Packet mode speech communication

• US 20040120474A1
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vimpari, Markku, Bontempi, Richard, Rajahalme, Jarno, Lopponen, Jussi, Toyryla, Hannu
• Granted Patent: US 7,408,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• 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

Abstract

A packet mode (e.g. IP) group communication service layer is provided on top of a standard mainstream cellular radio network. Conceptually, the group communication layer comprises a pair of basic logical entities, an application bridge and a call processing server (CPS). The bridge and the CPS run group service applications which communicate with group service application(s) in a mobile station MS over the IP connections provided by the radio network. The CPS is responsible for control plane management of group communications. The bridge is responsible for the real-time distribution of VoIP packets to the user terminals according to their group memberships over valid connections programmed by the CPS.

Claims

1. A method for a packet mode group voice communication in a communications system, comprising the steps of

providing a group communication service entity on top of the said communications system,

providing said group communication service entity with individual addresses of group members in at least one group communication group,

sending voice packets from one of said group members to said group communication service entity, each voice packet being addressed to said at least one group,

forwarding said voice packets individually to each receiving one of said group members on the basis of said individual addresses.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of forwarding comprises a step of forwarding said voice packets individually by user communications functions provided on top of the said mobile communications system, said user communications functions managing user-specific voice packet streams to and from users.

3. A method for packet mode group voice communication in a communications system, comprising the steps of

providing group communication service entity with individual addresses of group members of a group communication group,

creating an individual logical connection from each group member to said group communication service entity by means of outband signaling,

starting a speech item in said group by sending a leader packet embedded in a user traffic stream from one of said group members to said group communication service entity over said individual logical connection, each leader packet containing the identifier of the respective group member,

said group communication service entity either i) rejecting said started speech item, or ii) granting the started speech item to said one group member and forwarding said leader packet and subsequent voice packets in said user traffic stream individually to each receiving one of said group members in said group on the basis of said individual addresses.

4. A method according to claim 3, comprising the further steps of

allocating an uplink bearer for said one group member in an air interface of said communications system prior to said one group member sends said leader packet and prior to said granting of said speech item, and

allocating a downlink bearer in an air interface for each receiving group member in response to receiving a leader packet forwarded by said group communication service entity and addressed to said respective group member, said leader packet being embedded to a user traffic stream.

5. A method of managing speech items in a communications system having a packet mode group voice communication feature, comprising the steps of

granting a speech item to one group member of said group communication group,

setting a first timer to measure a predetermined idle period in response to said granting,

resetting said first timer each time a voice packet is received from said one of said group members,

ending said granted speech item if said first timer expires indicating that said predetermined idle period has elapsed from said granting or from last reception of a voice packet from said one group member.

6. A method according to claim 5, comprising the further step of

ending said granted speech item if a maximum allowed period of time has elapsed from the granting.

7. A method according to claim 5, comprising the further steps of

said one group member sends a trailer packet having a predetermined payload in order to indicate the end of sending,

ending said speech item in response to receiving said trailer packet.

8. A method of managing traffic streams in a communications system having a packet mode group voice communication feature, comprising the steps of

providing a user-specific communications function for managing traffic streams addressed to a user who is active in at least one group communication group or in a one-to-one communication,

receiving a first voice packet stream related to a first group communication group or a first one-to-one communication and addressed to a user who is active at least in said first group communication group or in said first one-to-one communication,

forwarding said first voice packet stream to said respective user,

monitoring continuity of said first voice packet stream,

receiving at least one further voice packet stream related to at least one further group or one-to-one communication,

forwarding no one of said at least one further voice packet streams to said user if said first voice packet data stream is continuous,

forwarding one of said at least one further voice packet streams to said user if said first voice traffic stream has been discontinued for a predetermined period of time.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said step of monitoring comprises the further steps of

setting a timer to measure said predetermined period of time when a first packet of said first voice packet stream is forwarded to said user,

resetting said timer each time a new packet of said first voice packet stream is forwarded to said user,

determining said first voice packet stream to be discontinued if said timer expires.

