Patent ID: 7483380

Claim:
A method for allocating bandwidth for a call between a first client operating in a first Internet Protocol (IP) network and a second client operating in a second IP network, the method comprising: at a first session controller of the first IP network: determining a first route including a first set of communication links from the first client to a router that serves as an interface point between the first IP network and the second IP network; determining for each communication link of the first set of communication links whether an already reserved bandwidth plus a required bandwidth for the call is less than or equal to the total bandwidth capacity for the communication link, when there is enough bandwidth on all communication links of the first set of communication links, then allocating the bandwidth to allow the first client to communicate the call with the router, wherein the allocating of the bandwidth includes incrementing the already reserved bandwidth for each communication link of the set of communication links with the required bandwidth for the call, and forwarding a request for the call to a second session controller of the second IP network; and at the second session controller of the second IP network: determining a second route including a second set of communication links from the router to the second client; determining for each communication link of the second set of communication links whether an already reserved bandwidth plus a required bandwidth for the call is less than or equal to the total bandwidth capacity for the communication link, when there is enough bandwidth on all communication links of the second set of communication links, then allocating the bandwidth to allow the router to communicate the call with the second client, wherein the allocating of the bandwidth includes incrementing the already reserved bandwidth for each communication link of the second set of communication links with the required bandwidth for the call, and sending a positive bandwidth reservation response to the request for the call to the first client via the first session controller.