FI115181B - Procedure and arrangement for carrying out packet-linked real-time data transmission - Google Patents

Description

115181

The present invention relates to a method for improving the quality of digital packet switched data transmission in a data transmission network, wherein the data transmission characteristics are interconnected by partial data connections and the first device transmits information to the second device over real time. The invention also relates to a digital, 10 packet switched data communication network comprising a first wireless portion of a connection from a first device to a base station supporting packet switched data transmission and at least partially a second partial wired connection from a base station supporting packet switched data transmission to a second device. The invention also relates to an application on a server of a real-time digital packet switched communication network 15 for utilizing the method according to the invention.

The transmission of voice, image, video, data, and data from other separate sources of information is constantly increasing. The growth rate of various wireless transmission systems in particular has been staggering. In the field of data transfer, 20 countries are switching to digital technology in all of these areas. In addition, this information is often transmitted over very different connection intervals, meaning that the same communication connection can have both wireless and wired portions. Similarly, the formats of the data to be transferred during data transmission vary greatly * depending on the importance of keeping the original transmitted data completely '· 25 accurate and the type of data transmission channel it is intended to be transmitted.

':; There are many ways to maintain the correctness of data during data transfer ♦ · · _: ... ·. However, one of the prerequisites for the success of this operation is that both the sending and the receiving parties are able / willing to use the same method to handle the issue, as the state of the art does the same. · ·. 30 methods must be used for end-to-end connectivity.

«« I * · · Such methods in use in the art of data transmission: The principal methods for correcting and managing the occurrence of errors are particularly in the growing real-time digital digital wireless. Examples of mass data transfers include: error correction / packet loss compensation / recovery of packet loss / error concealment / fault-tolerant coding error resilient coding).

Prior art method or any other method of minimizing, reducing, compensating for, or preventing interference from interference from a communication channel can generally be utilized only if both methods are accepted by both the transmitting head and the receiving end. These 5 methods are hereinafter referred to as error compensation methods.

For example, FEC (Forward Error Correction) can be used as an adjunct to real-time data transmission to improve packet loss over a communication network, especially in wireless communication networks. One new FEC method is RFC 10 2733 (Request For Comments), which transmits, along with the data itself (image, audio), information that can be utilized to completely re-assemble lost data packets. Although RFC 2733 comprises a FEC, it is assumed to be transmitted end-to-end. The FEC causes a method-dependent delay, which in some cases can be a significant feature of data transfer.

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There are also presentations of methods where, for example, interleaving is used to transmit a wireless radio channel for voice and possibly other data to be transmitted. Interleaving reduces the risk of short bursts of error. However, it generally causes extra delays that are not necessarily accepted in real-time media.

In addition, it is also possible to use lane adapting on the transmission line! *. (eng. Bandwidth adaptation, Rate control). In particular, a wireless transmission channel is required; the size of the bandwidth may change, which may cause a certain data stream (speech, voice) to be too «• II * large compared to the available bandwidth. In this case, '* 25 Rate Control (RC) is usually used. For example, change control can reduce *. , · Increase the number of uploaded images, increase compression rate, or make various changes to the data / data transmission. For example, in a packet switched network, the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) can be used. For example, a Real-Time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) packet belonging to the protocol in question is received; 30 recipients to sender approximately once every five seconds. Based on the information in this feedback package, the sending party may change its error prevention methods. If the transport channel used changes rapidly, which is characteristic of wireless mobile waste systems, then this method may not provide: in all cases, a sufficiently rapid adaptation to the changed conditions in the transport channel.

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Usually the problems are different in the wired and wireless part of the transmission. The wireless part has a problem with bit errors and the wired part has a problem with data congestion on backbone networks. When attempting to eliminate the effects of bit errors by adding redundancy to the data to be transmitted, it directly causes the problem to grow on a wired connection if that connection is congested. Therefore, optimizing the overall connection by one method does not give the best possible result.

Another possible communication complicating situation occurs if a third interfering party ("Man in the middle and Denial of Service") appears / connects to the real-time communication connection, which appropriately transmits data-wasting resources to the real-time information recipient (interferer). or break completely. This is a major security risk that everyone connected to information networks must know. There are known instances where large servers of service providers have become clogged in connection with such attacks. Typically, methods are used to monitor all information passing through a router / firewall or other network node. Alternatively, the recipient is responsible for the accuracy of the information, that is, the recipient decides whether the information is from a third party or not.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new type of method and arrangement that can reduce the drawbacks and problems in the use of prior art methods and equipment and to optimize the overall connection interval by possibly having different transmission channels. "'The 25 elements have a minimal effect on the characteristics of the overall transmission path.

