Method and apparatus for session layer framing to enable interoperability between packet-switched systems

• US 8,249,102 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Koren, Eitan, Aharonson, Itamar, Farhuma, Nissim, Tooba, Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bokhari, Syed M
• Application Number:
  US10/899,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20060023747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,947 Days
• Field of Search: 370/347, 370/335, 370/390, 370/342, 370/241, 370/469, 370/401, 370/310, 370/466, 370/474, 370/60, 370/285, 709/203, 709/230, 709/227, 709/219, 455/456, 455/414.2, 375/219, 375/130, 341/24
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

A method and apparatus for session layer framing for interoperability between packet-switched systems is described. The method includes the steps of: generating (1210) a communication frame at the session layer including a plurality of fields; providing (1220) for a payload field in the plurality of fields for carrying a payload; and providing (1230) for a signal field in the plurality of fields for carrying a control signal.

Claims

1. A method for session layer framing for interoperability between packet-switched apparatus, comprising the steps of:

a processing device performing;

generating a communication frame at the session layer comprising a plurality of fields;

providing for a payload field in the plurality of fields for carrying a payload; and

providing for a signal field in the plurality of fields for carrying a control signal;

providing for a Coded Signal Value”

field in the plurality of fields to carry control signaling;

providing for a “

Peer-to-Peer Connection Reference”

field in the plurality of fields for identifying connections;

providing for a “

Frame Number”

field;

providing for a “

RPDFL Version Number”

field in the plurality of fields for indicating a version of an RPDFL protocol

providing for a “

PTT Priority”

field in the plurality of fields for enabling a priority selection;

providing for an “

SNR”

field ideally in the plurality of fields for allowing automatic diversity selections;

providing for a “

Spare”

field ideally in the plurality of fields; and

wherein the frame enables peer-to-peer communication between a first packet-switched apparatus in a first communication system and a second packet-switched apparatus in a second disparate communication system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a radio control signal in the signal field.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the radio control signal indicates a request by a first packet-switched apparatus to communicate with a second packet-switched apparatus, the method further comprising the step of transmitting a communication frame to the second packet-switched apparatus a predetermined number of times for causing the second packet-switched apparatus to be keyed-on.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each communication frame is directly transmitted to the second packet-switched apparatus.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the radio control signal indicates that the payload field contains media payload, the method further comprising the step of placing media payload into the payload field and transmitting a communication frame with the media payload subsequent to transmitting the predetermined number of frames having the radio control signal indicating the request to communicate.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising detecting that a PTT indication is active and as a result of the detection transmitting the predetermined number of frames having the radio control signal indicating the request to communicate.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the radio control signal indicates a request by a first packet-switched apparatus to terminate communication with a second packet-switched apparatus, the method further comprising the step of transmitting the communication frame to the second packet-switched apparatus a predetermined number of times for causing the second packet-switched apparatus to be keyed-off.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing for a connection reference field for identifying at least two packet-switched apparatus participants for a given communication session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the connection reference field identifies at least one source participant and at least one destination participant.

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

for a group of destination participants,

duplicating a communication frame;

identifying a destination participant from the group in the connection reference field; and

transmitting the duplicated communication frame to the identified destination participant.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication frame is received from a source participant.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication frame is transmitted by a first packet-switched apparatus to a second packet-switched apparatus and the second packet-switched apparatus performs the steps of duplicating the communication frame, identifying the destination participant and transmitting the communication frame to the identified destination participant.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing for a priority field for enabling a selection to be made of a first packet-switched apparatus to transmit in a group of packet-switched apparatus each simultaneously requesting to transmit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selection is made by at least two packet-switched apparatus.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the radio control signal is used to query a packet-switched apparatus to determine if the packet-switched apparatus is alive, the method further comprising the steps of transmitting the communication frame to the packet-switched apparatus and waiting for a response to the query.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein an action is taken if the response is not received from the packet-switched apparatus within a predetermined time period.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing for a Signal-to-Noise (SNR) field for enabling a selection of a communication path to be made from a group of communications paths, wherein each path in the group is coupled to a packet-switched apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selection is made based upon at least one criterion that is indicated in the SNR field.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one criterion includes path strength.

20. A packet-switched apparatus comprising:

a processing device for executing processing steps; and

a storage device coupled to the processing device for storing a set of process steps executable by the processing device, the process steps comprising;

generating a communication frame at the session layer comprising a plurality of fields;

providing for a payload field in the plurality of fields for carrying a payload;

providing for a Coded Signal Value”

field in the plurality of fields to carry control signaling;

providing for a “

Peer-to-Peer Connection Reference”

field in the plurality of fields for identifying connections;

providing for a “

Frame Number”

field;

providing for a “

RPDFL Version Number”

field in the plurality of fields for indicating a version of an RPDFL protocol

providing for a “

PTT Priority”

field in the plurality of fields for enabling a priority selection;

providing for an “

SNR”

field ideally in the plurality of fields for allowing automatic diversity selections;

providing fora “

Spare”

field ideally in the plurality of fields; and

providing for a signal field in the plurality of fields for carrying a control signal, wherein the frame enables peer-to-peer communication between the packet-switched apparatus in a first communication system and a second packet-switched apparatus in a second disparate communication system.