Reusable multi-protocol meta-architecture for Voice-over-IP playback

• US 20030219007A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barrack, Craig, Yik, James
• Application Number:
  US10/154,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20030219007A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A packet based real-time data receiver comprising a protocol specific plug-in and a generic playback engine. The protocol specific plug-in receives a packet, parses the packet, generates a timestamp, and forwards the packet to the generic playback engine. The playback engine determining the playback time based on the timestamp, and for playing back the packet at the appropriate time. Any kind of packet may be processed by merely changing the protocol specific plug-in.

Claims

1. A method for receiving and playing packetized real-time data comprising:

providing a generic multi-protocol playback engine;

providing a protocol specific plug-in communicatively coupled to the multi-protocol playback engine;

receiving the packet by the plug-in, the packet having a timestamp, the plug-in parsing the header, and

converting the timestamp to a format readable by the playback engine;

translating the timestamp to a playback time; and

playing the packet at the playback time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet is a voice over IP packet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the format readable by the playback engine is RTP.

4. The method of claim 1, the translating step further comprises adding an observed delay to the timestamp, and adding a jitter delay to the timestamp.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the observed delay is calculated by averaging delays observed from a plurality of packets.

6. A packet based real-time data receiver comprising:

a protocol specific plug-in, the plug in further comprising

a preprocessor having computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium thereon that receives a packet and parses the packet, and

a timestamp generating module comprising computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium thereon for generating a timestamp for the packet.

7. The packet based real-time data receiver of claim 6, further comprising:

a generic multi-protocol playback engine, the generic multi-protocol further engine comprising

a timestamp to playback time translator, the translator comprising computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium thereon for generating a playback time, and

a comparator, the comparator comprising computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium thereon that determines when the packet should be played back.

8. The packet based real-time data receiver of claim 7 wherein the timestamp is an RTP compliant timestamp.

9. The packet based real-time data receiver of claim 7 wherein the computer readable instructions for generating a playback time further comprise:

instructions for calculating an observed delay;

instructions for determining a jitter delay; and

instructions adding the observed delay and jitter delay to the timestamp.

10. A computer readable medium of instructions comprising:

a first computer readable medium, the first computer readable medium comprising;

means for receiving a packet; and

means for generating a timestamp for the packet.

11. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 10, further comprising

a second computer readable medium of instructions, the second computer readable medium of instructions comprising

means for receiving the packet and timestamp from the first computer readable medium of instructions;

means for generating a playback time for the packet; and

means for processing the packet at the playback time.

12. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 11 wherein the timestamp is RTP compliant.

13. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 11 wherein the means for generating a playback time further comprises:

means for determining an observed delay;

means for determining a jitter delay; and

wherein the playback time is calculated by adding the observed delay and jitter delay to the timestamp.

14. The computer readable medium of instructions of claim 11 further comprising

means for comparing the playback time to current system time wherein the comparing means causes the packet to be processed at an appropriate time.

15. A packet based real-time receiver comprising

a protocol specific plug-in;

and

a generic playback engine;

wherein the protocol specific plug-in is communicatively coupled to the generic playback engine; and

wherein the protocol specific plug-in receives a packet, converts the packet into a converted packet in a format readable by the generic playback engine, and sends the converted packet to the generic playback engine;

wherein the generic playback engine determines when the packet should be played back and plays the packet accordingly.

16. The packet based real-time receiver of claim 15 wherein the protocol specific plug-in further comprises a timestamp generator, wherein a timestamp compatable with the generic playback engine is sent to the generic playback engine with the converted packet.

17. The packet based real-time receiver of claim 16, the protocol specific plug-in further comprises a preprocessor, wherein the preprocessor receives the packet, converts the packet to the converted packet, and forwards the packet to the timestamp generator.

18. The packet based real-time receiver of claim 17, the generic playback engine further comprises a timestamp to playback time translator that calculates a playback time based on the timestamp.

19. The packet based real-time receiver of claim 18 wherein the timestamp to playback time translator calculates the playback time by adding an observed delay and a jitter delay to the timestamp.

20. The packet based real-time receiver of claim 19 wherein the generic playback engine further comprises a comparator that compares the playback time with current system time and causes the packet to be played at an appropriate time.

21. A generic multi-protocol Voice over IP playback engine, comprising:

a protocol specific plug-in module, the protocol specific plug-in module further comprising;

means for preprocessing a packet;

means for generating a timestamp from the preprocessed packet; and

a generic playback engine communicatively coupled to the plug-in module, the playback engine further comprising;

means for calculating a playback time; and

means for comparing the playback time with a time local to the receiver;

wherein the means for calculating playback times calculates the playback time by adding an observe delay and a pre-programmed jitter delay to the timestamp;

wherein the packet is played when the playback time is the same as the time local to the receiver; and

wherein the generic playback engine may be utilized with any protocol by switching to an appropriate protocol specific plug-in module.