System and method for virtual channel selection in IP telephony systems

• US 7,848,229 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Ruyle, Kenney, Punjabi, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rutkowski, Jeffrey M
• Application Number:
  US10/439,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20040228327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,762 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 370/468, 370/395.21, 370/271, 370/322, 370/329, 370/330, 370/332, 370/431, 370/437, 370/463, 379/900, 379/88.17, 379/406.01, 379/221.04, 379/221.15, 709/228, 709/231, 709/232, 375/222
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• 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 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: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A ToL client is provided having, e.g., a key or button for the user to press or click when a voice problem arises. A controller maintains a set of predetermined “channels” having various voice quality settings, for example, related to codec selection, noise filters, jitter buffer size, echo cancellation, and the like. The user can select one of the channels and the connection will transfer over to using the parameters indicated. On subsequent uses, the new “best” channel can be the default or first selected.

Claims

1. A telecommunications device, comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of virtual channels, wherein at least one of said plurality of virtual channels is associated with one or more actions to change one or more call settings, said call settings including at least one of codec settings, jitter buffer, noise filter, or echo filter settings;

a virtual channel selector configured by a user to select another of said plurality of virtual channels, wherein said selection causes the one or more actions to be taken while a call is ongoing; and

an inference engine configured to analyze a real time control protocol (RTCP) statistic and provide suggestions, based on said analysis. to the user for consideration as one of said virtual channels.

2. The telecommunications device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said virtual channel selector is configured to supervise a new H.245control channel.

3. The telecommunications device in accordance with claim 1, further including a user interface for selecting which of said virtual channels is to be set.

4. The telecommunications device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said memory is further configured to store a most recently used virtual channel and apply said virtual channel to initiate a subsequent call.

5. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a network; and

a plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices operably coupled to said network, at least one of said plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices including a virtual channel selector, a memory configured to store a plurality of virtual channels and an inference engine configured to analyze a real time control protocol (RTCP) statistic and provide suggestions, based on said analysis, to a user for consideration as one of said virtual channels, wherein at least one of the plurality of virtual channels is associated with one or more actions to change one or more call settings, such that said virtual channel selector can cause the one or more actions to be taken while a call with another of said plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices is ongoing by changing to another of said virtual channels.

6. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said virtual channel selector is configured to supervise a new H.245control channel.

7. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 6, said at least one of said plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices further including a user interface for selecting which of said virtual channels is to be set.

8. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said memory is further configured to store a most recently used virtual channel and apply said virtual channel to initiate a subsequent call.

9. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said plurality of call settings include codec settings, jitter buffer, noise filter, and echo filter settings.

10. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said virtual channels are changeable by a user selecting a virtual channel from a graphical user interface.

11. A telecommunications method, comprising:

storing a plurality of virtual channels in an endpoint telecommunications device, wherein at least one of the plurality of virtual channels is associated with one or more actions to change one or more call settings;

establishing a call between at least a first party and a second party using a first call setting;

changing said first call setting during said call by selecting a new virtual channel and causing the one or more actions to be taken; and

analyzing a real time control protocol (RTCP) statistic and providing suggestions, based on said analysis, to the user for consideration as one of said virtual channels.

12. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising saving a selected most-recently used virtual channel as a default channel for a next call.

13. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 11, wherein said call settings include noise filters, echo cancellation, or codec selection.

14. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 11, wherein said endpoint telecommunications device further includes a user interface for selecting which of said virtual channels is to be set.

15. A telecommunications method, comprising:

storing a plurality of virtual channels in an endpoint telecommunications device, wherein at least one of the plurality of virtual channels is associated with one or more actions to change one or more call settings;

establishing a call between at least a first party and a second party using a first call setting; and

changing said first call setting during said call by selecting a new virtual channel and causing the one or more actions to be taken, wherein said changing comprises re-establishing an H.245 connection with new channel settings while said call is ongoing; and

analyzing a real time control protocol (RTCP) statistic and providing suggestions, based on said analysis, to the user for consideration as one of said virtual channels.

16. A telecommunications method, comprising:

providing a network; and

storing a plurality of virtual channels in a memory of at least one of a plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices operably coupled to said network, wherein at least one of the plurality of virtual channels is associated with one or more actions to change one or more call settings, such that a virtual channel selector in the at least one of said plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices changes said one or more call settings while a call with another of said plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices is ongoing by changing to another of said virtual channels and causing the one or more actions to be taken, wherein an inference engine in the at least one of said plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices is configured to analyze a real time control protocol (RTCP) statistic and provide suggestions, based on said analysis, to a user for consideration as one of said virtual channels.

17. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 16, wherein said virtual channel selector is configured to supervise a new H.245control channel.

18. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 17, said at least one of said plurality of endpoint telecommunications devices further including a user interface for selecting which of said virtual channels is to be set.

19. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 18, wherein said memory is further configured to store a most recently used virtual channel and apply said virtual channel to initiate a subsequent call.