Adaptive packet size modification for voice over packet networks

• US 20080062877A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Juin-Hwey
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/36 by determining packet size, e.g. maximum transfer unit [MTU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/365 Dynamic adaptation of the packet size
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365

Abstract

A system and method for reducing end-to-end delay associated with telephone calls carried over a voice over packet network in a manner that avoids overloading of the network. The system and method involves monitoring one or more parameters indicative of an amount of bandwidth being utilized on the voice over packet network, responsive to the monitoring, determining that a level of bandwidth utilization on the voice over packet network has changed, responsive to the determination that the level of bandwidth utilization on the voice over packet network has changed, issuing a command to a telephony device, and responsive to receipt of the command by the telephony device, changing the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded voice signals associated with a telephone call from a first packet size to a second packet size.

Claims

1. A method for minimizing end-to-end delay associated with calls carried over a packet network in a manner that avoids overloading of the packet network, comprising:

monitoring one or more parameters indicative of an amount of bandwidth being utilized on a relatively larger first portion of the packet network;

responsive to the monitoring, determining that a level of bandwidth utilization on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network has changed;

responsive to the determination that the level of bandwidth utilization on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network has changed, issuing at least one command to each of a plurality of devices in a relatively smaller second portion of the packet network; and

wherein the command causes at least the plurality of devices in the relatively smaller second portion of the packet network to change the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded signals associated with a call from a first packet size to a second packet size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network comprises monitoring an amount of traffic being handled by elements of the relatively larger first portion of the packet network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network comprises monitoring a number of active calls being handled by a call control entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network comprises monitoring the time of day.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network comprises monitoring the day of the week.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the level of bandwidth utilization has changed comprises determining that the level of bandwidth utilization has decreased.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein changing the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded signals associated with a call from a first packet size to a second packet size comprises reducing the packet size.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein reducing the packet size comprises reducing a payload of encoded voice signals carried by each packet from one of 10, 20 or 30 milliseconds to 5 milliseconds.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the level of bandwidth utilization has changed comprises determining that the level of bandwidth utilization has increased.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein changing the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded signals associated with a call from a first packet size to a second packet size comprises increasing the packet size.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein increasing the packet size comprises increasing a payload of encoded voice signals carried by each packet from 5 ms to one of 10, 20 or 30 milliseconds.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein issuing at least one command to a plurality of devices comprises issuing a command to one of a telephone or a gateway.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein issuing at least one command to a plurality of devices comprises:

transmitting a notification to a call control entity, the notification causing the call control entity to issue the at least one command to the plurality of devices.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet network comprises a voice over packet network.

15. A system comprising:

a network monitoring entity configured to monitor one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on a relatively larger first portion of a packet network, to determine, responsive to the monitoring, that a level of bandwidth utilization on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network has changed, and to issue a notification responsive to the determination that the level of bandwidth utilization on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network has changed; and

a call control entity configured to receive the notification and to change the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded signals associated with a call in a relatively smaller second portion of the packet network from a first packet size to a second packet size responsive to the receipt of the notification.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network includes an amount of traffic being handled by elements of the packet network.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network includes a number of active calls being handled by the call control entity.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network includes the time of day.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network includes the day of the week.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the network monitoring entity is configured to determine that the level of bandwidth utilization has decreased, and to issue the notification responsive to the determination that the level of bandwidth utilization has decreased.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the call control entity is configured to reduce the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded voice signals associated with a telephone call responsive to receipt of the notification.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the call control entity is configured to reduce the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded voice signals associated with a telephone call by reducing a payload of encoded voice signals carried by each packet from one of 10, 20 or 30 milliseconds to 5 milliseconds.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the network monitoring entity is configured to determine that the level of bandwidth utilization has increased, and to issue the notification responsive to the determination that the level of bandwidth utilization has increased.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the call control entity is configured to increase the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded voice signals associated with a telephone call responsive to receipt of the notification.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the call control entity is configured to increase the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded voice signals associated with a telephone call by increasing a payload of encoded voice signals carried by each packet from 5 ms to one of 10, 20 or 30 milliseconds.

26. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more telephony devices; and

wherein the call control entity is configured to issue a call control command to the one or more telephony devices to change the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded voice signals associated with a telephone call from a first packet size to a second packet size.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more telephony devices comprise at least one of a telephone or a gateway.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the packet network comprises a voice over packet network.

29. A system comprising:

a network monitoring entity configured to monitor one or more parameters indicative of the amount of bandwidth being utilized on a relatively larger first portion of a packet network, to determine, responsive to the monitoring, that a level of bandwidth utilization on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network has changed, and to issue a command responsive to the determination that the level of bandwidth utilization on the relatively larger first portion of the packet network has changed; and

a device configured to receive the command and to change the size of packets used for carrying frames of encoded signals associated with a call in a relatively smaller second portion of the packet network from a first packet size to a second packet size responsive to the receipt of the command.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the device comprises one of a telephone or a gateway.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the packet network comprises a voice over packet network.

34. The one or more circuits of claim 30 wherein the determining comprises:

monitoring one or more parameters indicative of an amount of bandwidth being utilized by the relatively larger first portion of the packet network; and

selecting the number of voice frames to be placed in each voice packet, based upon the one or more parameters.

35. The one or more circuits of claim 34 wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of the following:

an amount of traffic being handled by certain elements of the relatively larger first portion of the packet network, a number of active voice calls being handled by a call control entity, a level of bandwidth usage by the relatively larger first portion of the packet network, a time of day, and a day of the week.

32. One or more circuits for reducing end-to-end delay over a voice over packet network in a manner that avoids overloading of the packet network, the one or more circuits comprising:

at least one interface for exchanging voice packets over the voice over packet network, wherein a number of voice frames are contained in each voice packet; and

at least one processor operably coupled to the at least one interface, the at least one processor operable to;

determine bandwidth utilization of a relatively larger first portion of the voice over packet network,

select a number of voice frames to be placed in each voice packet based upon the determined bandwidth utilization,

assemble a voice packet containing the selected number of voice frames, and

transmit the assembled voice packet over a relatively smaller second portion of the packet network via the at least one interface.

33. The one or more circuits of claim 32 wherein the determining comprises:

receiving the number of voice frames to be placed in each voice packet, via the at least one interface.