Systems and methods for push-to-talk voice communication over voice over internet protocol networks

• US 9,603,051 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unium LLC
• Original Assignee: CoCo Communications, Corp.
• Inventors: Eller, A. Riley, Edwards, Dennis, Steveley, Norma, Moorehead, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhury, Faisal
• Application Number:
  US14/339,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services

Abstract

Push to talk (PTT) devices that communicate packet-based voice communications are disclosed. An example PTT device receives voice packets via a packet-based communication network from another PTT device. Voice information in the received voice packets are used to reconstruct the voice communication. The receiving PTT device is able to identify an occurrence of at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet, and then communicate a packet re-transmit request to the other PTT device requesting a replacement voice packet that has a portion of the voice communication that is identical to the voice communication portion of the delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet. The voice communication may then be repaired based on the received replacement voice packet. While the voice communication is being repaired, a comfort tone may be generated so that the listener of the PTT device understands that the voice communication is being repaired.

Claims

1. A method of communicating voice communications between push to talk (PTT) devices via an intervening packet-based communication network, the method comprising:

receiving voice packets at a listener'"'"'s PTT device,

wherein each received voice packet is one of a serial ordered sequence of voice packets,

wherein each voice packet corresponds to a portion of the voice communication, and

wherein each voice packet includes an identifier that identifies the relative position of that particular voice communication packet in the serial ordered sequence of voice packets,

storing the received voice packets in an order defined by the identifier at the listener'"'"'s PTT device,

determining at the listener'"'"'s PTT device when a predefined amount of voice communication information has been received and stored, wherein the predefined amount of voice communication information is complete and perfect; and

while the predefined amount of voice communication information is being received and stored, generating an audible first comfort tone from a speaker residing in the listener'"'"'s PTT device,

after the predefined amount of voice communication information has been received and stored, initiating presentation of the voice communication on the listener'"'"'s PTT device using the received predefined amount of voice communication information and ending generation of the first comfort tone;

generating a second comfort tone at the listener'"'"'s PTT device when communication of the voice communication is paused due to at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet transmitted from a speaker'"'"'s PTT device, wherein the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet includes a voice communication portion of the of the voice communication;

communicating a packet re-transmit request from the listener'"'"'s PTT device to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, wherein the packet re-transmit request identifies the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet;

receiving at least one replacement voice packet that is communicated from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device, wherein a voice communication portion of the replacement voice packet is the same as the voice communication portion of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet;

repairing the voice communication with the voice communication portion of the replacement voice packet; and

in response to repairing the voice communication, the method further comprising;

ending generation of the second comfort tone from the listener'"'"'s PTT device; and

ending the pause of the voice communication at the listener'"'"'s PTT device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a confirmation signal from the listener'"'"'s PTT device to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device in response to repairing the voice communication,

wherein the confirmation signal indicates that a perfect voice communication to the listener has been completed at the listener'"'"'s PTT device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first comfort tone and the second comfort tone are an audible comfort tone that is heard by the user of the listener'"'"'s PTT device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined amount of voice communication information is based on a round trip voice packet (VP) repair time, wherein the VP repair time is defined as a sum of at least the following durations:

a duration that is required for the listener'"'"'s PTT device to transmit the packet re-transmit request to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device over the intervening packet-based communication network,

a duration that is required for the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to receive the packet re-transmit request,

a duration that is required for the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to retrieve the requested replacement voice packet from a memory medium at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device,

a duration that is required for the replacement voice packet to be communicated from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device over the intervening packet-based communication network, and

a duration that is required for the listener'"'"'s PTT device to repair the voice communication using the received replacement voice packet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an occurrence of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet,

wherein the packet re-transmit request is communicated from the listener'"'"'s PTT device to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device in response to identifying the occurrence of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet.

