Method and apparatus for wirelessly transacting simultaneous voice and data on adjacent timeslots

• US 9,253,773 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMUEL, DEWANDA A
• Application Number:
  US14/013,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20150063326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 370/337, 370/493, 370/490, 370/354
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

wirelessly receiving, at a wireless radio, 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, by the wireless radio, a data transmission request requesting the wireless radio transmit data;

wirelessly receiving, by the wireless radio, un-discarded wirelessly transmitted voice on the first timeslot;

discarding, by the wireless radio, a portion of the wirelessly transmitted voice in the first timeslot to provide a larger guard time for reprogramming between the first timeslot and the second timeslot;

reprogramming, by the wireless radio, wireless radio circuitry to switch between receive and transmit modes during the larger guard time; and

after the reprogramming, wirelessly transmitting, by the wireless radio, data in the second timeslot based on the data transmission request.

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

wherein the reprogramming the wireless radio circuitry is performed subsequent to the data transmission request and subsequent to receiving the voice on the first timeslot.

3. The wireless method of claim 1,

wherein the wirelessly transmitting data in the second timeslot comprises wirelessly 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, by the wireless radio, 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, by the wireless radio, a last voice frame of the first timeslot to provide the larger guard time for reprogramming between the first timeslot and the second timeslot;

discarding, by the wireless radio, a first voice frame of a next first timeslot adjacent the second timeslot to provide a second larger guard time for second reprogramming between the next first timeslot and the second timeslot; and

after the second reprogramming, receiving, by the wireless radio, un-discarded wirelessly transmitted voice in 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.

20. The wireless method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless radio playing back, via a speaker, the un-discarded wireless transmitted voice.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

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

a processor communicatively coupled to the radio circuitry; and

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

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

responsive to detecting a data transmission request requesting transmission of data via the radio circuitry;

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

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

reprogram the radio circuitry to switch between receive and transmit modes during the larger guard time; and

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

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data wirelessly 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, via the radio circuitry, un-discarded voice on the first timeslot at a first radio; and

prevent transmission, via the radio circuitry, 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 reprogramming between the first timeslot and the second timeslot;

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

after the second reprogramming, receiving un-discarded wirelessly transmitted voice in the next first timeslot.