* · * * ·; ***: The objects of the invention are achieved by an arrangement in which the overall connection interval is shared; ···. to at least two sub-links whose transmission characteristics differ • · 4 significantly. In this case, the connection error compensation methods which are most suitable for it can be used in each of the resulting part of the connection interval ···, 30. In this way, the overall connection interval can be managed so that any transmission errors are minimized for the entire connection interval.

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The data transmission method used in the digital packet switched communication network according to the invention is characterized in that at least one application is used in the communication network to divide the · · «connection from the first device to two or more partial connections, the first partial connection and the second partial connection. communication compensation methods known to the application and the first or second device.

The digital packet switched communication network according to the invention is characterized in that the communication network further comprises at least one application in the wired sub-slot for separately optimizing the communication characteristics of the at least one partial connection.

The communication network optimization application according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises: - means for real-time connection between the first device and the second device, and - means for optimizing the transmission connection between the first device and the application.

Certain preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

The basic idea of the invention is as follows: Arrangements are made in the communication network, which can be either separate devices / servers or software based parts of the transmission system operating according to the invention 20. These inventive parts divide the data communication connection into at least two separate parts, the data transmission characteristics of which differ greatly from each other, e.g. a wired connection and a wireless connection.

* · '; · * The device / application according to the invention maintains its intended purpose-

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'·': The most appropriate communication method for both the sending head and the receiving head.

': ": 25 These data transfer methods are independent of each other, so that each link can be optimized for data transmission separately. If; there are separate arrangements according to the invention near both ends of the data link:", the two data link ends can be optimized separately. In addition, the communication link can be effectively encrypted in the backbone network between these applications according to the invention.

It is an advantage of the invention that the various data links in the transmission link; : can be optimized / offset individually so that the overall connection quality is '* __ ,,' the best possible. This avoids, for example, offset compensation problems between the wireless network and the wired network 35.

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A further advantage of the invention is that the method according to the invention can combine two devices which do not necessarily support the same error compensation methods for connection 115181 or if the other device does not support any error compensation method. The connection with the device / application according to the invention enables at least the party having some error compensation method at its disposal to use it and thus improve the quality of the data transmission connection.

A further advantage of the invention is that redundancy is added to the data to be transmitted only in the part of the communication network where it is needed and when it is needed.

A further advantage of the invention is that it allows rapid adaptation to the changing characteristics of the transmission channel.

A further advantage of the invention is that the method according to the invention does not place any restrictions on other error compensation methods already used in improving the connection.

A further advantage of the invention is that it can be implemented in transmission systems at a higher application level, so that modifications according to the invention do not have to be made to the lower, precisely standardized transmission system layers.

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A further advantage of the invention is that, if it is desired to protect against malicious attacks, the required computing power on a mobile terminal may be reduced and transferred preferably to a security-enabled * ♦ * application, where it is more easily executed. The application of the invention :: 25 then monitors the incoming data stream and makes a decision on its correctness.

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A further advantage of the invention is that, due to the core network, the encrypted information itself does not have to be transferred over the wireless connection. This is advantageous because encrypted «* · data cannot be compressed as efficiently as · * · for wireless data transmission. 30 Unencrypted Information. Thus, if the data communication connection has a single wireless connection, the connection can be optimized optimally from the point of view of data transmission only and the security aspects can be handled by the network-side arrangement according to the invention.

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The invention will now be described in detail. The description refers to:! ·. 35 to the accompanying drawings, where *> · '· * · 115181 6

Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment in which an application according to the invention is connected to a communication network, Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment in which two applications according to the invention are connected to a communication network, Figure 3 shows a flow diagram exemplary embodiment of a robot transmitting real time information to a receiver by way of example, an embodiment in which a robot requests real-time information from a recipient, and Figure 5 illustrates, in a flowchart, an example in which two robots transmit real-time information to each other in a network having two applications according to the invention.

The operation of the arrangement according to the invention will now be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments. The devices and systems shown in Figures 1 and 2 are only intended to illustrate the method according to the invention and the devices shown in Figures 20 are therefore exemplary choices and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to other types of devices and communication networks.