6. A method of receiving packet-based voice communications at a listener'"'"'s push to talk (PTT) device, wherein the voice communications are generated by a speaker'"'"'s PTT device, and wherein the voice communications are communicated in a series of voice packets via an intervening packet-based communication network, the method comprising:

receiving the voice packets at the listener'"'"'s PTT device,

wherein each received voice packet is one of a serially ordered sequence of voice packets,

wherein each voice packet corresponds to a unique portion of a voice communication generated by the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, and

wherein each voice packet includes an identifier that identifies a relative position of that particular voice packet in the serially ordered sequence of voice packets;

storing, at the listener'"'"'s PTT device, the received voice packets in an order defined by the identifier;

determining, at the listener'"'"'s PTT device, when an initial part of the voice communication defined by a predefined amount of voice communication information has been received and stored, wherein the predefined amount of voice communication information is complete and perfect;

while the predefined amount of voice communication information is being received and stored, generating an audible first comfort tone from a speaker residing in the listener'"'"'s PTT device;

after the predefined amount of voice communication information has been received and stored, the method further comprising;

ending the audible first comfort tone from the speaker of the listener'"'"'s PTT device; and

generating an audible reproduction of the voice communication from the speaker, wherein the generated audible reproduction of the voice communication corresponds to the complete and perfect predefined amount of voice communication information

after generating the audible reproduction of the voice communication from the speaker of the listener'"'"'s PTT device, the method further comprising;

continuing to receive voice packets corresponding to later portions of the voice communication;

identifying, at the listener'"'"'s PTT device, an occurrence of at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet in the received voice packets associated with the predefined amount of voice communication information;

determining an identifier of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet;

communicating a packet re-transmit request from the listener'"'"'s PTT device to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, wherein the packet re-transmit request includes the identifier of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet;

receiving at least one replacement voice packet that is communicated from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device in response to the packet re-transmit request, wherein a voice communication portion of the replacement voice packet is the same as a voice communication portion of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet; and

repairing the voice communication with the voice communication portion of the replacement voice packet,

wherein a current amount of voice communication information is complete and perfect after the replacement voice packet is stored and received.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

communicating a confirmation signal from the listener'"'"'s PTT device to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, wherein the confirmation signal indicates that at least the current amount of voice communication information is complete and perfect.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating an audible second comfort tone from the speaker residing in the listener'"'"'s PTT device; and

ending the audible second comfort tone from the speaker of the listener'"'"'s PTT device after the current amount of voice communication information has been repaired with the voice communication portion of the replacement voice packet.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined amount of voice communication information is defined based on a first amount of time corresponding to anticipated delays in communication of voice packets over the intervening packet-based communication network, plus a second amount of time associated with communicating the packet re-transmit request from the listener'"'"'s PTT device to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, and plus a third amount of time associated with receiving the at least one replacement voice packet that is communicated from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving voice packets at the listener'"'"'s PTT device further comprises:

receiving a last voice packet at the listener'"'"'s PTT device, wherein the last voice packet is a last one of the serial ordered sequence of voice packets in the voice communication;

determining that an entirety of a perfect voice communication to the listener has been received at the listener'"'"'s PTT device; and

communicating a confirmation signal from the listener'"'"'s PTT device to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, wherein the confirmation signal indicates that the perfect voice communication to the listener has been received at the listener'"'"'s PTT device.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined amount of voice communication information is based on a round trip voice packet (VP) repair time.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined amount of voice communication information is based on a round trip voice packet (VP) repair time, wherein the VP repair time is defined as a sum of at least the following durations:

a duration that is required for the listener'"'"'s PTT device to transmit the packet re-transmit request to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device over the intervening packet-based communication network,

a duration that is required for the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to receive the packet re-transmit request,

a duration that is required for the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to retrieve the requested replacement voice packet from a memory medium at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device,

a duration that is required for the replacement voice packet to be communicated from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device over the intervening packet-based communication network, and

a duration that is required for the listener'"'"'s PTT device to repair the voice communication using the received replacement voice packet.

