Call management in a TDMA system through variable packet formatting

In a time division multiple access (TDMA) communications system, a method of managing a call exhibiting a first signal type and a second signal type comprising:

• a) establishing a communication link for said call, said communication link being characterized by a capacity allocation responsive to said first signal type;
• b) when said call exhibits said first signal type, transmitting first packets of said call over said communication link in a first packet format using said capacity allocation;
• c) when said call exhibits said second signal type, transmitting second packets of said call over said communication link in a second packet format using said capacity allocation;
• wherein said first signal type is a voice signal, said second signal type is a data signal, and said method further comprises the steps of:
• detecting silence in said voice signal when transmitting said first packets of said call over said communication link;
• and
• enabling transmission of said second packets of said call over said communication link during said silence;
• and
• d) wherein said activity a) includes
• receiving a request for said call indicating said real time signal;
• assigning frequency bandwidth to said call in response to said request;
• allocating adjacent time slots of a TDMA frame in said frequency bandwidth to said call in response to said request, said frequency bandwidth and said adjacent time slots forming said capacity allocation.

A time division multiple access (TDMA) communications system comprising:

• a first TDMA platform for transmitting a call over a communication link, said call exhibiting a real time signal and a data signal, and said first TDMA platform including:
• a controller;
• a first input configured to receive said real time signal;
• a first multiplexer in communication with said first input and responsive to said controller, said first multiplexer segmenting said real time signal into first signal units and appending a first unique identifier to each of said first signal units to generate first packets of said call;
• a second input configured to receive said data signal;
• a second multiplexer in communication with said second input and responsive to said controller, said second multiplexer segmenting said data signal into second signal units and appending a second unique identifier to each of said second signal units to generate second packets of said call;
• and
• a signal output, in communication with a first output of said first multiplexer and a second output of said second multiplexer, for providing said first packets and said second packets of said call to said communication link;
• a second TDMA platform for receiving said first packets and said second packets of said call over said communication link;
• and
• means, in communication with said first TDMA platform and said second TDMA platform, for establishing a capacity allocation for said communication link, said establishing means assigning frequency bandwidth and allocating adjacent time slots in a TDMA frame of said frequency bandwidth for substantially exclusive use for said call in response to said real time signal, said frequency bandwidth and said adjacent time slots forming said capacity allocation, said first packets having a first packet size substantially equivalent to one of said adjacent time slots, said second packets having a second packet size substantially equivalent to said capacity allocation;
• wherein
• when said call exhibits said real time signal, said first TDMA platform transmits said first packets of said call over said communication link using said capacity allocation;
• and
• when said call exhibits said data signal, said first TDMA platform transmits said second packets of said call over said communication link using said capacity allocation.