Communication-status notification apparatus for communication system, communication-status display apparatus, communication-status notification method, medium in which communication-status notification program is recorded and communication apparatus

• US 20010021186A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ono, Yoshiyuki, Chujo, Kaoru, Fujino, Naoji
• Granted Patent: US 6,967,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring

Abstract

A communication-status notification apparatus enabling a subscriber to observe various kinds of communication status in a network easily via the subscriber'"'"'s own terminal in a communication system. The apparatus includes a request analysis section for discriminating whether or not voice data received by gateway equipment from a subscriber terminal contains a request on monitoring/controlling or notifying of a communication status in the network and for analyzing the content of the request when contains, a communication-status monitor/control section for monitoring/controlling the communication status responsive to the content of the request analyzed by the request analysis section based on a processing status of the voice data in the gateway equipment, and a communication-status notification section for notifying the subscriber terminal of the communication status monitored/controlled by the communication-status monitor/control section via the gateway equipment responsive to the content of the request analyzed by the request analysis section. The apparatus is useful when applied to VoIP gateway equipment or the like used for a VoIP communication system.

Claims

1. A communication-status notification apparatus for a communication system in which at least one subscriber terminal is connected to a communication network via first gateway equipment, serving to create/analyze a packet as a voice data transmission medium, so that the subscriber terminal sends/receives voice data over the communication network,

said apparatus being adapted to be incorporated in the first gateway equipment and equipped with a communication-status-notification management section for notifying the subscriber terminal of a communication status in the communication network via the first gateway equipment, based on a processing status of the voice data in the first gateway equipment.

2. A communication-status notification apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said communication-status-notification management section includes:

a communication-status monitor/control section for monitoring/controlling the communication status of the communication network, based on the processing status of the voice data in the first gateway equipment; and

a communication-status notification section for notifying the subscriber terminal of the communication status monitored/controlled by said communication-status monitor/control section via the first gateway equipment.

3. A communication-status notification apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said communication-status notification section includes a notification-material storage section for storing at least one of voice, character and image as notification materials, and is operable to carry out the notification of communication status using the notification materials stored in said notification-material storage section.

4. A communication-status notification apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said communication-status monitor/control section includes a traffic-status monitor/control section for monitoring/controlling a traffic status in the communication network, based on a sending/receiving status of packets in the first gateway equipment.

5. A communication-status notification apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein said traffic-status monitor/control section includes:

a traffic-information request section for requesting each of one or more routers, which are included in the communication network, to send information about the traffic status in each said router to the first gateway equipment, by transmitting a request signal to each said router via the first gateway equipment;

a traffic-information obtaining section for obtaining the information about the traffic status, which has been sent from each said router in response to the request signal transmitted by said traffic-information request section, out of various data received by the first gateway equipment; and

a traffic-status analysis section for analyzing the traffic status of the communication network, based on the traffic-status information obtained by said traffic-information obtaining section.

6. A communication-status notification apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein said traffic-status monitor/control section includes:

a test-packet sending section for sending one or more test packets via the gateway equipment to second gateway equipment, which is connected to the communication network and serves as a companion to the first gateway equipment for voice data transmission;

a test-packet retrieving section for retrieving the individual test packet, which has been sent back from the second gateway equipment, out of packets received by the first gateway equipment; and

a traffic-status analysis section for analyzing the traffic status of the communication network, based on the retrieving status of the test packets by said test-packet retrieving section.

7. A communication-status notification apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein

said traffic-status monitor/control section includes a communication-quality evaluation section for evaluating communication quality of voice data transmitted over the communication network, based on the traffic status monitored by said traffic-status monitor/control section, and

said communication-status notification section is operable to notify the subscriber terminal of information about the communication quality of voice data evaluated by said communication-quality evaluation section.

8. A communication-status notification apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein said traffic-status monitor/control section further includes a band-alteration request section, responsive to the communication quality of voice data evaluated by said communication-quality evaluation section, for requesting each of one or more routers, which are included in the communication network, to alter a band to be used for voice data transmission, by transmitting a request signal to each said router via the first gateway equipment.

9. A communication-status notification apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said communication-status