Media session between network endpoints

• US 10,601,879 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, Timothy Mark, Qian, Tin, Gunnalan, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Moreau, Austin J
• Application Number:
  US16/209,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20190109879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2575 using address mapping retrieval, e.g. simple traversal of user datagram protocol through session traversal utilities for NAT [STUN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2589 over a relay server, e.g. traversal using relay for network address translation [TURN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A media session is configured between a first endpoint and a second endpoint on a communication network based on connectivity checks performed by the endpoints. When a reduced connectivity check condition is met, based on characteristics of the communication network operable between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, a reduced candidate pairing procedure is initiated. The reduced candidate pairing procedure includes connectivity checks performed from the first endpoint with a reduced set of candidate pairs that is smaller than an available set of candidate pairs. The reduced set of candidate pairs is identified based on the characteristics of the communication network at the respective pairs, and a particular candidate pair in the reduced set is determined to be valid based on a result of connectivity checks using the candidate pair.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of configuring a media session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint of a communication network, the method comprising performing operations by the first endpoint, comprising:

performing a determination, by at least the first endpoint, before connection candidates are validated to establish the media session, to identify whether a reduced connectivity check condition is met with bandwidth constrained network conditions, wherein the reduced connectivity check condition is based on identification of the bandwidth constrained network conditions on the communication network operable between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using measurements performed by at least the first endpoint;

initiating a reduced candidate pairing procedure, based on a determination that the reduced connectivity check condition is met, the reduced candidate pairing procedure including connectivity checks performed from the first endpoint with a reduced set of candidate pairs that is smaller than an available set of candidate pairs, wherein the reduced set of candidate pairs is identified based on the characteristics of the communication network at the respective pairs; and

configuring the media session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using a candidate pair of candidate pairs that is determined to be valid, the candidate pair determined to be valid based on a result of connectivity checks using the candidate pair.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced connectivity check condition is identified based on a correspondence of the characteristics of the communication network with:

a network topology criterion pertaining to at least one of the endpoints, or

a historical network usage criterion pertaining to at least one of the candidate pairs, or

a network capability criterion pertaining to the networking capabilities of at least one of the endpoints, or

a network conditions criterion pertaining to the networking conditions experienced by at least one of the endpoints.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the communication network correspond to a first network topology criterion that is met if the first endpoint is configured to operate as a server and is behind a firewall or network address translator;

and

wherein if the network topology criterion is met, at least one candidate pair whose first candidate network address is a host candidate network address of the first endpoint is excluded from the reduced set, whereby connectivity checks are not performed for that candidate pair.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the communication network correspond to a second network topology criterion that is met if both of the endpoints are behind respective firewalls or network address translators;

and

wherein if the second network topology criterion is met, at least one candidate pair whose first or second candidate network address is a host candidate network address of the first endpoint or a host candidate network address of the second endpoint respectively is excluded from the reduced set, whereby connectivity checks are not performed for that candidate pair.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the communication network correspond to a third network topology criterion that is met if the first endpoint is configured to operate as a publicly reachable server of the public Internet;

and

wherein if the third network topology criterion is met, at least one candidate pair whose first candidate network address is a relay candidate network address available to the first endpoint is excluded from the reduced set, whereby connectivity checks are not performed for that candidate pair.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the communication network correspond to a historical network usage criterion that is met if a historical usage metric determined for at least one of the candidate pairs is below a historical usage threshold, wherein that candidate pair is excluded from the reduced set if the historical usage criterion is met, whereby connectivity checks are not performed for that candidate pair.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each candidate pair is associated with a respective one of a plurality of network protocols;

wherein the characteristics of the communication network correspond to a first network capability criterion that is met only if both of the endpoints are capable of operating according to a preferred one of the network protocols, wherein if the first network capability criterion is met if at least one candidate pair does not denote the preferred network protocol is excluded from the reduced set, whereby connectivity checks are not performed for that candidate pair.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of network protocols comprises User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), wherein the preferred network protocol is one of UDP or TCP, wherein at least one candidate pair denoting the other of UDP or TCP is excluded from the reduced set if the first network capability criterion is met;

or

wherein the plurality of network protocols comprises IPv4 and IPv6, wherein the preferred network protocol is one of IPv4 or IPv6, wherein at least one candidate pair denoting the other of IPv4 or IPv6 is excluded from the reduced set if the first network capability criterion is met.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the communication network correspond to a network conditions criterion that is met if at least one of the endpoints is connected to the network by a connection having an available bandwidth below a bandwidth threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

performing a full candidate pairing procedure, with the available set of candidate pairs, based on a determination that none of the reduced set of candidate pairs is determined to be valid, the full candidate pairing procedure including connectivity checks performed from the first endpoint with a full set of candidate pairs, each pair comprising a first candidate network address available to the first endpoint and a second candidate network address available to the second endpoint, and the full set of candidate pairs determined by exchanging candidate network addresses between the first and second endpoints.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the connectivity checks using the candidate pair includes, the first endpoint transmitting a reduced connectivity check message to the second endpoint, whereby the reduced connectivity connect message causes the second endpoint to transmit to the first endpoint a reduced number of candidate network messages in response.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the media session via the first endpoint and the second endpoint, using the candidate pair of the reduced set of candidate pairs determined to be valid.

13. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the reduced set of candidate pairs is produced from a reduced candidate gathering process that includes determining a reduced candidate set of fewer candidate network addresses available to the first endpoint than a full candidate set, wherein the reduced candidate set is used by the first endpoint to generate the reduced set and is transmitted from the first endpoint to the second endpoint in response, whereby fewer network addresses are transmitted from the first endpoint to the second endpoint in the reduced candidate pairing procedure than in the full candidate pairing procedure.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the full candidate pairing procedure is performed in accordance with the Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) protocol.

15. A computing device located at a first endpoint for configuring a media session between the first endpoint and a second endpoint via a communication network, the computing device comprising:

memory configured to host instructions; and

processor circuitry operably coupled to the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor circuitry, implement operations comprising;

performing a determination, by at least the first endpoint, before connection candidates are validated to establish the media session, to identify whether a reduced connectivity check condition is met with bandwidth constrained network conditions, wherein the reduced connectivity check condition is based on identification of the bandwidth constrained network conditions on the communication network operable between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using measurements performed by at least the first endpoint;

initiating a reduced candidate pairing procedure, based on a determination that the reduced connectivity check condition is met, the reduced candidate pairing procedure including connectivity checks performed from the first endpoint with a reduced set of candidate pairs that is smaller than an available set of candidate pairs, wherein the reduced set of candidate pairs is identified based on the characteristics of the communication network at the respective pairs; and

configuring the media session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using a candidate pair of candidate pairs that is determined to be valid, the candidate pair determined to be valid based on a result of connectivity checks using the candidate pair.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the reduced connectivity check condition is identified based on a correspondence of the characteristics of the communication network with:

a network topology criterion pertaining to at least one of the endpoints, or

a historical network usage criterion pertaining to at least one of the candidate pairs, or

a network capability criterion pertaining to the networking capabilities of at least one of the endpoints, or

a network conditions criterion pertaining to the networking conditions experienced by at least one of the endpoints.

17. The computing device of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

establishing the media session via the first endpoint and the second endpoint, using the candidate pair of the reduced set of candidate pairs determined to be valid;

wherein the reduced set of candidate pairs is produced from a reduced candidate gathering process that includes determining a reduced candidate set of fewer candidate network addresses available to the first endpoint than a full candidate set, wherein the reduced candidate set is used by the first endpoint to generate the reduced set and is transmitted from the first endpoint to the second endpoint in response, whereby fewer network addresses are transmitted from the first endpoint to the second endpoint in the reduced candidate pairing procedure than in the full candidate pairing procedure.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, excluding a transitory signal, the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable code for configuring a media session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint of a communication network, wherein the code, when executed on a computer of the first endpoint, causes the computer to implement operations comprising:

performing a determination, by at least the first endpoint, before connection candidates are validated to establish the media session, to identify whether a reduced connectivity check condition is met with bandwidth constrained network conditions, wherein the reduced connectivity check condition is based on identification of the bandwidth constrained network conditions on the communication network operable between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using measurements performed by at least the first endpoint;

initiating a reduced candidate pairing procedure, based on a determination that the reduced connectivity check condition is met, the reduced candidate pairing procedure including connectivity checks performed from the first endpoint with a reduced set of candidate pairs that is smaller than an available set of candidate pairs, wherein the reduced set of candidate pairs is identified based on the characteristics of the communication network at the respective pairs; and

configuring the media session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using a candidate pair of candidate pairs that is determined to be valid, the candidate pair determined to be valid based on a result of connectivity checks using the candidate pair.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the reduced connectivity check condition is identified based on a correspondence of the characteristics of the communication network with:

a network topology criterion pertaining to at least one of the endpoints, or

a historical network usage criterion pertaining to at least one of the candidate pairs, or

a network capability criterion pertaining to the networking capabilities of at least one of the endpoints, or

a network conditions criterion pertaining to the networking conditions experienced by at least one of the endpoints.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

establishing the media session via the first endpoint and the second endpoint, using the candidate pair of the reduced set of candidate pairs determined to be valid;

wherein the reduced set of candidate pairs is produced from a reduced candidate gathering process that includes determining a reduced candidate set of fewer candidate network addresses available to the first endpoint than a full candidate set, wherein the reduced candidate set is used by the first endpoint to generate the reduced set and is transmitted from the first endpoint to the second endpoint in response, whereby fewer network addresses are transmitted from the first endpoint to the second endpoint in the reduced candidate pairing procedure than in the full candidate pairing procedure.