Multimedia and multiservice calls in mobile network

• US 6,678,527 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sisvel International S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rasanen, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/601,723
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450-451, 455/452, 455/453, 455/509, 455/510, 455/511, 455/512, 455/62, 370/465, 370/468, 370/337, 370/347, 370/329, 370/349, 370/471, 370/264, 370/341
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

One common traffic channel is allocated to a multiservice call which requires simultaneous transmission of two or more different information flows apart from one another. This common traffic channel is divided into a transparent and a non-transparent sub-channel. The transmitting end is provided with a multiplexer (73) which multiplexes the different information flows (75, 76) to the common traffic channel. The receiving end is provided with a demultiplexer (74) which demultiplexes the signal received from the common traffic channel back into separate information flows (75, 76). The transparent sub-channel is used for transmitting time-critical information, such as video and audio, which does not allow the use of an error correction protocol based on retransmission, and the non-transparent sub-channel can be used for transmitting less time-critical information, such as data files, which allows the use of error correction based on retransmission.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting two or more different information flows simultaneously in one call in a mobile communication network, comprising:

assigning one mobile network traffic channel to the call;

establishing the traffic channel assigned to said call as a transparent traffic channel;

negotiating division of the transparent traffic channel into at least two sub-channels between a mobile station and the mobile communication network or between two mobile stations;

dividing the assigned traffic channel into said at least two sub-channels; and

transmitting at least one information flow in each of the at least two sub-channels.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

negotiating division of the traffic channel into sub-channels by means of inband signalling, such as signalling based on a radio link protocol intended for a non-transparent connection, between the mobile station and the network terminal or between two mobile stations.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the assigned traffic channel is divided into sub-channels in one of the following manners:

dividing the assigned traffic channel into at least two transparent sub-channels, or

dividing the assigned traffic channel into at least two non-transparent sub-channels, or

dividing the assigned traffic channel into one or more transparent sub-channels and into one or more non-transparent sub-channels.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

forming at least one of said two or more different information flows which are transmitted over said sub-channels by multiplexing it from two or more user data signals.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing two or more logical non-transparent channels in a non-transparent sub-channel.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said assigned traffic channel is a high-speed traffic channel consisting of two or more basic-rate traffic channels or data streams.

7. A method of making a multiservice or multimedia call between two mobile stations in a mobile communication network, comprising:

establishing one transparent traffic channel through the mobile communication network between two mobile stations for the multiservice or multimedia call;

negotiating division of the transparent traffic channel into at least two sub-channels between each mobile station and a network terminal or between the two mobile stations;

dividing said transparent traffic channel into said at least two sub-channels between the mobile stations; and

transmitting different information flows of the multiservice or multimedia call in different sub-channels.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

negotiating division of the traffic channel into sub-channels by means of inband signaling, such as signalling based on a radio link protocol intended for a non-transparent connection, between the mobile station and the network terminal or between two mobile stations.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein an assigned traffic channel is divided into sub-channels in one of the following manners:

dividing the assigned traffic channel into at least two transparent sub-channels, or

dividing the assigned traffic channel into at least two non-transparent sub-channels, or

dividing the assigned traffic channel into one or more transparent sub-channels and into one or more non-transparent sub-channels.

10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

dividing the transparent traffic channel into one or more transparent sub-channels and into one or more non-transparent sub-channels;

transmitting time-critical information which does not allow the use of an error correction protocol based on retransmission over the transparent sub-channel; and

transmitting less time-critical information which allows the use of an error correction protocol based on retransmission over the non-transparent sub-channel.

11. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

forming at least one of said information flows which are transmitted over said sub-channels by multiplexing it from two or more user data signals.

12. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

establishing two or more logical non-transparent channels in a non-transparent sub-channel.

13. A method according to claim 7, wherein said transparent traffic channel is a high-speed traffic channel consisting of two or more basic-rate traffic channels or data streams.

14. A method of transmitting two or more different information flows simultaneously in one call in a mobile communication network comprising:

assigning one mobile traffic channel to the call;

establishing the traffic channel assigned to said call as a transparent traffic channel;

negotiating division of the transparent traffic channel into at least two sub-channels between a mobile station and the mobile communication network or between two mobile stations;

dividing the assigned traffic channel into said at least two sub-channels;

transmitting at least one information flow in each of the at least two sub-channels;

dividing the traffic channel into one or more transparent sub-channels and into one or more non-transparent sub-channels;

transmitting time-critical information, which does not allow the user of an error correction protocol based on retransmission, over the transparent transmission sub-channel; and

transmitting less time-critical information, which allows the use of an error correction protocol based on retransmission, over the non-transparent sub-channel.

