System and method for enabling wireless real time applications over a wide area network in high signal intermittence environments

• US 8,213,431 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Fleischman, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh-Vu H
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TITO Q
• Application Number:
  US12/016,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20090185513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A system and method for communicating real time information using a wide area network protocol and communications protocol that mitigates against potentially significant packet loss rates caused by events such as signal blockage occurring at the underlying wireless transmission (e.g., radio) links. In one implementation the method involves creating a first data packet having a first segment of information, and a first identification (ID) code. The first data packet is then transmitted. A second data packet is then created having information forming the first data packet and also a second segment of information identified by a second code. The second packet is then transmitted. Subsequently formed data packets may include all of the information from previously created data packets until a maximum packet depth is reached, and then each subsequently created new data packet drops off the oldest packet information from the previously created packet while including new information.

Claims

1. A method for communicating real time information over a wide area network in accordance with a protocol, the method comprising:

defining a maximum packet field depth that limits a number of data packets that may be transmitted as a single packet string of data packets in a single data transmission operation;

creating a first data packet having a first segment of information, and a first identification (ID) code, and placing the first data packet in a first field of a first packet string;

transmitting said first packet string in a first transmission operation;

creating a second packet string including said first data packet, and also a second data packet having a second segment of information identified by a second identification code, and placing the second data packet in a second field of the second packet string;

transmitting said second packet string in a second transmission operation; and

checking if the maximum packet field depth was reached during the second transmission and, if so, then for a next subsequent transmission, discarding the first data packet and locating the second data packet in the first field of a next subsequent packet string, and adding a new data packet in the second field of the next subsequent packet string;

continuing to drop an oldest one of the data packets and shift remaining, previously transmitted ones of the data packets by one field position, for each new subsequent transmission, whenever a new data packet is added and a previous one of the new subsequent data transmissions required the maximum packet field depth to be used; and

and if the maximum packet field depth was not reached when transmitting the second packet string, then for a next subsequent packet string, placing the first data packet in the first field position, the second data packet in the second field, and a next new data packet in a third field of a new next subsequent packet string, and transmitting the new next subsequent packet string.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said wide area network comprises the Internet, and said protocol comprises a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming said first data packet to include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for information forming said first segment of information and said first ID code.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising forming said second data packet to include a CRC for information forming said second segment of information and said second ID code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the next new data packet includes:

a third segment of information; and

a third ID code.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising forming the next new data packet to include a third CRC for information forming said third segment of information and said third ID code.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising forming a another new data packet placed in a fourth field of another new packet string, the another new packet string using information from said first data packet, said second data packet and said next new data packet, and wherein said another new data packet includes:

a fourth segment of information;

a fourth ID code.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising including a CRC with said another new data packet for said fourth segment of information and said fourth ID code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first segment of information comprises audio information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first segment of information comprises at least one of:

video information;

chat information;

alarm information; and

alert information.

11. A method for communicating real time information using voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) information, comprising:

defining a maximum packet field depth that limits a number of data packets that may be transmitted as a single packet string of data packets in a single data transmission operation;

creating a first data packet having a first segment of information, and a first identification (ID) code, and placing the first data packet in a first field of a first packet string;

transmitting said first packet string in a first transmission operation;

creating a second packet string including said first data packet, and also a second data packet having a second segment of information identified by a second identification code, and placing the second data packet in a second field of the second packet string;

transmitting said second packet string in a second transmission operation; and

checking if the maximum packet field depth was reached during the second transmission and, if so, then for a next subsequent transmission, discarding the first data packet and locating the second data packet in the first field of a next subsequent packet string, and adding a new data packet in the second field of the next subsequent packet string;

continuing to drop an oldest one of the data packets and shift remaining, previously transmitted ones of the data packets by one field position, for each new subsequent transmission, whenever a new data packet is added and a previous one of the new subsequent data transmissions required the maximum packet field depth to be used; and

if the maximum packet field depth was not reached when transmitting the second packet string, then for a next subsequent packet string, placing the first data packet in the first field position, the second data packet in the second field, and a next new data packet in a third field of a new next subsequent packet string, and transmitting the new next subsequent packet string.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first segment of real time information comprises at least one of:

a real time audio recording segment;

video information;

chat information;

alarm information; and

alert information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first segment of real time information comprises a real time video recording segment.

14. A data transmission system comprising:

a controller for implementing a communication protocol over a wide area network to transmit packet strings over said wide area network, wherein the packet strings each include a predetermined maximum packet field depth that limits a number of segments of information that may be transmitted as part of a single transmission operation;

a transmitter responsive to the controller and adapted to transmit said packet strings formatted by said controller; and

the controller configured to;

generate a first data packet having a first segment of information, and a first identification (ID) code, and to place the first data packet in a first field of a first packet string;

transmit said first packet string in a first transmission operation;

create a second packet string including first data packet, and also a second data packet having a second segment of information identified by a second identification code, and to place the second data packet in a second field of the second packet string;

transmit said second packet string in a second transmission operation; and

check if the maximum packet field depth was reached during the second transmission and, if so, then for a next subsequent transmission, to discard the first data packet and locate the second data packet in the first field of a next subsequent packet string, and to add a new data packet in the second field of the next subsequent packet string;

continue to drop an oldest one of the data packets and shift remaining, previously transmitted ones of the data packets by one field position, for each new subsequent transmission, whenever a new data packet is added and a previous one of the new subsequent data transmissions required the maximum packet field depth to be used; and

if the maximum packet field depth was not reached when transmitting the second packet string, then for a next subsequent packet string, placing the first data packet in the first field position, the second data packet in the second field, and a next new data packet in a third field of a new next subsequent packet string, and transmitting the new next subsequent packet string.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said first data packet further comprises a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for information making up said first data packet, and wherein said second data packet includes a second CRC for information forming said second segment of real time information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said wide area network comprises the Internet, and wherein said communication protocol comprises a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).