System and method for controlling signal processing in a voice over packet (VoP) environment

• US 20020054588A1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bist, Anurag, Shah, Saurin, Lawton, Chris, Mehta, Manoj, Steiger, Dianne
• Granted Patent: US 6,928,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to a messaging communication scheme for controlling, configuring, monitoring and communicating with a signal processor within a Voice Over Packet (VoP) subsystem without knowledge of the specific architecture of the signal processor. The messaging communication scheme may feature the transmission of control messages between a signal processor and a host processor. Each control message comprises a message header portion and a control header portion. The control header portion includes at least a catalog parameter that indicates a selected grouping of control messages and a code parameter that indicates a selected operation of the selected grouping.

Claims

1. A messaging communication scheme comprising:

receiving a first control message by a signal processor, the control message comprises a message header portion and a control header portion, the control header portion includes a catalog parameter indicating a selected grouping of control messages and a code parameter indicating a selected operation of the selected grouping; and

responding to the first control message by transmitting a second control message by the signal processor.

2. The messaging communication scheme of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is controlled, configured and monitored by control messages, including the first control message, from a host processor.

3. The messaging communication scheme of claim 1, wherein the catalog parameter is selected to be a Device Control catalog.

4. The messaging communication scheme of claim 3, wherein the first control message is a node setup (DEV_SET_NODE) message for the signal processor to establish a Node Identifier (Node ID) to identify the signal processor and provide the Node ID in the second control message.

5. The messaging communication scheme of claim 3, wherein the first control message is a device information request (DEV_INFO) message for the signal processor to return the second control message with information concerning a version of the signal processor, a version of internal logic within the signal processor and a size of internal memory within the signal processor.

6. The messaging communication scheme of claim 3, wherein the first control message is a device report configuration (DEV_REPORT_CONFIG) message that configures the signal processor to periodically send status messages to a source of the first control message.

7. The messaging communication scheme of claim 3, wherein the first control message is a serial port setup (SERIAL_PORT_SETUP) message that configures a serial port of the signal processor.

8. The messaging communication scheme of claim 1, wherein the catalog parameter is selected to be a Session Control catalog.

9. The messaging communication scheme of claim 8, wherein the first control message is a session setup (SESSION_SETUP) message to establish a communication session, the SESSION_SETUP message including a session identification parameter, a service setup field, a telephony field, a Near-end channels field, a Far-end channels field.

10. The messaging communication scheme of claim 9, wherein the session identification parameter is supplied and maintained by a source of the control message to uniquely identify the communication session.

11. The messaging communication scheme of claim 9, wherein the service setup field includes a coder service parameter to indicate encoder and decoder types.

12. The messaging communication scheme of claim 9, wherein the telephony service field includes parameters that configure telephony characteristics handled by the signal processor.

13. The messaging communication scheme of claim 9, wherein the first control message is a session stop (SESSION_STOP) message to temporarily halt a flow of information and pause the communication session.

14. The messaging communication scheme of claim 9, wherein the first control message is a session teardown (SESSION_TEARDOWN) message to discontinue the communication session.

15. The messaging communication scheme of claim 1, wherein the catalog parameter is selected to be a Telephony Services catalog so that the first and second control messages configure telephony functionality of the signal processor, the telephony functionality includes tone detection and generation including Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones and echo cancellation.

16. The messaging communication scheme of claim 1, wherein the catalog parameter is selected to be a Voice Services catalog so that the first control message adjusts a selected voice function including modification of encoder rates.

17. The messaging communication scheme of claim 1, wherein the catalog parameter is selected to be a Voice Services catalog so that the first control message adjusts a selected facsimile function including a modem data rate.

19. The software of claim 18, wherein the first control message is a session setup (SESSION_SETUP) message to establish a communication session, the SESSION_SETUP message including a session identification parameter, a service setup field, a telephony field, a Near-end channels field, a Far-end channels field.

20. The software of claim 18, wherein the catalog parameter is selected to be a Telephony Services catalog so that the first and second control messages configure telephony functionality of the signal processor, the telephony functionality includes tone detection and generation including Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones and echo cancellation.

21. The software of claim 18, wherein the catalog parameter is selected to be a Voice Services catalog so that the first control message adjusts a selected voice function including modification of encoder rates.

18. A software stored in a machine-readable medium executed by a signal processor within a voice over packet (VoP) subsystem device, the software comprising:

a first software module to receive a first control message from an external source, the first control message including a catalog parameter that indicates a selected grouping of control messages and a code parameter that specifies a selected command message associated with the selected grouping; and

a second software module to respond to the first control message by transmitting a second control message.

22. A Voice Over Packet (VoP) subsystem comprising:

a host processor; and

a signal processor in communication with the host processor, the signal processor including

an internal memory,

a control processor,

a direct memory access (DMA) controller coupled to the internal memory and the control processor,

a plurality of serial ports in communication with the control processor, each of the plurality of serial ports being adapted to receive non-packetized voice samples, and

a host port in communication with the control processor, the host port to receive packetized control messages from the host processor, the control messages being used by the host processor to control, configure, monitor and communicate with the signal processor without knowledge of a specific architecture of the signal processor.

23. The VoP subsystem of claim 22, wherein the signal processor to receive a node setup (DEV_SET_NODE) message from the host processor in order to establish a Node Identifier (Node ID) to identify the signal processor, the Node ID is provided by the signal processor to the host processor in a response control message.

24. The VoP subsystem of claim 22, wherein the signal processor to receive a device information request (DEV_INFO) message from the host processor and to return a control message with information concerning a version of the signal processor, a version of internal logic within the signal processor and a size of the internal memory within the signal processor.

25. The VoP subsystem of claim 22, wherein the signal processor to receive a device report configuration (DEV_REPORT_CONFIG) message that configures the signal processor to periodically send status messages to the host processor.

26. The VoP subsystem of claim 22, wherein the signal processor to receive a serial port setup (SERIAL_PORT_SETUP) message from the host processor, the SERIAL_PORT_SETUP message configures a serial port of the signal processor.

27. The VoP subsystem of claim 22, wherein the signal processor to receive a session setup (SESSION_SETUP) message from the host processor to establish a communication session between the host processor and the signal processor, the SESSION_SETUP message including (1) a session identification parameter supplied and maintained by the host processor to uniquely identify the communication session, (2) a service setup field that includes parameters to specify encoder and decoder types, (3) a telephony field, (4) a Near-end channels field, and (5) a Far-end channels field.