Advanced real-time IP communication in a mobile terminal

• US 9,107,049 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D2 Technologies, Inc. (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: D2 Technologies, Inc. (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lindsay, David, Parrish, Steve, Garrido, Christopher, Randmaa, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US13/891,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20130301529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 370252-311, 370328-331, 455437-466, 455507-522, 455/552, 709206-217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method of making Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, legacy circuit calls, sending/receiving Short Message Service (SMS) over Long Term Evolution (LTE) modem or a legacy modem on a mobile terminal with both kinds of modems, and providing all legacy modem functions is disclosed. In addition, methods for dynamic selection of radio in a mobile terminal capable of Rich Communications Services (RCS) capabilities, and a method for redirecting RCS traffic to an alternate network interface is also disclosed. Methods for Session Initiation Protocol module (SIP) stack functions to be distributed across different processors on a mobile terminal, and directed to different network interfaces is disclosed. Methods of adding video calling and RCS functions without encountering the dual registration problem are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of making Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, legacy circuit calls, and sending/receiving Short Message Service (SMS) using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) modem or a legacy modem, switching between the LTE and the legacy modem on a mobile terminal with both LTE and legacy modems, and providing all legacy modem functions using existing applications on the mobile terminal, the method comprising:

a Session Initiation Protocol module (SIP) and Control/Status Module (CSM) subsystem making VoIP calls and sending/receiving SMS over Internet Protocol (SMSoIP) on an LTE processor;

a Command Handler module directing voice and SMS messages from a modem driver to the SIP/CSM, and passing all other messages to the legacy modem directly;

the CSM module determining, based on radio policy set by a network or the mobile terminal, whether the call or SMS will be processed by the SIP module and a Voice Engine as required or be passed to the legacy modem and processed by voice algorithms embedded in the legacy modem;

the Command Handler module directing voice and SMS messages from the legacy modem to the SIP/CSM, and passing all other messages through to the modem driver;

selecting the radio policy for Rich Communications Services (RCS) on the mobile terminal on a per function basis either by the mobile terminal or an operator of the network; and

determining which network interface to use for each RCS function by making accessible to either the network or the mobile terminal a Radio Policy Manager (RPM) to set parameters or rules for making the determination.

2. A method for dynamic selection of network interface in a mobile terminal capable of Rich Communications Services (RCS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) modem, legacy modem, and an alternate network interface, the method comprising:

a Radio Policy Manager (RPM) on an LTE processor of the mobile terminal, the RPM selecting what network interface to use for each communication function;

making the RPM accessible to a network operator or the mobile terminal to set parameters or rules for making the determination;

a vPort Redirector (VPR) module on the LTE processor requesting access to an LTE video bearer channel;

a Control/Status module (CSM) module using the RPM to set the alternate network interface to be used by video packets and control packets;

routing the video packets through the VPR with CSM controlling which alternate network interface is used for the video packets; and

the VPR redirecting the video packets to an alternate network interface Daemon when the video packets are to be transmitted over the alternate network interface.

3. A method for Session Initiation Protocol module (SIP) sessions on a mobile terminal to be directed to different corresponding network interfaces using a single authenticated SIP connection, the method comprising:

a vPort Redirector (VPR) module, between an SIP stack and an alternate network interface, providing a virtual network interface, which redirects all SIP packets according to a radio policy selected either by the mobile terminal or an operator of the corresponding radio network;

a Control/Status module (CSM) module using an RPM to set the alternate network interface to be used by video packets and control packets;

routing the video packets through the VPR with CSM controlling which alternate network interface is used for the video packets; and

the VPR redirecting the video packets to an alternate network interface Daemon when the video packets are to be transmitted over the alternate network interface.

4. A method of redirecting real-time Internet Protocol (IP) communication IP packet traffic which normally goes through a Voice-over-Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) enabled Long Term Evolution (LTE) processor on a mobile terminal to an alternate network interface without duplicating another Session Initiation Protocol module (SIP) stack and related software outside of the LTE processor, the method comprising:

inserting a vPort Redirector (VPR) module between the SIP stack and the VoLTE enabled LTE processor which redirects all IP packets that are normally transmitted over the LTE modem to an alternate network interface Daemon using an inter-processor communication mechanism;

the alternate network interface Daemon interfacing with a sub-system to maintain a network connection established by the alternate network interface Daemon, and transmitting/receiving the IP packet traffic over the network connection established by the alternate network interface Daemon,

wherein all the IP packet traffic goes through an authenticated SIP connection substantially the same as used for VoLTE transmission;

a Control/Status module (CSM) module using an RPM to set the alternate network interface to be used by video packets and control packets;

routing the video packets through the VPR with CSM controlling which alternate network interface is used for the video packets; and

the VPR redirecting the video packets to an alternate network interface Daemon when the video packets are to be transmitted over the alternate network interface.

