IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Call Flows

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is the next generation platform for IP based multimedia services.
Detailed IMS call flow diagrams for the following scenarios are covered here:

 IMS Registration Sequence Diagrams

 IMS to IMS Call Flow
 PSTN (ISUP) to IMS Interworking Call Flow
 IMS to PSTN (ISUP) Interworking Call Flow
 SDP Codec Selection and QoS Signaling in an IMS Call
 IMS Presence Subscription and Notification Flow
 IMS Presence Resource List Subscription and Notification Flow
 IMS Conference Call
 Push-to-talk over Cellular - Pre-established Session

IMS Registration Sequence Diagrams

This sequence diagram details the message interactions involved in IMS registration. IMS
registration from a visited IMS network is covered. The interactions covered are:

 Terminal attaching to the GPRS Network.

 Terminal activates a PDP context.
 An unauthenticated IMS registration is attempted.
 IPSec security association is established between the User terminal and the P-CSCF.
 Finally the terminal performs an IPSec protected registration that completes the
authentication of the network and the terminal.

 IMS Registration
 IMS Registration (Explore More)

IMS to IMS Call Flow

A detailed IMS subscriber to IMS subscriber is presented here. The preconditions for this call flow
are:

 The calling IMS subscriber is currently roaming outside the home network.
 The called user is registered in the home network.
 The caller and the called user require resource reservation before the call can be setup.

The major steps in the call flow are:

  IMS routing of the initial SIP INVITE.
 IMS routing of the first response to the INVITE.
 Resource allocation via PDP context activation.

 IMS to IMS Call Flow

 IMS to IMS Call Flow (Explore More)

PSTN (ISUP) to IMS Interworking Call Flow

This call flow covers the handling of a CS network originated call with ISUP. In the diagram the
MGCF requests seizure of the IM CN subsystem side termination and CS network side bearer
termination. When the MGCF receives an answer indication, it requests the IM-MGW to both-way
through-connect the terminations. Originating and terminating end initiated call releases are also
covered.

 PSTN to IMS Call Flow

 PSTN to IMS Call (Explore More)

IMS to PSTN (ISUP) Interworking Call Flow

This call flow describes the call setup from an IMS subscriber to ISUP PSTN termination. The call is
routed via the BGCF (Border Gateway Control Function) to the MGCF (Media Gateway Control
Function). The MGCF uses one context with two terminations in IM-MGW (Media Gateway). The
termination RTP1 is used towards IMS Core network subsystem entity and the bearer termination
TDM1 is used for bearer towards PSTN CS network element.

 IMS to PSTN Call Flow

 IMS to PSTN Call (Explore More)

SDP Codec Selection and QoS Signaling in an IMS Call

Session Description Protocol (SDP) specifies a format for exchanging streaming related parameters
between SIP subscribers. The following sequence diagram focuses on the SDP interactions
between two IMS subscribers. The flow covers two phases of the SDP negotiation:

 Codec selection between the calling and call IMS subscribers.

 SDP signaling involved in exchanging quality of service information.

 SDP Codec Selection and QoS Signaling in an IMS call

IMS Presence Subscription and Notification Flow

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) provides a framework and building blocks for building advanced
telecom services. One such service is network wide publication and subscription of presence
information. Users can subscribe to presence information for their contacts. If the contact accepts
their request, the subscriber will be registered for presence notification. Whenever the friend
publishes presence information, the IMS presence framework will notify the subscribed users.

 IMS Presence Subscription and Notification Flow

 IMS Presence Subscription and Notification (Explore More)

IMS Presence Resource List Subscription and Notification

Flow

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) provides a framework and building blocks for building advanced
telecom services. One such service is network wide publication and subscription of presence
information. Users can subscribe to presence information for their contacts. If the contact accepts
their request, the subscriber will be registered for presence notification. Whenever the friend
publishes presence information, the IMS presence framework will notify the subscribed users.

IMS presence information communication can put a lot of load on the network. One way to reduce
this load is to predefine the list of friends and family. When you subscribe to the "friends and
family" list, a Resource List Server (RLS) in the IMS subscribes to the individual subscribers
(presentities) on your behalf. Once the RLS completes the registrations, it collates the individual
presence status into a single NOTIFY message.

 IMS Presence Resource List Subscription and Notification Flow

 IMS Presence Resource List Subscription and Notification (Explore More)

IMS Conference Call

This sequence diagram shows an IMS user creating a conference by using a conference-factory
URI. The conference is created at a MRFC/AS of the users home network. The steps involved in the
conference are:

 The conference initiator UE uses the conference factory URI to initiate a conference with the
MRFC/AS (Multimedia Resource Function Control/Application Server).
 The MRFC/AS assigns a conference URI to the conference and configures the MRFP
(Multimedia Resource Function Processor).
  The conference call is setup and the RTP data begins flowing between the conference
initiating UE and the MRFP.
 The conference initiator then uses the refer procedure to add more users to the conference.
The new users establish a call to the conference URI passed in the refer message.
 When the conference is in progress, RTP media streams are being mixed and propagated to
all the participants.
 The conference user drops out of the conference. All users are notified for this exit from the
conference.

 IMS Conference Call

 IMS Conference Call (Explore More)

IMS Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) Pre-established Session

Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) service allows cell phones to used as walkie-talkies. A group of
users in a PoC session can communicate by simply pressing a button and speaking when the
phone indicates it is OK to do so. The user releases the button when he or she is done speaking.

When a user begins to speak, the PoC server allocates resources and notifies other users in the
PoC session that the user is speaking. The PoC server then delivers the speech packets to all the
users in the session.

PoC is resource efficient as it allocates resources only when a user is actually speaking. This makes
it suitable for applications where there are long gaps between individual session participants
speaking.

This flows covers the case where PoC Client A invites PoC Client B to a Pre-established Session by
sending SIP REFER request to PoC Server A.

 IMS PoC Registration and Pre-establishment

 IMS PoC Pre-established Push to Talk Call Flow
 IMS PoC Pre-established Push to Talk Call (Explore More)

IMS Subscriber to IMS Subscriber Call Flow

A detailed IMS subscriber to IMS subscriber is presented here. The preconditions for this call flow
are:

 The calling IMS subscriber is currently roaming outside the home network.
 The called user is registered in the home network.
 The caller and the called user require resource reservation before the call can be setup.
The major steps in the call flow are:

 IMS routing of the initial SIP INVITE.

 IMS routing of the first response to the INVITE.
 Resource allocation via PDP context activation.

 IMS to IMS Call Flow

 IMS to IMS Call Flow Poster (11x17)
 IMS to IMS Call Flow Overview
 IMS to IMS call flow with focus on UE and Network Interactions
 IMS to IMS Call Flow that focuses on interactions between the UE, the visited and the home
IMS networks.
 Origination UE Role Sequence Diagram
 Originating UE Role Collaboration Diagram
 Originating P-CSCF Role Sequence Diagram
 Originating P-CSCF Role Collaboration Diagram
 Originating S-CSCF Role Sequence Diagram
 Originating S-CSCF Role Collaboration Diagram
 Terminating I-CSCF Role Sequence Diagram
 Terminating I-CSCF Role Collaboration Diagram
 Terminating S-CSCF Role Sequence Diagram
 Terminating S-CSCF Role Collaboration Diagram
 Terminating P-CSCF Role Sequence Diagram
 Terminating P-CSCF Role Collaboration Diagram
 Terminating UE Role Sequence Diagram
 Terminating UE Role Collaboration Diagram
 ims-to-ims-call.zip