Integrated circuits, systems, apparatus, packets and processes utilizing path diversity for media over packet applications

• US 6,930,983 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: McCree, Alan V., Viswanathan, Vishu, Perkins, Stephen J., Gatherer, Alan, Anandakumar, Krishanasamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US10/320,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20030202506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 370351-356, 370/335, 370493-495, 455/403, 455/407, 455/422.1, 455/425, 455/73, 455/456.6, 455/550.1, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/56 Routing software
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 : Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements

Abstract

In one form of the invention, a process of sending real-time information from a sender computer (103) to a receiver computer (105) coupled to the sender computer (103) by a packet network (100) wherein packets (111,113) sometimes become lost, includes steps of directing (441) packets (111) containing the real-time information from the sender computer (103) by at least one path (119) in the packet network (100) to the receiver computer (105), and directing packets (113) containing information dependent on the real-time information from the sender computer (103) by at least one path diversity path (117) in the packet network (100) to the same receiver computer (105).

Other forms of the invention encompass other processes, improved packets and packet ensembles (111,113), integrated circuits (610), chipsets (DSP 1721, MCU), computer cards (1651), information storage articles (1511,1611), systems, computers (103,105), gateways (191,193), routers (131,133), cellular telephone handsets (181,189), wireless base stations (183,187), appliances (1721,1731,1741), and packet networks (100), and other forms as disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. A wireless telephone comprising:

A. an antenna,

B. a voice transducer, and

C. integrated circuit means coupling the voice transducer to the antenna, the integrated circuit means for transmitting real-time voice data in packets over a packet network subject to packet loss, the integrated circuit means having a processor circuit and a packet network path diversity software stack, the integrated circuit means for;

i. generating on the integrated circuit first packets containing the real-time voice data, the first packets including a first particular address of a destination on the packet network, a second particular address of a first proxy computer on the packet network, dependency identification bits, and path diversity identification bits; and

ii. generating on the integrated circuit dependent packets containing information dependent on the voice data, the dependent packets including the first particular address of a destination on the packet network, a third particular address of a second proxy computer on the packet network, dependency identification bits, and path diversity identification bits.

2. The wireless telephone of claim 1 including a speech encoder coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

3. The wireless telephone of claim 1 including a speech encoder and in which the packet network path diversity software stack includes an interface block and a networking block establishing two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections, the interface block coupling the speech encoder concurrently to the two or more software objects.

4. The wireless telephone of claim 1 including a voice over packet control coupled to the packet network path diversity software stack.

5. The wireless telephone of claim 1 including a feeder software block coupled to the two or more software objects.

6. The wireless telephone of claim 1 including a decoder coupled to the feeder software block for receiving packets of voice data and dependent packets.

7. The wireless telephone of claim 1 in which the dependency identification bits include a first field for a coder algorithm identification and a second field for main packet and other temporal diversity dependent packets.

8. The wireless telephone of claim 1 in which the path diversity identification bits have a first field for an interface algorithm identification, a second field for a packet transmission table embodiment identification, and a third field for main packet and path diversity dependent packets.