Local IMS Server for P2P Multimedia Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Telecommunications carriers face challenges in allocating substantial bandwidth for multimedia content sharing between mobile devices, leading to network congestion and increased costs, as existing systems require significant bandwidth allocation for multimedia sessions.

Innovation Solution

A local IMS server is introduced within a wireless local network to facilitate multimedia content transfer between mobile devices, minimizing traffic through the core IMS server and enabling secure, localized multimedia sessions while maintaining billing records for accurate charging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multimedia content is transferred through the core IMS server, then centralized control and billing are maintained, but network bandwidth consumption increases and network congestion occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecentralized controlVSAvoidbandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments multimedia traffic into two paths: signaling traffic through the core IMS server for centralized control, and actual media content traffic through direct peer-to-peer connections between mobile devices. This segmentation allows billing and control functions to remain centralized while eliminating unnecessary bandwidth consumption through the core network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile devices act as intermediaries that establish direct communication channels with each other for content transfer, while the core IMS server acts as a signaling intermediary that sets up and manages these connections without carrying the actual media content. This mediator approach separates control plane from user plane traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If substantial bandwidth is allocated for multimedia sessions, then content transfer capability is improved, but network cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent transfer capabilityVSAvoidnetwork cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Mobile devices perform self-service by establishing direct peer-to-peer connections for content transfer without requiring core network bandwidth allocation. The devices autonomously manage the media stream between themselves, eliminating the need for expensive dedicated bandwidth allocation through the carrier network while maintaining full content transfer capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Quantity of substance

If direct peer-to-peer transfer is implemented, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but billing record accuracy may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth efficiencyVSAvoidbilling record accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where mobile devices send billing-relevant information (such as content type, duration, and identification) back to the core IMS server through signaling channels. This feedback loop ensures that even though content transfer occurs directly between devices, the billing system receives accurate information to generate correct charges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The core IMS server performs preliminary actions by establishing billing contexts and recording session parameters before the actual peer-to-peer content transfer begins. This preliminary setup ensures that billing records are accurately prepared in advance, maintaining information integrity despite the decentralized transfer path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2387854B1System and method for peer-to-peer transfer of multimedia content and reconcilation thereof
Publication Date: 2019.04.24 T MOBILE US INC
  • EP2387854B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2387854B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2387854B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system and method to enable a transfer of multimedia content between mobile telecommunication devices while maintaining the multimedia traffic within a wireless local network. Multimedia content may be sent from one of the mobile telecommunication devices and delivered to another one or more of the mobile telecommunication devices. The multimedia transfer is facilitated and monitored by a secure agent located within the local network. The secure agent maintains a record of the multimedia content sessions and transmits such information to a billing component. The billing component utilizes the record of content transfer to assess a fee or other charge on the sending device, the receiving device(s), or both sending and receiving devices. In some embodiments, such a charge may include a credit or other reward that is provided to sending devices or receiving devices for implementing a local transfer of multimedia content.