Ip based voice communication in a mobile communications system

• US 20030187926A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Karjanlahti, Juha
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/185 wireless packet-switched
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/187 combining circuit and packet-switched, e.g. GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

An IP-based group communication feature in a mobile communication network is based on the pre-established logical connections established between a gateway node (GGSN) and members of a group in the mobile communication network. No separate call establishment procedures using VolP signallings are used for connecting a user equipment (UE) logically to group(s), but the procedure is preferably based on the normal logical connection establishment signalling (e.g. PDP context creation) as used for data service. The user equipment (UE) implements a host supporting the IP multicasting, and the next IP layer peer for the UE host is located in the gateway node (GGSN). The gateway node (GGSN) provides an IP interface towards an external multicast router (22, 23) so that the UE host looks like a normal IP host supporting IP multicasting. The IP-based voice traffic is mapped to and transferred over the pre-established connections between the gateway (GGSN) and the UEs of the specific group.

Claims

1. A method of providing Internet Protocol-based, or IP-based, group voice communication in a mobile communications system comprising a plurality of user nodes, serving access nodes with which the user nodes communicate over a wireless access network, at least one gateway node for interfacing said mobile communications system with at least one external IP system supporting IP multicasting, and a packet-mode backbone network interconnecting said gateway and access nodes, characterized by said method comprising steps of

creating at least one group of user nodes for IP-based group voice communication, each group having a group identifier for identifying the group in the mobile communications system and a multicast IP address for identifying the group in an IP user layer,

establishing a logical connection between the gateway node and each user node registered to the group,

receiving an IP-based voice traffic targeted to said multicast address from an external IP multicast router to said gateway node,

relaying said IP-based voice traffic to said user nodes over said pre-established logical connections of the group identified by the group identifier which corresponds to said targeted multicast address.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said step of establishing a logical connection comprises a step of creating a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context for each user registered to the group, the group identifier identifying the PDP contexts belonging to the same group.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized by identifying a set of groups by means of an Access Point Name (APN).

4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by

supporting IP multicasting procedures between the gateway node and the IP multicasting server,

converting, by the gateway node, group registrations made in a PDP context layer into IP multicast registrations in the IP user layer.

5. A method according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized by a step of

maintaining information which maps said group identifier and said multicast address in an external node,

the gateway node requesting the multicast address for the group identifier from the external node when the first logical connection for the group is established.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the group registration in the PDP layer contains the group identifier and an Access Point Name (APN) which identifies said external node.

7. A method according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said multicast address is also utilized as said group identifier.

8. An arrangement for providing Internet Protocol-based, or IP-based, group voice communication in a mobile communications system comprising a plurality of user nodes, serving access nodes with which the user nodes communicate over a wireless access network, at least one gateway node for interfacing said mobile communications system with at least-one external IP system supporting IP multicasting, and a packet-mode backbone network interconnecting said gateway and access nodes, characterized by said arrangement comprising

at least one group of user nodes for IP-based group voice communication, each group having a group identifier for identifying the group in the mobile communications system and a multicast IP address for identifying the group in an IP user layer,

a logical connection between the gateway node and each user node registered to the group,

said gateway node being arranged to receive an IP-based voice traffic targeted to said IP multicast address from an external IP multicast,

said gateway node being arranged to relay said IP-based voice traffic to said user nodes over said pre-established logical connections of the group identified by the group identifier which corresponds to said targeted multicast address.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that said logical connection comprises a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context for each user registered to the group, the group identifier identifying the PDP contexts belonging to the same group.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterized by identifying a set of groups by means of an Access Point Name (APN).

11. An arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by

said gateway being arranged to support IP multicasting procedures between the gateway node and the IP multicasting server,

said gateway being arranged to convert group registrations made in a PDP context layer into IP multicast registrations in the IP user layer.

12. An arrangement according to any of claims 8 to 11, characterized by

an external node for maintaining information which maps said group identifier and said multicast address,

said gateway node being arranged to request the multicast address for the group identifier from the external node when the first logical connection for the group is established.

13. An arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that the group registration in the PDP layer contains the group identifier and an Access Point Name (APN) which identifies said external node.

14. An arrangement according to any of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that said multicast address is utilized also as said group identifier.

15. An arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that the external node is a domain name server.