Jitter buffer management in a packet-based network

• US 20070064679A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chitturi, Suresh
• Granted Patent: US 7,746,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9023 for implementing a jitter-buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for handling a session in a packed-based network is provided. The method involves the transmission of packets representing the session. A minimum and a maximum jitter delay value are set for the session. The minimum jitter delay value is based on the time taken by a tone detection algorithm to detect the end of a DTMF event and the maximum jitter delay value is based on the network delay the first packet has been subjected to. The transmitted packets are buffered in a jitter buffer, based on a pre-defined criterion. The packets are played out of the jitter buffer, based on the minimum and maximum jitter delay values.

Claims

1. A method for handling a session in a packet based network, the method comprising:

setting a minimum jitter delay value and a maximum jitter delay value for the session;

inserting a plurality of packets into a jitter buffer based on a pre-defined criterion; and

playing out the plurality of packets based on the minimum jitter delay value and the maximum jitter delay value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the session comprises an event selected from a group consisting of a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) event and a voice event.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

holding the plurality of packets for the minimum jitter delay value, wherein the minimum jitter delay value is greater than the time taken to detect the end of a DTMF event; and

updating statistics for the session.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined criterion is selected from a group consisting of:

a network delay condition; and

a plurality of packets representing a DTMF event, the plurality of packets having an end-bit and the DTMF event being active.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined criterion comprises a network delay condition, the network delay condition comprising a prefill condition.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined criterion comprises a network delay condition, the network delay condition comprising:

the sum of a timestamp of the plurality of packets representing a voice event and the size of at least one frame being greater than a first desired timestamp value; and

the sum of a timestamp of the plurality of packets representing a DTMF event and the duration of the packet being greater than a second desired timestamp value.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first desired timestamp value and the second desired timestamp value are updated for each of the plurality of packets.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein playing out the plurality of packets comprises sending an indication selected from a group consisting of a bad packet indication and a silence period indication if a request for the plurality of packets is received and the plurality of packets do not meet the minimum jitter delay value.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein playing out the plurality of packets comprises sending an indication selected from a group consisting of a bad packet indication and a silence period indication if the jitter buffer is empty.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising sending two or more packets representing a DTMF event, the sending performed in a time period during which termination of the DTMF event is detected, wherein the two or more packets have substantially identical duration.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum jitter delay value for the session is based on a network delay.

12. A receiver of a packet based network, the receiver comprising:

a jitter buffer, the jitter buffer to buffer a plurality of packets based on a minimum jitter delay value and a maximum jitter delay value; and

a play-out module, the play-out module to play-out the plurality of packets based on the minimum jitter delay value and the maximum jitter delay value.

13. The receiver according to claim 12, wherein the minimum jitter delay value is greater than the time taken to detect the end of a DTMF event.

14. The receiver of claim 12, wherein the maximum jitter delay value is set based on a network delay.

15. A packet based system for handling a session, the packet based system comprising:

a transmitter to transmit a plurality of packets, wherein the transmitter to transmit a plurality of packets, which represent a DTMF event, in a time period during which termination of the DTMF event is detected, the plurality of packets which represent the DTMF event, having substantially identical duration; and

a receiver to receive the plurality of packets, the receiver comprising;

a jitter buffer to buffer the plurality of packets based on a minimum jitter delay value and a maximum jitter delay value; and

a play-out module to play-out the plurality of packets based on the minimum jitter delay value and the maximum jitter delay value.

16. The packet based system according to claim 15, wherein the session comprises an event selected from a group consisting of a DTMF event and a voice event.

17. The packet based system according to claim 15, wherein the minimum jitter delay value is greater than the time taken to detect the end of the DTMF event.

18. A computer program product for use with a computer, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for handling a session in a packet based network, the computer readable program code performing:

setting a minimum jitter delay value and a maximum jitter delay value for the session;

inserting a plurality of packets into a jitter buffer based on a pre-defined criterion; and

playing out the plurality of packets based on the minimum jitter delay value and the maximum jitter delay value.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the session comprises an event selected from a group consisting of a DTMF event and a voice event.

20. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code further performing:

holding the plurality of packets for the minimum jitter delay value, the minimum jitter delay value is greater than the time taken to detect the end of a DTMF event; and

updating statistics for the session.

21. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the pre-defined criterion is selected from a group consisting of:

a network delay condition; and

a plurality of packets representing a DTMF event, the plurality of packets having an end-bit and the DTMF event being active.

22. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the pre-defined criterion comprises a network delay condition, the network delay condition comprising a prefill condition.

23. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the pre-defined criterion comprises a network delay condition, the network delay condition comprising:

the sum of a timestamp of the plurality of packets representing a voice event and the size of at least one frame being greater than a first desired timestamp value; and

the sum of a timestamp of the plurality of packets representing a DTMF event and the duration of the packet being greater than a second desired timestamp value.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23 wherein the first desired timestamp value and the second desired timestamp value are updated for each of the plurality of packets.

25. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code performing playing out the plurality of packets, the computer readable program code further performs sending an indication selected from a group consisting of a bad packet indication and a silence period indication if a request for the plurality of packets is received and the plurality of packets do not meet the minimum jitter delay value.

26. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code performing playing out the plurality of packets, the computer readable program code further performs sending an indication selected from a group consisting of a bad packet indication and a silence period indication if the jitter buffer is empty.

27. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code further performing sending two or more packets representing a DTMF event, the sending performed in a time period during which termination of the DTMF event is detected, wherein the plurality of packets having substantially identical duration.

28. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the maximum jitter delay value is set based on a network delay.