Use of IP-multicast technology for 2-party calls in mobile communication networks

• US 20030043804A1
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathis, James E., Kumar, Surender, Dertz, Gregory A., Sasuta, Michael D., Shaughnessy, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/806 Broadcast or multicast traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A wireless communication system 200 comprises a connectionless packet network 201 coupled to a plurality of sites 203-208. Upon a first communication unit (213) initiating a call request for a 2-party call with a second communication unit (215), a call server 235 identifies respective multicast IP addresses (MC1, MC2) associated with the source and target. If the first communication unit 213, or its associated site (205) desires to send payload to the second communication unit 215, it addresses the payload to the multicast IP address (MC2) of the second communication unit, and the second communication unit 215, or its associated site 206 joins the multicast address MC2 to receive the payload. Conversely, if the second communication unit 215, or its associated site (206) desires to send payload to the first communication unit 213, it addresses the payload to the multicast IP address (MC1) of the first communication unit, and the first communication unit 213, or its associated site 205 joins the multicast address MC1 to receive the payload.

Claims

1. In a communication system including a plurality of sites linked together by a packet network, a method comprising:

determining first and second multicast IP addresses to be used for a two-party call; and

issuing commands to the packet network requesting reconfiguration of the packet network to enable a first site of the communication system to receive payload for the call via the first multicast IP address and a second site of the communication system to receive payload for the call via the second multicast IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of issuing commands comprises sending, from the first and second site, respective IGMP Join messages identifying the first and second multicast IP addresses to one or more network devices of the packet network.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by the first site, a message identifying a target device associated with the second site;

sending the message from the first site to the second multicast IP address;

receiving, by the second site, at least a portion of the message via the second multicast IP address; and

sending the at least a portion of the message from the second site to the target device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the second site, a message identifying a target device associated with the first site;

sending the message from the second site to the first multicast IP address;

receiving, by the first site, at least a portion of the message via the first multicast IP address; and

sending the at least a portion of the message from the first site to the target device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of receiving, by the first site, a message identifying a target device comprises receiving a message from a source device associated with the first site.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein one of the source device and target device moves to a different site during the call, defining a moved communication unit and an old site and a new site for the moved communication unit, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the new site, a message identifying at least one multicast IP address associated with the call; and

issuing commands to the packet network requesting reconfiguration of the packet network to enable the new site to receive payload for the call.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving, by the new site, a message identifying at least one multicast IP address comprises receiving, from the moved communication unit, a message identifying the first and second multicast IP address associated with the call.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving, by the new site, a message comprises:

requesting, by the new site from a call server, the first and second multicast IP addresses associated with the call; and

receiving the message from the call server identifying the first and second multicast IP addresses.

9. In a communication system including at least a first and second communication device participating in a two-party call, a method comprising:

sending a first payload from the first communication device to one or more network devices and addressed to a second multicast group address; and

joining, by the second communication device, the second multicast group address to receive the first payload from the one or more network devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending a second payload from the second communication device to one or more network devices and addressed to a first multicast group address; and

joining, by the first communication device, the first multicast group address to receive the second payload from the one or more network devices.