Method and apparatus for efficient data transmission control in a wireless voice-over-data communication system

• US 20030103515A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James M. Brown, Yu-Dong Yao
• Original Assignee: James M. Brown, Yu-Dong Yao
• Inventors: Brown, James M., Yao, Yu-Dong
• Granted Patent: US 7,609,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6421 Medium of transmission, e.g. fibre, cable, radio, satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/166 IP fragmentation; TCP segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a transmitter, data segments are transmitted in accordance with a predefined data protocol. The predefined data protocol is modified to define a first segment size and a second segment size. The first segment size represents a minimum segment size that can be transmitted. The second segment size represents a maximum segment size that can be transmitted. A segment is created and transmitted whenever a quantity of time-sensitive information available for transmission allows a segment to be constructed having a segment size between the minimum segment size and the maximum segment size. A segment of any size up to the maximum segment size is also created and transmitted whenever any time-sensitive information is available for transmission and an acknowledgement message is received by the transmitter.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting time-sensitive information in a communication system, comprising:

determining a number of bits contained within a time-sensitive data frame;

adding at least one bit to said data frame which does not contain at least a predetermined number of bits; and

storing said time-sensitive data frames in a queue.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a data segment in accordance with a pre-defined data protocol from one or more of said time-sensitive data frames.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a minimum data segment size for information to be transmitted;

defining a maximum data segment size for information to be transmitted, said second data segment size greater than said first data segment size;

generating a first data segment from one or more of said time-sensitive data frames if a sufficient quantity of bits are available within one or more of said stored time-sensitive data frames, said first data segment having a data segment size between said minimum data segment size and said maximum data segment size; and

generating a second data segment having a data segment size less than or equal to said maximum data segment size upon the occurrence of a predefined event.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the predefined event comprises the receipt of an acknowledgment message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said time-sensitive data frame comprises a vocoder frame.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said maximum data segment size is negotiated between a transmitter and a receiver.

7. An apparatus for transmitting time-sensitive information in a communication system, comprising:

means for generating time-sensitive data frames;

means for adding random bits to any of said data frames which does not contain at least a predetermined number of bits; and

means for storing said time-sensitive data frames.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

means for defining a minimum data segment size for information to be transmitted and for defining a maximum data segment size for information to be transmitted, said second data segment size greater than said first data segment size; and

means for generating a first data segment from one or more of said time-sensitive data frames if a sufficient quantity of bits are available within one or more of said stored time-sensitive data frames, said first data segment having a data segment size between said minimum data segment size and said maximum data segment size, and for generating a second data segment having a data segment size less than or equal to said maximum data segment size upon the occurrence of a predefined event.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising means for generating a data segment in accordance with a pre-defined data protocol from one or more of said time-sensitive data frames.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the predefined event comprises the receipt of an acknowledgment message.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said time-sensitive data frames comprise vocoder frames.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said maximum data segment size is negotiated between a transmitter and a receiver.

13. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations for transmitting time-sensitive information in a communication system, said operations comprising:

determining a number of bits contained within a time-sensitive data frame;

adding at least one bit to said data frame which does not contain at least a predetermined number of bits; and

storing said time-sensitive data frames in a queue.

14. The signal-bearing medium of claim 13 further comprising generating a data segment in accordance with a pre-defined data protocol from one or more of said time-sensitive data frames.

15. The signal-bearing medium of claim 13 further comprising:

defining a minimum data segment size for information to be transmitted;

defining a maximum data segment size for information to be transmitted, said second data segment size greater than said first data segment size;

generating a first data segment from one or more of said time-sensitive data frames if a sufficient quantity of bits are available within one or more of said stored time-sensitive data frames, said first data segment having a data segment size between said minimum data segment size and said maximum data segment size; and

generating a second data segment having a data segment size less than or equal to said maximum data segment size upon the occurrence of a predefined event.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predefined event comprises the receipt of an acknowledgment message.

17. The signal-bearing medium of claim 13 wherein said time-sensitive data frame comprises a vocoder frame.

18. The signal-bearing medium of claim 15 wherein said maximum data segment size is negotiated between a transmitter and a receiver.