Figure 1 illustrates, by way of example, a preferred embodiment utilizing *: 25 the method of the invention using one embodiment of the invention '' * · * in a local area network. An example of the figure includes a data receiver 11 having a wired connection to the Internet 12. This receiver 11 An application according to the invention can be used to create »%«

An Internet connection. There is also a LAN connected to this Internet network 12. * ··. 30 Local Area Network 13. Also connected to this network is a ··· base station supporting packet switched data transmission, which is exemplified in Figure 1! In this embodiment there is a wireless LAN access point 15. In the example of Figure 1, the WLAN access point has a wireless connection with the robot 16. Robot 16 has application # 1 according to the invention, which is preferably: 35 implemented by software means. An application # 2 according to the invention has been added to the LAN 13 near the WLAN base station 15, which is preferably a separate server or application program on an existing server on the network. The wireless communication link 17 has a different feature 115181 7 compared to the communication capabilities of the LAN-WAN networks. Application 14 according to the invention breaks the end-to-end connection from robot 16 to recipient 11. The new connection according to the invention thus consists of a first partial connection from robot 4 to application 14 and a second partial connection from application 5 14 to receiver 11. for communication purposes, although one of the terminals, receiver 11, does not utilize the method according to the invention. The second partial connection may be compensated for errors by a method supported by the receiver 11, or completely omitted from the error compensation 10. This partial connection may be optimized / compensated by some error compensation method known to the recipient 11. The largely wireless first connection transmission parameters optimized according to the invention do not complicate the optimization / error compensation 15 performed by conventional methods of the second wireless connection parameters.

When operating according to the inventive method, all necessary / available error compensation methods can be utilized to optimize both partial connections. Thus, in a situation where the same connection optimization methods cannot be directly utilized by the robot 16 and the receiver 11 20, the application 14 in the LAN 13 according to the invention can improve this. The application 14 can advantageously employ various methods for optimizing the partial connections; ·· in the direction of the robot 16 and the receiver 11. In this case, each of the partial connections can use all of the optimization error compensation methods:; 25 known / utilized by the device at the end of the connection, regardless of whether the other terminal is capable of supporting the method at all.

Figure 2 illustrates, by way of example, another preferred method of utilizing the method of the invention using two local area networks. 30 applications according to the invention, application # 2, reference 26, and application # 4, reference 27. In the exemplary embodiment of Figure 2, robots 21 and 25 are beginning to communicate with each other. 3 in robot 25. Robot 21 is wirelessly connected to the first WLAN base station 22 and robot 25:), 35 likewise wirelessly connected to the second WLAN base station 24.

The first WLAN access point 22 is connected to the first LAN 28. The second WLAN access point 24 is connected to the second LAN 29. The first and second LAN are connected via an Internet connection 23 115181 8. An embodiment 26 of the invention is located in a first LAN 28 and a second embodiment 27 of the invention is located in a second LAN 29.

In the preferred embodiment of Figure 2, the connection from robot 21 to robot 25 5 can be divided into three separate sub-connections; connection from application # 1 of robot 21 to application # 2 in first LAN 28, connection # 2 from application # 2 to application # 4 in second LAN 29 of Internet LAN 23 and application # 4 to application # 3 in robot 25. Each of the partial connections can be optimized / compensated separately for data transmission 10 by the method according to the invention. A further advantage is that between the # 2 and # 4 applications, some efficient encryption algorithm can advantageously be used to transfer data over the Internet 23. However, the use of this encryption algorithm using the method of the invention does not affect other subnets and their optimizations. when transferring data between 15 WLAN access points and robots.

The exemplary flowchart of Figure 3 illustrates, in the arrangement of Figure 1, a situation in which a receiver, reference 11 of figure 1, contacts a robot, reference 16 of figure 1, and requests the robot to send real-time RTP-based information 20. This connection may be made by any known connection establishment method, reference 31, by which the recipient's IP information is transmitted to the robot. In the next step 32, the robot stores the recipient's IP address in its memory. In the next step 33, the application # 1 of the robot according to the invention in # 1 communicates with the application '· 25 # 2' in the LAN, reference 13 of Figure 1. This will pass to the # 2 application the recipient's IP address and other information needed to establish the connection::

In step 34, application # 1 in robot 16 sends wirelessly information via the WLAN access point, reference 15 in Figure 1, to the “· in the LAN. 30 for application # 2. Application # 2 is constantly examining the connection using mathematical methods. Application # 2 reports its findings to application # 1 at regular intervals, or preferably when the data connection is clearly changed. In the event of a change in the data link: the application # 1 changes the connection error compensation method used for the data link in step 36. One such lot:. The method used is FEC. After compensating for the performed partial connection, we are again in step 34, where application # 1 sends information to application # 2 with changed connection parameters.

