Method and communication system for selecting a transmission mode for transmitting payload data

1. A method for selecting a transmission mode for transmitting payload data between a first communication device and a second communication device over a packet-oriented communication network, wherein a quality-of-service of the transmission is dependent on the respective transmission mode, the method comprising:

transmitting a first list of transmission modes and a second list of transmission modes to a quality-of-service device that is not either of the first and second communication devices, the first list of transmission modes supported by the first communication device, and the second list of transmission modes supported by the second communication device, the second list generated independently of the first list;

selecting at least one transmission mode from the first and second lists by the quality-of-service device based on available transmission resources of the communication network such that the quality of service dependent on the selected at least one transmission mode is guaranteed by the available transmission resources;

transmitting the selected at least one transmission mode from the quality-of-service device to a data link control, the data link control not being one of the first and second communication devices, not being a component of either of the first and second communication devices, not being a component of the quality-of-service device, and not being the quality-of-service device;

initiating a further selection of a transmission mode by the data link control, the further selection based on the selected at least one transmission mode transmitted to the data link control; and

the data link control transmitting the further selected transmission mode to the quality-of-service device prior to a start of the transmitting of the payload data between the first and second communication devices using the transmission mode selected in the further selection,

requesting, by the quality-of-service device, a bandwidth reservation in accordance with the further selected transmission mode;

transmitting the payload data between the first and second communication devices using the transmission mode selected in the further selection; and

wherein the at least one transmission mode selected by the quality-of-service device is supported by both the first and second communication devices, and

wherein the further selection initiated by the data link control comprises the data link control performing the further selection of the transmission mode by communicating the further selection of the transmission mode by the data link control to the first and second communication devices such that the transmitting of the payload data between the first and second communication devices using the transmission mode selected in the further selection is performed without the data link control querying the first and second communication devices to make the further selection.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a preselection is made for the first and second lists to be transmitted such that the first and second lists include only transmission modes that are supported by both the first and second communication devices and that the first and second lists are created from the preselected transmission modes.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein to create at least one of the lists, the transmission modes are determined from at least once condition selected from the group consisting of a connection setup signaling for the transmission of the payload data, a preceding signaling, a registration of the communication device of the list with the data link control, and a configuration of the data link control.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when a plurality of transmission modes are selected by the quality-of-service device, each selected mode is assigned a different priority level to provide a recommendation for the further selection.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein during the selection of the at least one transmission mode by the quality-of-service device: a transmission-mode-specific comparison of a required bandwidth with an available bandwidth is performed, and a bandwidth reservation is made based on the selection.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the comparison of a required bandwidth with an available bandwidth is performed as part of a call acceptance check.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

the data link control transmitting the further selected transmission mode to the quality-of-service device, and updating, by the quality-of-service device, a previous bandwidth reservation in accordance with the further selected transmission mode.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first communication device transmits the first list of transmission modes to the data link control via a signaling message intended for the second communication device, wherein the data link control delays forwarding of the signaling message and transmits the first and second lists to the quality-of-service device, and wherein the initiating of the further selection of the transmission mode by the data link control comprises;

modifying, by the data link control, the delayed signaling message after the data link control receives the at least one transmission mode selected by the quality-of-service device such that the transmission modes of the signaling message are replaced by at least a portion of the at least one transmission mode selected by the quality-of-service device, and

transmitting, by the data link control, the modified signaling message to the second communication device.

9. A communication system for selecting a transmission mode for transmitting payload data between a first communication device and a second communication device over a packet-oriented communication network, wherein a quality of service of the transmission of payload data is dependent on the transmission mode to be used for transmitting the payload data, the system comprising:

a quality-of-service device for: receiving a first list of transmission modes supported by the first communication device, receiving a second list of transmission modes supported by the second communication device, the second list generated independently of the first list, selecting one or more transmission modes from the first and second lists on the basis of available transmission resources of the communication network such that the quality of service dependent on the selected one or more transmission modes is guaranteed by available transmission resources, and transmitting the selected one or more transmission modes to a data link control, the quality-of-service device not being either of the first and second communication devices and not being a component of either of the first and second communication devices; and

the data link control for initiating a further selection of a transmission mode from the one or more transmission modes for the first and second communication devices selected by and transmitted by the quality-of-service device, the data link control not being one of the first and second communication devices, not being a component of either of the first and second communication devices, not being a component of the quality-of-service device, and not being the quality-of-service device; and

the data link control configured to transmit the further selected transmission mode to the quality-of-service device prior to a start of the transmitting of the payload data between the first and second communication devices using the transmission mode selected in the further selection, and

the quality-of-service device requesting a bandwidth reservation in accordance with the further selected transmission mode;

a transmission device for transmitting the payload data between the first and second communication devices using the transmission mode selected via the further selection;

wherein the at least one transmission mode selected by the quality-of-service device is supported by both the first and second communication devices, and

wherein the further selection initiated by the data link control comprises the data link control performing the further selection of the transmission mode by communicating the further selection of the transmission mode by the data link control to the first and second communication devices such that the transmitting of the payload data between the first and second communication devices using the transmission mode selected in the further selection is performed without the data link control querying the first and second communication devices to make the further selection.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the data link control is a network node, a gateway or a gatekeeper.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data link control is a network node, a gateway or a gatekeeper.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

transmitting the first list of transmission modes to the data link control by the first communication device;

transmitting the second list of transmission modes to the data link control by the second communication device prior to the first list of transmission modes being transmitted to the data link control by the first communication device; and

wherein the data link control transmits the first and second lists of the transmission modes to the quality-of-service device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and second lists are modified by the data link control and merged into a single list for transmission of the first and second lists to the quality-of-service device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first list identifies codecs supported by the first communication device and the second list identifies codecs supported by the second communication device.