PTT/PTS SIGNALING IN AN INTERNET PROTOCOL NETWORK

• US 20080045258A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redcom Laboratories, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Redcom Laboratories, Inc.
• Inventors: Breidenstein, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Conveying Push-To-Talk and Push-To-Signal (PTT/PTS) information over an IP network through signaling bits defined in and propagated with the Real-Time Protocol (RTP) stream allows the PTT/PTS information to remain synchronized with the voice packets of the stream. The maintenance of synchronization of PTT/PTS signals and voice packets eliminates problems arising from failure of synchronization between the two classes of packets, notably the “shoot/don'"'"'t shoot” problem. The signaling bits employed were formerly used to convey legacy network information, but are no longer in active use in the Voice-over-IP (VoIP) realm, since VoIP provides alternative pathways for their information.

Claims

1. An Internet-protocol-based telecommunications network comprising:

an Internet protocol routing network;

one or more Internet-protocol communication terminals connected to the Internet protocol routing network;

one or more general communication terminals connected to the Internet protocol routing network;

a Push-To-Talk signaling means connected to each Internet-protocol communication terminal;

means for converting a Push-To-Talk signal in said Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

means for converting said first bit activation in said Real-Time Protocol packet stream to said Push-To-Talk signal in said general communication terminal;

means for initiating actions based on said Push-To-Talk signal in said general communication terminal.

2. The telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising:

a Push-To-Talk acknowledgement signaling means connected to each general communication terminal;

means for converting a Push-To-Talk acknowledgement signal in said general communication terminal to a second bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

means for converting said second bit activation in said Real-Time Protocol packet stream to said Push-To-Talk acknowledgement signal in said Internet-protocol communication terminal.

3. The telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising:

a Push-To-Signal signaling means connected to each Internet-protocol communication terminal;

means for converting a Push-To-Signal signal in said Internet-protocol communication terminal to a third bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

means for converting said third bit activation in said Real-Time Protocol packet stream to said Push-To-Signal signal in said general communication terminal;

means for initiating actions based on said Push-To-Send signal in said general communication terminal.

4. The telecommunications network of claim 3 further comprising:

a Push-To-Signal acknowledgement signaling means connected to each general communication terminal;

means for converting a Push-To-Signal acknowledgement signal in said general communication terminal to a fourth bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

means for converting said fourth bit activation in said Real-Time Protocol packet stream to said Push-To-Signal acknowledgement signal in said Internet-protocol communication terminal.

5. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the Real Time Protocol packet stream is sent and received in accordance with a legacy standard comprising signaling control bits containing push to talk and push to signal data.

6. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the Real Time Protocol packet stream is sent and received in accordance with Internet Request For Comments Standard 2833 or its equivalent and uses signal control bits to control push to talk and push to signal operations.

7. A method for relaying control signals between communication terminals in an Internet-protocol-based telecommunications network comprising the steps of:

converting a first control signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

transmitting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream over the Internet-protocol-based telecommunications network from the Internet-protocol communication terminal to a general communication terminal; and

converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal at the general communication terminal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of converting a first control signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream comprises the step of converting a Push-To-Talk signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal at the general communication terminal comprises the step of converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to a Push-To-Talk signal at the general communication terminal.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of converting a first control signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream comprises the step of converting a Push-To-Signal signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal at the general communication terminal comprises the step of converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to a Push-To-Signal signal at the general communication terminal.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

converting a first control signal acknowledgement at a general communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

transmitting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream over the Internet-protocol-based telecommunications network from the general communication terminal to the Internet-protocol communication terminal; and

converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of converting a first control signal acknowledgement at a general communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream comprises the step of converting a Push-To-Talk signal acknowledgement at a general communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal comprises the step of converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to a Push-To-Talk signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of converting a first control signal acknowledgement at a general communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream comprises the step of converting a Push-To-Signal signal acknowledgement at a general communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal comprises the step of converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to a Push-To-Signal signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the Real Time Protocol packet stream is sent and received in accordance with a legacy standard comprising signal control bits containing push to talk and push to signal data.

18. The method of claim 7 wherein the Real Time Protocol packet stream is sent and received in accordance with Internet Request For Comments Standard 2833 or its equivalent and uses tone control bits to control push to talk and push to send operations.