10. A method according to claim 8 or 9, said method comprising a further step of

interrupting said first voice packet stream immediately when a voice packet stream having higher priority is received.

11. A server system for providing a packet mode group communication service for a communications system, said server system comprising a group server provided on top of said communications system, said group server further comprising

means for storing individual addresses of group members in at least one group communication group,

means for receiving voice packets from said group members, each received voice packet containing information identifying the communication group which the respective packet is addressed to,

means for granting a speech item to one group member per a communication group in turn,

means for unicasting each voice packet received from said group member having a speech item in a group communication group separately to each receiving member in said respective group communication group on the basis of said individual addresses.

12. A server system according to claim 11, wherein said information identifying the communication group identify a port assigned to said group in said group server.

13. A server system according to claim 11, further comprising

a call processing server provided on top of said mobile communications system, said call processing server being responsible for control plane management of the group communications in said group server.

14. A server system according to claim 11, wherein said means for granting a speech item further comprises

a first timer responsive to said granting to start measurement of a predetermined idle period from said granting,

means for resetting said first timer each time a voice packet is received from said one group member having said granted speech item,

means for ending said granted speech item if said first timer expires indicating that said predetermined idle period has elapsed from said granting or from the last reception of a voice packet from said one group member.

15. A server system according to claim 13, said system further comprising means for establishing an individual logical connection from each group member to said group server by means of outband signaling carried out between said call processing server and each group member.

16. A server system according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein said means for granting a speech item further comprises

means for receiving a leader packet starting a speech item in said group from one of said group members to said group server, said leader packet containing identifier of the respective group member and being embedded in a user traffic stream,

means for either i) rejecting said started speech item, or ii) granting said started speech item to said one group member and forwarding said leader packet and subsequent voice packets of said user traffic stream individually to each receiving one of said other members in said group on the basis of said individual addresses.

17. A server system according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein said packets are real time transport (RTP) packets.

18. A server system according to claim 11, further comprising a group management server providing a user interface for a remote creation and management of group communications group in said server system.

19. A server system according to claim 18, wherein said user interface is based on one of the World Wide Web (WWW) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technologies.

20. A server system according to claim 11, wherein said group server is interconnected to said communications network by an Internet Protocol (IP) based network.

21. A server system for providing a packet mode group communication service for a communications system, said server system comprising a group server provided on top of said communications system, said group server further comprising

means for identifying and authenticating a source of group communication,

means for controlling that only one group member in a group talks at a time,

means for checking active group members in a group to which voice packets from a currently talking group member are destined to and means for generating from an incoming voice packet an outgoing packet to be forwarded separately to each of said active group members, and

means for selecting from possible multiple incoming traffic streams destined to one group member the one which is to be forwarded to said one group member.

22. A server system for providing a packet mode group communication service for a communications system, said server system comprising

at least one first group communication network entity providing group specific communications functions, said first group communication network entity further comprising

a data memory storing individual addresses of group members in at least one group communication group,

means for receiving voice packets from said group members, each received voice packet containing information identifying the communication group which the respective packet is addressed to,

means for granting a speech item to one group member per communication group in turn,

means for unicasting each voice packet received from said group member having a speech item in a group communication group separately to each receiving member in said respective group communication on the basis of said individual addresses,

at least one second user communication network entity providing user-specific communications functions for at least one user, whereby any group related communication from a user managed by said second user network entity being routed first to said second user network entity and then forwarded to an appropriate first group network entity, and any unicast voice packet from said at least one first group network entiy being routed first to said second user network entity prior to sending the voice packet to the respective user.

23. A server system according to claim 22, wherein said means for unicasting in said first group network entity comprises means for unicasting each voice packet received from said group member having a speech item in a group communication group separately to each second user network entity serving at least one user which is a group member in said respective group, each second user network entity being arranged to multiply the voice packet for each group member and send the voice packet to the respective users.

24. A server system according to claim 22 or 23, wherein said information identifying the communication group identify a port assigned to said group in said group server.

