Apparatus and methods for maintaining the registration state of an IP device in a network address port translation (NAPT) environment

A network address translation (NAT) system operable to manage a registration state of an endpoint node in a network address port translation environment, the NAT system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are adapted to:
• receive a registration message from a first endpoint node located within a local network, the registration message being sent from the first endpoint node to a gatekeeper node, wherein the registration message includes a local source address of the first endpoint node, a first local source port of the first endpoint node, and local call signaling information;
• translate the local source address and/or the first local source port of the first endpoint node into a first global address and/or a first global port, respectively;
• create a first binding that associates the local source address with the global source address and/or associates the first local source port with the first global port;
• translate the local call signaling information into global call signaling information;
• create a second binding between the local call signaling information and the global call signaling information such that the second binding associates different local and global information than the first binding, wherein creating the first and second bindings is based on the registration message that was received at the network translation device;
• and
• if an unregistration message is received from the first endpoint node, dismantle the first binding and the second binding.

A computer program product for managing a registration state of an endpoint node in a network address port translation environment, the computer program product comprising:

• at least one computer readable storage medium;
• computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable storage medium product configured to:
• at a network address translation device, receive a registration message from a first endpoint node located within a local network, the registration message being sent from the first endpoint node to a gatekeeper node, wherein the registration message includes a local source address of the first endpoint node, a first local source port of the first endpoint node, and local call signaling information;
• at the network address translation device, translate the local source address and/or the first local source port of the first endpoint node into a first global address and/or a first global port, respectively;
• at the network address translation device, create a first binding that associates the local source address with the global source address and/or associates the first local source port with the first global port;
• at the network address translation device, translate the local call signaling information into global call signaling information;
• at the network address translation device, create a second binding between the local call signaling information and the global call signaling information such that the second binding associates different local and global information than the first binding, wherein creating the first and second bindings is based on the registration message that was received at the network translation device;
• and
• if an unregistration message is received from the first endpoint node, dismantle the first binding and the second binding at the network address translation device.

An apparatus for managing a registration state of an endpoint node in a network address port translation environment, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a registration message from a first endpoint node located within a local network, the registration message being sent from the first endpoint node to a gatekeeper node, wherein the registration message includes a local source address of the first endpoint node, a first local source port of the first endpoint node, and local call signaling information
• means for translating the local source address and/or the first local source port of the first endpoint node into a first global address and/or a first global port, respectively;
• means for creating a first binding that associates the local source address with the global source address and/or associates the first local source port with the first global port;
• means for translating the local call signaling information into global call signaling information;
• means for creating a second binding between the local call signaling information and the global call signaling information such that the second binding associates different local and global information than the first binding, wherein creating the first and second bindings is based on the registration message that was received at the network translation device;
• and
• means for dismantling the first binding and the second binding if an unregistration message is received from the first endpoint node.