Systems and methods for optimizing application data delivery over third party networks

• US 9,106,511 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Star2Star Communications LLC (Sangoma Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Star2Star Communications LLC (Sangoma Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Kielhofner, Kristian, Shepard, Gabriel, Solomon, Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US13/841,837
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 370/248, 370/352
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/14 Routing performance; Theoretical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for managing and optimizing end-to-end communication sessions involving the delivery of application data (e.g., audio data, audio/video data, electronic file download data, etc.) over third party networks using an optimized communication system (OCS), as described herein. Embodiments of the disclosed system enable optimal quality (e.g., reduced delay, packet loss, jitter, etc.) of communication sessions. In one example, the system provides a real-time or close to real-time evaluation of network conditions, e.g., network congestion, nodes best-suited for application data transfer, etc., and other factors associated with geographically diverse and unpredictable routing infrastructure characteristics of the Internet to enable optimized communication sessions.

Claims

1. In an optimized communication system (©

CS) including operative connections through one or more networks to a plurality of communication nodes for enabling communication sessions via the one or more networks, a method for optimizing incoming communication sessions, comprising the steps of;

receiving an indication at a particular communication node of an incoming communication session, wherein the indication includes information identifying a sending node;

upon determination that the sending node is not an OCS-compliant node, retrieving a predetermined list of preferred communication nodes from a local communication node database;

parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes upon determination that the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, accepting the incoming communication session from the sending node; and

parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, wherein the parsing takes into account a communication session type associated with each node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication includes parameters defining the incoming communication session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending node comprises a source node that originated the incoming communication session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending node comprises a relay node that did not originate the incoming communication session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the OCS includes an OCS server module for performing various functionalities of the OCS.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the preferred communication nodes are managed by the OCS server module.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the preferred communication nodes are not managed by the OCS server module.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred communication nodes are selected from the group comprising:

route nodes, media proxy nodes, provisioning nodes, statistics nodes, relay nodes, communication-type-defined nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes is defined by one or more of the following:

an ©

CS administrator, a local user of the particular communication node, automatically by the particular communication node, automatically by an ©

CS server module.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular communication node comprises a network edge device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes takes into account network characteristic information corresponding to the preferred communication nodes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular communication node is operatively connected to one or more communication assets for enabling communication sessions through the one or more networks with other communication assets.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more networks comprise the Internet.

14. An optimized communication system (OCS) including operative connections through one or more networks to a plurality of communication nodes for enabling communication sessions via the one or more networks, comprising:

a local communication node database for storing a predetermined list of preferred communication nodes; and

a particular communication node operatively coupled to the local communication node database and comprising a processor operative to;

receive an indication at the particular communication node of an incoming communication session, wherein the indication includes information identifying a sending node;

upon determination that the sending node is not an OCS-compliant node, retrieve the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes from the local communication node database;

parse the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes; and

upon determination that the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, accept the incoming communication session from the sending node;

parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, wherein the parsing takes into account a communication session type associated with each node.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the indication includes parameters defining the incoming communication session.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the sending node comprises a source node that originated the incoming communication session.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the sending node comprises a relay node that did not originate the incoming communication session.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the preferred communication nodes are managed by a central OCS server.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the preferred communication nodes are not managed by a central OCS server.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the preferred communication nodes are selected from the group comprising:

route nodes, media proxy nodes, provisioning nodes, statistics nodes, relay nodes, communication-type-defined nodes.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes is defined by one or more of the following:

an ©

CS administrator, a local user of the particular communication node, automatically by the particular communication node, automatically by an ©

CS server module.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the particular communication node comprises a network edge device.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the step of parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes takes into account a communication session type associated with each node.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the step of parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes takes into account network characteristic information corresponding to the preferred communication nodes.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the particular communication node is operatively connected to one or more communication assets for enabling communication sessions through the one or more networks with other communication assets.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more networks comprise the Internet.

