Diversity schemes for packet communications

• US 6,801,499 B1
• Filed: 12/14/1999
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Viswanathan, Vishu R., McCree, Alan V., Anandakumar, Krishnasamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philpott, Justin M.
• Application Number:
  US09/461,546
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229-234, 370/342, 370/394, 704/219-223, 704/258, 704/262, 704/263
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0014 by adapting the source coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A process (111,101) of sending packets of real-time information at a sender (311) includes steps of initially generating at the sender the packets of real-time information with a source rate (s11) greater than zero kilobits per second, and a time or path or combined time/path diversity rate (d11), the amount of diversity (d11) initially being at least zero kilobits per second. The process sends the packets, thereby resulting in a quality of service QoS, and optionally obtains at the sender (311) a measure of the QoS. Rate/diversity adaptation decision may be performed at receiver (361′) instead. Another step compares the QoS with a threshold of acceptability (Th1), and when the QoS is on an unacceptable side of said threshold (Th1) increases the diversity rate (d11 to d22) and sends not only additional ones of the packets of real-time information but also sends diversity packets at the diversity rate as increased (d22). Increasing the diversity rate (d11 to d22) while either reducing or keeping unchanged the overall transmission rate (sij+dij) is an important new improvement in even solely-time-diversity embodiments. In another form of the invention a single-chip integrated circuit includes a processor circuit (1511), and a rate-and-diversity control (1561). Here again, the diversity is contemplated to be time diversity, path diversity, and combined time/path diversity in various embodiments. Other embodiments disclosed encompass other processes, improved packets and packet ensembles, integrated circuits, chipsets, computer add-in cards, information storage articles, systems, computers, gateways, routers, cellular telephone handsets, wireless base stations, appliances, and packet networks, and other forms as claimed.

Claims

1. A process of sending packets of real-time information comprising:

A.) receiving audible speech;

B.) converting the audible speech into digital information representing the audible speech, including analyzing the speech in plural frames of 10 milliseconds each, with each frame including two sub-frames of 5 milliseconds each, the converting including forming digital information of Linear Prediction Coding data, Longterm Prediction lag data, parity check data, fixed codebook ata, and adaptive and fixed codebook gain data from the speech;

C.) first transmitting on a packet information system a first packet of digital data for a first frame of speech, the first transmitting including placing in the first packet first data for the first frame, the first data being the Linear Prediction coding data, the Longterm Prediction lag data, the parity check data, the fixed codebook pulse data for every other fixed codebook pulse, and the adaptive and fixed codebook gain data; and

D.) second transmitting on the packet information system a second packet of digital data for the first frame of speech, the second transmitting including placing in the second packet second data for the first frame, the second data being the Linear Prediction coding data, the Longterm Prediction lag data, the parity check data, the fixed codebook pulse data for the remaining fixed codebook pulses not represented in the first packet, and the adaptive and fixed codebook gain data.

2. The process of claim 1 in which the transmitting includes transmitting packets with a primary stage and a secondary stage, with no diversity offset.

3. The process of claim 1 in which the transmitting includes transmitting packets to include International Telephone Union standard G.729 encoded real time information.

4. The process of claim 1 in which the transmitting includes transmitting packets with first and second stages, the first transmitting includes placing the first data in the first stage of the first packet and the second transmitting includes placing the second data in the second stage of the second packet.