Multiplex communications – Wide area network – Packet switching
Patent
1995-04-20
1997-10-14
Ellis, Richard L.
Multiplex communications
Wide area network
Packet switching
370 62, 370944, G06F 300
Patent
active
056780087
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a signalling protocol supporting multimedia services for a telecommunications network including a plurality of entities which are either terminals or switching nodes setting up connections between these terminals when a call is set up. Some of these terminals are called multimedia terminals because they include peripheral devices and interfaces providing in parallel a plurality of services corresponding to different media, such as sending or receiving video pictures, sound or data. The telecommunications network is then a broadband network to allow transmission of data at high bit rates, for example an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. To connect a given multimedia terminal to another multimedia terminal or to a plurality of other terminals dedicated to respective different media such as video pictures, sound and data it is necessary to use either a plurality of connections or a single connection onto which a plurality of channels are time-division multiplexed.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is currently preparing a recommendation (Q.93 B) for a signalling protocol supporting a single connection between two terminals in a broadband integrated services telecommunication network.
In the future it will be desirable for multimedia terminals to be attachable to a plurality of connections to set up the following types of call:
unidirectional point-to-multipoint between a multimedia terminal which is the only sender and other multimedia terminals which are all receivers;
bidirectional multipoint between a plurality of multimedia terminals which can send to a plurality of terminals simultaneously and receive from a plurality of terminals simultaneously.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is therefore to propose a protocol capable of handling:
A multiconnection call, i.e. the setting up or clearing down of a plurality of connections in the same call.
A multiparty call in which more than two multimedia terminals can communicate interactively during the same call.
A call which is both a multiconnection call and a multiparty call.
A modification to the characteristics of the connection during the active phase following setting up of the connection.
Another object of the invention is to propose a protocol based on the Q.93B protocol and which is upwards compatible with this prior art protocol.
The invention consists in a signalling protocol supporting multimedia services for a telecommunications network including a plurality of entities: terminals, including multimedia terminals, and switching nodes setting up connections between these terminals when a call is set up; each entity including a signalling device for sending and receiving signalling messages; this protocol consisting in activating, in the signalling device of a first entity, which is a party to a call, an automaton which can be in:
a stable idle state, to which it returns when the call is cleared down;
an active stable state which it enters when the call is set up;
this protocol being characterized in that it further consists in:
having this automaton change from the active stable state to a first unstable state when a first entity sends or forwards a request addressed to a second entity, this request asking for execution of an operation of a first type;
then having this automaton change from the first unstable state to a second unstable state when the first entity receives a local acknowledgment indicating that the request has been received by the second entity or has been received and then forwarded by an intermediate entity between the first and second entities;
then having this automaton change from the second unstable state to the active stable state when the first entity receives either a global acknowledgement indicating that the operation requested has been executed by the second entity or a message indicating that the request has been rejected by the second entity or an intermediate entity;
having this automaton change from the active stable state to
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IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 39, No. 12, Dec. 1991, New York, US, pp. 1875-1885, Guy Vonderweidt et al, "A Multipoint Communication Service for Interactive Applications".
Alcatel Cit
Ellis Richard L.
Patel Gautam R.
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