Apparatus, and associated method, for asynchronously pre-reserving channel to effectuate an interactive packet communication service in a radio communication system

• US 20060045114A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Messenger, Henry, Tabikh, Sami
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0866 using a dedicated channel for access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, is provided to facilitate communications pursuant to an interactive packet radio communication service, such as an interactive gaming service. When data is to be communicated by a gaming device, or other mobile node, request for channel allocation is made. And, packet data generated at the gaming device is buffered at a buffer and selectably manipulated when buffered thereat pending grant of a channel allocation. Because the data is permitted to be manipulated pending grant of the channel allocation, data packets that become obsolete during the pendency are overwritten, or otherwise caused not to be sent, thereby more efficiently utilizing the channel allocation allocated to effectuate the communication service.

Claims

1. Apparatus for a communication station operable to communicate packet-formatted data pursuant to a packet communication service with a remote station by way of a channel defined upon a radio air interface, the communication station having an application layer and a radio layer, said apparatus comprising:

a channel request message generator embodied at the application layer, said channel request message generator for generating a channel request message to request allocation of the channel to communicate the packet-formatted data; and

a data buffer and manipulator for buffering the packet-formatted data pending allocation of the channel responsive to the channel request message and selectably for manipulating the packet-formatted data buffered thereat pending the allocation of the data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication station comprises an operating system and wherein the channel request message comprises an operating system defined message.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wehrein the operating system comprises an open source operating system that defines input-output control commands, and wherein the channel request message comprises a first defined input-output control command.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the open source operating system comprises Symbian operating system that defines a socket class and wherein the first defined input-output control command comprises a socket class command.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the channel request message generated by said channel request message generator is communicated to the radio layer of the communication station.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication station forms part of a radio communication system, wherein delivery of the channel request message precipitates generation of a radio-layer request for communication upon the radio air interface and of a response thereto, said apparatus further comprising a request-response detection generator embodied at the radio layer, said request-response detection generator for generating a request-response detection message responsive to delivery to the radio layer of a response to the radio-layer request.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the communication station comprises an open source operating system that defines input-output control commands, and wherein said request-response detection message comprises a second defined input-output control command.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the request-response detection message is delivered to the application layer of the communication station.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, responsive to delivery of the request-response detection message to the application layer, the packet formatted data buffered at said buffer and manipulator is selectably provided to the radio layer.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the response to the radio-layer request comprises channel grant indicia, and wherein the request-response detection message generated by said request response detection generator includes indications of the channel grant indicia.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein manipulation of the packet formatted data by said data buffer and manipulator comprises overwriting selected data packets of the packet formatted data.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein manipulation of the packet formatted data comprises manipulation of transmission unit size of the packet formatted data.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein manipulation of the packet formatted data by said data buffer and manipulator comprises manipulation of header information of the packet formatted data.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein manipulation of the packet formatted data by said data buffer and manipulator comprises detection of selected parts of the packet formatted data.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the packet communication service comprises an interactive gaming service and wherein the packet formatted data buffered and manipulated by said data buffer and manipulator comprises data generated at the communication station pursuant to performance of the interactive gaming service.

16. A method for facilitating communication of packet formatted data communicated pursuant to a packet communication service between a communication station and a remote station by way of a channel defined upon a radio air interface, the communication station having an application layer and a radio layer, said method comprising the operations of:

generating, at the application layer of the communication station, a channel request message to request allocation of the channel to communicate the packet-formatted data;

buffering the packet formatted data pending allocation of the channel responsive to the channel request message generated during said operation of generating; and

selectably manipulating the packet formatted data pending allocation of the channel.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said operation of selectably manipulating comprises selectably overwriting selected parts of the packet formatted data buffered during said operation of buffering.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the communication station comprises an open source operating system that defines input-output control commands and wherein the channel request message generated during said operation of generating comprises a first defined input-output control command.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the operation of detecting a response to the channel request message.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the operation of selectably providing the packet formatted data to the radio layer of the communication station responsive to detection of the response to the channel request message.