Voice over IP endpoint call admission
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for controlling contact admission, comprising:
- (a) receiving from a first user at a first endpoint at least one signal associated with initiation of a voice communication with at least a second endpoint;
(b) collecting bandwidth information associated with an expected quality of the voice communication by performing at least one of the following substeps;
(i) sending at least one test packet to the at least a second endpoint to obtain a first subset of bandwidth information;
(ii) requesting, from at least one intermediate entity in at least one communication path between the first and second endpoints, a second subset of bandwidth information; and
(iii) requesting, from a switch or media server in communication with the first endpoint and at least a second endpoint, a third subset of bandwidth information, the third subset of bandwidth information being associated with communications between endpoints other than the first and at least a second endpoints;
(c) comparing at least some of the collected bandwidth information with at least one threshold; and
(d) when the at least some of the collected bandwidth information fails to satisify the at least one threshold, at least one of (i) notifying the first user of a likelihood of a low quality of the communication and (ii) not permitting initiation of the communication between the first and at least a second endpoints.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed generally to an intelligent endpoint or communication device that can collect available bandwidth-related information metrics and/or perform call admission control functions. The present invention is further directed to an architecture comprising a switch or media server in communication with a plurality of subscriber communication devices in which the subscriber communication devices act as network nodes to collect available bandwidth-related information.
311 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for controlling contact admission, comprising:
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(a) receiving from a first user at a first endpoint at least one signal associated with initiation of a voice communication with at least a second endpoint;
(b) collecting bandwidth information associated with an expected quality of the voice communication by performing at least one of the following substeps;
(i) sending at least one test packet to the at least a second endpoint to obtain a first subset of bandwidth information;
(ii) requesting, from at least one intermediate entity in at least one communication path between the first and second endpoints, a second subset of bandwidth information; and
(iii) requesting, from a switch or media server in communication with the first endpoint and at least a second endpoint, a third subset of bandwidth information, the third subset of bandwidth information being associated with communications between endpoints other than the first and at least a second endpoints;
(c) comparing at least some of the collected bandwidth information with at least one threshold; and
(d) when the at least some of the collected bandwidth information fails to satisify the at least one threshold, at least one of (i) notifying the first user of a likelihood of a low quality of the communication and (ii) not permitting initiation of the communication between the first and at least a second endpoints. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A communication device comprising, comprising:
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an input operable to receive, from a first user, at least one signal associated with initiation of a voice communication with at least a second communication device;
a communication admission control agent operable to (a) collect bandwidth information associated with an expected quality of the voice communication by performing at least one of (i) sending at least one test packet to the at least a second communication device to obtain a first subset of bandwidth information;
(ii) requesting, from at least one intermediate entity in at least one communication path between the first and second communication devices, a second subset of bandwidth information; and
(iii) requesting, from a switch or media server in communication with the first and at least a second communication devices, a third subset of bandwidth information, the third subset of bandwidth information being associated with communications between communication devices other than the first and at least a second communication devices;
(b) compare at least some of the collected bandwidth information with at least one threshold; and
(c) when the at least some of the collected bandwidth information fails to satisfy the at least one threshold, at least one of (i) notifying the first user of a likelihood of a low quality of the communication and (ii) not permitting initiation of the communication between the first and at least a second communication devices. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for controlling contact admission, comprising:
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(a) during a voice communication first and second communication devices, collecting bandwidth information associated with a quality of the voice communication;
(c) comparing at least some of the collected bandwidth information with at least one voice quality threshold; and
(d) when the at least some of the collected bandwidth information fails to satisfy the at least one voice quality threshold, informing at least one of a first and second user associated, respectively, of the first and second communication devices that the voice quality is below a selected level. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for collecting bandwidth information, comprising:
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(a) providing a switch or a media server in communication with a plurality of subscriber communication devices;
(b) selecting a first subscriber communication device;
(c) requesting bandwidth information from the first subscriber communication device;
(d) performing with the first subscriber communication device at least one of the following substeps;
(i) sending at least one test packet to another subscriber communication device to obtain a first subset of bandwidth information; and
(ii) requesting, from at least one intermediate node in at least one communication path between the first communication device and another communication device, a second subset of bandwidth information; and
(e) selecting a second subscriber communication device; and
(f) repeating steps (c) and (d) with respect to the second subscriber communication device. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification