PTT/PTS signaling in an internet protocol network

• US 7,920,831 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redcom Laboratories, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Redcom Laboratories, Inc.
• Inventors: Breidenstein, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US11/840,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 455/458, 455/11.1, 455/41.2, 455517-520, 455 68- 70, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/445, 455/466, 455/74, 455/74.1, 370252-253, 370/230, 370/235, 370464-467, 709230-232
• US Class Current: 455/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Conveying Push-To-Talk and Push-To-Signal (PTT/PTS) information over an IP network through signaling bits defined in and propagated with the Real-Time Protocol (RTP) stream allows the PTT/PTS information to remain synchronized with the voice packets of the stream. The maintenance of synchronization of PTT/PTS signals and voice packets eliminates problems arising from failure of synchronization between the two classes of packets, notably the “shoot/don'"'"'t shoot” problem. The signaling bits employed were formerly used to convey legacy network information, but are no longer in active use in the Voice-over-IP (VoIP) realm, since VoIP provides alternative pathways for their information.

Claims

1. An Internet-protocol-based telecommunications network comprising:

an Internet protocol routing network;

one or more Internet-protocol communication terminals connected to the Internet protocol routing network;

one or more communication terminals connected to the Internet protocol routing network;

a push-to-talk signaling means connected to each Internet-protocol communication terminal;

means for converting a push-to-talk signal in said Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

means for converting said first bit activation in said Real-Time Protocol packet stream to said push-to-talk signal in said communication terminal;

means for initiating actions based on said push-to-talk signal in said communication terminal.

2. The telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising:

a push-to-talk acknowledgement signaling means connected to each communication terminal;

means for converting a push-to-talk acknowledgement signal in said communication terminal to a second bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

means for converting said second bit activation in said Real-Time Protocol packet stream to said push-to-talk acknowledgement signal in said Internet-protocol communication terminal.

3. The telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising:

a push-to-send signaling means connected to each Internet-protocol communication terminal;

means for converting a push-to-send signal in said Internet-protocol communication terminal to a third bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

means for converting said third bit activation in said Real-Time Protocol packet stream to said push-to-send signal in said communication terminal;

means for initiating actions based on said push-to-send signal in said communication terminal.

4. The telecommunications network of claim 3 further comprising:

a push-to-send acknowledgement signaling means connected to each communication terminal;

means for converting a push-to-send acknowledgement signal in said communication terminal to a fourth bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

means for converting said fourth bit activation in said Real-Time Protocol packet stream to said push-to-send acknowledgement signal in said Internet-protocol communication terminal.

5. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the Real Time Protocol packet stream is sent and received in accordance with a legacy standard comprising tone control bits containing push-to-talk and push-to-send data.

6. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the Real Time Protocol packet stream is sent and received in accordance with Internet Request For Comments Standard 2833 or its equivalent and uses tone control bits to control push-to-talk and push-to-send operations.

7. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the communications terminal is one of the group consisting of an IP radio, an IP telephone, or an IP device with PTT/PTS signaling.

8. A method for relaying control signals between communication terminals in an Internet-protocol-based telecommunications network comprising the steps of:

converting a first control signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

transmitting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream over the Internet-protocol-based telecommunications network from the Internet-protocol communication terminal to a communication terminal; and

converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal at the communication terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting a first control signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream comprises the step of converting a push-to-talk signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal at the communication terminal comprises the step of converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to a push-to-talk signal at the communication terminal.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting a first control signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream comprises the step of converting a push-to-send signal at an Internet-protocol communication terminal to a first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal at the communication terminal comprises the step of converting said first bit activation in a Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to a push-to-send signal at the communication terminal.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

converting a first control signal acknowledgement at a communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream;

transmitting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream over the Internet-protocol-based telecommunications network from the communication terminal to the Internet-protocol communication terminal; and

converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting a first control signal acknowledgement at a communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream comprises the step of converting a push-to-talk signal acknowledgement at a communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal comprises the step of converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to a push-to-talk signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting a first control signal acknowledgement at a communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream comprises the step of converting a push-to-send signal acknowledgement at a communication terminal to a second bit activation in a second Real-Time Protocol packet stream.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to said first control signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal comprises the step of converting said second bit activation in the second Real-Time Protocol packet stream back to a push-to-send signal acknowledgement at the Internet-protocol communication terminal.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the Real Time Protocol packet stream is sent and received in accordance with a legacy standard comprising tone control bits containing push-to-talk and push-to-send data.

19. The method of claim 8 wherein the Real Time Protocol packet stream is sent and received in accordance with Internet Request For Comments Standard 2833 or its equivalent and uses tone control bits to control push-to-talk and push-to-send operations.

20. The method of claim 8 wherein the communications terminal is one of the group consisting of an IP radio, an IP telephone, or an IP device with PTT/PTS signaling.