Method and apparatus for signaling voice compression in a network

• US 6,490,278 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1998
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosenbluth, Joshua Hal, Michelson, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US09/166,801
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/390, 370/399, 370/400, 370/401, 370/395, 370/465, 370/351, 370/352, 370/466, 370/467, 370/471, 370/474, 370/476, 370/395.1, 370/395.52, 370/395.51, 370/395.5, 370/395.6, 370/395.7, 370/395.71, 375/222, 375/240.02, 375/145
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of transmitting a data signal across an intermediate network. The intermediate network receives a compression control signal associated with the data signal that provides information about the compression format of the data signal. The intermediate network uses this information to determine whether and where to transcode the data signal within the intermediate network. The data signal is then transmitted across the intermediate network, and transcoded as determined.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a data signal across an intermediate network, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a compression control signal associated with the data signal, the compression control signal providing information about a first compression format of the data signal;

(b) determining a second compression format and at least one location to transcode the data signal within the intermediate network, based on the information about the first compression format of the data signal; and

(c) transmitting the data signal across the intermediate network, the data signal being transcoded, at the location within the intermediate network, using the second compression format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the compression control signal is included as a header on the data signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the compression control signal is included as a part of a signal separate from the data signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the compression control signal is included as a part of a control signal that sets up a connection over which the data signal will be transmitted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate network is a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) network.

7. A method of transmitting a data signal across an intermediate network, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving from an originating entity a first compression control signal, associated with the data signal, the first compression control signal providing information about a first compression format in which the originating entity communicates with the intermediate network;

(b) receiving from a terminating entity a second compression control signal, associated with the data signal, the second compression control signal providing information about a second compression format in which the terminating entity communicates with the intermediate network;

(c) determining a most favorable compression format and at least one location to transcode the data signal within the intermediate network, based on the information provided by the first and second compression control signals; and

(d) transmitting the data signal, between the originating entity and the terminating entity, the data signal being transcoded, at the location within the intermediate network, using the most favorable compression format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the originating entity is an originating network and the terminating entity is a terminating network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first compression control signal is included as a header on the data signal.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first compression control signal is included as a part of a signal separate from the data signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first compression control signal is included as a part of a control signal that sets up a connection along which the data signal will be transmitted.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the second compression control signal is included as a header on the data signal.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the second compression control signal is included as a part of a signal separate from the data signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second compression control signal is included as a part of a control signal that sets up a connection along which the data signal will be transmitted.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first compression control signal is included in an Initial Address Message transmitted by the originating entity to the intermediate network; and

the second compression control signal is included in an Address Complete Message transmitted by the terminating entity to the intermediate network.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first compression control signal is included in a setup signal transmitted by the originating entity to the intermediate network; and

the second compression control signal is included in an alerting signal transmitted by the terminating entity to the intermediate network.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the intermediate network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the intermediate network is a transmission control protocol 1 Internet protocol (TCP/IP) network.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein the data signal is transmitted across the intermediate network using a compression format selected from the group consisting of the first compression format and the second compression format.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the compression format selected uses an amount of bandwidth not greater than that used by the compression format not selected.

21. A transcoded data signal generated according to the process of:

receiving, at an intermediate network, a compression control signal associated with a data signal, the compression control signal providing information about a first compression format of the data signal;

determining a second compression format and at least one location to transcode the data signal within the intermediate network, based on the information about the first compression format of the data signal; and

transmitting the transcoded data signal between an originating network and a terminating network, the data signal being transcoded into the transcoded data signal at the location within the intermediate network using the second compression format.

22. A method for transcoding a data signal within an intermediate network, comprising:

receiving, from a first network, a first compression control signal having a first bit rate;

receiving, from a second network, a second compression control signal having a second bit rate;

determining a third bit rate for the data signal, the third bit rate having a bit rate equal to, or less than, the lesser of the first bit rate and the second bit rate;

determining at least one location within the intermediate network, based on the third bit rate, to compress the data signal;

transcoding the data signal at the location within the intermediate network using the third bit rate; and

transmitting the transcoded data signal between the first network and the second network.

23. The method of claim 22,wherein said determining at least one location within the intermediate network includes selecting a location at a network boundary between the intermediate network and the second network if the third bit rate has a bit rate equal to the first bit rate.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said determining at least one location within the intermediate network includes selecting a location at a network boundary between the intermediate network and the first network if the third bit rate has a bit rate equal to the second bit rate.

25. An intermediate network adapted to transmit a data signal between an originating network and a terminating network, comprising:

an intermediate access switch connected to an originating switch of the originating network via a first link;

an intermediate egress switch connected to the intermediate access switch by a connection within the intermediate network, and connected to a terminating switch of the terminating network via a second link;

wherein

the intermediate network is adapted to receive a compression control signal associated with a data signal, the compression control signal providing information about a first compression format of the data signal;

the intermediate network is adapted to determine a second compression format and at least one location to transcode the data signal within the intermediate network, based on the compression control signal;

the intermediate access switch is adapted to transmit the data signal between the intermediate access switch and the originating switch via the first link;

the intermediate network is adapted to transmit the data signal across the intermediate network via the connection, the data signal being transcoded as determined; and

the intermediate egress switch is adapted to transmit the data signal between the intermediate egress switch and the terminating switch via the second link.

26. A switch in an intermediate network for processing a data signal, comprising:

a. a memory that stores instructions for;

i. receiving a compression control signal, associated with the data signal, the compression control signal providing information about a first compression format of the data signal;

ii. determining a second compression format and at least one location to transcode the data signal within the intermediate network, based on the compression control signal; and

iii. transmitting the data signal across the intermediate network, the data signal being transcoded, at the location within the intermediate network, using the second compression format;

b. a processor adapted to communicate with the memory and to execute the instructions stored by the memory; and

c. a port adapted to communicate with the processor, the memory, and the intermediate network.

27. The switch of claim 26, wherein the compression control signal is included as a header on the data signal.

28. The switch of claim 26, wherein the compression control signal is included as a part of a signal separate from the data signal.

29. The switch of claim 28, wherein the compression control signal is included as a part of a control signal that sets up a connection along which the data signal will be transmitted.

30. The switch of claim 26, wherein the intermediate network is an asynchronous transfer mode network.

31. The switch of claim 26, wherein the intermediate network is a TCP/IP network.