27. In an optimized communication system (OCS) including operative connections through one or more networks to a plurality of communication nodes for enabling communication sessions via the one or more networks, a method for optimizing incoming communication sessions, comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication at a particular communication node of an incoming communication session, wherein the indication includes information identifying a sending node;

upon determination that the sending node is not an OCS-compliant node, retrieving a predetermined list of preferred communication nodes from a local communication node database;

parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes;

upon determination that the sending node is not present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, determining whether the incoming communication session has been attempted through all preferred communication nodes in the predetermined list of communication nodes;

upon determination that the incoming communication session has not been attempted through all preferred communication nodes in the predetermined list of communication nodes, rejecting the incoming communication session,

whereby the incoming communication session is received at the particular communication node via a second sending node; and

parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, wherein the parsing takes into account a communication session type associated with each node.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the second sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes; and

upon determination that the second sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, accepting the incoming communication session from the second sending node.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of rejecting the incoming communication session comprises sending an error message to the sending node.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the indication includes parameters defining the incoming communication session.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the sending node comprises a source node that originated the incoming communication session.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the sending node comprises a relay node that did not originate the incoming communication session.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the OCS includes an OCS server module for performing various functionalities of the OCS.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the preferred communication nodes are managed by the OCS server module.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the preferred communication nodes are not managed by the OCS server module.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the preferred communication nodes are selected from the group comprising:

route nodes, media proxy nodes, provisioning nodes, statistics nodes, relay nodes, communication-type-defined nodes.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes is defined by one or more of the following:

an ©

CS administrator, a local user of the particular communication node, automatically by the particular communication node, automatically by an ©

CS server module.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein the particular communication node comprises a network edge device.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes takes into account network characteristic information corresponding to the preferred communication nodes.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein the particular communication node is operatively connected to one or more communication assets for enabling communication sessions through the one or more networks with other communication assets.

41. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more networks comprise the Internet.

42. In an optimized communication system (©

CS) including operative connections through one or more networks to a plurality of communication nodes for enabling communication sessions via the one or more networks, comprising;

a local communication node database for storing a predetermined list of preferred communication nodes; and

a particular communication node operatively coupled to the local communication node database and comprising a processor operative to;

receive an indication at the particular communication node of an incoming communication session, wherein the indication includes information identifying a sending node;

upon determination that the sending node is not an OCS-compliant node, retrieve the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes from the local communication node database;

parse the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes;

upon determination that the sending node is not present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, determine whether the incoming communication session has been attempted through all preferred communication nodes in the predetermined list of communication nodes; and

upon determination that the incoming communication session has not been attempted through all preferred communication nodes in the predetermined list of communication nodes, reject the incoming communication session,

whereby the incoming communication session is received at the particular communication node via a second sending node;

parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, wherein the parsing takes into account a communication session type associated with each node.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine whether the second sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes; and

upon determination that the second sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, accept the incoming communication session from the second sending node.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine whether the second sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes; and

upon determination that the second sending node is not present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, check one or more additional nodes to determine of the one or more additional nodes are in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the processor is further operative to:

upon determination that none of the one or more additional nodes are in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes, accept the incoming communication session from any node.

46. The system of claim 42, wherein the step of rejecting the incoming communication session comprises sending an error message to the sending node.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein the indication includes parameters defining the incoming communication session.

48. The system of claim 42, wherein the sending node comprises a source node that originated the incoming communication session.

49. The system of claim 42, wherein the sending node comprises a relay node that did not originate the incoming communication session.

50. The system of claim 42, wherein the OCS includes an OCS server module for performing various functionalities of the OCS.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the preferred communication nodes are managed by the OCS server module.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the preferred communication nodes are not managed by the ©

CS server module.

53. The system of claim 42, wherein the preferred communication nodes are selected from the group comprising:

route nodes, media proxy nodes, provisioning nodes, statistics nodes, relay nodes, communication-type-defined nodes.

54. The system of claim 42, wherein the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes is defined by one or more of the following:

an ©

CS administrator, a local user of the particular communication node, automatically by the particular communication node, automatically by an ©

CS server module.

55. The system of claim 42, wherein the particular communication node comprises a network edge device.

56. The system of claim 42, wherein the step of parsing the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes to determine whether the sending node is present in the predetermined list of preferred communication nodes takes into account network characteristic information corresponding to the preferred communication nodes.

57. The system of claim 42, wherein the particular communication node is operatively connected to one or more communication assets for enabling communication sessions through the one or more networks with other communication assets.

58. The system of claim 42, wherein the one or more networks comprise the Internet.