Patent ID: 7580384
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: G06F,G06K,G06Q,G07F,G07G,H03C,H04B,H04L,H04M,H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A communication network supporting the communication of voice and data, the network comprising: at least one portable terminal having a wireless transceiver that communicates using a packet protocol, wherein a packet is a unit of information transmitted as a whole from one device to another over the communication network; the at least one portable terminal, during a voice call, converting sound into digital voice packets for transmission via the wireless transceiver, and receiving digital voice packets via the wireless transceiver, the contents of the digital voice packet used for conversion into sound; the at least one portable terminal, during operation, capturing digital data into data packets for transmission via the wireless transceiver, and receiving data packets via the wireless transceiver, the contents of the data packets used for reproducing digital data; at least one access device having a wireless transceiver for communicating digital voice packets and digital data packets with the at least one portable terminal, the at least one access device comprising a network interface for communicating information via a wired network; the at least one access device selectively transferring to its wireless transceiver for transmission at least a portion of the information received from its network interface, and selectively transferring to its network interface for transmission at least a portion of the information received by its wireless transceiver; wherein digital voice packets wirelessly communicated by the at least one portable terminal comprise destination information used for routing the digital voice packets through the communication network; wherein the at least one portable terminal evaluates a message wirelessly received from the at least one access device and sends to the at least one access device an indication of a data rate based on the evaluation; and wherein the at least one access device selects a data rate for transmitting digital voice packets and digital data packets to the at least one portable terminal, based upon the indication of a data rate.