Method and system for fast setup of group voice over IP communications

• US 20050073964A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: 3e Technologies International, Inc. (Ultra Electronics Holdings PLC)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Christopher M., Becker, Daniel L., Foy, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A method and system for fast setup of group Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications. The method and system provide a lower VoIP signaling overhead and a faster setup-time of group calls such as N-way audio and/or audio-video conference calls. Multi-party VoIP connections are quickly set-up over one or more virtual communications channels established between plural network devices using a session layer application, one or more group transport layer ports and a broadcast destination network address.

Claims

1. A method for providing multi-party connections over a communications network, comprising:

providing multi-party connection information from a session layer to an application layer on a first network device whenever the first network device initiates a multi-party connection to a plurality of other network devices over the communications network;

providing a broadcast destination network address for the multi-party connection;

providing one or more transport layer group ports for the multi-party connection; and

establishing the multi-party connection over one or more virtual communications channels between the first network device and the plurality of other network devices over the communications network using the multi-party connection information, the broadcast network address and the one or more transport layer group ports.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the steps of the method.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-party connection information includes a session layer application version, a group identifier, a call type, a callee identifier, a voice compression indicator, a video compression indicator, an encryption indicator, a transport layer group port control channel port, a transport layer group port traffic channel port or data packet sequence information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications network includes an Internet Protocol (IP) data network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast destination network address includes a broadcast Internet Protocol (IP) destination address.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more transport layer group ports include one or more group User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of establishing the multi-party connection includes establishing a multi-party Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection includes an audio conference multi-party connection or an audio-video conference multi-party connection.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein multi-party connection information provides a group identifier hierarchy that includes groups, super groups and system groups for use on the multi-party connection over the one or more virtual communications channels.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing multi-party connection information from a session layer includes providing multi-party connection information from a group dispatch session application executing in the session layer.

11. A method for providing multi-party connections over a communications network, comprising:

establishing a connection to a transport layer group port from an application layer on a first network device, wherein the transport layer group port is obtained from a session layer application when the first network device initiates a multi-party connection between the first network device and a plurality of other network devices over the communications network;

receiving voice information on the first network device;

compressing and digitizing the voice information into a plurality of data packets;

sending the plurality of data packets via the transport layer group port to a network layer; and

transmitting the plurality of data packets from the network layer to a broadcast destination network address for the multi-party connection,

thereby establishing the multi-party connection over one virtual communications channel between the first network device and the plurality of other network devices over the communications network using the transport layer group port and the broadcast destination network address.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the steps of the method.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the communications network includes an Internet Protocol (IP) data network.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the broadcast destination network address includes a broadcast Internet Protocol (IP) destination address.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the transport layer group port includes a group User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port.

16. The method of claim 11 the multi-party connection includes a multi-party Voice-over-internet Protocol (VoIP) connection.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection includes an audio conference multi-party connection or an audio-video conference multi-party connection.

18. A method for providing multi-party connections over a communications network, comprising:

establishing a connection to a first transport layer group port from an application layer on a first network devices, wherein the first transport layer group port and a second transport layer group port are obtained from a session layer application when the first network device initiates a multi-party connection between the first network device and a plurality of other network devices over the communications network;

sending one or more control data packets to via the first transport layer group port to a network layer;

transmitting the one or more control data packets from the network layer to a broadcast destination network address for the multi-party connection thereby establishing a first virtual communications channel over the communications network;

receiving voice information on the first network device;

changing a status of the second transport layer group port to busy;

compressing and digitizing the voice information into a plurality of data packets;

sending the plurality of data packets via the second transport layer group port to the network layer; and

transmitting the plurality of data packets from the network layer to the broadcast destination network address for the multi-party connection thereby establishing a second virtual communications channel over the communications network, and

thereby establishing the multi-party connection over the first and second virtual communications channels between the first network device and the plurality of other network devices over the communications network.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the steps of the method.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the communications network includes an Internet Protocol (IP) data network.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the broadcast destination network address includes a broadcast Internet Protocol (IP) destination address.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second transport layer group ports include group User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports.

23. The method of claim 18 the multi-party connection includes a multi-party Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection includes an audio conference multi-party connection or an audio-video conference multi-party connection.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the first virtual channel includes a virtual control channel and the second virtual channel includes a virtual traffic channel.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the first virtual channel is a Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) control channel and the second virtual channel is a VoIP virtual traffic channel.

27. A system for providing multi-party connections over a communications network, comprising in combination:

a means for providing multi-party connection information from a session layer to an application layer on a first network device whenever the first network device initiates a multi-party connection to a plurality of other network devices over a communications network, providing a broadcast destination network address for the multi-party connection and providing one or more transport layer group ports for the multi-party connection; and

a means for establishing the multi-party connection over one or more virtual communications channels between the first network device and the plurality of other network devices over the communications network using the multi-party connection information, the broadcast network address and the one or more transport layer group ports.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the broadcast destination network address includes a broadcast destination Internet Protocol (IP) address, the one or more transport layer group ports include one or more group User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports and multi-party connection includes a multi-party Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection.

29. A system for providing multi-party connections over a communications network, comprising in combination:

a broadcast destination network address;

one or more transport layer group ports;

multi-party connection information; and

a session layer application for providing the multi-party connection information from a session layer to an application layer on a network device whenever a first network device initiates the multi-party connection to a plurality of other network devices over a communications network, providing the one or more transport layer group ports for the multi-party connection and for establishing the multi-party connection over one or more virtual communications channels between the first network device and the plurality of other network devices over the communications network using the multi-party connection information, the broadcast network address and the one or more transport layer group ports.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the broadcast destination network address includes a broadcast destination Internet Protocol (IP) address, the one or more transport layer group ports include one or more group User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports and multi-party connection includes a multi-party Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection.