System and method for voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and facsimile over internet protocol (FoIP) calling over the internet

• US 8,248,957 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ajay Joseph, Hwan Tang, Lizhong Zhang, Paul A. Skelly
• Original Assignee: Ajay Joseph, Hwan Tang, Lizhong Zhang, Paul A. Skelly
• Inventors: Joseph, Ajay, Tang, Hwan, Zhang, Lizhong, Skelly, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Otis L
• Application Number:
  US12/434,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20090238175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call

Abstract

A system and method for sending long distance telephone calls over the Internet utilizes cost and quality of service data to optimize system performance and to minimize the cost of completing the calls. The system utilizes a network of gateways connected to the Internet. The gateways receive calls from various service providers and convert the analog calls into data packets which are then placed onto the Internet. Similarly, the gateways take data packets off the Internet, convert the data packets back into analog format, and provide the analog telephone calls to the same or another service provider. Then system periodically checks the quality of communications between each of the gateways, and uses this information, in combination with cost information, to determine how to route the calls over the Internet. Special addressing protocols can be used by a system embodying the invention to reduce or eliminate unnecessary signaling between gateways as call setup procedures are carried out. The system can also use information about calls that has been recorded in more than one location to determine how much to charge for completing a call.

Claims

1. A method of determining the quality of service for communications passing between pairs of a plurality of gateways connected to a network, comprising:

(a) causing each of the plurality of gateways to ping the other gateways;

(b) recording the results of step (a);

(c) calculating quality of service values indicative of a quality of service for communications between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways using the results recorded in step (b);

(d) waiting for a delay period to elapse;

(e) repeating steps (a)-(d) to periodically update the quality of service values, wherein during each successive repetition of steps (a)-(d), the calculation step comprises;

using the results recorded in the current repetition of step (b) in conjunction with the results from previous repetitions of steps (a)-(c) occurring over a first predetermined period of time to calculate a first set of new quality of service values indicative of the historical quality of service for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways during the first predetermined period of time; and

using the results recorded in the current repetition of step (b) in conjunction with the results from previous repetitions of steps (a)-(c) occurring over a second predetermined period of time to calculate a second set of new quality of service values indicative of the historical quality of service for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways during the second predetermined period of time, wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (c), a single type quality of service value is calculated for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (c), a plurality of different quality of service values are calculated for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated quality of service values are representative of a historical quality of service for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined period of time is a day.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined period of time is a week.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined period of time is more than two weeks.

8. A method of determining the quality of service for communications passing between pairs of a plurality of gateways connected to a network, comprising:

(a) causing each of the plurality of gateways to send test communications to each of the other gateways;

(b) recording at least one aspect of the communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways;

(c) calculating quality of service values indicative of a quality of service for communications between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways using the results recorded in step (b);

(d) waiting for a delay period to elapse;

(e) repeating steps (a)-(d) a plurality of times over a predetermined period of time, wherein during each successive repetition of steps (a)-(d), the calculation step comprises;

using the results recorded in the current repetition of step (b) in conjunction with the results from previous repetitions of steps (a)-(c) occurring over a first predetermined period of time to calculate a first set of new quality of service values indicative of the historical quality of service for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways during the first predetermined period of time; and

using the results recorded in the current repetition of step (b) in conjunction with the results from previous repetitions of steps (a)-(c) occurring over a second predetermined period of time to calculate a second set of new quality of service values indicative of the historical quality of service for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways during the second predetermined period of time, wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein in step (c), a single type quality of service value is calculated for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein in step (b) multiple different aspects of the communications passing between each respective pair of the gateways is recorded, and wherein in step (c), a plurality of different quality of service values are calculated for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the calculated quality of service values are representative of a historical quality of service for communications passing between each respective pair of the plurality of gateways.