Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) session quality

• US 8,958,326 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US13/549,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20120300658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• 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 method comprising:

allowing a user to select one or more of a plurality of 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 of the plurality of session quality characteristics;

allowing, via one or more computing devices, the user to define one or more session quality threshold for the VoIP session of the VoIP conference, the session quality threshold corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of session quality characteristics of the VoIP session;

determining, via the one or more computing devices, a session quality value for the plurality of session quality characteristics of the VoIP session, wherein the session quality value includes a weighted session quality value determined based upon, at least in part, the session quality threshold weight assigned via a graphical user interface by the user to each of the one or more of the plurality of session quality characteristics of the VoIP session;

determining, via the one or more computing devices, if the session quality value for the plurality of session quality characteristics of the VoIP session is unacceptable based upon, at least in part, the session quality threshold that corresponds to the plurality of session quality characteristics of the VoIP session; and

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

2. The method 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 method 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 method 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 method 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 method 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, during the VoIP session of the VoIP conference.

7. The method 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 method 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 method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of session quality characteristics are 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. The method of claim 1, wherein the session quality threshold for a Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) session is defined on a per user basis.

11. A method 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, via one or more computing devices, a the 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 characteristic of the VoIP session;

determining, via the one or more computing devices, a session quality value for the session quality characteristic of the VoIP session, wherein the session quality value includes a weighted session quality value determined based upon, at least in part, the session quality threshold weight assigned via a graphical user interface by the user to the one or more session quality characteristics of the VoIP session;

determining, via the one or more computing devices, 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, creating a fail-over VoIP session for at least one client associated with the VoIP session including;

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

terminating the VoIP session having the unacceptable session quality value.