METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR SELECTING A CODEC PAIR BASED ON NETWORK CONDITIONS

• US 20130156119A1
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Poulin, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,866,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A method for selecting a codec pair includes obtaining a first performance metric indicating a condition of a first network connected to the network node via a first communication interface, the first network including a first endpoint. A second performance metric indicating a condition of a second network connected to the network node via a second communication interface is obtained. The second network includes a second endpoint. A codec selection model is generated or updated based on the first and second performance metrics. A first codec is selected from a plurality of codecs compatible with the first endpoint based on the codec selection model. A second codec is selected from a plurality of codecs compatible with the second endpoint based on the codec selection model. The first and second codecs are used to communicate a portion of a communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a codec pair based on network conditions, the method comprising:

at a network node including a first communication interface and a second communication interface;

obtaining a first performance metric indicating a condition of a first network connected to the network node via the first communication interface, the first network including a first endpoint;

obtaining a second performance metric indicating a condition of a second network connected to the network node via the second communication interface, the second network including a second endpoint;

generating or updating a codec selection model based on the obtained first performance metric and the obtained second performance metric;

selecting a first codec from a plurality of codecs compatible with the first endpoint based on the codec selection model;

selecting a second codec from a plurality of codecs compatible with the second endpoint based on the codec selection model; and

utilizing the first selected codec and the second selected codec to communicate a portion of a communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating or updating the codec selection model includes computing a scalar value that corresponds to conversation quality for each combination of the plurality of codecs compatible with the first endpoint and the plurality of codecs compatible with the second endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the codec selection model is based on at least one of processing delay, algorithmic delay, and buffering delay.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the codec selection model is based on a plurality of factors, at least one of the factors corresponding to available bandwidth or least cost routing.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each of the factors is assigned a weight and wherein generating or updating the codec selection model includes taking into account each of the factors to the extent of its assigned weight.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first performance metric and the second performance metric corresponds to at least one of a measure of packet loss, a measure of end-to-end packet delay, and a measure of jitter.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of codecs compatible with the first endpoint and the plurality of codecs compatible with the second endpoint is obtained as part of a session description protocol (SDP) offer message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communication interface is a packet interface and the second communication interface is a packet interface.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communication interface is a packet interface and the second communication interface is a time-division multiplexing (TDM) interface.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the network node comprises at least one of a session border controller (SBC) and a media gateway.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first selected codec and the second selected codec are different;

and

wherein utilizing the first selected codec and the second selected codec to communicate the portion of the communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprises transcoding, from the first selected codec to the second selected codec, the portion of the communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first selected codec and the second selected codec are the same, and wherein utilizing the first selected codec and the second selected codec to communicate the portion of the communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprises supporting tandem free operation (TFO) for the portion of the communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

13. A system for selecting a codec pair based on network conditions, the system comprising:

a first communication interface configured to interface with a first network including a first endpoint;

a second communication interface configured to interface with a second network including a second endpoint;

a network performance module configured to obtain a first performance metric indicating a condition of the first network and a second performance metric indicating a condition of the second network;

a codec selection module configured to generate or update a codec selection model based on the obtained first performance metric and the obtained second performance metric, select a first codec from a plurality of codecs compatible with the first endpoint based on the codec selection model, and select a second codec from a plurality of codecs compatible with the second endpoint based on the codec selection model; and

a transcoder configured to utilize the first selected codec and the second selected codec to communicate a portion of a communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the codec selection module is configured to generate or update the codec selection model by computing a scalar value that corresponds to conversation quality for each combination of the plurality of codecs compatible with the first endpoint and the plurality of codecs compatible with the second endpoint.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the codec selection model is based on at least one of processing delay, algorithmic delay, and buffering delay.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the codec selection model is based on a plurality of factors, at least one of the factors corresponding to available bandwidth or least cost routing.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each of the factors is assigned a weight and wherein the codec selection module is configured to generate or update the codec selection model by taking into account each of the factors to the extent of its assigned weight.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the first performance metric and the second performance metric corresponds to at least one of a measure of packet loss, a measure of end-to-end packet delay, and a measure of jitter.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the plurality of codecs compatible with the first endpoint and the plurality of codecs compatible with the second endpoint is obtained as part of a session description protocol (SDP) offer message.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the first communication interface is a packet interface and the second communication interface is a packet interface.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the first communication interface is a packet interface and the second communication interface is a time-division multiplexing (TDM) interface.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the memory, the first communication interface, the second communication interface, the network performance module, the codec selection module, and the transcoder comprise a network node, and wherein the network node comprises at least one of a session border controller (SBC) and a media gateway.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the first selected codec and the second selected codec are different;

and

wherein the transcoder is configured to transcode, from the first selected codec to the second selected codec, the portion of the communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the first selected codec and the second selected codec are the same, and wherein the transcoder is configured to support tandem free operation (TFO) for the portion of the communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

at a network node including a first communication interface and a second communication interface;

obtaining a first performance metric indicating a condition of a first network connected to the network node via the first communication interface, the first network including a first endpoint;

obtaining a second performance metric indicating a condition of a second network connected to the network node via the second communication interface, the second network including a second endpoint;

generating or updating a codec selection model based on the obtained first performance metric and the obtained second performance metric;

selecting a first codec from a plurality of codecs compatible with the first endpoint based on the codec selection model;

selecting a second codec from a plurality of codecs compatible with the second endpoint based on the codec selection model; and

utilizing the first selected codec and the second selected codec to communicate a portion of a communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.