Prioritized Media Path Notification for Communication Sessions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Unified Communication (UC) systems face challenges in selecting optimal routing paths for data flows and responding to signal quality changes due to network unawareness of individual flow attributes, leading to inefficiencies and potential interference from non-authenticated media flows.

Innovation Solution

A method to authenticate communication sessions for prioritized media paths by ascertaining session attributes and interacting with IP and wireless access networks to mark data packets with prioritized service indicators, routing them through dedicated channels for enhanced quality and security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If UC data flows are routed over networks that are unaware of individual flow attributes, then network simplicity is maintained, but optimal routing path selection and signal quality response become challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork complexityVSAvoidrouting path optimization
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a communication service as an intermediary between the client device and the network. This service authenticates communication sessions, ascertains session attributes, and interacts with both the core IP network and radio access network to establish prioritized media paths. The intermediary enables network awareness of individual flow attributes without requiring the network itself to become complex, resolving the contradiction between network simplicity and routing optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If communication sessions are authenticated for prioritized media paths, then service quality and network protection are enhanced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice qualityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication service performs multiple functions including session authentication, attribute ascert机ination, notification generation, and coordination with network elements. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional service, the patent enhances service quality and network protection without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If media flows are routed through prioritized channels, then communication quality is improved, but network resource allocation becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication qualityVSAvoidresource allocation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies quality differentiation locally to authenticated communication sessions rather than across the entire network. By establishing prioritized media paths only for authenticated sessions with specific attributes, the system improves communication quality for these sessions without requiring complex resource allocation mechanisms for all network traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3318040B1Notification for a prioritized media path for a communication session
Publication Date: 2019.12.25 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3318040B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3318040B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3318040B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Techniques for notification for a prioritized media path for a communication session are described. According to various embodiments, a communication session is authenticated with a communication service. The communication service interacts with an Internet Protocol (IP) network and a wireless access network to cause the communication session to be routed across a prioritized media path.