System and methods for providing service-specific support for multimedia traffic in wireless networks

Abstract

A system for providing service-specific support for multimedia traffic in a telecommunications system comprises a subscriber terminal, a base station operatively coupled to the subscriber terminal, a mobile switching center (MSC) operatively coupled to the base station, a media gateway control function (MGCF) and a media gateway (MGW), each coupled to the MSC. The subscriber terminal is adapted to generate multimedia traffic of at least one service category, wherein the multimedia traffic may be any of several distinct types defined within the service category. The subscriber terminal is further adapted to identify, when establishing a connection to the MSC to carry multimedia traffic, the type of that traffic in a connection request message. The MSC is adapted to further identify, when establishing a connection between the MSC and the MGCF/MGW to carry multimedia traffic, the type of that traffic in a message, responsive to the identification of the traffic type in the connection request message. The MGCF/MGW are adapted to identify, when converting, reformatting, or encapsulating multimedia traffic into a form to be carried over a packet network (for example, in TCP segments), the type of traffic being carried. The MGCF, MGW, or MSC may optionally perform service-specific processing on the multimedia traffic responsive to the traffic type indicator. When multimedia traffic is delivered to a destination network for ultimate delivery to a destination endpoint, an MGCF/MGW may reverse the effects of prior service-specific processing.