System and method for establishing calls over a call path having best path metrics

• US 20080049637A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morrill, Robert J., Wiley, William L., Coppage, Carl M., Ray, Amar N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A system and method for determining a call path to assign a call over a packet network. A call request may be received, and at least two potential call paths over a packet network over which a call associated with the call request may be placed may be determined. Network performance information associated with each node segment on the respective at least two potential call paths may be accessed. A value associated with each potential call path may be determined, where each value may be indicative of communications operations on each potential call path. A call path may be assigned to the call based on the determined values.

Claims

1. A method for determining a call path to assign a call, said method comprising:

receiving a call request;

determining at least two potential call paths over a packet network over which a call associated with the call request may be placed;

accessing network performance information associated with each node segment on the respective at least two potential call paths;

determining a value associated with each potential call path, each value indicative of communications operations on each potential call path; and

assigning a call path to the call based on the determined values.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining includes computing the values from each network node along the respective potential call paths.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein computing the values includes computing average values of related network performance information parameters collected by network nodes along the respective potential call paths.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein computing the values includes adding related network performance information parameters along the respective potential call paths.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network performance information includes information distinguishing communications of data packets including real-time content.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein assigning the call path includes assigning the call path having the lowest associated value.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call includes real-time content.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein accessing the network performance information includes accessing a central database.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining at least two potential call paths includes determining the at least to potential call paths that span over multiple packet networks, and wherein accessing the network performance information includes accessing network performance information of each of the packet networks.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein accessing the network performance information includes collecting network performance information from each network node along each potential call path.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the values includes determining values representative of a slowest communications speed over each of the network nodes along each respective communications path.

12. A system for provisioning resources of a packet network, said system comprising:

an input/output (I/O) unit in communication with said packet network; and

a processing unit in communication with said I/O unit, said processing unit configured to;

receive a call request;

determine at least two potential call paths over a packet network over which a call associated with the call request may be placed;

access network performance information associated with each node segment on the respective at least two potential call paths;

determine a value associated with each potential call path, each value indicative of communications operations on each potential call path; and

assign a call path to the call based on the determined values.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said processing unit is further configured to determine the at least two potential call paths by computing the values from each network node in the respective potential call paths.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said processing unit is further configured to compute the value by computing average values of related network performance information parameters collected by network nodes along a respective potential call path.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said processing unit is further configured to compute the values by adding related network performance information parameters along the respective potential call paths.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the network performance information includes information distinguishing communications of data packets including real-time content.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein assigning the call path includes assigning the call path having the lowest associated value.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the call includes real-time content.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein accessing the network performance information includes accessing a central database.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein determining at least two potential call paths includes determining the at least to potential call paths that span over multiple packet networks, and wherein accessing the network performance information includes accessing network performance information of each of the packet networks.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein accessing the network performance information includes collecting network performance information from each network node along each potential call path.

22. The system according to claim 12, wherein determining the value includes determining values representative of a slowest communications speed over each of the network nodes along each respective communications path.

23. A method for determining a call path to assign a call, said method comprising:

receiving a call request;

determining a potential call path over a packet network over which a call associated with the call request may be placed;

accessing network performance information associated with each node segment on the potential call path;

determining a value associated with the potential call path, the value being indicative of communications operations on the potential call path; and

assigning the potential call path to the call based on the determined value if the determined value is below a threshold value indicative of the potential call path being unimpaired and uncongested.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

determining a second potential call path over the packet network over which a call associated with the call request may be placed;

accessing network performance information associated with each node segment on the second potential call path;

determining a second value associated with the second potential call path, the second value being indicative of communications operations on the second potential call path; and

assigning the second potential call path to the call based on the determined value if the determined second value is below a threshold value indicative of the second potential call path being unimpaired and uncongested.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the network performance information includes information distinguishing communications of data packets including real-time content.