Method and apparatus for improving call quality

• US 7,970,395 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Joensuu, Erkki
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRPOUR, NAGHMEH
• Application Number:
  US12/091,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.2, 455/414.2, 455/453, 455/560, 455/445, 455/67.1, 455/406, 455/423, 455/67.13, 455/424, 455/452.1, 455/456.5, 370/229, 370/352, 370/338, 370/238, 370/254, 370/252, 370/452.2, 370/389, 379/266, 379/134, 379/32.01, 379/140, 379/224, 379/112.06, 379/100.05, 379/137, 379/154, 379/98, 379/34, 379/112, 379/389, 379/133, 379/835, 379/113, 704/201, 704/200, 704/225
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2236 Quality of speech transmission monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile

Abstract

A method of selectively improving the quality of calls carried by a communications network. The method comprises defining off-peak and peak call periods, and during off-peak periods, for each call carried by the network, analysing call data to determine whether or not a network based Voice Quality Enhancement function should be applied to the call and, if yes, applying the function to the call. A database is maintained containing subscriber and/or terminal identities together with respective Voice Quality Enhancement function requirements, said requirements being updated based upon determinations made during said off-peak periods. During peak periods, said network based Voice Quality Enhancement function is invoked on a per call basis in dependence upon the requirements contained in said database for the user(s) and/or terminal(s) participating in the calls.

Claims

1. A method of selectively improving the quality of calls carried by a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

defining off-peak and peak call periods;

during off-peak periods, for each call carried by the network, analysing call data to determine whether or not a network based Voice Quality Enhancement function should be applied to the call and, if yes, applying the function to the call;

maintaining a database containing subscriber and/or terminal identities together with respective Voice Quality Enhancement function requirements, and updating said requirements based upon determinations made during said off-peak periods; and

,

during peak periods, invoking said network based Voice Quality Enhancement function on a per call basis in dependence upon the requirements contained in said database for the user(s) and/or terminal(s) participating in the calls.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said Voice Quality Enhancement function is one of Mobile Crosstalk Control and Noise Reduction.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said calls are voice calls.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of analysing call data comprises analysing the information content of the call.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of invoking the network based Voice Quality Enhancement function comprises accessing the database from a call control node, and signaling the requirement from the call control node to a second node at which the Voice Quality Enhancement function is implemented.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said call control node is a Mobile Switching Centre and said second node is a Media Gateway.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of updating said requirements based upon determinations made during said off-peak periods comprises changing a requirement in a database if it is determined during an off-peak period that the requirement for a Voice Quality Enhancement function for a call is different to the requirement set in the database.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of updating said requirements based upon determinations made during said off-peak periods comprises collecting statistical data on the number of calls made by a given terminal or subscriber during off-peak periods for which a Voice Quality Enhancement function is invoked, and changing a requirement in the database only the ratio of such calls to the total number of calls during these periods is above or below a predefined ratio.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of maintaining a database comprises storing in the database, for each subscriber or terminal, one or more features for a Voice Quality Enhancement function, and applying the corresponding features when the Voice Quality Enhancement function is invoked.

10. A network based node adapted to selectively improve the quality of calls in a communication network, the node comprising:

means for analysing call data for each call carried by the network during off-peak periods to determine whether or not a network based Voice Quality Enhancement function should be applied to the call and, if yes, for applying the function to the call;

memory means for storing a database containing subscriber and/or terminal identities together with respective Voice Quality Enhancement function requirements, or means for accessing such a database;

means for updating said requirements of the database based upon determinations made during said off-peak periods; and

,

means for invoking said network based Voice Quality Enhancement function during peak periods on a per call basis in dependence upon the requirements contained in said database for the user(s) and/or terminal(s) participating in the calls.

11. The node according to claim 10, said network based node being a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) of a cellular telecommunications network, a Media Gateway, or dedicated Voice Quality Enhancement placed in the call path.

12. The node according to claim 10, wherein said network based node is a Mobile Switching Centre and said means for invoking the network based Voice Quality Enhancement function comprise means for signaling the Voice Quality Enhancement function to a Media Gateway of the network.