Methods, systems, and computer readable media for combining voice over internet protocol (VoIP) call data with geographical information

• US 9,178,768 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore Sales Pte Ltd (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ixia (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adam, Richard, Hester, Rex, Van Schaik, Richard, Mottayaw, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): SEFCHECK, GREGORY B
• Application Number:
  US12/406,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20100172251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,421 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0084 Network monitoring; Error detection; Error recovery; Network testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for combining VoIP call data with geographical information are disclosed. According to one method, VoIP subscriber device call quality information and VoIP subscriber device status information are determined for a plurality of VoIP subscriber devices. Geographic information is obtained regarding a geographic area in which the VoIP subscriber devices are deployed. The VoIP subscriber device status and the call quality information are combined with the geographic information and, based on the combined VoIP subscriber device status and the geographic information, a map that illustrates the geographic locations of the VoIP subscriber devices and an indication of the current status and the call quality of each VoIP subscriber device is graphically displayed on a display device associated with a computer.

Claims

1. A method for combining voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call data with geographical information, the method comprising:

determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information for a first subset of VoIP subscriber devices, wherein determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information includes remotely testing the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices including performing one or more loopback test calls between a test call system and one of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the test call system is separate from the VoIP subscriber devices;

determining VoIP subscriber device status information for the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices;

obtaining geographic information regarding a geographic area in which the VoIP subscriber devices are deployed, wherein the geographic information includes locations of network equipment associated with the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the network equipment includes a tap, an amplifier, a splice connector, a coax connector, a power supply, an optical cabling and distribution network device, an optical line terminal (OLT) unit, or an optical network terminal (ONT) unit;

combining the VoIP subscriber device status information with the geographic information;

based on the combined VoIP subscriber device status and the geographic information, graphically displaying, on a display device associated with a computer, a map that illustrates the geographic locations of the VoIP subscriber devices and the network equipment and illustrates an indication of the current status and the call quality of each of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices; and

selecting a VoIP subscriber device for remote testing using the map based on common network equipment used by the selected VoIP device and a second subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the second subset includes one or more VoIP subscriber devices from the first subset experiencing a predetermined call quality or having a predetermined device status, wherein the selected VoIP subscriber device is distinct from the first subset and the second subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the common network equipment includes physical plant equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information includes one of:

remotely testing the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices and examining information associated with calls made or received by the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein remotely testing the first subset of VoIP subscriber devices includes automatically or manually initiating testing of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein remotely testing the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices includes initiating a test call from the map that illustrates the geographic locations of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein remotely testing the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices includes automatically testing based on each VoIP subscriber'"'"'s presence in one or more test schedule lists.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information includes examining one or more of call detail records (CDRs) and IP metric records for the VoIP subscriber.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information includes determining at least one of uplink jitter, uplink latency, uplink packet loss, downlink jitter, downlink latency, downlink packet loss, a total number of calls, a total number of test calls, a number of test call failures, and a call duration.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information includes determining at least one of a perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ) score, total number of calls, total number of test calls, number of test call failures, and test call duration.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining VoIP subscriber device status information includes determining whether the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices is one of a normal state, a call quality concern state, and a test call failure state.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining VoIP subscriber device status information includes determining status information for one of a cable modem, a multimedia terminal adapter (MTA), an asynchronous digital subscriber link (ADSL) modem, a synchronous digital subscriber link (SDSL) modem, a fiber optic modem, an optical network terminal (ONT), an analog telephony adapter (ATA), a SoftPhone, an IP private branch exchange (PBX), a VoIP mobile phone, a wireless phone incorporating an ATA, a wireless phone incorporating an MTA, a wireline phone incorporating an ATA, a wireline phone incorporating an MTA, and a wireless modem.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining geographic information includes obtaining at least one of global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, a longitude, a latitude, an altitude, a street address, and a relationship to a known fixed position.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein graphically displaying a map that illustrates the geographic locations of the VoIP subscriber devices and an indication of the current status of each VoIP subscriber device includes displaying one of a topological map, a topographical map, a 2-dimensional map, a 3-dimensional map, a street map, a satellite map, or a combination thereof.

