Patent ID: 7050422

Claim:
A method of operating a server for communicating real time media data between a first client and a second client, the method comprising: a) receiving a first RTP channel request from a first proxy server with which the first client is registered, the first proxy server generating the RTP channel request in response to receiving a first invite signaling message from the first client; b) establishing a first RTP channel to support relay of a media session between the first client and the second client and providing an indication of the first RTP channel to the first proxy server in response to receiving the first RTP channel request; c) receiving a second RTP channel request from a second proxy server with which the second client is registered; d) establishing a second RTP channel to support relay of the media session between the first client and the second client and providing an indication of the second RTP channel to the second proxy server in response to the second RTP channel request; e) receiving a second media datagram originated by second client and addressed to the first RTP channel by the second client, the first RTP channel being communicated to the second client by; the first proxy server sending a second invite signaling message to the second proxy server, the second invite signaling message indicating the first RTP channel as a destination to which the second client is to address media datagrams; and the second proxy server sending a third invite signaling message to the second client, the third invite signaling message indicating the first RTP channel as the destination to which the second client is to address media datagrams; f) receiving a first media datagram originated by the first client and addressed to the second RTP channel, the second RTP channel being communicated to the first client by; the second proxy server sending a response signaling message to the first proxy server, the response signaling message indicating the second RTP channel as a destination to which the first client is to address media datagrams; and the first proxy server sending a second response signaling message to the first client, the second response signaling message indicating the second RTP channel as the destination to which the first client is to address media datagrams; g) extracting a first client source network address from the first media datagram originated by the first client; h) extracting a second client source network address from the second media datagram originated by the second client; i) sending a third media datagram to the first client source network address, wherein the third media datagram includes media data from media datagrams received from the second client on the first RTP channel; and j) sending a fourth media datagram to the second client source network address, wherein the fourth media datagram includes media data from media datagrams received from the first client on the second RTP channel.