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User to User Key Signaling Protocols. Ellis K Cave Sr. Principal Engineer InterVoice-Brite. DTMF - is it Signaling or Media?. DTMF was designed to provide address signaling at start of call network address signaling DTMF originally turned off during conversation part of call
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User to User Key Signaling Protocols Ellis K Cave Sr. Principal Engineer InterVoice-Brite
DTMF - is it Signaling or Media? • DTMF was designed to provide address signaling at start of call • network address signaling • DTMF originally turned off during conversation part of call • Left on during call because of tip-ring polarity administration issues SIP WG
DTMF - is it Signaling or Media? • PSTN service and application vendors discovered DTMF control in late 70s • Vendors standardized on the use DTMF for application control during call • simple user input mechanism • standard across all PSTN terminal device • Accidental provision of a standard user input model by the Telco made possible most of today’s complex telephony applications SIP WG
The Infamous Octothorpe (pound sign) • Illustrates the confusion between network signaling and user signaling • VRU vendors use pound ‘#’ for application control • Input field termination • “Press pound when you complete your entry” • Network vendors use pound ‘#’ as call re-originate • “Press pound to disconnect the current LD call, and place another” SIP WG
Network vs User Signaling Confusion • To differentiate between network and application functions, network providers had to require that the pound be held for over 2 seconds for network alerts • VRU vendors may still interpret a 2-second pound as an application function SIP WG
Address Signaling in a Packet Network • Current packet session protocols thoroughly deal with address signaling • DTMF is not required for address signaling on packet terminals • Packet network address signaling standards • H.323 - Q.931, H225 • SIP Invite • Smart terminal aggregates address data input from caller • Terminal transmits aggregated address data in the call setup signaling message when user presses terminate (OK) key. SIP WG
DTMF replacement in a packet network • DTMF-type address signaling is not required in a packet network • However, some type of user input keystroke signaling IS a requirement in a packet network for interactions with applications and other users • What will replace DTMF as application control in a packet network? SIP WG
Most services in the packet network will require standardized user input. • Examples • voicemail • meet-me conferencing • recording/logging services • language translation services • hearing impaired service • To keep these applications simple, user input should be standardized across all terminal types SIP WG
Questions • What do you want to have happen when a user presses a button on the keypad of a SIP desk phone during a SIP call ? • A cell phone? Answer • The same thing that happens when you press a key on the keyboard of a computer during a SIP call. SIP WG
User Signaling in a Packet Network • H.323 defines user input indication - H.245 • Intended specifically for DTMF • Assumes 16-key device 0-9, *, #, and A-D • SIP doesn’t address user input issue • Schulzrinne made H.323 to SIP proposal • Left out user input indication translation SIP WG
Current Proposals for SIP DTMF • http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2833.txt. • http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-sip-info-method-05.txt. • draft-kuthan-sip-infopayload-00.txt (expired). • http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-choudhuri-sip-info-digit-00.txt. • http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-culpepper-sip-info-event-00.txt. • http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-agrawal-sip-h323-interworking-reqs SIP WG
Where should you put User Input? • Should it go in the signaling protocol (SIP)? • The current Info Method proposals propose this approach • Does an application protocol belong in the session set-up/teardown signaling? • SIP Info Method has the right transport characteristics • guaranteed delivery • single packet • Should it go in the session description protocol (SDP)? • SDP currently only sets up media sessions SIP WG
Where should you put User Input? • Perhaps User Input needs its own session specifically for user signaling. • If an application using SIP expects to need user input (and most will), the user agent should use SDP to set up a user input session • User input sessions will be as common as streaming media sessions SIP WG
User Key Input Transport Protocol Requirements • Keystroke-based • Requires guaranteed delivery • no dropped packets • Requires guaranteed sequencing • receiver should be able to get transmitted input events in transmit order • Duration information should be an option • User input signaling protocol should be the same whether it is a SIP phone, a PC, or a cell phone! SIP WG
What are the Choices? • RTP stream • Info Method • New SDP session protocol SIP WG
RTP streaming for User Key Input • Pros • Existing protocol • Guaranteed Sequencing • Cons • User Input is not a streaming function • single keystroke events • RTP is not guaranteed delivery • Overly complex protocol for simple keystrokes • RTSP, stats, jitter buffers, etc • Simple text chat apps would require RTP stack • User Input needs to be a separate session from audio stream SIP WG
SIP Info Method for User Key Input • Pros • Existing protocol • Guaranteed delivery • Simple mechanism (part of SIP) • Cons • Architecturally, application and user data should NOT be in the signaling channel • Future applications using redirection and replication of user input for multi-party conferencing would be prevented • How do you redirect or multicast the SIP session Info Messages? SIP WG
New SDP Session for User Key Input • Pros • Allows selection of appropriate transport protocol for reliable keystroke delivery • Separate session for User Key Input • Allows redirect & multi-unicast, etc. • Cons • Need to define new SDP protocol for User Key Input • Must use SDP to set up User Key Input session SIP WG
SDP supports • Video • Audio • Application • Data • Control • Which type of session is most appropriate? SIP WG
Gateway Requirements • Gateway is the intelligent proxy for the dumb black phone in a SIP call. • Gateway never sees PSTN address signaling from terminal, only user key input • Job of the gateway is to convert DTMF to the new SIP User Key Input protocol • Gateway sets up User Key Input SDP session SIP WG
Avoid the WAP/WML/HDML/WebClip Debacle • Different protocol for each type of device • To avoid chaos, the User Key Input protocol should be standardized for all packet terminal devices. • The “one” numeric key should produce the same message in the User Key Input session on all devices. SIP WG
Conclusions • SIP architecture needs a User Key Input mechanism • Best choice is a separate SDP session • Could be “application’ or “control” session type • User Input should be standardized across all terminal devices • Keystroke/event message map defined in standard across all terminal device types SIP WG