13. A method of communicating packet-based voice communications from a speaker'"'"'s push to talk (PTT) device to a listener'"'"'s PTT device, wherein the voice communications are communicated via an intervening packet-based communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, a voice communication from a user of the speaker'"'"'s PTT device;

generating, at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, a digital voice signal from the received voice communication;

parsing, at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, the digital voice signal into a serially ordered sequence of discreet digital voice signal portions; and

encapsulating, at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, each of the serially ordered sequence of discreet digital voice signal portions into a corresponding voice packet,

wherein each of the voice packets are arranged in a serially ordered sequence of voice packets that correspond to the serially ordered sequence of discreet digital voice signal portions, and

wherein each voice packet is identified by a unique identifier that identifies the relative position of the voice packet in the serially ordered sequence of voice packets;

communicating each of the voice packets from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device via the intervening packet-based communication network; and

storing, at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, each of the voice packets as a replacement voice packet, wherein each replacement voice packet has the same identifier as its corresponding voice packet that is communicated from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device;

wherein after a last voice packet has been communicated from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device corresponding to an ending of the voice communication from the user of the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, the method further comprising;

receiving a confirmation from the listener'"'"'s PTT device that an entirety of the plurality of voice packets have been received at the listener'"'"'s PTT device such that a perfect voice communication to the listener has been received at the listener'"'"'s PTT device;

generating audible confirmation information that is communicated to the user of the speaker'"'"'s PIT device,

wherein the audible confirmation information indicates that the entirety of the plurality of the voice packets have been received at the listener'"'"'s PTT device such that the perfect voice communication to the listener has been received at the listener'"'"'s PTT device, and

wherein the perfect voice communication is the same as the voice communication received from the user of the speaker'"'"'s PTT device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the audible confirmation information that is communicated to the user of the speaker'"'"'s PTT device is generated after a packet re-transmit request from the listener'"'"'s PTT device has not been received at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device within a predefined duration.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an end of the voice communication from the user of the speaker'"'"'s PTT device;

preventing an initiation of a new voice communication from the user of the speaker'"'"'s PTT device until after confirmation information is communicated to the user of the speaker'"'"'s PTT device,

wherein the confirmation information indicates that an entirety of the plurality of voice packets have been received at the listener'"'"'s PTT device such that a perfect voice communication to the listener has been received at the listener'"'"'s PTT device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a packet re-transmit request from the listener'"'"'s PTT device identifying a previously communicated voice packet,

wherein the previously communicated voice packet corresponds to an occurrence of at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet at the listener'"'"'s PTT device, and

wherein the previously communicated voice packet is identified by the same identifier of a stored replacement voice packet associated with the previously communicated voice packet;

retrieving, at the speaker'"'"'s PTT device, the stored replacement voice packet having the same unique identifier as the unique identifier of the previously communicated voice packet; and

communicating the retrieved replacement voice packet from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device, wherein the replacement voice packet includes the identifier of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet,

wherein the listener'"'"'s PTT device is configured to repair the voice communication using the replacement voice packet.

17. A push to talk (PTT) device, wherein a plurality of PTT devices are configured to communicate packet-based voice communications from a speaker'"'"'s PTT device to at least one listener'"'"'s PTT device, and wherein the voice communications are communicated via an intervening packet-based communication network, each PTT device comprising:

a listening portion configured to receive a plurality of first voice packets corresponding to a first voice communication spoken by a user of another PTT device, the listening portion comprising;

a first packetizer configured to receive the plurality of first voice packets,

wherein the plurality of first voice packets comprise digitized portions of the first voice communication, and

wherein each of the plurality of first voice packets include a unique identifier that identifies the relative position of that particular voice packet in a serial ordered sequence of first voice packets;

a jitter buffer communicatively coupled to the first packetizer,

wherein the jitter buffer is configured to receive the plurality of first voice packets from the first packetizer, and

wherein the jitter buffer is configured to store the received plurality of first voice packets in the serial ordered sequence according to the identifier of each one of the received plurality of first voice packets;

a first vocoder communicatively coupled to the jitter buffer,

wherein the first vocoder is configured to deconstruct each of the plurality of first voice packets received from the jitter buffer into digital data that corresponds to the digitized portion of the first voice communication;

a digital to analog (D/A) converter communicatively coupled to the first vocoder,

wherein the D/A converter is configured to convert the received digital data into an analog portion of the first voice communication; and