15. A method of making a multiservice or multimedia call between a mobile station and a party in a fixed telecommunications network, the point-to-point connection including a mobile network traffic channel leg and a fixed network traffic channel leg and an interworking function between the traffic channel legs, the method comprising:

establishing one transparent traffic channel with a bit rate of R1 between the mobile station and the interworking function;

establishing a transparent fixed network traffic channel with a bit rate of R2 between the interworking function and the party in the fixed telecommunications network;

allocating a first part of both the fixed network traffic channel leg and the mobile network traffic channel leg for transparent transmission, the first part having a bit rate of R3, when wherein R3<

R1 and R3<

R2;

allocating a second part of the mobile network traffic channel leg for non-transparent transmission, the second part of the mobile network traffic channel leg having a bit rate of R1−

R3;

allocating a second part of the fixed network traffic channel leg for non-transparent transmission, the second part of the fixed network traffic channel leg having a bit rate of R2−

R3;

performing point-to-point transparent data transmission through the first parts of said fixed network and mobile network traffic channels at a bit rate of R3; and

performing point-to-point non-transparent data transmission through the second parts of said fixed network and mobile network traffic channels using buffering and flow control in the interworking function.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein R1 is different from R2.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein R₁<

R₂.

18. A mobile station comprising:

means for making a multiservice or multimedia call in a mobile communication network;

means for dividing a traffic channel, which is established for a multiservice or multimedia call through the mobile communication network to another mobile station or interworking function, into at least two sub-channels; and

means for transmitting different information flows of the multiservice or multimedia call in different sub-channels of a common traffic channel, wherein

said assigned traffic channel is a high-speed traffic channel consisting of two or more basic-rate traffic channels or data streams.

19. A mobile station according to claim 18, wherein the mobile station further comprises means for negotiating division of the traffic channel with another mobile station or interworking function.

20. A mobile station according to claim 18, wherein the at least two sub-channels of the traffic channel comprise one or more transparent sub-channels and one or more non-transparent sub-channels, and the mobile station is arranged to transmit time-critical information which does not allow the use of an error correction protocol based on retransmission over the one or more transparent sub-channels and less time-critical information which allows the use of an error correction protocol based on retransmission over the one or more non-transparent sub-channels.

21. A mobile station according to claim 18, wherein the mobile station further comprises means for establishing two or more logical non-transparent channels in the one or more non-transparent sub-channels.

22. A mobile communication network, comprising:

means for making a multiservice or multimedia call;

means for establishing a fixed network traffic channel between an interworking function of the mobile communication network and a party in a fixed network;

means for dividing said fixed network traffic channel into at least one transparent sub-channel and at least one non-transparent sub-channel, the bit rate of the transparent sub-channel of the fixed network traffic channel being the same as the bit rate of a transparent sub-channel of a mobile network traffic channel;

means for adapting the transparent sub-channel of the mobile network traffic channel to the transparent sub-channel of the fixed network traffic channel for point-to-point transparent transmission;

means for adapting a non-transparent sub-channel of the mobile network traffic channel to the non-transparent sub-channel of the fixed network traffic channel for point-to-point non-transparent transmission; and

means for transmitting different information flows of the multiservice or multimedia call in different sub-channels of a common traffic channel between the mobile communication network and a mobile station.

23. A mobile communication network according to claim 22, wherein the mobile communication network further comprises means for negotiating traffic channel division with the mobile station.

24. A mobile communication network according to claim 22, wherein the sub-channels of the mobile network traffic channel and the fixed network traffic channel comprise one or more transparent sub-channels and one or more non-transparent sub-channels, and that the mobile communication network is arranged to transmit time-critical information which does not allow the use of an error correction protocol based on retransmission over the one or more transparent sub-channels and less time-critical information which allows the use of an error correction protocol based on retransmission over the one or more non-transparent sub-channels.

25. A mobile communication network according to claim 22 wherein said fixed traffic channel is a high-speed traffic channel consisting of two or more basic-rate traffic channels or data streams.

26. A mobile communication network comprising:

means for making a multiservice or multimedia call between a mobile station and a party in the fixed telecommunications network, the call being a point-to-point connection including a mobile network traffic channel leg and a fixed network traffic channel leg and an interworking function between the traffic channel legs;

means for establishing one transparent traffic channel with a bit rate of R1 between the mobile station and the interworking function;

means for establishing a transparent fixed network traffic channel with a bit rate of R2 between the interworking function and the party in the fixed telecommunications network;

means for allocating a first part of both the fixed network traffic channel leg and the mobile network traffic channel leg for transparent transmission, the first part having a bit rate of R3, wherein R3<

R1 and R3<

R2;

means for allocating a second part of the mobile network traffic channel leg for non-transparent transmission, the second part of the mobile network traffic channel leg having a bit rate of R1−

R3;

means for allocating a second part of the fixed network traffic channel leg for non-transparent transmission, the second part of the fixed network traffic channel leg having a bit rate of R2−

R3;

means for performing point-to-point transparent data transmission through the first parts of said fixed network and mobile network traffic channels at a bit rate of R3; and

means for performing point-to-point non-transparent data transmission through the second parts of said fixed network and mobile network traffic channels using buffering and flow control in the interworking function.