Auto-compression for media over IP

• US 20040190488A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Presnell, Michael, Bokish, Bruce, Spillane, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

The present invention allows communicating devices to control the amount of compression used in packet sessions for transmitting streaming media to and from each other. When a communicating device detects a decrease in performance or quality of service indicative of a limited bandwidth condition, the amount of compression for the current or subsequent sessions is temporarily increased to allow the currently available bandwidth to support the session or subsequent sessions. After a set period of time, or when the limited bandwidth condition is removed, communications associated with the sessions can revert back to transporting uncompressed data or reducing the amount of compression for the sessions, thus using more of the available bandwidth.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a) a communication interface; and

b) a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

i) communicate with a remote session device via a first session;

ii) detect a reduced bandwidth condition between a communication device and the remote session device; and

iii) communicate with the remote session device via subsequent sessions using an increased rate of compression relative to communications of the first session upon detecting the reduced bandwidth condition.

2. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the communications during the first session are uncompressed and communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed using a first rate of compression.

3. The communication device of claim 2 wherein the communications during the first session are uncompressed voice communicated according to G.711 standards.

4. The communication device of claim 3 wherein the communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed voice communicated according to G.723 standards.

5. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the communications during the first session are compressed at a lower rate of compression and communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed at a higher rate of compression.

6. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to monitor session quality associated with communications with the remote device and detect the reduced bandwidth condition when the session quality associated with the communications with the remote device degrades below a defined threshold.

7. The communication device of claim 6 wherein the control system monitors the session quality by monitoring at least one of the group consisting of:

a) packet loss associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting the reduced bandwidth condition when the packet loss exceeds the defined threshold; and

b) packet latency associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting the reduced bandwidth condition when the packet latency exceeds the defined threshold; and

c) jitter associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting the reduced bandwidth condition when the jitter exceeds the defined threshold.

8. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising using the increased rate of compression for the first session upon detecting the reduced bandwidth condition.

9. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the communication device is an operator services terminal.

10. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to revert back to communicating with the remote session device in a normal fashion without the increased rate of compression after a defined period of time.

11. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to revert back to communicating with the remote session device in a normal fashion without the increased rate of compression upon receiving a message indicative of an end to the reduced bandwidth condition.

12. A system comprising a plurality of user terminals adapted to communicate with a remote session device over a limited bandwidth, each user terminal adapted to:

a) communicate with a remote session device via a first session;

b) detect a reduced bandwidth condition between a user terminal and the remote session device; and

c) communicate with the remote session device via subsequent sessions using an increased rate of compression relative to communications of the first session upon detecting the reduced bandwidth condition.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein for each user terminal, the communications during the first session are uncompressed and communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed using a first rate of compression.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein for each user terminal, the communications during the first session are uncompressed voice communicated according to G.711 standards.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein for each user terminal, the communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed voice communicated according to G.723 standards.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein for each user terminal, the communications during the first session are compressed at a lower rate of compression and communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed at a higher rate of compression.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein each user terminal is further adapted to monitor session quality associated with communications with the remote device and detect the reduced bandwidth condition when the session quality associated with the communications with the remote device degrades below a defined threshold.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein each user terminal is further adapted to monitor the session quality by monitoring:

a) packet loss associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting the reduced bandwidth condition when the packet loss exceeds the defined threshold;

b) packet latency associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting the reduced bandwidth condition when the packet latency exceeds the defined threshold; and

c) jitter associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting the reduced bandwidth condition when the jitter exceeds the defined threshold.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein each user terminal is further adapted to use the increased rate of compression for the first session upon detecting the reduced bandwidth condition.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the user terminals are operator services terminals in an operator services system.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein each user terminal is further adapted to revert back to communicating with the remote session device in a normal fashion without the increased rate of compression after a defined period of time.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein each user terminal is further adapted to revert back to communicating with the remote session device in a normal fashion without the increased rate of compression upon receiving a message indicative of an end to the reduced bandwidth condition.

23. A method comprising:

a) communicating with a remote session device via a first session;

b) detecting a reduced bandwidth condition between a communication device and the remote session device; and

c) communicating with the remote session device via subsequent sessions using an increased rate of compression relative to communications of the first session upon detecting the reduced bandwidth condition.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the communications during the first session are uncompressed and communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed using a first rate of compression.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the communications during the first session are uncompressed voice communicated according to G.711 standards.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed voice communicated according to G.723 standards.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the communications during the first session are compressed at a lower rate of compression and communications during the subsequent sessions are compressed at a higher rate of compression.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising monitoring session quality associated with communications with the remote device and detecting the reduced bandwidth condition when the session quality associated with the communications with the remote device degrades below a defined threshold.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising monitoring the session quality by monitoring packet loss associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting the reduced bandwidth condition when the packet loss exceeds the defined threshold.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising monitoring the session quality by monitoring packet latency associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting a limited bandwidth condition when the packet latency exceeds the defined threshold.

31. The method of claim 28 further comprising monitoring the session quality by monitoring jitter associated with the communications with the remote device and detecting a limited bandwidth condition when the jitter exceeds the defined threshold.

32. The method of claim 23 further comprising using the increased rate of compression for the first session upon detecting the reduced bandwidth condition.

33. The method of claim 23 further comprising reverting back to communicating with the remote session device in a normal fashion without the increased rate of compression after a defined period of time.

34. The method of claim 23 further comprising reverting back to communicating with the remote session device in a normal fashion without the increased rate of compression upon receiving a message indicative of an end to the reduced bandwidth condition.