25. A server system for providing a packet mode group communication service for a communications system, said server system comprising wherein

at least one group communication network entity providing group specific communications functions, said group network entity further comprising

means for controlling that only one group member in a group talks at a time,

means for checking active group members in a group to which voice packets from a currently talking group member is destined to and for generating from an incoming voice packet an outgoing packet to be forwarded separately to user server having serving at least one active member in said group gs,

a user communication network entity providing user-specific communications functions on a user plane for at least user, said user network entity further comprising

means for identifying and authenticating a source of group communication,

means for selecting from possible multiple incoming traffic streams destined to one group member the one which is to be forwarded to said one group member.

26. A server system according to claim 25, said system further comprising

a group call processing entity responsible for control plane management of the group communications in said group network entity, and

a user call processing entity responsible for control plane management of the communications in said user network entity.

27. A server system according to claim 25 or 26, wherein said means for controlling speech items further comprises

a first timer means responsive to a grant of a speech item for starting to measure a predetermined idle period from said granting,

means for resetting said first timer each time a voice packet is received from said one group member having said granted speech item,

means for ending said granted speech item, if said first timer expires indicating that said predetermined idle period has elapsed from said granting or from last reception of a voice packet from said one group member.

28. A server system according to any one of claims 25 to 27, said system further comprising means for establishing an individual logical connection between each group member and said user network entity by means of outband signaling carried out between said user call processing entity and each group member.

29. A server system according to any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein said means for granting speech items comprises

means for receiving a request for a speech item in said group from one of said group members to said group communication network entity in form of a leader packet embedded in the user traffic stream and containing identifier of the respective group member,

means for either i) rejecting said request for a speech item, or ii) granting the speech item to said one group member and forwarding said leader packet and subsequent voice packets of said user traffic stream individually to each receiving one of said other members in said group.

30. A server system according to any one of claims 25 to 29, wherein said packets are real time transport protocol (RTP) packets.

31. A server system according to any one of claims 25 to 30, said server system further comprising group management entity providing a user interface for a creation and management of group communications group in said server system.

32. A server system according to claim 31, wherein said user interface is based on one of the World Wide Web (WWW) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technologies.

33. A server system according to any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein said group communication network entity is interconnected to said communications network by an Internet Protocol (IP) based network.

34. A server system for providing a packet mode group communication service for a communications system, said server system comprising

at least one group communication network entity providing group specific communications functions in a user plane, said group network entity further comprising

means for storing individual addresses of group members in at least one group communication group,

means for receiving voice packets from said group members, each received voice packet containing information identifying the communication group which the respective packet is addressed to,

means for granting a speech item to one group member per communication group in turn,

means for unicasting each voice packet received from said group member having a speech item in a group communication group separately to each receiving member in said respective group communication on the basis of said individual addresses,

a user communication network entity providing user-specific communications functions on a user plane for at least one user, whereby any group related communication from a user managed by said user network entity being routed first to said user network entity and then forwarded to an appropriate group network entity, and any unicast voice packet from said at least one group network entity being routed first to said user network entity prior to sending the voice packet to the respective user,

a group call processing entity responsible for control plane management of the group communications in said group network entity, and

a user call processing entity responsible for control plane management of the communications in said user network entity.

35. A network unit for managing speech items in a communications system having a packet mode group voice communication feature, comprising

means for storing individual addresses of group members in at least one group communication group,

means for receiving voice packets from said group members, each received voice packet containing information identifying the communication group which the respective packet is addressed to,

means for granting a speech item to one group member per a communication group in turn,

means for unicasting each voice packet received from said group member having a speech item in a group communication group separately to each receiving member in said respective group communication group on the basis of said individual addresses.

36. A network unit according to claim 35, wherein

said means for receiving are arranged to receive voice packets from a group member via a user communication entity providing user-specific services for that group member,

means for unicasting are arranged to unicast voice packets separately to each receiving member via a user communication entity providing user-specific services for that group member.