13. A system for combining voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call data with geographical information, the system comprising:

a call quality statistics database for storing VoIP subscriber device call quality information and VoIP subscriber device status information for a first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the system is configured to determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information by remotely testing the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices including performing one or more loopback test calls between a test call system and one of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the test call system is separate from the VoIP subscriber devices;

a geographic information database for storing geographic information regarding a geographic area in which the VoIP subscriber devices are deployed, wherein the geographic information includes locations of network equipment associated with the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the network equipment includes a tap, an amplifier, a splice connector, a coax connector, a power supply, an optical cabling and distribution network device, an optical line terminal (OLT) unit, or an optical network terminal (ONT) unit;

a data combining and mapping module for combining the VoIP subscriber device status information with the geographic information and, based on the combined VoIP subscriber device status and the geographic information, generating a map that illustrates the geographic locations of the VoIP subscriber devices and the network equipment and illustrates an indication of the current status and the call quality of each of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices; and

a display device associated with a computer for graphically displaying the map, wherein the computer or a user selects a VoIP subscriber device for remote testing using the map based on common network equipment used by the selected VoIP device and a second subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the second subset includes one or more VoIP subscriber devices from the first subset experiencing a predetermined call quality or having a predetermined device status, wherein the selected VoIP subscriber device is distinct from the first subset and the second subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the common network equipment includes physical plant equipment.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the VoIP subscriber devices includes at least one of a cable modem, a multimedia terminal adapter (MTA), an asynchronous digital subscriber link (ADSL) modem, a synchronous digital subscriber link (SDSL) modem, a fiber optic modem, an optical network terminal (ONT), an analog telephony adapter (ATA), a SoftPhone, an IP private branch exchange (PBX), a VoIP mobile phone, a wireless phone incorporating an ATA, a wireless phone incorporating an MTA, a wireline phone incorporating an ATA, a wireline phone incorporating an MTA, and a wireless modem.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the data combining and mapping module is configured to determine a perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ) score.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the data combining and mapping module is configured to automatically or manually initiate testing of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the data combining and mapping module is configured to initiate a test call from the map that illustrates the geographic locations of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the data combining and mapping module is configured to automatically test the first subset of the VoIP subscribers based on each VoIP subscriber'"'"'s presence in one or more test schedule lists.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the data combining and mapping module is configured to determine whether the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices is associated with one of a normal state, a call detail record (CDR) quality concern state, and a routine test call failure state.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the data combining and mapping module is configured to determine at least one of uplink jitter, uplink latency, uplink packet loss, downlink jitter, downlink latency, downlink packet loss, a total number of calls, a total number of test calls, a number of test call failures, and a call duration.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the geographic information database stores global positioning system (GPS) coordinates.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the data combining and mapping module is configured to generate one of a topological map, a topographical map, a 2 dimensional map, a 3-dimensional map, a street map, a satellite map, or a combination thereof.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the display device displays one of a topological map, a topographical map, a 2-dimensional map, a 3-dimensional map, a street map, a satellite map, or a combination thereof.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information for a first subset of VoIP subscriber devices, wherein determining VoIP subscriber device call quality information includes remotely testing the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices including performing one or more loopback test calls between a test call system and one of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the test call system is separate from the VoIP subscriber devices;

determining VoIP subscriber device status information for the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices;

obtaining geographic information regarding a geographic area in which the VoIP subscriber devices are deployed, wherein the geographic information includes locations of network equipment associated with the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the network equipment includes a tap, an amplifier, a splice connector, a coax connector, a power supply, an optical cabling and distribution network device, an optical line terminal (OLT) unit, or an optical network terminal (ONT) unit;

combining the VoIP subscriber device status information with the geographic information;

based on the combined VoIP subscriber device status and the geographic information, graphically displaying, on a display device associated with a computer, a map that illustrates the geographic locations of the VoIP subscriber devices and the network equipment and illustrates an indication of the current status and the call quality of each of the first subset of the VoIP subscriber devices; and

selecting a VoIP subscriber device for remote testing using the map based on common network equipment used by the selected VoIP device and a second subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the second subset includes one or more VoIP subscriber devices from the first subset experiencing a predetermined call quality or having a predetermined device status, wherein the selected VoIP subscriber device is distinct from the first subset and the second subset of the VoIP subscriber devices, wherein the common network equipment includes physical plant equipment.