Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) session quality

• US 8,953,468 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sloyer, Jeffrey B., Beerse, Chelsea Christine, Denne, Arno, O'Sullivan, Patrick Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao G
• Application Number:
  US13/114,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20120300646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1086 session scope modification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system for VoIP session quality is described. A method may comprise allowing a user to define a session quality threshold for a Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) session of a VoIP conference, the session quality threshold corresponding to a session quality characteristic of the VoIP session. The method may further comprise determining a session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session. The method may additionally comprise determining if the session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session is unacceptable based upon, at least in part, the session quality threshold that corresponds to the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session. The method may also comprise, in response to determining that the session quality value is unacceptable, initiating one or more predefined session quality actions.

Claims

1. A computer program product residing on a computer readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

allowing a user to select one or more session quality characteristics of a Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) session of a VoIP conference;

allowing the user to define a session quality threshold weight associated with each of the one or more session quality characteristics;

allowing a user to define a session quality threshold for the VoIP session of the VoIP conference, the session quality threshold corresponding to the one or more session quality characteristics of the VoIP session;

determining a session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session, wherein the session quality value is determined as close to real-time as possible, wherein the session quality value includes a weighted session quality value determined based upon, at least in part, the session quality threshold weight associated with each of the one or more session quality characteristics of the VoIP session;

determining if the session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session is unacceptable based upon, at least in part, the session quality threshold that corresponds to the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session; and

in response to determining that the session quality value is unacceptable, initiating one or more predefined session quality actions.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically determining the session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session based upon, at least in part, a predefined time period.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

indicating the session quality value in a graphical user interface available to one or more participants of the VoIP conference.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include at least one of:

establishing a new VoIP session for a client associated with the VoIP session having the unacceptable session quality value; and

terminating the VoIP session having the unacceptable session quality value.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

monitoring the session quality value for the VoIP session for a predefined time frame to determine if the session quality value is acceptable after the predefined time frame.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

switching a client codec of the VoIP session to a new client codec that requires less bandwidth.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

retransmitting one or more packets of a communication over the VoIP session, the one or more packets corresponding to one or more previously transmitted packets of the communication that were lost over the VoIP session; and

transmitting the communication to one or more clients of the VoIP conference with the retransmitted packets of the communication.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

eliminating background noise from a communication over the VoIP session before the communication is transmitted to one or more clients of the VoIP conference.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the session quality characteristic is based upon, at least in part, one or more of:

echo, noise, background noise, foreground noise, stochastic noise, consistent noise, jitter, impedance, attenuation, interference, high pitch, low pitch, crackling, packet loss, bandwidth, voice drop, and amplitude drop.

10. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory architecture coupled with the at least one processor;

a first software module executable by the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the first software module is configured to allow a user to select one or more session quality characteristics of a Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) session of a VoIP conference;

a second software module executable by the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the second software module is configured to allow the user to define a session quality threshold weight associated with each of the one or more session quality characteristics;

a third software module executable by the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the third software module is configured to allow a user to define a session quality threshold for the VoIP session of the VoIP conference, the session quality threshold corresponding to the one or more session quality characteristics of the VoIP session;

a fourth software module executable by the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the fourth software module is configured to determine a session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session, wherein the session quality value is determined as close to real-time as possible, wherein the session quality value includes a weighted session quality value determined based upon, at least in part, the session quality threshold weight associated with each of the one or more session quality characteristics of the VoIP session; and

a fifth software module executable by the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the fifth software module is configured to determine if the session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session is unacceptable based upon, at least in part, the session quality threshold that corresponds to the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session; and

a sixth software module executable by the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the sixth software module is configured to, in response to determining that the session quality value is unacceptable, initiate one or more predefined session quality actions.

11. The computing system of claim 10, further comprising:

a seventh software module executable by the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the seventh software module is configured to periodically determine the session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session based upon, at least in part, a predefined time period.

12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

indicating the session quality value in a graphical user interface available to one or more participants of the VoIP conference.

13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include at least one of:

establishing a new VoIP session for a client associated with the VoIP session having the unacceptable session quality value; and

terminating the VoIP session having the unacceptable session quality value.

14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

monitoring the session quality value for the VoIP session for a predefined time frame to determine if the session quality value is acceptable after the predefined time frame.

15. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

switching a client codec of the VoIP session to a new client codec that requires less bandwidth.

16. The computing system of claim 10 wherein the one or more predefined session quality actions include:

retransmitting one or more packets of a communication over the VoIP session, the one or more packets corresponding to one or more previously transmitted packets of the communication that were lost over the VoIP session; and

transmitting the communication to one or more clients of the VoIP conference with the retransmitted packets of the communication.