37. A network unit according to claim 35 or 36, comprising

means for granting a speech item to one group member in group communication group at time,

a first timer means responsive to said granting for starting to measure a predetermined idle period from said granting,

means for resetting said first timer each time a voice packet is received from said one of said group members,

means for ending said granted speech item, if said first timer expires indicating that said predetermined idle period has elapsed from said granting or from last reception of a voice packet from said one group member.

38. A network unit according to any one of claims 35 to 37, wherein said network unit is on top of said communication system.

39. A network unit according to any one of claims 35 to 38, wherein said network unit is connected to said communications network by an Internet Protocol (IP) based network

40. A network unit for managing traffic streams addressed to a user who is active in at least one group communication group or in one-to-one communication, comprising

means for selecting for unicast to a user a first voice packet stream related to a first group or one-to-one communication addressed to said user,

means formonitoring continuity of said selected first voice packet stream,

means for discarding any other received voice packet stream related to at least one further group or one-to-one communication, if said currently selected voice packet stream is continuous, and means for selecting and unicasting another received voice packet stream to said user if said initially selected and unicasted first voice traffic stream has been discontinued for a predetermined period of time.

41. A network unit according to claim 40, wherein said monitoring means further comprises

a timer which is set to measure said predetermined period of time when a first packet of said selected voice packet stream is forwarded to said user,

means for resetting said timer each time a new packet of said selected voice packet stream is forwarded to said user,

means for determining said selected voice packet stream to be discontinued if said timer expires.

42. A network unit according to claim 41, further comprising

interrupting said first voice packet stream immediately when a voice packet stream having higher priority is received.

43. A method for establishing a one-to-one voice communication in a communications system, comprising the steps of

providing a communication server on top of the said mobile communications system,

creating an individual logical connection between said communication server and each user having an active communication service in said communication server,

starting a communication by sending a leader packet embedded in a traffic stream from a user to said communication server over respective said individual logical connection, each leader packet containing identifier of said sending user and a receiving user,

said communication server either i) rejects said started speech item, or ii) grants the started speech item to said sending user and forwards said leader packet and subsequent voice packets of said user traffic stream to said receiving user on the basis of said received identifier of said receiving user.

44. A method according to claim 43, wherein said step of forwarding comprises the further steps of

inquiring an IP address of said receiving user from a communication control server on the basis of said received identity of said receiving user,

forwarding said leader packet and subsequent voice packets to said IP address of said receiving user.

45. A method according to claim 43, wherein said sending user sends the leader packet and the subsequent packets to a specific port assigned for one-to-one communication in said communication server.

46. A subscriber equipment for communications system having a packet mode group voice communication service, said subscriber equipment comprising

mechanisms for packet data communication over a communications system,

a group communication application on top of said mechanisms,

said application having first means for establishing a logical packet connection to a group communication server,

said application having second means for sending and receiving voice packets to and from said group communications server.

47. A subscriber equipment according to claim 46, further comprising

said application is a Voice over IP (VoIP) application.

48. A subscriber equipment according to claim 47 or 48, further comprising

a push-to-talk means,

means for, reactive to activation of said push-to-talk means by a user, sending a leader packet followed by voice packets in a user traffic stream to said group communication server over said logical connection and thereby starting a speech item.

50. A subscriber equipment according to any one of claims 46 to 49, further comprising

means, responsive to receiving an indication that a speech item is not granted to the user from said group communication service after sending said leader packet, stops sending further packets and stops the speech item although the push-to-talk means is still activated.

51. A subscriber equipment according to any one of claims 46 to 50, further comprising said third means, which, reactive to deactivation of said push-to-talk means by the user, stops the speech item and stops sending further voice packets.

52. A subscriber equipment according to any one of claims 46 to 51, comprising means, reactive to deactivation of said push-to-talk means by the user, for sending a trailer packet embedded in a user traffic stream to said group communication service and thereby stopping the speech item.

53. A subscriber equipment according to claim 50, wherein said indication is a reception of a voice or leader packet originating from another user in a group communication group after sending said leader packet.

