US 7,002,985 B2 · Method and apparatus for organizing and scheduling multimedia data transfers over a wireless channel

Abstract

A radio frequency communications system (100) includes wireless terminals (102) and base sites (104). The wireless terminals communicate with the base sites over a radio frequency channel (106). The base sites are interconnected to each other and other network elements via a packet network. The communication system has a radio frequency channel (400) with time slots (406, 408) for transmission of both delay-sensitive data, such as streaming audio and video, and non-delay-sensitive data. A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a time slot in the radio frequency channel is to be allocated to delay-sensitive data or non-delay-sensitive data (704, 706, 708). Each packet of data transmitted over the wireless channel has a type of service field (900). The type of service field has a precedence or priority value (902) and a service type (904). The priority values are used to determine which packet should be transmitted across the radio frequency channel next and the service type determines the transmission protocol.

Claims25

Dependent claims

In a wireless communications system having a wireless channel with time slots for transmission of delay-sensitive data and non-delay-sensitive data, a method for determining whether a time slot in the wireless channel should be allocated for delay-sensitive data or non-delay-sensitive data, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an ideal slot separation for each delay-sensitive application using the wireless channel;
determining, for each delay-sensitive application, whether a number of slots since a time slot was granted to the each delay-sensitive application is equal to or greater than the ideal slot separation for the each delay-sensitive application;
and
assigning a time slot to carry delay-sensitive data for the each delay-sensitive application that has the number of slots since a time slot was granted to the each delay-sensitive application that is equal to or greater than the ideal slot separation for the each delay-sensitive application.

1 more element

In a wireless communications system having a wireless channel with time slots for transmission of delay-sensitive data and non-delay-sensitive data, an apparatus for determining whether a time slot in the wireless channel should be allocated for delay-sensitive data or non-delay-sensitive data, the apparatus comprising:

a processor that:
determines an ideal slot separation for each delay-sensitive application using the wireless channel;
determines, for each delay-sensitive application, whether a number of slots since a time slot was granted to the each delay-sensitive application is equal to or greater than the ideal slot separation for the each delay-sensitive application;
and
assigns a time slot to carry delay-sensitive data for the each delay-sensitive application that has the number of slots since a time slot was granted to the each delay-sensitive application that is equal to or greater than the ideal slot separation for the each delay-sensitive application.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for organizing and scheduling multimedia data transfers over a wireless channel

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for organizing and scheduling multimedia data transfers over a wireless channel

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25