Method and system for providing remote transcoding of media data on a VOIP system

A computer system comprising:

• a signaling agnostic transcoding module operating on computer hardware having a processor and memory operatively connected to the processor which is owned, operated, and managed by a different service provider than the communication module and not part of a route of communication between the first communication device and the second communication device;
• a communication module operating on computer hardware having a processor and memory operatively connected to the processor and which is owned, operated, and managed by a different service provider than the transcoding module, the communication module programmed to:
• receive a call invite from a first communication device to initiate a call with a second communication device, wherein the invite includes an indication of a media coding capability of the first communication device, the media coding capability of the first communication device including at least one codec capability residing on the first communication device and at least one codec capability provided by the transcoding module;
• transmit the call invite to the second communication device;
• receive a response to the call invite from the second communication device, which establishes the route of communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, wherein the response includes an acceptance of the call invite and an indication of a media coding capability residing on the second communication device;
• create a media session key identifying the first media coding capability and the second media coding capability;
• submit a request to the transcoding module to reserve a transcoding resource matching the media coding capability residing on the second communication device;
• the transcoding module programmed to:
• transmit a response to the communication module confirming reservation of transcoding capability between the first media coding capability and the second media coding capability;
• create a session id corresponding to a media call between the first communication device and the second communication device;
• receive first call media data from the first communication device;
• transcode the first call media data using at least one available codec capability stored on the computer hardware operating the transcoding module which is not located on the first communication device based on a policy associated with media transmission to the second communication device and without altering the route of communication between the first communication device and the second communication device;
• and
• transmit the transcoded first call media data to the second communication device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• receive a request from a communication module to reserve transcoding capability between a first media coding capability of a first communication device and a second media coding capability of a second communication device responsive to an acceptance, by the second communication device, to a call invite sent by the first communication device that establishes of a route of communication between the first communication device and the second communication device, wherein the request includes information regarding the first communication device, the second communication device, and a session key identifying the first media coding capability, and the second media coding capability, and wherein the first media coding capability includes at least one codec capability residing on the first communication device and at least one codec capability;
• respond to the reservation request with media attributes for the first communication device and the second communication device confirming reservation of transcoding capability between the first media coding capability and the second media coding capability;
• receive first call media data from the first communication device;
• create a session id corresponding to a media call between the first communication device and the second communication device;
• transcode the first call media data without altering the route of communication between the first communication device and the second communication device;
• and
• transmit the transcoded first call media data to the second communication device,
• wherein the computer-readable medium is owned, operated, and managed by a different service provider than the communication module, the first communication device, and the second communication device.