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However, at all times, application # 2 forwards the information it has received from application # 1 over a landline to the recipient in step 37. Even with a partial connection, it is advantageous to perform connection error compensation by methods that the recipient can support. Preferably, application # 2 removes the redundancy created in the compensation of the wireless connection 5 and thus reduces the amount of data to be transmitted over the wired network compared to the wireless portion. In step 38, the recipient utilizes the information he receives from the robot in the manner he wishes.

The exemplary flowchart of Figure 4 illustrates, in the arrangement of Figure 1, a situation where an application # 1 in the robot, reference 11 of figure 1, contacts the recipient, reference 11 of figure 1, and requests the recipient to send real-time RTP-based information. In step 41, the application # 1 in the robot contacts the application # 2 in the LAN, reference 13 of Figure 1, and requests that the recipient be contacted. In step 42, application # 1 transmits to recipient # 2 application # 2 the recipient's IP address and other information needed for the data connection. In step 43, application # 2 establishes a connection to the recipient and requests the recipient to transmit real-time information. In step 44, the receiver transmits the real-time information required by the robot over a landline to application # 2. Application # 2 partially transmits wirelessly the information transmitted by receiver 20 to application # 1 in step 45.

In step 46, the application # 1 meter measures the received data / data packets and reports the results from time to time or as needed to application # 2. Knowledge * '; upon receipt, in step 47, application # 2 modifies the connection parameters by some error compensation method known to applications "25 # 1 and # 2. This returns to step 45 and the transmission of data from application # 2 to application # 1 continues with the modified ...: connection parameters.

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During the connection optimization process described above, application # 1 receives “·. 30 data packets sent continuously by application # 2. It converts the received * * * data into a format that can be utilized by the robot in step 49.

·:: The exemplary flowchart of Figure 5 illustrates, in the arrangement of Figure 2, a situation where the robots 21 and 25 shown in Figure 2 exchange information; , *. 35 with each other. The solution shown in Figure 2 involves the use of two separate applications located in separate LANs, references 28 and 29 in Figure 2, applications # 2 and # 4. In the exemplary flowchart of Fig. 5, in step 51, application # 1 on robot 21 requests a connection request to application # 3 on robot 25 115181 to obtain real-time information. In this connection setup, applications # 1 and # 2 can recognize each other.

In step 52, applications # 1 and # 3 communicate to each other the addresses of applications # 2 and # 4 in their local area network 5. This information must be exchanged to establish a connection between applications # 2 and # 4 in step 53. In this step 53, the address of application # 2 is passed to application # 4 and the address of application # 4 is passed to application # 2. Once the connection between applications # 2 and # 4 has been established, they are tentatively agreed in step 54 on how to handle data transfer over the Internet 10 (ref. 23 in Figure 2).

In step 55, data transmission from robot 25 to robot 21 is initiated. The first step is to transfer the real-time information desired by robot 21 from application # 3 on robot 25 to application # 4 on another LAN 29. The connection parameters for the 15 connections in question can be changed in step 56. At that step, application # 4 measures the connection and analyzes them using mathematical methods. Application # 4 reports the results to Application # 3, which can change the connection parameters if needed. Thereafter, it returns to step 55 and application # 4 begins to receive data packets with new connection parameters.

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Partial connection, application # 3 -> application # 4, simultaneously with optimization. application # 4 adapts the received data packets to the backbone connection in step 57, and in step 58 transmits the received data packets received from application # 3 via the Internet connection to application # 2.

': 25 Simultaneously with communication step 58, applications # 2 and # 4 optimize the backbone connection parameters in step 59 in a similar manner to step 56: ...: optimizing the communication link between applications # 3 and # 4.

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In step 60, application # 2 sends the data packets it received from application # 4 '··. 30 to application # 1 which processes them for use by robot 21.

Also for this partial connection, continuous connection optimization is performed in step 61 in a manner similar to that described in step 56.

...: It is also noteworthy that in the exemplary arrangement shown in Figure 5: 35, it is possible to utilize encryption of the transmitted data in different ways over different partial connection intervals. It is preferable to encrypt the information transmitted as much as possible on the part that requires access to the public Internet. Preferably, encryption can be performed in conjunction with step 54 of FIG.

