System and method for correct routing and enforcement policy in a network having address or port translation
View Patent ↗The present invention incorporates an intermediary proxy rules device that has access to information regarding network address and port bindings or network address and port translations. This intermediary function communicates translated address information to other devices on the network, such as the policy and charging rule function and policy and charging enforcement function. The full communication and coordination of this information coordinates correct translation address information and other necessary information to these PCRF and PCEF devices, which eliminates many of the problems associated with the session set-up and maintenance with other networks.
1. A system for supporting the transmission of multimedia communications, comprising:
a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy for interfacing with a user equipment device, said SIP proxy including a network address translation device for translating an actual address of the user equipment device in an information packet into a translated address which is used to support media communications for transmission to the user equipment device;
a media proxy that receives media communications addressed to the translated address for the user equipment device, said media communications being provided to a policy control and charging enforcement function (PCEF) device for forwarding and policy enforcement of the media communication;
a proxy rules and charging function (PCRF) proxy for communicating a correlation between the user equipment device's actual address and the user equipment device's translated address to the PCEF device wherein, the PCEF device uses the translated address for proper forwarding and policy enforcement of media communications to be transmitted to the user equipment device.
2. The support system of claim 1 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to a PCRF device, which is coupled to the PCEF device.
3. The support system of claim 1 wherein the SIP proxy is coupled to a proxy call session control function (PCSCF) device that receives the translated user equipment address and uses that translated address to support the media communications.
4. The support system of claim 3 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to said PCSCF device.
5. The support system of claim 4 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to a PCRF proxy device, which is coupled to the PCEF device.
6. The support system of claim 1 wherein the SIP proxy is coupled to a proxy call session control function (PCSCF) device that receives the translated address and uses the translated address to support the media communications.
7. The support system of claim 6 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to said PCSCF device.
8. The support system of claim 7 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to a PCRF device, which is coupled to the PCEF device.
9. The support system of claim 1 wherein the SIP proxy, the PCRF proxy, and the media proxy are components of a session border controller (SBC).
10. A system for supporting multimedia communications on a network, comprising:
a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy for communicating with a user equipment device and including a network address translation device for providing a translation of an actual address of the user equipment device in an information packet into a translated address which is used to support media communications to the user equipment device;
a media proxy that receives media communications to be transmitted to the user equipment device, said media communications being provided to a policy control and charging enforcement function (PCEF) device;
a proxy rules and charging function (PCRF) proxy for communicating a correlation between the user equipment device's actual address and the user equipment device's translated address to the PCEF device, wherein said PCEF device uses the translated address for proper forwarding and policy enforcement of media communications to the user equipment device.
11. The support system of claim 10 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to a PCRF device, which is coupled to the PCEF device.
12. The support system of claim 10 wherein the SIP proxy is coupled to a proxy call session control function (PCSCF) that receives the translated address and uses that translated address to support the media communications.
13. The support system of claim 12 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to a PCRF device, which is coupled to the PCEF device.
14. The support system of claim 12 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to said PCSCF device.
15. The support system of claim 14 wherein the PCRF proxy is coupled to a PCRF device, which is coupled to the PCEF device.
16. The system of claim 10 wherein the SIP proxy, the PCRF proxy, and the media proxy are components of a session border controller (SBC).
17. A method for providing support for multimedia communications on a network, comprising the steps of:
transmitting an information packet from a user equipment device to a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy,
translating an actual address of the user equipment device in an information packet into a translated address which is used to prepare media communications for transmission to the user equipment device;
correlating the user equipment device's actual address and the translated address;
communicating the correlation of the actual address and translated address for the user equipment device from a proxy rules and charging function (PCRF) proxy to a policy control and charging enforcement function (PCEF) device;
receiving media communications at a media proxy, said media communications being addressed to the translated address for the user equipment device;
transmitting said media communications to said PCEF device for forwarding to the user equipment and application of correct policy enforcement, said PCEF device using the correlation address information to assist with the forwarding of the multimedia communications through the application of correct policy.
18. The method for supporting multimedia communications of claim 17 wherein PCRF proxy is coupled to a PCRF device, which is coupled to the PCEF device.
19. The method for supporting multimedia communications of claim 17 wherein the SIP proxy is coupled to a proxy call session control function (PCSCF) device that receives the translated user equipment address and uses that translated address to support the media communications.
20. The method for supporting multimedia communications of claim 19 wherein PCRF proxy is coupled to said PCSCF device.
21. The method for supporting multimedia communications of claim 17 wherein the SIP proxy, the PCRF proxy, and the media proxy are components of a session border controller (SBC).