Gateway Apparatus for Circuit Switched to IMS Interconnection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies fail to effectively interconnect multimedia services, such as video phone, between a mobile circuit switched network and a mobile IMS network, especially when capability information of terminals differs, preventing integrated services across both networks.

Innovation Solution

A gateway apparatus with a call control unit and conversion unit, including demultiplexing, control and analysis, and packetizing units, that converts and packetizes signals to enable interconnection between mobile circuit switched and IMS networks, using protocols like MEGACO, SIP, and SDP to manage and transmit control, speech, and video signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a gateway is provided to interconnect mobile circuit switched network and mobile IMS network, then interconnection of multimedia services is enabled, but capability information mismatch between terminals connected to different networks prevents successful communication

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterconnection capabilityVSAvoidcommunication success rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway acts as an intermediary between the mobile circuit switched network and the mobile IMS network. It extracts capability information from control signals received from terminals, compares capability parameters between networks, and performs necessary conversions or transcodings to enable successful communication despite capability mismatches between terminals on different networks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If capability information is extracted and compared between terminals, then communication compatibility can be ensured, but the complexity of the gateway increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication compatibilityVSAvoidgateway structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway extracts only the necessary capability information from control signals received from terminals, rather than processing all possible parameters. This selective extraction approach ensures communication compatibility while avoiding unnecessary complexity in the gateway structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway performs capability comparison and conversion only for specific parameters that differ between networks, rather than uniformly processing all capability information. This localized approach to capability management reduces overall system complexity while maintaining compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If control signals are converted between different protocols (H.245 to MEGACO/SIP/SDP), then inter-network communication is enabled, but the conversion process introduces additional processing time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotocol compatibilityVSAvoidsignal conversion time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway performs capability information extraction and comparison during the call setup phase, before actual media transmission begins. This preliminary capability matching ensures that appropriate conversion parameters are predetermined, reducing processing time during active communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2271174B1Gateway device, communication method, and program
Publication Date: 2024.04.24 RAKUTEN GROUP INC
  • EP2271174B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2271174B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2271174B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A gateway apparatus is provided in which multi-media services, such as video phone (TV telephone), employing a network of a mobile circuit switched network or the protocol for mobile circuit switching, and the mobile IMS network, are interconnected, and in which a mobile terminal for circuit switching and a mobile terminal for mobile IMS may be interconnected to implement integrated services as IMS. corresponding communication method and a corresponding program A gateway apparatus (110) that interconnects a mobile circuit switched network (130) and a mobile IMS network (102) to implement the video phone includes a conversion unit. The conversion unit demultiplexes a multiplexed bit stream signal output from a mobile terminal (120) connected to the mobile circuit switched network to take out one or more of a control signal, a compression-encoded speech signal, and a compression-encoded video signal. The conversion unit converts the control signal into one or more of a MEGACO signal, a SIP signal and a SDP signal, while converting the speech signal and the video signal, if necessary. The conversion unit also packetizes the speech signal and the video signal to transmit the resulting packet to the IMS network (Fig.1).