54. A subscriber equipment according to claim 50, wherein said indication is the reception of a voice packet having predetermined payload type after sending said leader packet.

55. A subscriber equipment according to claim 50, comprising means, responsive to the reception of said indication, for alerting the user of the fact the speech item was not granted.

56. A subscriber equipment according to any one of claims 46 to 55, further comprising

means for giving an audible indication to the user to start speaking after the activation of said push-to-talk switch.

57. A subscriber equipment according to claim 56, wherein said indication means comprises a timer enabling said audible indication after a predetermined period of time has expired from said activation of said push-to-talk switch.

58. A subscriber equipment according to claim 56, wherein said indication means gives said audible indication after one of the connection setup phases has been reached;

1) after an uplink bearer has been allocated,

     2) after said leader packet has been sent,

     3) after said group communication service has processed said leader packet and granted a speech item,

     4) after a receiving party has acknowledged said leader packet.

49. A subscriber equipment for communications system having a packet mode group voice communication service, said subscriber equipment comprising

a push-to-talk means,

means, responsive to activation of said push-to-talk means by a user, for sending a leader packet followed by voice packets in a user traffic stream to said group communication service and thereby starting a speech item.

59. A method for providing a packet mode group communication service for a communications system, comprising

storing individual addresses of group members in at least one group communication group,

managing said group communication groups using a control plane signalling,

group member requests speech item using user-plane signalling embedded in a user traffic stream,

granting a speech item to one group member per a communication group in turn based on said embedded user plane signalling,

receiving voice packets from a group member having a speech item in a group communication group, each received voice packet containing information identifying the communication group which the respective packet is addressed to,

unicasting said embedded user-plane signalling and each voice packet received from a group member having a speech item separately to each receiving member in said respective group communication group on the basis of said individual addresses.

60. A system for providing a packet mode group communication service for a communications system, comprising

means for storing individual addresses of group members in at least one group communication group,

means for managing said group communication groups using a control plane signalling,

means for granting a speech item to one group member per a communication group in turn based on speech item requests speech sent by said group members using user-plane signalling embedded in a user traffic stream,

means for receiving voice packets from a group member having a speech item in a group communication group, each received voice packet containing information identifying the communication group which the respective packet is addressed to,

means for unicasting said embedded user-plane signalling and each voice packet received from a group member having a speech item separately to each receiving member in said respective group communication group on the basis of said individual addresses.

61. A system according to claim 60, wherein the embedded speech item signaling comprises a leader packet sent in a beginning of a user traffic stream containing user voice data packets, such as RTP packets, and wherein the system grants or rejects the speech item based on the leader packet.

62. A system according to claim 61, wherein the system, upon granting a group communication service a speech item based on the leader packet, opens a speech item communication to receiving members of a group by forwarding a user traffic stream containing said leader packet and subsequent voice packets to the receiving members.

63. A system according to claim 60, 61 or 62, wherein the embedded speech item signaling comprises a trailer packet sent at end of a user traffic stream containing user voice data packets, such as RTP packets, and wherein the system ends the speech item based on the trailer packet.

64. A system according to claim 60, 61, 62 or 63, wherein the system forwards a trailer packet at end of a user traffic stream to receiving group members in order to end the speech item communication to the receiving group members.

65. A subscriber equipment for communications system having a packet mode group voice communication service, said subscriber equipment comprising

mechanisms for packet data communication over a communications system,

a group communication application on top of said mechanisms,

said application having first means for establishing a logical packet connection to a group communication service by means of a control plane signalling,

said application having second means for sending and receiving voice packets to and from said group communications server,

said application having third means for requesting a speech item by means of a user plane signalling.

66. A subscriber equipment according to claim 65, wherein the embedded speech item signaling comprises a leader packet sent in a beginning of a user traffic stream containing user voice data packets, such as RTP packets.

67. A subscriber equipment according to claim 65 or 66, wherein the embedded speech item signaling comprises a trailer packet sent at end of a user traffic stream containing user voice data packets, such as RTP packets.