System and method for evaluating the quality of service in an IP telephony network using call forwarding
First Claim
1. A computerized method for evaluating the quality of service in an IP telephony network, the method comprising:
- communicating a test call from a call initiator via a call manager to a network device;
determining whether the test call should be forwarded to one or more other network devices prior to forwarding the test call to the call manager;
if the test call should not be forwarded to one or more other network devices, forwarding the test call from the network device to a call recipient via the call manager according to address information associated with the test call;
communicating, during the test call, a test signal between the call initiator and the call recipient; and
evaluating the quality of service between the call initiator and the call recipient according to characteristics associated with the test signal received by the call recipient.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are described for verifying communications paths on a network. A test signal is forwarded between network nodes to evaluate quality of service in an IP telephony system. A test call is generated by a call initiator, communicated to one or more network devices, and forwarded from the one or more network devices to a call recipient according to address information associated with the test call. During the test call, a test signal is communicated between the call initiator, the call recipient, and the one or more network devices. The quality of service of the IP telephony network is evaluated according to characteristics associated with the test signal.
105 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A computerized method for evaluating the quality of service in an IP telephony network, the method comprising:
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communicating a test call from a call initiator via a call manager to a network device; determining whether the test call should be forwarded to one or more other network devices prior to forwarding the test call to the call manager; if the test call should not be forwarded to one or more other network devices, forwarding the test call from the network device to a call recipient via the call manager according to address information associated with the test call; communicating, during the test call, a test signal between the call initiator and the call recipient; and evaluating the quality of service between the call initiator and the call recipient according to characteristics associated with the test signal received by the call recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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16. A computerized method for evaluating the quality of service in an IP telephony network loop, the method comprising:
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communicating a test call from a call initiator to a first network device; forwarding the test call from the first network device to one or more additional network devices according to address information associated with the test signal; forwarding the test call from the one or more additional network devices back to the call initiator according to address information associated with the test signal; communicating, during the test call, a test signal between the call initiator, the first network device, and the one or more additional network devices; and evaluating, according to characteristics associated with the test signal, the quality of service in the communication loop comprising the call initiator, the first network device, and the one or more additional network devices. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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17. A system for evaluating the quality of service in an IP telephony network, the system comprising:
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a call initiator, wherein the call initiator is programmed to communicate a test call to a network device; a network device, wherein the network device is programmed to forward the test call to a call recipient according to address information associated with the test call, wherein the network device is further programmed to determine whether header information in the test call indicates that the test call should be forwarded back to the call initiator; and a call recipient, wherein the call recipient is programmed to evaluate the quality of service between the call initiator and the call recipient according to characteristics associated with a test signal communicated, during the test call, between the call initiator and the call recipient. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A computerized method for evaluating the quality of service in an IP telephony network, the method comprising:
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at a test call manager, generating a test call having header information identifying one or more network devices to be tested; sending the test call to a first network device to be tested; determining, based on the header information, whether the test call should be sent to one or more other network devices to be tested prior to being sent back to the call manager; sending the test call back to the call manager if the header information does not indicate one or more other network devices that the test call should be sent to prior to being sent to the call manager; and otherwise, sending the test call to at least one of the one or more network devices indicated in the header according to address information in the test call. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification