Cisco Technology, Inc.

Paul Edwin Jones

James Martin Polk

Michael Anthony Ramalho

Subhasri Dhesikan

Vivek Bhargava

Wai-Tian Tan

Rajesh Kumar

Jon Michael Snyder

Kashyap Kodanda Ram Kambhatla

Xiaoqing Zhu

Herbert Michael Wildfeuer

Mehryar Khalili Garakani

Faisal Siyavudeen

Henry Louis Fourie

Sandeep Singh Kohli

Vijay Arumugam Kannan

Madhu Gindi

Kevin Roy McMenamy

Steven J White

Graham Geoffrey Gudgin

Cheng Kun Wang

Oscar E Arenas

Kang Yin

Jayaseelan Arulselvan

Ivan T Varghis

A method is described and in one embodiment includes receiving at a first node in a communications network a Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translation ('STUN') message associated with a first flow, wherein the STUN message comprises a flow attribute including corresponding to the first flow; analyzing the flow attribute at the first node; setting policy corresponding to the first flow in the network based on the analyzing, wherein setting the policy includes using the flow attribute of the STUN message to configure a network path for the first flow in the communications network; and forwarding the STUN message to a next network node.

Techniques for informing communications networks of desired packet transport treatment

A method is described and in one embodiment includes receiving at a first node in a communications network a message associated with a first flow, wherein the message comprises a flow treatment attribute including metadata indicative of how the first flow should be treated in the network; analyzing the flow treatment attribute at the first node; setting policy for treatment of the flow in the network based on the analyzing; and forwarding the message to a next network node.

In one embodiment, a device in a network sends a first set of one or more packets at a first rate to a destination in the network. The device determines a queuing delay reporting time. The queuing delay reporting time represents an amount of time before an indication of a queuing delay associated with the sent first set of one or more packets is reported back to the device. The device determines a second rate based on the determined queuing delay reporting time and on a maximum allowable delay. The device sends a second set of packets at the second rate to the destination.

Accelerated ramp up for delay-based rate adaptation

In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a first message from an application associated with a variable bit-rate (VBR) media flow, the first message including information that has at least an approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate and an amount by which a bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed. The method also includes determining an amount of available bandwidth in a network, and identifying the approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate and the amount by which the bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed. Finally, the method includes identifying a bandwidth allocation identified based on the amount of available bandwidth in the network, the approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate, and the amount by which the bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed.

Method and apparatus for supporting variable bit-rate reservations

A system and method for maintaining provisioned configuration for an endpoint in a packet switched communications network are disclosed, the communications network utilizing a signalling protocol between the endpoint and at least one gatekeeper. The gatekeeper receives a request from the endpoint, determines the addresses of an assigned gatekeeper and at least one alternate gatekeeper, and transmits the addresses to the endpoint within the signalling protocol. The endpoint sends a message to its assigned gatekeeper, and if the assigned gatekeeper is responsive, the endpoint receives an indication confirming that the Gatekeeper is available. If the assigned gatekeeper is unresponsive, the endpoint registers with an alternate gatekeeper, but periodically sends a polling status request to its assigned gatekeeper, so that when the assigned gatekeeper becomes responsive, the endpoint may then register with its assigned gatekeeper.

System and method for maintaining a provisioned configuration for an endpoint in a communications network

In one embodiment, a method includes reserving a first amount of bandwidth with respect to a path in response to a reservation request from a sender. The reservation request specifies a plurality of acceptable amounts of bandwidth including the first amount of bandwidth and a second amount of bandwidth. The first amount of bandwidth is less than the second amount of bandwidth. The method also includes determining, after reserving the first amount of bandwidth, that additional bandwidth sufficient to accommodate the second amount of bandwidth is available, and automatically providing a first indication that the additional bandwidth is available. Automatically providing the first indication that the additional bandwidth is available includes providing the first indication to at least the sender. Finally, the method includes obtaining a second indication, the second indication being arranged to indicate whether the second amount of bandwidth may be accommodated with respect to the path.

Method and apparatus for triggering bandwidth upspeeding within an existing reservation

In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a request from a first endpoint to establish a session, determining whether a resource reservation may be established post-ring, and identifying a second endpoint to establish the resource reservation post-ring when it is determined that the resource reservation may be established post-ring. The method also includes notifying the second endpoint of the request and ringing the second endpoint. Notifying the second endpoint of the request includes notifying the second endpoint that the resource reservation may be established post-ring.

Method and apparatus for signaling post-ring reservations

In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a message associated with a data flow that includes a first indicator that identifies an amount of requested pool bandwidth and a second indicator that identifies a pool with which the data flow is associated. The pool is associated with a plurality of data flows that includes the data flow. The method also includes determining whether the pool has an overall bandwidth allocation, and, if so, determining whether reserving the amount of requested bandwidth would cause the overall bandwidth allocation to exceed a maximum pool bandwidth allocation. Finally, the method includes reserving approximately the amount of requested bandwidth when it is determined that reserving the amount of requested bandwidth would not cause the overall bandwidth allocation to exceed the maximum pool bandwidth allocation. Reserving approximately the amount of requested bandwidth includes increasing the overall bandwidth allocation by the amount of requested bandwidth.

Method and apparatus for pooling bandwidth across disparate bandwidth reservations

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an indication of an availability from a primary registration server that is associated an endpoint associated an Internet Protocol (IP) protocol. The method also includes determining whether the primary registration server is available, and notifying the endpoint that the primary registration server is available if the primary registration server is available.

Server driven endpoint re-homing

A method to prevent TTY/TDD (teletypewriter/telecommunications device for the deal) probing and unwanted TTY/TDD tone generation on voice gateways comprises detecting a PSTN textphone in a call path, if any; and providing visual clues to an end user, thereby avoiding generation of unwanted text by the end user. The visual clues may be in the form of a dialog box on a computer, warning messages on a phone, and/or the like.

Method to prevent TTY/TDD probing and unwanted TTY/TDD tone generation on voice gateways

In one embodiment, interworking procedures between H.323 and SIP ensure that in-band tones and announcements, along with local and remote ringback, are properly played or generated.

Properly playing in-band tones before call establishment when performing protocol interworking

A network device having delayed call establishment is disclosed. The network device includes a port to allow the device to communicate with a called endpoint and a processor. The processor sends a call request message associated with a call to the called endpoint and receives a notification that a delay point has been reached. Alternatively, the network device includes a port to allow the device to communicate with a calling endpoint and a processor. The processor receives a call request message associated with a call from the calling endpoint, responds with a notification of delayed call establishment availability; and processes the call to a delay point. Once the delay point has been reached the processor determines if the call is to be established, and if the call is to be established, notify the called endpoint.

Delayed call establishment

A communication scheme allows two Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateways that do not necessarily support a common set of Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) text terminal (TTY) modulations and which are communicating with dissimilar PSTN text terminal devices to negotiate a transition to text relay mode thus allowing those dissimilar PSTN text terminal devices to interwork with each other.

Method and apparatus for interworking dissimilar text phone protocols over a packet switched network

A method for re-querying for routing information is disclosed. The method transmits an initial admission query to a gatekeeper or a request for routing information and receives an admission confirmation or routing information response with a destination address. The method then tries to establish a connection with the destination address. Upon reception of a call failure message including a failure cause, the method, optionally, increments a counter and transmits a re-query to the gatekeeper or other routing entity, and the re-query includes the failure cause and, optionally, a value of the query counter.

Route re-query scheme in communication networks

Text is interleaved and transported along with media data over the same real-time Internet Protocol (IP) media transport session. A network processing device identifies text characters corresponding with text signaling. The identified text characters are formatted into text packets and sent over the same real-time IP media transport session used for real-time media transport. The media transport session can identify the sequence that the text characters are transmitted and can specify a maximum character transfer rate.

Growing community of inventors

Apex, NC, United States of America

Paul Edwin Jones