METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING COMMUNICATION LINK QUALITY

• US 20090257361A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Deshpande, Manoj M., Nanda, Sanjiv, Jayaram, Ranjith S., Aggarwal, Alok, Meylan, Arnaud
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining the quality of a communication link transmitting a specified packet type are disclosed. The methodology includes configuring first packets, which share transmission characteristics with a specific packet type, such as a Voice over IP packet, such that the first packets experience similar communication link treatment as the specific packet type. The first packets are then transmitted over the communication link to a quality monitoring server located near a termination equipment of the particular communication link. Second packets, which are transmitted by the server in response to the first packets, are received and evaluated to determine the quality of the communication link based on characteristics of the second packets. Corresponding apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for determining the quality of a communication link transmitting a specified packet type, the method comprising:

configuring at least one first packet that shares at least one packet characteristic with the specified packet type such that the at least one first packet experiences similar communication link treatment as the specified packet type;

transmitting the at least one first packet over the communication link to a quality monitoring server located near a termination unit;

receiving at least one second packet transmitted by the server in response to a corresponding first packet; and

determining a quality of the communication link based on characteristics of the received at least one second packet.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the communication link includes at least one of a wireless network and a wired network.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second packets are the same packet type.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one second packet is further configured to carry statistics computed at the server to the terminal.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the size of the first and second packets matches at least one of a plurality of potential sizes of the specified packet type.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second packets are configured as a standardized or proprietary packet type.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the transmission characteristics include at least one of:

a time from transmission of the first packet to receipt of the second packet.

a link loss rate computed over a set of past first and second packets; and

packet jitter computed over a set of past first and second packets

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

initiating one of;

a handoff of a communication terminal to another communication link based on the quality determination;

a change in at least one of a data rate and a coding rate of the communication terminal based on the quality determination; and

call termination.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein handoff to another communication link comprises at least one of a handoff to another network, a handoff to another serving cell of the same network, and a handoff to another frequency of the same network

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one first packet is transmitted from one of a communication terminal and an access terminal to the server.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a frequency of the transmission of a plurality of first packets is variable.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a frequency of the transmission of a plurality of first packets is dependent on at least one of communication terminal activity, past measurements, and roaming location.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one first packet is transmitted in response to receiving a report from a peer communication terminal indicating poor link quality.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

sending a message to the peer communication terminal indicating that communication link quality is good when the determined quality of the communication link indicates such.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the specified packet type is one of a real time protocol packet or a non-real time packet.

16. An apparatus for determining the quality of a communication link, the apparatus comprising:

means for configuring at least one first packet that shares at least one packet characteristic with the specified packet type such that the at least one first packet experiences similar communication link treatment as the specified packet type;

means for transmitting the at least one first packet over the communication link to a quality monitoring server located near a termination unit;

means for receiving at least one second packet transmitted by the server in response to a corresponding first packet; and

means for determining a quality of the communication link based on characteristics of the received at least one second packet.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the communication link includes at least one of a wireless network and a wired network.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the first and second packets are the same packet type.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the at least one second packet is further configured to carry statistics computed at the server to the terminal.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the size of the first and second packets matches at least one of a plurality of potential sizes of the specified packet type.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the first and second packets are configured as a standardized or proprietary packet type.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the transmission characteristics include at least one of:

a time from transmission of the first packet to receipt of the at least one second packet.

a link loss rate computed over a set of past first and second packets; and

packet jitter computed over a set of past first and second packets

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, further comprising means for initiating one of:

a handoff of a communication terminal to another communication link based on the quality determination;

a change in at least one of a data rate and a coding rate of the communication terminal based on the quality determination; and

call termination.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein handoff to another communication link comprises at least one of a handoff to another network, a handoff to another serving cell of the same network, and a handoff to another frequency of the same network

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the at least one first packet is transmitted from one of a communication terminal or an access terminal to the server

26. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein a frequency of the transmission of a plurality of first packets is variable.

27. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein a frequency of the transmission of a plurality of first packets is dependent on at least one of communication terminal activity, past measurements, and roaming location.

28. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, further comprising:

means for transmitting the at least one first packet in response to receiving a report from a peer communication terminal indicating poor link quality.

29. The apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to send a message to the peer communication terminal indicating that communication link quality is good when the determined quality of the communication link indicates such.

30. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the specified packet type is one of a real time protocol packet or a non-real time packet.

