network to a circuit switched network wherein the circuit switched network comprises a circuit switch, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) monitoring at the gateway a plurality of circuit-switched data streams passing between the gateway and the circuit switch to and from a plurality of terminal devices;
- (ii) comparing at least two data streams of the plurality of circuit-switched data streams at the gateway;
- (iii) determining at the gateway whether a first data stream of the at least two data streams and a second data stream of the at least two data streams form a communication between a first terminal device operably coupled to the circuit switch and a second terminal device operably coupled to the circuit switch;
- (iv) instructing the first terminal device and the second terminal device to communicate directly, based on a successful determination in step (iii);
- and
- (v) ceasing transmission of the first data stream and second data stream between the gateway and the first terminal device and second terminal device based on a successful determination in step (iii).
A gateway for enabling communication between a packet-switched access network and a circuit-switched core network comprising a circuit switch, the gateway comprising:
- data stream monitoring means for monitoring a plurality of circuit-switched data streams between a plurality of terminal devices passing through the gateway via the circuit switch and arranged to determine whether a first data stream and a second data stream of the plurality of circuit-switched data streams form a communication between a first terminal device and a second terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices in the packet-switched access network;
- packet-switched access network control means for:
- instructing the first terminal device and the second terminal device to transmit and receive the first data stream and second data stream directly to one another across the packet-switched access network;
- and
- ceasing transmission of the first data stream and second data stream between the gateway and the first terminal device and second terminal device, based on a determination that the first data stream and second data stream form the communication between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.
A packet-switched access network comprising:
- a plurality of terminal devices;
- a gateway comprising data stream monitoring means, wherein the gateway is adapted to communicate with a circuit switch in a circuit-switched core network;
- and
- wherein the data stream monitoring means is arranged to monitor a plurality of circuit-switched data streams between the plurality of terminal devices passing through the gateway via the circuit switch and determine whether a first data stream and a second data stream of the plurality of circuit-switched data streams form a communication between a first terminal device and a second terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices in the packet-switched access network,
- wherein the gateway is adapted to instruct the first terminal device and the second terminal device to communicate the first data stream and second data stream directly to one another across the packet-switched access network and ceases transmission of the first data stream and second data stream to the circuit switch, based on a determination that the first data stream and second data stream form the communication between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.