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It is also possible for an application according to the invention to view the real-time, unencrypted data stream coming from the core network towards the terminal, coming from a device which does not contain an application according to the invention. The application will take the necessary preventive measures if it is to be assumed that the data stream in question may, either intentionally or unintentionally, block the ability of the terminal to either receive or transmit data.

Some of the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above. The invention is not limited to the embodiments just described. For example, splitting a connection slot into multiple sub-connections by more than two applications according to the invention is possible if it is necessary. It is also possible to apply the method according to the invention to communication networks consisting either of wireless connections only or of wired connections only, whose properties, due to practical implementation, vary within the communication network to such an extent that one error compensation method using end-to-end communication does not give optimal results. Similarly, a terminal capable of utilizing two inventions can directly utilize the method of the invention, continuous optimization / error compensation, without a separate application server 20 located in the network. Likewise, the preferred embodiments of the devices and network components may be other than the exemplary components described in the specification. For example, a wireless connection can be any * · '· frequency, time-sharing or code-sharing digital, \' ·· packet switched data transmission method such as GPRS, EDGE, 25 UMTS, WLAN and Bluetooth. In addition, the inventive concept can be applied in a number of ways within the scope of the claims.

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Claims (15)

115181 ί} A method for improving the quality of digital packet switched data transmission in a data transmission network, wherein the data transmission network interconnects partial communications having different data transmission characteristics, and wherein the first device (16, 25) transmits real-time information to the second device (11, 21). characterized in that the communication network (13, 28, 29) utilizes at least one application (14, 26, 27) for dividing the communication link starting from the first device (16, 25) to the second device (11, 21) into at least eight separate partial connections, a partial connection from the first device to the application, and a second partial connection from the application to the second device, the transmission characteristics of which may be optimized separately by an error compensation method known to the application and the first or second device. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first or the second connection is a wireless connection, the characteristics of the communication connection being optimized by error compensation methods. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the following error compensation methods is used to optimize the wireless communication link: error correction, packet loss compensation, packet loss recovery, error detection, error-tolerant coding, bandwidth; * i tan size adjustment. • * y ·: 25 · '/. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first. or another partial connection is a landline connection that has a data connection »I optimize it using error compensation methods. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the wired network connection is optimized with respect to data transmission characteristics by means of at least two applications (26, 27) in different parts of the data transmission network. • ► y A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the optimization of the data transmission characteristics also comprises data encryption between the two applications mentioned during data transmission. 1,5151 A digital packet switched communication network comprising a first device (16, 21), a substantially wireless first partial connection from the first device (16, 21) through a real-time packet switched communication support base station (15, 22) to a communication network arranged to be configured. a second partial connection (12, 13 23, 28, 29) to the second device (11, 25), at least partially wired, characterized in that the communication network (13, 28, 29) comprises at least one application (14, 26, 27) arranged to divide the communication link starting from the first device (16, 25) to the second device (11, 21) in at least two separate partial connections, a first partial connection from the first device to the application and a second partial connection from the application to the second device; and the first or second lat knowledge of the appropriate error compensation method for the data link in question. Communication network according to claim 7, characterized in that the communication network comprises at least two applications (26, 27) in different parts of the communication network for optimizing the communication over the wired core network (23). Communication network according to claim 8, characterized in that the applications (26, 27) arranged to optimize the wireline 20 gallon core network further comprise means for encrypting the information transmitted between said applications. A communication network according to claim 7, characterized in that the base station supporting packet-switched communication is arranged to use a wireless network; '25 data transfer using one of the following technologies: GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, WLAN, Bluetooth. I A server in a real-time, digital, packet switched data transmission network, characterized in that it comprises, 30 means for real-time connection to the first device (16, »1 21) by means of the first partial connection and to the second device (11, 25). ) by means of a second partial connection, and: means for optimizing the transmission characteristics of the first and second partial connections: each by a server and the first or second device separately by means of an error compensation method known to the particular partial connection. A server according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises means for encrypting the transmission connection. 115181 An application (14, 26, 27) on a server for a real-time digital, packet switched communication network, characterized in that it comprises: - means for establishing a first real-time connection to the first device (16, 21) and a second partial connection to the second device (11, 5 25). ), and - means for optimizing the transmission characteristics of the first and second partial connections, respectively, by an application error compensation method known to the application and the first or second device. An application (14, 26, 27) according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises means for encrypting the transmission connection. An application as claimed in claims 13-14, on a storage or transmission medium, which, when uploaded to a server, is arranged to implement the data transfer method according to claim 1-15.