31. A communication device operable in a communication system, the communication device comprising:

a processor comprising;

a first module configured to configure at least one first packet that share at least one packet characteristic with the specified packet type such that the at least one first packet experiences similar communication link treatment as the specified packet type;

a second module configured to transmit the at least one first packet over the communication link to a quality monitoring server located near a termination unit;

a third module configured to receive at least one second packet transmitted by the server in response to corresponding first packets; and

a fourth module configured to determine a quality of the communication link based on characteristics of the received at least one second packet.

32. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the communication link includes at least one of a wireless network and a wired network.

33. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the first and second packets are the same packet type.

34. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the at least one second packet is further configured to carry statistics computed at the server to the terminal.

35. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the size of the first and second packets matches at least one of a plurality of potential sizes of the specified packet type.

36. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the first and second packets are configured as a standardized or proprietary packet type.

37. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the transmission characteristics include at least one of:

a time from transmission of the first packet to receipt of the at least one second packet.

a link loss rate computed over a set of past first and second packets; and

packet jitter computed over a set of past first and second packets

38. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the processor further comprises:

a fifth module configured to initiate one of;

a handoff of a communication terminal to another communication link based on the quality determination;

a change in at least one of a data rate and a coding rate of the communication terminal based on the quality determination; and

call termination.

39. The communication device as defined in claim 38, wherein handoff to another communication link comprises at least one of a handoff to another network;

a handoff to another serving cell of the same network, and a handoff to another frequency of the same network

40. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein a frequency of the transmission of the one or more first packets is variable.

41. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein a frequency of the transmission of a plurality of first packets is dependent on at least one of communication terminal activity, past measurements, and roaming location.

42. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the first module is further configured to transmit a plurality of first packets in response to receiving a report from a peer communication terminal indicating poor link quality.

43. The communication device as defined in claim 42, wherein the first module is further configured to send a message to the peer communication terminal indicating that communication link quality is good when the determined quality of the communication link indicates such.

44. The communication device as defined in claim 32, wherein the specified packet type is one of a real time protocol packet or a non-real time packet.

45. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to configure at least one first packet that shares at least one packet characteristic with the specified packet type such that the at least one first packet experiences similar communication link treatment as the specified packet type;

code for causing a computer to transmit the at least one first packet over the communication link to a quality monitoring server located near a termination unit;

code for causing a computer to receive at least one second packet transmitted by the server in response to a corresponding first packet; and

code for causing a computer to determine a quality of the communication link based on characteristics of the received at least one second packet.

46. The computer program product as defined in claim 45, wherein the communication link includes at least one of a wireless network and a wired network.

47. The computer program product as defined in claim 45, wherein the first and second packets are the same packet type.

48. The computer program product as defined in claim 45, wherein the at least one second packet is further configured to carry statistics computed at the server to the terminal.

49. The computer program product as defined in claim 45, wherein the size of the first and second packets matches at least one of a plurality of potential sizes of the specified packet type.

50. The computer program product as defined in claim 45, wherein the first and second packets are configured as a standardized or proprietary packet type.

51. The computer program product as defined in claim 45, wherein the transmission characteristics include at least one of:

a time from transmission of the first packet to receipt of the second packet.

a link loss rate computed over a set of past first and second packets; and

packet jitter computed over a set of past first and second packets

52. The computer program product as defined in claim 45, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

code for causing a computer to initiate one of;

a handoff of a communication terminal to another communication link based on the quality determination;

a change in at least one of a data rate and a coding rate of the communication terminal based on the quality determination; and

call termination.

53. The computer program product as defined in claim 52, wherein handoff to another communication link comprises at least one of a handoff to another network, a handoff to another serving cell of the same network, and a handoff to another frequency of the same network

54. The computer program product as defined in claim 46, wherein the at least one first packet is transmitted from one of a communication terminal or an access terminal to the server

55. The computer program product as defined in claim 46, wherein a frequency of the transmission of a plurality of first packets is variable.

56. The computer program product as defined in claim 46, wherein a frequency of the transmission of a plurality of first packets is dependent on at least one of communication terminal activity, past measurements, and roaming location.

57. The computer program product as defined in claim 46, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

code for causing a computer to transmit the at least one first packet in response to receiving a report from a peer communication terminal indicating poor link quality.

59. The computer program product as defined in claim 46, wherein the specified packet type is one of a real time protocol packet or a non-real time packet.

58. The computer program product as defined in claim 58, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

code for causing a computer to send a message to the peer communication terminal indicating that communication link quality is good when the determined quality of the communication link indicates such.