Bandwidth protection for voice over IP

• US 6,600,737 B1
• Filed: 08/25/1999
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SEVAK Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MediaRing Ltd. (Digilife Technologies Ltd.)
• Inventors: Edelson, Steven, Mastan, Shafir Ahmad Hj, Tam, Wee Sin, Lai, Poh Yoke
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pizarro, Ricardo M.
• Application Number:
  US09/383,337
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/400, 370/466, 370/465, 370/468, 370/401, 370/404, 370/405, 370/410, 370/230, 370/235, 709/225, 709/226, 709/224, 709/204, 709/227, 709/249
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6456 Channel and bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/225 Determination of shaping rate, e.g. using a moving window
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system and method for managing the transfer of data from a server to a client over an integrated voice and data network limits the bandwidth used for sending non-voice data, such as advertising data, from a server to the client. The limit on the transmission of non-voice data ensures that enough bandwidth is available for the transmission of voice data. The system and method comprise at least one server and at least one client which are communicatively coupled over an integrated voice and data network. A transfer data rate input is sent by a client to a server. The server determines the transfer data rate for non-voice data based on the transfer data rate input. The server then sends the data, preferably non-voice data, to the client at the transfer data rate. The present invention may also comprise an intercept layer and a bandwidth management control module. The intercept layer receives the data from the server, and the bandwidth management control module, which is communicatively coupled to the intercept layer and a voice application, examines the data packets and manages the sending of an acknowledge packet to the server indicating that the data has been received. The bandwidth management control module may delay the sending of the acknowledge packet to decrease the transfer of data from the server to the client. Additionally, the bandwidth management control module may change the window size of the acknowledge packet to indicate to the server to limit the size of the data sent to the window size.

Claims

1. A system for regulating the transmission of packets received at a client from a server over an integrated voice and data network in connection with a voice application, the voice application having a voice bandwidth requirement, the system comprising:

a voice application for providing non-voice services over an integrated voice and data network;

an intercept layer at the client for receiving packets and for sending an acknowledge packet to the server; and

a bandwidth management module coupled to the intercept layer, for managing the sending of the acknowledge packet to the server, the acknowledge packet comprising available buffer size information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth management module sends a signal to the intercept layer to send the acknowledge packet after a delay period.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth management module receives the acknowledge packet from the intercept layer and sends the acknowledge packet back to the intercept layer after a delay period.

4. The system of claims 2 or 3 wherein the bandwidth management module determines an optimal time period for the delay period in response to the voice bandwidth requirement for the voice application.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth management module modifies the available buffer size information in the acknowledge packet in response to the voice bandwidth requirement for the voice application.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth management module decreases the available buffer size information in the acknowledge packet in response to the voice bandwidth requirement for the voice application.

7. A method for regulating the transmission of packets received at a client from a server through an integrated voice and data network in connection with a voice application, the voice application having a voice bandwidth requirement, the method comprising the steps of:

providing non-voice services over said integrated voice and data network, said services provided by a voice application;

receiving data from the server; and

in response to receiving the data, sending an acknowledge packet comprising available buffer size information from the client to the server, the available buffer size information having been dynamically modified in response to the voice bandwidth requirement for the voice application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the acknowledge packet is sent to the server after a delay period.

9. A computer program product for regulating the transmission of non-voice packets sent from a server to a client over an integrated voice and data network in connection with a non-voice application running concurrently with a voice application on the client, the voice application having a voice bandwidth requirement, the system comprising:

program code defining a process for receiving data at the client from the server;

program code defining a process for sending an acknowledge packet from the client to the server after a delay period, wherein the acknowledge packet comprises available buffer size information; and

program code for defining a process for dynamically modifying the available buffer size information of the acknowledge packet in response to the voice bandwidth requirement for the voice application.

10. An internet telephony device for use with an integrated voice and data network coupled to a server, the device comprising:

a voice application having a voice bandwidth requirement, for providing voice services over the integrated voice and data network;

a non-voice application for providing non-voice services over the integrated voice and data network;

an intercept layer for receiving voice packets and non-voice packets over the integrated voice and data network; and

a bandwidth management module coupled to the intercept layer and the voice application, for dynamically managing the transmission of non-voice packets from the server in response to the voice bandwidth requirement for the voice application.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the bandwidth management module manages the transmission of non-voice packets from the server by delaying sending an acknowledge packet to the server.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the bandwidth management module manages the transmission of non-voice packets from the server by modifying available buffer space information sent to the server in response to the voice bandwidth requirement for the voice application.