5. A method of redirecting video packets that are produced and/or consumed by an application processor that performs video codec functions to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) processor of a mobile terminal when video packets are to be transported over an LTE modem, the method comprising:

a video engine running on the application processor sending and receiving video packets to/from the LTE processor;

a vPort Redirector (VPR) module on the LTE processor requesting access to a LTE video bearer channel;

exchanging the video packets between the video engine and the VPR using an inter-processor communication (IPC) mechanism;

a Control/Status module (CSM) module using a Radio Policy Manager (RPM) to set an alternate network interface to be used by the video packets and control packets;

routing the video packets through the VPR with CSM controlling which alternate network interface is used for the video packets; and

the VPR redirecting the video packets to an alternate network interface Daemon when the video packets are to be transmitted over the alternate network interface.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising a Video Packet Redirector redirecting video packets to either an alternate network interface Daemon or the LTE modem as determined by the Control/Status module (CSM) module using the Radio Policy Manager (RPM).

7. A method of distributing Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) functions across different processors while maintaining a single authenticated SIP connection for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

providing a vPort Redirector module (VPR) on a Processor of the mobile terminal;

an SIP module on the Processor requesting the VPR module to open an SIP connection to an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) core;

the SIP module registering to the IMS core using the VPR module connection;

the VPR module allowing other SIP modules on different processors in the mobile terminal to use the same VPR module connection to the IMS core;

the VPR module inspecting SIP packets coming from the IMS core to determine a corresponding SIP module for each SIP packet; and

the VPR module routing the SIP packets to the corresponding SIP module.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the VPR module routing SIP packets associated with voice and video call sessions to a first SIP module on the processor and all other packets to a protocol accelerator module running on an application processor of the mobile terminal.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the VPR module routing all messages that require Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) processing to an MSRP stack on one processor, and all other SIP messages to a SIP stack on a different processor.

10. A method for implementing Rich Communications Services (RCS) functions on a mobile terminal with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) processor using an Internet Protocol (IP) connection established by a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) module in the LTE processor, the method comprising:

implementing a protocol accelerator on an application processor of the mobile terminal providing SIP functions;

a Control/Status Module (CSM) determining which SIP function is to be performed by the SIP module in the LTE processor and which SIP function is to implemented on the protocol accelerator, and routing RCS data via a vPort Redirector module (VPR) in the LTE processor to the protocol accelerator or to the SIP module in the LTE processor according to the determination,

wherein SIP functions that are required to be performed on the SIP module in the LTE processor are routed to the SIP module in the LTE processor so that RCS data is transmitted over a same authenticated SIP connection established by the SIP module in the LTE processor for Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) and Short Message Service (SMS); and

the CSM determining which SIP function is to be performed by the SIP module in the LTE processor and which SIP function is to be implemented on the protocol accelerator according to any one or any combination of the following;

amount of memory required by the SIP function including Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) functions, amount of memory available on the application processor or the LTE processor, and amount of available CPU on the application processor and LTE processor of the mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising implementing only MSRP functions in the protocol accelerator on the application processor, and the VPR module in the LTE processor routing all messages that require MSRP to the protocol accelerator, and all other SIP messages to the SIP module in the LTE processor.

12. A method of avoiding dual registration problems when Rich Communication Services (RCS) functions on a mobile terminal having a Long Term Evolution (LTE) processor require Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) functions to be performed outside of an SIP stack embedded in the LTE processor, the method comprising:

the LTE processor registering with a network and establishing an authenticated SIP connection to an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) core for Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) and Short Message Service over Internet Protocol (SMSoIP);

routing all Internet Protocol (IP) packets for subsequent RCS functions processed by a protocol accelerator on an application processor, and are destined for transmission through an LTE modem, through a vPort Redirector (VPR) of the LTE processor which maintains a single authenticated SIP connection to the IMS core;

routing incoming packets from the IMS core, received via the LTE modem over the authenticated SIP connection, through the VPR to the SIP stack embedded in the LTE processor or to the protocol accelerator in the application processor of the mobile terminal as required; and

in response to RCS packets being transmitted over an alternate network interface aside from an LTE network interface, the VPR re-routing via an inter-processor communication (IPC) mechanism the RCS packets after modification to an alternate network interface Daemon in the application processor and transmitting the RCS packets over the alternate network interface, while maintaining the single authenticated SIP connection.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the LTE processor is Voice-over-Long-Term-Evolution (VoLTE) ready and includes an embedded SIP subsystem, the method further comprises:

in response to RCS packets being transmitted over an alternate network interface aside from an LTE radio, processing all SIP messages on the application processor using the protocol accelerator of the application processor, and routing the RCS packets to the alternate network interface Daemon in the application processor so that the RCS packets can be transmitted over the alternate network interface, over the single authenticated SIP connection and without extra data exchange between the application processor and the LTE processor.