Voice communication device with PSTN and internet pathway analysis, selection and handoff

• US 20070183402A1
• Filed: 02/07/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James, Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A voice communication device that supports both Internet telephony and public switched telephone network telephony, and maintains the quality of communication. The voice communication device consists of a user interface, a plurality of communication interfaces and a processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the user interface and to the plurality of communication interfaces. The voice communication device maintains quality of service by analyzing the service characteristics of a plurality of communication pathways and determining one communication pathway that compares best in terms of quality of service and cost and transferring to that communication pathway prior to or during the call. Alternatively, a user set service characteristic configurations may also determine the choice of a communication pathway that meets the user requirements of quality of service and cost.

Claims

1. A voice communication device that supports a voice call with a remotely located terminal, the voice communication device comprising:

a user interface;

a plurality of communication interfaces; and

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the user interface and to the plurality of communication interfaces, the processing circuitry operable to;

identify a first Internet communication pathway serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces;

determine a first service characteristic of the first Internet communication pathway and a second service characteristic of a second Internet communication pathway, serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces;

indicate at least one service characteristic via the user interface;

establish a voice call with the first Internet communication pathway;

respond to the user interface in selecting the Internet communication pathway; and

transfer service of the voice call from the first Internet communication pathway to the second Internet communication pathway.

2. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprises a first packet switched network interface that supports Internet telephony.

3. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprises a second packet switched network interface that supports Internet telephony.

4. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprises a public switched telephone network interface that supports public switched telephone network telephony.

5. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein the service characteristic comprises a cost of usage of a respective Internet communication pathway.

6. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein the service characteristic comprises wireless interface signal strength of a respective Internet communication pathway.

7. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein the service characteristic comprises a voice quality provided by a respective Internet communication pathway.

8. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein indicating at least one service characteristic via the user interface comprising a graphical display of a service characteristic of the first communication Internet pathway via the user interface.

9. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein indicating at least one service characteristic via the user interface comprising a graphical display of a service characteristic of the second Internet communication pathway via the user interface.

10. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein indicating at least one service characteristic via the user interface comprising a provision to direct the transfer of service of the voice call from the first Internet communication pathway to the second Internet communication pathway via the user interface.

11. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein determining the first service characteristic of the first Internet communication pathway and the second service characteristic of a second Internet communication pathway, serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces comprising sending a path evaluation request via the second Internet communication pathway and receiving a path evaluation response via to the second Internet communication pathway.

12. The communication device of claim 1, wherein determining the first service characteristic of the first Internet communication pathway and the second service characteristic of a second Internet communication pathway, serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces comprising:

sending an audio pattern to the remotely located terminal via the first Internet communication pathway;

receiving an echoed copy of the audio pattern path evaluation response via the first Internet communication pathway; and

based upon the echoed copy of the audio pattern, evaluating the first Internet communication pathway.

13. The voice communication device of claim 1, wherein determining the first service characteristic of the first Internet communication pathway and the second service characteristic of a second Internet communication pathway, serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces comprising characterization of the path delay of packets received via the first Internet communication pathway.

14. A voice communication device that supports a voice call with a remotely located terminal, the voice communication device comprising:

a plurality of communication interfaces; and

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the plurality of communication interfaces, the processing circuitry operable to;

establish a voice call via a first Internet communication pathway serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces;

determine service characteristics of the first Internet communication pathway and of a second Internet communication pathway serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces;

compare service characteristics of the first Internet communication pathway with the second Internet communication pathway; and

transfer service of the voice call from the first Internet communication pathway to the second Internet communication pathway.

15. The voice communication device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprises a first packet switched network interface that supports Internet telephony.

16. The voice communication device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprises a second packet switched network interface that supports Internet telephony.

17. The voice communication device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprises a public switched telephone network interface that supports public switched telephone network interface telephony.

18. The voice communication device of claim 14, wherein the service characteristic comprises a cost of usage of a respective Internet communication pathway.

19. The voice communication device of claim 14, wherein the service characteristic comprises wireless interface signal strength of a respective Internet communication pathway.

20. The voice communication device of claim 14, wherein the service characteristic comprises a voice quality provided by a respective Internet communication pathway.