a speaker communicatively coupled to the D/A converter,

wherein the speaker is configured to generate sound corresponding to an analog portion of the first voice communication that is heard by the listener; and

a jitter buffer manager controllably coupled to the jitter buffer, wherein the jitter buffer manager is configured to;

identify an occurrence of at least one delayed, corrupted or lost first voice packet in the received plurality of first voice packets;

determine an identifier of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost first voice packet;

generate a packet re-transmit request that is communicated from the listener'"'"'s PTT device to the speaker'"'"'s PTT device,

wherein the packet re-transmit request includes the identifier of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost first voice packet,

wherein at least one replacement voice packet that is communicated from the speaker'"'"'s PTT device to the listener'"'"'s PTT device is received by the first packetizer,

wherein a voice communication portion of the replacement voice packet is the same as a voice communication portion of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost first voice packet; and

store the replacement voice packet into the jitter buffer at a location where the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost first voice packet is missing from the serial ordered plurality of first voice packets, such that the first voice communication is repaired with the replacement voice packet,

wherein a currently stored portion of voice communication information is complete and perfect after the replacement voice packet is stored in the jitter buffer; and

a speaking portion configured to process a second voice communication spoken by a user of the PTT device, the speaking portion comprising;

a microphone configured to detect the second voice communication spoken by the user of the PTT device,

wherein the microphone is configured to generate analog voice information from the detected second voice communication;

an analog to digital (A/D) converter communicatively coupled to the microphone,

wherein the A/D converter is configured to convert the detected second voice communication from the generated analog voice information into digital voice information;

a second vocoder communicatively coupled to the A/D converter,

wherein the second vocoder is configured to parse out the converted digital voice communication information into discreet digital voice communication information portions;

a second packetizer communicatively coupled to the second vocoder,

wherein the second packetizer is configured to encapsulate the discreet digital voice communication information portions into a plurality of second voice packets that are communicated to the other PTT device, and

wherein the plurality of second voice packets are communicated to the other PTT devices; and

a voice packet buffer communicatively coupled to the second packetizer,

wherein the voice packet buffer is configured to store each of the second voice packets received from the second packetizer as a corresponding replacement voice packet, wherein each replacement voice packet has the same identifier as its corresponding second voice packet; and

a voice packet recovery system communicatively coupled to the voice packet buffer of the speaking portion, wherein the voice packet recovery system is configured to;

identify a stored replacement voice packet based on a packet re-transmit request that has been received from the other PTT device,

wherein the packet re-transmit request identifies a previously communicated second voice packet,

wherein the previously communicated second voice packet corresponds to an occurrence of at least one delayed, corrupted or lost second voice packet at the other PTT device, and

wherein the previously communicated second voice packet is identified by a unique identifier of the previously communicated second voice packet;

retrieve the identified stored replacement voice packet from the voice packet buffer, wherein the identified stored replacement voice packet has the same unique identifier as the unique identifier of the previously communicated second voice packet; and

communicate the retrieved replacement voice packet to the other PTT device, wherein the replacement voice packet includes the identifier that is the same as the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost second voice packet,

wherein the other PTT device is configured to repair the second voice communication using the communicated replacement voice packet.

18. The PTT device of claim 17,

wherein the speaker is configured to generate sound corresponding to a comfort tone that is heard by the user of the PTT device,

wherein the comfort tone is initially generated in response to the jitter buffer manager identifying the occurrence of the at least one delayed, corrupted or lost first voice packet in the received first voice communication, and

wherein generation of the comfort tone is halted after the jitter buffer manager has stored the replacement voice packet into the jitter buffer such that the first voice communication is repaired with the voice communication portion of the replacement voice packet.

19. The PTT device of claim 17,

wherein the speaker is configured to generate sound corresponding to a comfort tone that is heard by the user of the PTT device,

wherein the comfort tone is initially generated by the speaker as an initial plurality of first voice packets are being received by the first packetizer,

wherein the initial plurality of received first voice packets correspond to an initial portion of the first voice communication, and

wherein generation of the comfort tone is halted and is replaced by an audible reproduction of the initial portion of the first voice communication.