Method and system for controlling access bearer in a real-time data service

• US 7,539,160 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2004
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vuorinen, Petri J., Virtanen, Terhi Tuulikki, Jaakkola, Jukka K., Marjelund, Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lai; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/827,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/511, 455450-453, 370/352, 370/433, 370/329, 370/330, 370/341, 370/348, 370/235
• US Class Current: 370/329
• 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 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states

Abstract

A radio access network (RNC) assigns for a real-time media session a real-time access bearer that can be shifted between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state. The assignment is made in response to receiving an access bearer assignment message indicating that the real-time media session requires a real-time access bearer of that type. The media activity of the real-time access bearer is then monitored, and the access bearer shifts to the common channel state upon detecting media inactivity during the dedicated channel state, and shifts to the dedicated channel state upon detecting media activity during the common channel state.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an establishing unit configured to establish a real-time media session between user equipment and a second party via an access network and a packet switched core network based on an information element in a radio access bearer assignment message received from the core network to the access network, said information element indicating that the real-time media session requires a real-time access bearer of a type that can be shifted between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state;

a moving unit configured to move a real-time access bearer assigned to the real-time media session between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state under control of the access network;

an uplink connection buffer;

a monitoring unit configured to monitor a status of the uplink connection buffer;

an indicating unit configured to indicate the status of the uplink connection buffer to the radio access network at least during the dedicated channel state; and

a sending unit configured to send a capacity request to the radio access network when there is data in the uplink communication buffer during the common channel state, to cause a transition to the dedicated channel state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a voice activity detector;

a push-to-talk switch; and

a speech coder that provides data to the uplink connection buffer when the push-to-talk switch is activated,

wherein said speech coder is configured to cease to provide data to the uplink connection buffer when the push-to-talk switch is activated and the voice activity detector detects a silent period of at least a predetermined duration.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one timer measuring the predetermined duration.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the real-time access bearer comprises at least one radio access bearer of one of a streaming and a conversational type.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the real-time media service is one of a push-to-talk over a cellular and a corresponding packet-mode voice communication service of a client-server type, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a packet-mode voice communication client.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the packet-mode voice communication client comprises a push-to-talk over cellular client.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured for a radio access network of a wideband code division multiple access type.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive from a packet switched core network an access bearer assignment message requesting an access network to assign a radio access bearer for a real-time media session that is being established between user equipment and a second party via the access network and the packet switched core network, said access bearer assignment message including an information element indicating that the real-time media session requires a real-time access bearer that can be shifted between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state; and

a processor configured to assign to the real-time media session a real-time access bearer that can be shifted between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state, to monitor media activity of the real-time access bearer, to shift the access bearer to the common channel state upon detecting media inactivity during the dedicated channel state;

and to shift the access bearer to the dedicated channel state upon detecting the media activity during the common channel state.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect at least one of the activity or the inactivity of the real-time access bearer based on at least one of;

a status of an uplink connection buffer in the user equipment, a status of one of an uplink and a downlink connection buffer in the access network, a status of one of an uplink and a downlink connection buffer of the second party in the access network, traffic volume related signaling received from one of the user equipment and the second party and a capacity request from the user equipment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to send dummy data from the radio access network towards the second party upon initiating a transition of the real-time bearer from the common channel state to the dedicated channel state and before receiving data from the user equipment, to advance a state transition of a connection leg of the second party.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one timer configured to control one of the inactivity detection and the transition from the dedicated channel state to the common channel state.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the access network comprises a radio access network, and the real-time access bearer comprises a real-time radio access bearer.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the real-time media service is one of a push-to-talk over a cellular and a corresponding packet mode-voice communication service of a client-server type.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the real-time access bearer comprises at least one radio access bearer of one of a streaming and a conversational type.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the access network comprises a radio access network of a wideband code division multiple access type.

16. A method, comprising:

establishing a real-time media session between user equipment and a second party via an access network and a packet switched core network based on an information element in a radio access bearer assignment message received from the core network to the access network, said information element indicating that the real-time media session requires a real-time access bearer of a type that can be shifted between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state;

moving a real-time access bearer assigned to the real-time media session between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state under control of the access network;

buffering an uplink connection;

monitoring a status of the uplink connection buffer;

indicating the status of the uplink connection buffer to the access network at least during the dedicated channel state; and

sending a capacity request to the access network when there is data in the uplink communication buffer during the common channel state, to cause a transition to the dedicated channel state,

wherein the method is performed by a processor.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing data to the uplink connection buffer when a push-to-talk switch is activated;

ceasing to provide data to the uplink connection buffer when the push-to-talk switch is activated and a voice activity detector detects a silent period of at least a predetermined duration.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

measuring the predetermined duration.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the real-time access bearer comprises at least one radio access bearer of one of a streaming and a conversational type.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the real-time media service is one of a push-to-talk over a cellular and a corresponding packet-mode voice communication service of a client-server type.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the packet-mode voice communication client comprises a push-to-talk over cellular client.

22. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a receiver, from a core network an access bearer assignment message requesting to assign a radio access bearer in an access network for a real-time media session that is being established between user equipment and a second party via the access network and the core network, said message containing an information element indicating that the real-time media session requires a real-time access bearer of a type that can be shifted between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state;

assigning, by a processor, to the real-time media session a real-time access bearer of a type that can be shifted between a dedicated channel state and a common channel state;

monitoring media activity of the real-time access bearer;

shifting the access bearer to the common channel state upon detecting media inactivity during the dedicated channel state; and

shifting the access bearer to the dedicated channel state upon detecting the media activity during the common channel state.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

detecting at least one of the activity or the inactivity of the real-time access bearer based on at least one of;

a status of an uplink connection buffer in the user equipment, a status of one of an uplink and a downlink connection buffer in the access network, a status of one of an uplink and a downlink connection buffer of the second party in the access network, traffic volume related signaling received from one of the user equipment and the second party and a capacity request from the user equipment.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

sending dummy data from the radio access network towards the second party upon initiating a transition of the real-time bearer from the common channel state to the dedicated channel state and before receiving data from the user equipment, to advance a state transition of a connection leg of the second party.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

controlling one of the inactivity detection and the transition from the dedicated channel state to the common channel state.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said access bearer assignment message is received from the core network and comprises an information element indicating a type of the required real-time access bearer.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the access network comprises a radio access network, and the real-time access bearer comprises a real-time radio access bearer.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the real-time media service is one of a push-to-talk over a cellular and a corresponding packet mode-voice communication service of a client-server type.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the real-time access bearer comprises at least one radio access bearer of one of a streaming and a conversational type.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the access network comprises a radio access network of a wideband code division multiple access type.