BUFFERING METHOD FOR NETWORK AUDIO TRANSPORT

• US 20080056145A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telesector Resources Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Woodworth, Brian R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/89 which are wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for transmitting audio and video messages between network terminals over a network. A communication link is established between a first network terminal and a second network terminal, and audio data and video data is transmitted concurrently over the link. During communication, the first network terminal acquires data representing the performance of the first network terminal and data representing the performance of the network. Based on the performance data, at least one audio buffering parameter is determined and, if the parameter is within a predetermined range, the audio buffering parameter of the first network terminal is modified.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting audio data and video data concurrently over a network from the first network terminal to a second network terminal;

storing data representing performance of the first network terminal;

storing data representing performance of the network;

determining, based on at least said first network terminal performance data and said network performance data, at least one audio data buffering parameter; and

encoding the audio data based on the at least one buffering parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a packet-switched network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein network performance data represents at least one of:

data packets lost, data packet delay, jitter, audio quality and video quality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein system performance data represents at least one of:

processor usage, memory usage or network usage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one audio data buffering parameter controls at least one of:

audio buffer size, audio buffer rate and audio buffer delay.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to transmitting the audio data and the video data, the first network terminal determines at least one default audio data buffering parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the default audio data buffering parameter is based on at least one of:

number of participants, distance between participants, network terminal type, network terminal video capability, network terminal audio capability, network type, network transmission rate and network transmission protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one audio data buffering parameter includes negotiating the at least one audio data buffer parameter between the first network terminal and the second network terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein first network terminal stores data representing at least one user-preference and the audio data is not encoded based on the at least one audio data buffer parameter if the at least one user-preference forbids modification of the audio data buffer parameter.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein first network terminal stores data representing at least one user-preference specifying a range for the at least one audio data buffer buffering parameter and the audio data is not encoded based on the at least one audio data buffering parameter if the at least one negotiated audio data buffering parameter is outside the range specified by the at least one user-preference.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the at least one audio data buffering parameter further includes negotiating a range for the audio data buffer parameter between the first network terminal and the second network terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio data is not encoded based on the at least one audio data buffering parameter if the at least one negotiated audio data buffering parameter is outside the negotiated range.

13. A system, comprising:

a network communicatively coupled to a plurality of network terminals including a first network terminal and a second network terminal, wherein the first network terminal is configured to;

transmit audio data and video data concurrently over the network from the first network terminal to the second network terminal;

store data representing performance of the first network terminal;

store data representing performance of the network;

determine, based on at least said first network terminal performance data and said network performance data, at least one audio data buffering parameter; and

encode the audio data based on the at least one buffering parameter.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the network is a packet-switched network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein network performance data represents at least one of:

data packets lost, data packet delay, jitter, audio quality and video quality.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein system performance data represents at least one of:

processor usage, memory usage or network usage.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one audio data buffering parameter controls at least one of:

audio buffer size, audio buffer rate and audio buffer delay.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the first network terminal is further configured to determine at least a default audio data buffering parameter prior to transmitting the audio data and video data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the default audio data buffering parameter is based on at least one of:

number of participants, distance between participants, network terminal type, network terminal video capability, network terminal audio capability, network type, network transmission rate and network transmission protocol.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the first network terminal is further configured to determine the at least one audio data buffering parameter by negotiating the at least one audio data buffer parameter with the second network terminal.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first network terminal is further configured to store data representing at least one user-preference and not encode the audio data based on the at least one negotiated audio data buffer parameter if the at least one user-preference forbids modification of the at least one audio data buffer parameter.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first network terminal is further configured to store data representing at least one user-preference specifying a range for the at least one audio data buffer buffering parameter and not encode the audio data based on the at least one audio data buffering parameter if the at least one negotiated audio data buffering parameter is outside the range specified by the at least one user-preference.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the first network terminal is further configured to determine the at least one audio data buffering parameter by negotiating a range for the audio data buffer parameter between the first network terminal and the second network terminal.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first network terminal is further configured to not encode the audio data based on the at least one audio data buffering parameter if the at least one negotiated audio data buffering parameter is outside the negotiated range.

25. A terminal device comprising:

a memory system storing processor-executable instructions;

a processing system coupled to the memory system an configured to execute the processor-executable instructions;

a network interface coupled to the processing system and configured to communicate over a network;

wherein the processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processing system to

transmit audio data and video data concurrently over the network to a destination network terminal;

store data representing performance of the terminal device;

store data representing performance of the network;

determine, based on at least said terminal device performance data and said network performance data, at least one audio data buffering parameter; and

encode the audio data based on the at least one buffering parameter.