A user device may join an ongoing communication of another user device by sending a request to the other user device to join the ongoing communication. The other user device may provide an option for the user of the other device to accept the request. Alternatively, the other user device may automatically add the user device to the ongoing communication or decline to the add the user device to the ongoing communication.

Embodiments include a system comprising a gateway that includes a processor coupled to sensors and/or network devices installed at a premises. The system includes a remote server coupled to the gateway and located remote to the premises. The gateway and/or the remote server includes data of the sensors and/or network devices. The system includes an application running on at least one of the gateway and the remote server. The application controls events corresponding to the data and/or the premises in response to content of the data. The system includes a client interface coupled to the gateway and/or the remote server. The client interface presents the data to client devices.

Techniques for a selection or reselection a user-plane path in a mobile network are disclosed herein. A user-plane gateway (GW-U) can be configured to decode a packet received from a control plane gateway (GW-C) in a packet data network gateway (PGW) to determine a forwarding policy. Additionally, the GW-U can decode, from an evolved node B (eNB), an internet protocol (IP) packet having a header field. Furthermore, the GW-U can determine a user-plane path for the IP packet based on a comparison of the header field and the forwarding policy. Based on the determined user-plane path, the GW-U can forward the IP packet to a local application server (AS), encapsulate and forward the IP packet to the PGW, or discard the IP packet. Moreover, the GW-U can encode the IP packet for transmission based on the determined user-plane selection.

In a packet communication system, session border controllers receive and process communication packets to detect DTMF signaling. If DTMF signaling is detected, the session border controllers determine if DTMF transcoding is required. If DTMF transcoding is required, the session border controllers transfer DTMF transcoding instructions to a DTMF transcoding server. In response to the transcoding instructions, the DTMF transcoding server transfers transcoded DTMF signaling.

A terminal for use in a voice communications system includes a base station and at least one handset arranged to communicate wirelessly with the base station. The base station includes a first interface to a packet data network and a second interface to a public switched telephone network, the base station being arranged to selectively establish a packet data call from the first interface and a public switched telephone call from the second interface.

A codec negotiation method may include issuance by a first terminal, belonging to a first IP domain/network, of an offer message specifying, a list of codecs referred which said first terminal is capable of using for communicating with a second terminal, belonging to a second IP domain/network. The offer may be intercepted by a transit device situated on the signaling path between the first and second domains/networks. The transit device may determine a revised offer, and send the revised offer to the second terminal. The second terminal may determine a response including a list of more than one codecs that are contained in the revised offer and that the second terminal is capable of using, and sends the response to the transit device. The transit device may determine a provisional revised response, so as to comply with a certain priority criterion selected by the operators of the domains/networks in question.

A communication hub that manages communication signals and sensor signals is provided. Communication signal gateways receive and transmit the communication signals with a plurality of different communication signal formats. Sensor signal gateways in turn receive the sensor signals with a plurality of different sensor signal formats. The controller dynamically interfaces the different communication signal formats of the received communication signals with a communication hub signal format to establish communication links with the communication systems associated with the received communication signals. The controller further dynamically interfaces the different sensor signal formats of the received sensor signals into the communication hub signal format used by the communication hub to gather sensor information. The controller further establishes at least one routing path to a destination hub using at least one of the established communication links. The controller further yet communicates the sensor information through the at least one established routing path.

Systems and methods for adapting traditional landline telephones to make and receive Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls and other communications are described. In some embodiments, an adapter, adaptor, or other device or apparatus connects an IP router, such as a WiFi router or other access point, to a traditional landline telephone (e.g., a phone using dual-tone multi-frequency, or DTMF, signaling), enabling the traditional landline phone to make and/or receive VoIP calls.

A method includes, with a first bearer node of a telecommunication component, utilizing network connections between the first bearer node and a first plurality of control nodes of the telecommunication component, the bearer node configured to process media data being transmitted between endpoints over a network. The method further includes, with a second bearer node of the telecommunication component, utilizing network connections between the second bearer node and a second plurality of control nodes of the telecommunication component, the second plurality of control nodes having at least one control node in common with the first plurality of control nodes and at least one control node not common with the first plurality of control nodes.

The present invention is directed to methods, apparatus and systems for optimizing media paths in communications networks. An exemplary embodiment includes the steps of a first SBC (SBC1) receiving a session request including a SDP offer for a session between first and second devices including media stream(s), said request being sent by a second SBC (SBC2) and traversing a portion of a signaling path including intermediary device(s), determining that media stream(s) should bypass one or more of the intermediary device(s), generating and transmitting to SBC2 from SBC1 a SDP answer including at least one of: (i) all SDP media descriptor transport addresses being set to zero; (ii) all SDP media stream connection values being set to 0.0.0.0 and at least one media transport address being non-zero; or (iii) header information or SDP information indicating that at least one intermediary device should be bypassed for the one or more media streams.