VoIP packet prioritization

• US 20070230443A1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Criddle, Linda, Milstein, David, Forbes, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A method and system for prioritizing data packets relating to a conversation over a VoIP communication channel is provided. An individual client or a service provider may specify priority information corresponding to incoming conversations. When several calling clients send data packets to one called client, the predefine priority information of the called client may be exchanged as part of contextual information. Based on the predefined priority information, priority levels are assigned to the received data packets. Subsequently, an existing communication channel may be terminated, interrupted, altered, and/or suspended in order to transmit data packets with higher priority than other data packets. A new communication channel may be established for a two-way communication, or a one-way communication between two clients. In this manner, the highest priority conversation among several incoming conversations, such as an emergency broadcast message or communication, can be ensured to reach to a client without a delay.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data packets based on predefined priorities to a first client, comprising:

receiving a data packet from a second client for an existing communication channel;

receiving a data packet from a third client;

determining a priority level for the data packet of the second client and the data packet of the third client; and

transmitting a data packet with a highest priority level to the first client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a priority list, the obtained priority list including priority information corresponding to the second client and the third client for use in determining the priority level of the data packets.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the third client is an emergency broadcast client.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the second client has a lower priority level than the third client,

interrupting the existing communication channel between the first client and the second client.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the second client does not have a lower priority level than the third client, determining whether the first client has indicated to ignore the priority level of the second client upon receipt of the data packet from the third client.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

if the first client has indicated to ignore the priority level of the second client, interrupting the existing communication channel between the first client and the second client and assigning a higher priority level to the data packet received from the third client than the data packet received from the second client.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

if the first client has not indicated to ignore the priority level of the second client in case of emergency, maintaining the existing channel connection between the first client and the second client and notifying the first client about the data packet received from the third client.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the third client is a caller requesting to initiate a communication channel with the first client.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

if the third client has a higher priority level than the second client, terminating the existing communication channel between the first client and the second client and establishing a communication channel between the first client and the third client.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

if the third client has a higher priority level than the second client, interrupting the existing communication channel between the first client and the second client for a predetermined time period and establishing a communication channel connection between the first and the third client.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

terminating the existing communication channel between the first client and the second client after the predetermined time period.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

if the third client does not have a higher priority level than the second client, maintaining the existing communication channel between the first client and the second client.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packets are transmitted over a Voice over Internet Protocol communication channel.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for transmitting data packets with different priority levels over a communication channel, comprising:

a channel managing component for terminating, interrupting, or altering an existing communication channel and establishing a new communication channel if the existing communication channel is terminated or interrupted; and

a data packet transmitting component for assigning a priority level to each data packet and transmitting the data packets based on the assigned priority levels, wherein the data packets are received from at least two sending clients.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the channel managing component establishes the new communication channel between the receiving client and one of the at least two sending clients with highest priority;

and wherein the one of the at least two sending clients has requested to initiate a communication channel connection with the receiving client.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

a data storage component for queuing a second set of data packets for a delayed transmission,

wherein the data storage component queues the second set of data packets while a first set of data packets being transmitted.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first set of data packets is from a first emergency broadcast client and the second set of data packets is from a second emergency broadcast client;

and wherein the first set of data packets has a higher priority level assigned than the second set of data packets.

18. A method for determining an order of transmitting data packets from a plurality of sending parties to a receiving party, comprising:

obtaining a priority list from the receiving party, the priority list defining a priority level for each of the plurality of sending parties;

obtaining additional priority information corresponding to at least one sending party;

updating the priority list with the additional priority information;

determining the order of transmitting the data packets by comparing priority levels of the sending parties based on the updated priority list; and

wherein each sending party sends at least one data packet to the receiving party.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

changing the order of transmitting based on a type of a data packet.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein voice data packets are multiplexed based on the order of processing.