Patent ID: 7593419

Claim:
A method for controlling a connection in a packet-oriented communication network, wherein the network comprises a first network zone with a first signaling control device and a first terminal, a second network zone with a second signaling control device and a second terminal, a first data communication channel transmitting user data from the first terminal to the second terminal, and a second data communication channel transmitting user data from the second terminal to the first terminal, wherein the first and second data channels form a peer-to-peer communication relationship between the first and second terminals, the method comprising: the first signaling control device sending a first terminal capability set message with an empty capability set to the first terminal, prompting the first terminal to close the first data communication channel; the first signaling control device sending a channel closure first confirmation request message containing a report-transmit-channels-closed information element to the first terminal; the first terminal sending a channel closure message transparently via the first and second signaling control devices to the second terminal, prompting the second terminal to close the first data communication channel; the second terminal sending a channel closure first confirmation message transparently via the first and second signaling control devices to the first terminal; as a result of receiving the channel closure first confirmation message, the first terminal sending an information request response message as a channel closure confirmation second message to the first signaling control device; as a result of receiving the information request response, the first signaling control device transmitting a second terminal capability set message with a non-empty capability set to the first terminal, prompting the first terminal to open a new data communication channel.