# US 8,572,261 B2 · Method and apparatus for identifying an IMS service

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- Number: US 8,572,261 B2
- Document ID: US8572261B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/608,082
- Filed: 2012-09-10
- Published: 2012-12-27
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2012-09-10
- Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
- Applicants: Bo Åström; Mats Stille; Anders Ryde; Stephen Terrill; Bror Lennart Norell
- Inventors: Bo Åström; Mats Stille; Anders Ryde; Stephen Terrill; Bror Lennart Norell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8572261B2

## CPC

- H04L 65/1104: Session initiation protocol [SIP]
- H04L 65/1073: Registration or de-registration
- H04L 67/141: Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70)
- H04L 65/1016: IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A User Equipment (UE) and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network node for indicating the IMS services and IMS applications to which a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message relates. An IMS communication service identifier and an IMS application reference are added to the SIP message. The identifier and the reference may be added as Feature Tags. The reference may also be added as an a-line augmenting an m-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A User Equipment (UE) for communicating with an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network node utilizing Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling, wherein the UE comprises a processor coupled to a memory that stores computer program instructions, wherein when the processor executes the instructions, the UE is caused to:
set an IMS communication service identifier to identify one of a plurality of IMS communication services;
set an IMS application reference to identify one of a plurality of IMS applications to be used for handling the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services; and
send to the IMS network node, a SIP message that includes the IMS communication service identifier and the IMS application reference, thereby enabling an IMS protocol stack in the IMS network node to utilize the IMS communication service identifier to forward the SIP message to the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services, and enabling the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services to utilize the IMS application reference to forward the SIP message to the identified one of the plurality of IMS applications.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The UE as recited in claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to include the IMS communication service identifier in the SIP message as a first feature tag in a header of the SIP message.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The UE as recited in claim 2, wherein the UE is configured to include the IMS application reference in the SIP message as a second feature tag in a header of the SIP message.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The UE as recited in claim 2, wherein the UE is configured to include the application reference in the SIP message as an a-line augmenting an m-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The UE as recited in claim 2, wherein the UE is configured to include the application reference in the SIP message as a second feature tag in a header of the SIP request message and as an a-line augmenting an m-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.

### Claim 6

A User Equipment (UE) for communicating with an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network node utilizing Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling, the UE comprising:
a processor coupled to a memory that stores computer program instructions, wherein when the processor executes the instructions, the processor implements an IMS protocol stack;
a plurality of IMS communication services in communication with the IMS protocol stack; and
a plurality of IMS applications interfaced with the plurality of IMS communication services;
wherein the processor controls the IMS protocol stack to:
receive from the IMS network node, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message that includes an IMS communication service identifier and an IMS application reference;
utilize the IMS communication service identifier to identify one of the plurality of IMS communication services; and
forward the received SIP message to the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services;
wherein the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services is configured to:
receive the SIP message from the IMS protocol stack;
utilize the IMS application reference to identify one of the plurality of IMS applications; and
forward the received SIP message to the identified one of the plurality of IMS applications.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The UE as recited in claim 6, wherein the IMS protocol stack is configured to read the IMS communication service identifier from a first feature tag in a header of the SIP message.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The UE as recited in claim 7, wherein the UE is configured to read the IMS application reference from a second feature tag in a header of the SIP message.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The UE as recited in claim 7, wherein the UE is configured to read the application reference from an a-line augmenting an m-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The UE as recited in claim 7, wherein the UE is configured to read the application reference from a second feature tag in a header of the SIP message and from an a-line augmenting an rn-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.

### Claim 11

A Session Initiation Protocol Application Server (SIP AS) in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, wherein the SIP AS comprises a processor coupled to a memory that stores computer program instructions, wherein when the processor executes the instructions, the SIP AS is caused to:
set an IMS communication service identifier to identify one of a plurality of IMS communication services;
set an IMS application reference to identify one of a plurality of IMS applications to be used for handling the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services; and
send to a User Equipment (UE), a SIP message that includes the IMS communication service identifier and the IMS application reference, thereby enabling an IMS protocol stack in the UE to utilize the IMS communication service identifier to forward the SIP message to the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services, and enabling the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services to utilize the IMS application reference to forward the SIP message to the identified one of the plurality of IMS applications.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The SIP AS as recited in claim 11, wherein the SIP AS is configured to include the IMS communication service identifier in the SIP message as a first feature tag in a header of the SIP message.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The SIP AS as recited in claim 12, wherein the SIP AS is configured to include the IMS application reference in the SIP message as a second feature tag in a header of the SIP message.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The SIP AS as recited in claim 12, wherein the SIP AS is configured to include the application reference in the SIP message as an a-line augmenting an m-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The SIP AS as recited in claim 12, wherein the SIP AS is configured to include the application reference in the SIP message as a second feature tag in a header of the SIP message and as an a-line augmenting an m-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.

### Claim 16

A node in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network for communicating with a User Equipment (UE) or another IMS network node utilizing Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling, the node in the IMS network comprising:
a processor coupled to a memory that stores computer program instructions, wherein when the processor executes the instructions, the processor implements an IMS protocol stack;
a plurality of IMS communication services in communication with the IMS protocol stack; and
a plurality of IMS applications interfaced with the plurality of IMS communication services;
wherein the processor controls the IMS protocol stack to:
receive from the UE or the other IMS network node, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message that includes an IMS communication service identifier and an IMS application reference;
utilize the IMS communication service identifier to identify one of the plurality of IMS communication services; and
forward the received SIP message to the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services;
wherein the identified one of the plurality of IMS communication services is configured to:
receive the SIP message from the IMS protocol stack;
utilize the IMS application reference to identify one of the plurality of IMS applications; and
forward the received SIP message to the identified one of the plurality of IMS applications.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The IMS network node as recited in claim 16, wherein the IMS protocol stack is configured to read the IMS communication service identifier from a first feature tag in a header of the SIP message.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The IMS network node as recited in claim 17, wherein the IMS network node is configured to read the IMS application reference from a second feature tag in a header of the SIP message.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The IMS network node as recited in claim 17, wherein the IMS network node is configured to read the application reference from an a-line augmenting an m-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The IMS network node as recited in claim 17, wherein the IMS network node is configured to read the application reference from a second feature tag in a header of the SIP message and from an a-line augmenting an m-line in a Session Description Protocol (SDP) part of the SIP message.