METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESSLY TRANSACTING SIMULTANEOUS VOICE AND DATA ON ADJACENT TIMESLOTS

• US 20150063326A1
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: KHOO, HUN WENG, CHUNG, YUEH CHING, WIATROWSKI, DAVID G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,253,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/22 in which the sources have different rates or codes simultaneous speech and digital data or video transmission H04M11/06; see provisional also H04J3/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/16 Arrangements for providing special services to substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A wireless method, apparatus, and system provide simultaneous transacting of voice and data on adjacent timeslots through a combination of channel access rules and sacrificing small audio portions when required. This includes wirelessly operating on at least two timeslots which are adjacent to one another, operating voice on a first timeslot of the at least two timeslots and monitoring a second timeslot of the at least two timeslots for data, and, responsive to a data transmission request and receiving voice on the first timeslot, discarding a portion of the voice in the first timeslot to provide a larger guard time for programming between the first timeslot and the second timeslot and transmitting data in the second timeslot based on the data transmission request.

Claims

1. A wireless method for operating on at least two timeslots that are adjacent to one another, the method comprising:

operating voice on a first timeslot of the at least two adjacent timeslots and monitoring a second timeslot of the at least two adjacent timeslots for data; and

responsive to detecting a data transmission request;

receiving un-discarded voice on the first timeslot;

discarding a portion of the voice in the first timeslot to provide a larger guard time for programming between the first timeslot and the second timeslot; and

transmitting data in the second timeslot based on the data transmission request.

2. The wireless method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to the data transmission request and receiving voice on the first timeslot, reprogramming circuitry in a radio to switch between receive and transmit during the larger guard time.

3. The wireless method of claim 1,

wherein transmitting data in the second timeslot comprises transmitting one of a link layer acknowledgement, a control signaling block, and a control signaling block acknowledgement.

4. The wireless method of claim 1, wherein the wireless method operates on a two timeslot time division multiple access (TDMA) system.

5. The wireless method of claim 4, wherein the two timeslot TDMA system comprises Digital Mobile Radio (DMR).

6. The wireless method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting voice on the first timeslot at a first radio; and

preventing, at a second radio, transmission of data to the first radio until the first radio has completed the transmitting voice on the first timeslot.

7. The wireless method of claim 6, further comprising:

monitoring a target talkgroup associated with the voice on the first timeslot at the second radio; and

wherein the step of preventing transmission of data to the first radio is responsive to detecting that the first radio is included in a talkgroup list based on the monitoring.

8. The wireless method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing a set of channel access rules for the first timeslot and the second timeslot, the channel access rules based on whether the first timeslot is receiving or transmitting voice and whether the second timeslot is receiving or transmitting data.

9. The wireless method of claim 8, wherein the set of channel access rules comprise:

if receiving voice on the first timeslot and receiving data on the second timeslot, monitoring both slots for data associated therewith without audio impact;

if receiving voice on the first timeslot and transmitting first data on the second timeslot, discarding a portion of the voice to enable the larger guard time, wherein the first data comprises one of a link layer acknowledgement, a control signaling block, or a control signaling block acknowledgement;

if receiving voice on the first timeslot and transmitting second data on the second timeslot, queuing the second data until after the voice ends, wherein the second data comprises any data except the first data; and

if transmitting voice on the first timeslot and receiving data on the second timeslot, avoiding the receiving data via providing a radio transmitting the receiving data with a source identifier or talk group list identifier of a radio performing the transmitting voice.

10. The wireless method of claim 1, further comprising:

discarding a last voice frame of the first timeslot to provide the larger guard time for programming between the first timeslot and the second timeslot and transmitting data in the second timeslot based on the data transmission request;

discarding a first voice frame of a next first timeslot adjacent the second timeslot to provide the larger guard time for programming between the next first timeslot and the second timeslot; and

receiving un-discarded portions of the next first timeslot subsequent to the discarding the first voice frame of the next first timeslot.

11. The wireless method of claim 10, wherein the last voice frame and the first voice frame each comprise 20 msec of audio.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a radio configured to transmit and receive on at least two adjacent timeslots;

a processor communicatively coupled to the radio; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform steps of;

receive, via the radio, voice on a first timeslot of the at least two adjacent timeslots and monitor, via the radio, a second timeslot of the at least two adjacent timeslots for data; and

responsive to detecting a data transmission request;

receive, via the radio, un-discarded voice on the first timeslot;

discard a portion of the voice in the first timeslot to provide a larger guard time for programming the radio between the first timeslot and the second timeslot; and

transmit, via the radio, data in the second timeslot based on the data transmission request.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the

data transmitted in the second timeslot comprises one of a link layer acknowledgement, a control signaling block, and a control signaling block acknowledgement.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wireless method operates on a two timeslot time division multiple access (TDMA) system comprising Digital Mobile Radio (DMR).

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform steps of:

receive un-discarded voice on the first timeslot at a first radio; and

prevent transmission of data to another radio that is currently transmitting voice on the first timeslot until the another radio has completed the transmitting voice on the first timeslot.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform steps of:

monitor a target talkgroup associated with the voice on the first timeslot; and

wherein the step of preventing transmission of data to the first radio is responsive to detecting that the first radio is included in a talkgroup list based on the monitoring.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform steps of:

implement a set of channel access rules for the first timeslot and the second timeslot, the channel access rules based on whether the first timeslot is receiving or transmitting voice and whether the second timeslot is receiving or transmitting data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the set of channel access rules comprise:

if receiving voice on the first timeslot and receiving data on the second timeslot, monitoring both slots for data associated therewith without audio impact;

if receiving voice on the first timeslot and transmitting first data on the second timeslot, discarding a portion of the voice to enable the larger guard time, wherein the first data comprises one of a link layer acknowledgement, a control signaling block, or a control signaling block acknowledgement;

if receiving voice on the first timeslot and transmitting second data on the second timeslot, queuing the second data until after the voice ends, wherein the second data comprises any data except the first data; and

if transmitting voice on the first timeslot and receiving data on the second timeslot, avoiding the receiving data via providing a radio transmitting the receiving data with a source identifier or talkgroup list identifier of a radio performing the transmitting voice.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform steps of:

discard a last voice frame of the first timeslot to provide the larger guard time for programming between the first timeslot and the second timeslot and transmitting data in the second timeslot based on the data transmission request;

discard a first voice frame of a next first timeslot adjacent the second timeslot to provide the larger guard time for programming between the next first timeslot and the second timeslot; and

receiving un-discarded portions of the next first timeslot subsequent to the discarding the first voice frame of the next first timeslot.

20. A system, comprising:

a plurality of radios configured to wirelessly communicate therebetween using two adjacent timeslots on a time division multiple access (TDMA) channel;

wherein the plurality of radios utilize a first timeslot of the two adjacent timeslots for voice communication therebetween;

wherein the plurality of radios utilize a second timeslot of the two adjacent timeslots for data communications; and

wherein the plurality of radios utilize a set of channel access rules to enable voice on the first timeslot and data on the second timeslot, the set of channel access rules provide discarding of a portion of audio in the first timeslot to enable a larger guard time for programming each radio between the first timeslot and the second timeslot and queuing of data for the second timeslot as appropriate.