21. The voice communication device of claim 14, wherein determining service characteristics of the first Internet communication pathway and of at least one other Internet communication pathway serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces comprising sending a path evaluation request via the second Internet communication pathway and receiving a path evaluation response via to the second Internet communication pathway.

22. The communication device of claim 14, wherein determining service characteristics of the first Internet communication pathway and of at least one other Internet communication pathway serviced by the plurality of communication interface comprising:

sending an audio pattern to the remotely located terminal via the first Internet communication pathway;

receiving an echoed copy of the audio pattern path evaluation response via to the first Internet communication pathway; and

based upon the echoed copy of the audio pattern, evaluating the first Internet communication pathway.

23. The voice communication device of claim 14, wherein determining service characteristics of the first Internet communication pathway and of at least one other Internet communication pathway serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces comprising characterization of the delay of packets received via the first Internet communication pathway.

24. A voice communication device that supports voice telephony comprising:

a user interface;

a plurality of communication interfaces; and

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the user interface and to the plurality of communication interfaces, the processing circuitry operable to;

determine service characteristics of a first Internet communication pathway and of a second Internet communication pathway serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces;

compare the service characteristics of the first communication pathway with the service characteristics of the second Internet communication pathway;

based upon the comparison, selecting the first Internet communication pathway; and

establish a voice call with a remotely located terminal via the first Internet communication pathway.

25. The voice communication device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprising a first packet switched network interface that supports Internet telephony.

26. The voice communication device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprising a second packet switched network interface that supports Internet telephony.

27. The voice communication device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces comprising a public switched telephone network interface that supports public switched telephone network telephony.

28. The voice communication device of claim 24, wherein the service characteristic comprises a cost of usage of a respective Internet communication pathway.

29. The voice communication device of claim 24, wherein the service characteristic comprises wireless interface signal strength of a respective Internet communication pathway.

30. The voice communication device of claim 24, wherein the service characteristic comprises a voice quality provided by a respective Internet communication pathway.

31. The voice communication device of claim 24, wherein in determining service characteristics of the first Internet communication pathway and of at least one other Internet communication pathway serviced by the plurality of communication interfaces comprising sending, the processing circuit is operable to:

send a path evaluation request via the first Internet communication pathway;

receiving a path evaluation response via the first Internet communication pathway;

send a path evaluation request via the second Internet communication pathway; and

receiving a path evaluation response via the second Internet communication pathway.

32. A method for evaluation of service characteristics of a plurality of Internet communication pathways and utilize service of an Internet communication pathway that meets preset service characteristic configurations, by a voice communication device that supports Internet telephony, the method comprising:

evaluating the service characteristics of a first Internet communication pathway;

evaluating the service characteristics of a second Internet communication pathway;

setting up an Internet voice call with a remote terminal via the one of first Internet communication pathway or second Internet communication pathway;

displaying graphically the service characteristics of the first Internet communication pathway;

displaying graphically the service characteristics of the second Internet communication pathway; and

transferring to the other of first Internet communication pathway or second Internet communication pathway upon meeting of meets preset service characteristic configurations.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein evaluating the service characteristics comprising:

sending a path evaluation request via the first Internet communication pathway;

receiving a path evaluation response via the first Internet communication pathway;

sending a path evaluation request via the second Internet communication pathway; and

receiving a path evaluation response via the second Internet communication pathway.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein sending path evaluation request comprising one of, sending Echo Request Packets upon identification of a dead packet:

separate of voice data packets, during the communication;

with voice data packets, during the communication.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein sending path evaluation request comprising one of, sending Echo Request Packets periodically:

separate of voice data packets during the communication;

or with voice data packets, during the communication.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein sending path evaluation request comprising identifying propagation times for packet flow through each node of each of the Internet communication pathways.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein transferring to the other of first Internet communication pathway or second Internet communication pathway comprising transferring to the other Internet communication pathway based upon:

response to the user interface;

comparison of service characteristics between the first Internet communication pathway and the second Internet communication pathway before service; and

comparison of service characteristics between the first Internet communication pathway and the second Internet communication pathway during the mid-call.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein preset service characteristic configurations comprising quantifying and storing of:

quality of service of a call session; and

cost of usage via the Internet communication pathway per a unit of time.