mSCTP-based proxy in support of multimedia session continuity and QoS for IMS-based networks

This paper presents a new approach that supports session continuity for multimedia services in IMS-based heterogeneous environment. We propose a new component in the IMS domain, namely an proxy based on mSCTP (mobile stream control transmission protocol) that acts as an anchor point for soft vertical handover of mobile nodes, which have multiple physical interfaces (e.g., WLAN/UMTS). The mSCTP-based proxy also supports QoS provisioning and adaptation for the mobile nodes when moving in a heterogeneous wireless environment. Results show that the signaling cost for handover in our approach can be up to 23 times smaller than that in the conventional approach.