Communication network

• US 7,436,807 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Honkala, Hannu, Rautiola, Markku, Mickos, Roy, Uosukainen, Petri, Närvänen, Kai, Hänninen, Timo, Rissanen, Jari Pekka, Siik, Tapio
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US09/732,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20010007554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,867 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/238, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/336, 370/337, 370/338, 370/345, 370/347, 370/352, 370/401, 370/437, 370/442, 370/458, 370/465, 370/468, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455/436, 455/439, 455/445, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/453, 455/509, 455/511
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate

Abstract

A network for communicating with a plurality of radiotelephones via respective communication channels over timeslots on a carrier, wherein the channels can operate at a first or second data rate such that a timeslot on the carrier can transmit a single communication channel operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating at the second data rate, the network comprising a controller responsive to a predetermined condition for initiating a change in the data rate of two channels transmitted on separate timeslots from the first data rate to the second data rate.

Claims

1. A network, comprising:

a controller configured to communicate with a plurality of radiotelephones via respective communication channels over a carrier, wherein the channels are configured to operate at a first or second data rate such that the carrier is configured to transmit data through a single communication channel operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating at the second data rate, and, in response to an initiation of a call with a second network, configured to initiate a change in a data rate of a transmitting channel from the first data rate to the second data rate of the same transmitting channel.

2. The network according to claim 1 wherein the communication channels are timeslots on the carrier.

3. The network according to claim 2, wherein the channels are configured to operate at a first or second data rate such that a timeslot on the carrier is configured to transmit a single communication channel operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating at the second data rate.

4. The network according to claim 2 wherein the controller is responsive to the initiation of the call with the second network for initiating a change in the data rate of two channels transmitted on separate timeslots from the first data rate to the second data rate and combining the two channels onto the same timeslot.

5. The network according to claim 1, wherein the first data rate is a full speech rate and the second data rate is a half speech rate.

6. The network according to claim 1, wherein the controller is responsive to the number of channels established in the network exceeding a predetermined threshold for initiating a change in the data rate of the transmitted channel from the first data rate to the second data rate.

7. The network according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the change of data rate of a transmitted channel for a connection between subscribers within the network.

8. An apparatus configured to operate in a network, the apparatus comprising:

a responding unit configured to respond to an initiation of a call with a second network, wherein a network is configured to communicate with a plurality of radiotelephones via respective communication channels over a carrier, the channels are configured to operate at a first or second data rate such that the carrier is configured to transmit data through a single communication channel operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating at the second data rate; and

an initiating unit configured to initiate a change in a data rate of a transmitting channel from the first data rate to the second data rate of the same transmitting channel.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the communication channels are timeslots on the carrier.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the channels are configured to operate at a first or second data rate such that a timeslot on the carrier is configured to transmit a single communication operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating at the second data rate.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the apparatus is responsive to the initiation of a channel with the second network for initiating a change in the data rate of two channels transmitted on separate timeslots from the first data rate to the second data rate and combining the two channels onto the same timeslot.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first data rate is a full speech rate and the second data rate is a half speech rate.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is responsive to the number of channels established in the network exceeding a predetermined threshold for initiating a change in the data rate of the transmitted channel from the first data rate to the second data rate.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the initiating device is further configured to perform the change of data rate of a transmitted channel for a connection between subscribers within the network.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a controller, in response to a control signal from a network, configured to change a data rate of data being transmitted through a channel, wherein the network is configured to initiate a change in the data rate of the channel from a first data rate to a second data rate of the same channel in response to an initiation of a call between the network and a second network.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is a radiotelephone.

17. A method, comprising:

operating communication channels over a carrier in a network at a first or second data rate such that the carrier transmits data through a single communication channel operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating at the second data rate; and

changing a data rate of a transmitting channel from the first data rate the second data rate of the same transmitting channel in response to an initiation of a call with a second network.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the communication channels are timeslots on the carrier.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the channels operate at a first or second data rate such that a timeslot on the carrier transmits a single communication channel operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating a the second data rate.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

in response to the predetermined condition, initiating a change in the data rate of two channels transmitted on separate timeslots from the first data rate to the second data rate; and

combining the two channels onto the same timeslot.

21. An apparatus configured to operate in a network, the apparatus comprising:

responding means for responding to an initiation of a call with a second network, wherein a network communicates with a plurality of radiotelephones via respective communication channels over a carrier, the channels are configured to operate at a first or second data rate such that the carrier transmits data through a single communication channel operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating at the second data rate; and

initiating means for initiating a change in a data rate of a transmitting channel from the first data rate to the second data rate of the same transmitting channel.

22. A network, comprising:

communicating means for communicating with a plurality of radiotelephones via respective communication channels over a carrier, wherein the channels are configured to operate at a first or second data rate such that the carrier is configured to transmit data through a single communication channel operating at the first data rate or two communication channels operating at the second data rate; and

initiating means for initiating, in response to an initiation of a call with a second network, a change in a data rate of a transmitting channel from the first data rate the second data rate of the same transmitting channel.