Multimedia call control: A centralized approach

Abstract

To support multimedia services on a large scale, a powerful signaling system for broadband networks has to be provided. It has to enable arbitrary complex multimedia services with several participants, involving several media and heterogeneous terminal equipment. This paper describes a framework for an overall signaling architecture that fulfils those requirements. One of its basic principles is to perform call and resource control in a centralized manner, which is contrary to other advanced and traditional approaches. Another key feature of the proposed framework is an independent signaling system for connection control. One of the advantages of the new design is that no NNI signaling for call and resource control is required. Call control and the determination of special resources, like converters and conference bridges, is simplified. A cost optimization can be performed when locating the special resources. The architecture enables a straight forward inclusion of external providers of resource services. The autonomous connection control yields independence from the underlying switching and transmission technology, and it completely separates signaling for call and resource control from connection control. Hence it is feasible to have different providers for telecommunication services, resource services and bearer services.