GRACEFUL DEGRADATION FOR COMMUNICATION SERVICES OVER WIRED AND WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20100211692A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebelvox LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Katis, Thomas E., Panttaja, Mary G., Ranney, Matthew J., Panttaja, James T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4053 without floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355

Abstract

A method for gracefully extending the range and/or capacity of voice communication systems is disclosed. The method involves the persistent storage of voice media on a communication device. When the usable bit rate on the network is poor and below that necessary for conducting a live conversation, voice media is transmitted and received by the communication device at the available usable bit rate on the network. Although latency may be introduced, the persistent storage of both transmitted and received media of a conversation provides the ability to extend the useful range of wireless networks beyond what is required for live conversations. In addition, the capacity and robustness in not being affected by external interferences for both wired and wireless communications is improved.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing the ability of a communication device to communicate over a network, the method comprising:

ascertaining media for transmission from the communication device over the network;

ascertaining at the communication device the usable bit rate on the network; and

performing, depending on the ascertained usable bit rate on the network, one of the following;

(i) transmitting a full bit rate representation of the media for transmission when the ascertained usable bit rate on the network meets or exceeds a bit rate threshold, the bit rate threshold defining a bit rate throughput sufficient for transmitting the full bit rate representation of the media at a rate sufficient to support real-time communication;

(ii) transmitting a reduced bit rate representation of the media for transmission when the ascertained usable bit rate falls below the bit rate threshold, the transmission of the reduced bit rate representation of the media effectively extending the usable range and/or capacity of the network for supporting real-time communication when network conditions would otherwise prevent the transmission of the full bit rate representation of the media at a rate sufficient to support real-time communication;

or

(iii) transmitting the media for transmission from storage as network conditions permit when real-time communication of the reduced bit rate representation of the media is not possible or practical due to latency on the network, the transmission of the media from storage effectively extending the usable range and/or capacity of the network beyond the point where real-time communication is not possible or practical with the reduced bit rate representation of the media.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining the usable bit rate on the network further comprises:

receiving one or more receipt reports at the communication device, each of the one or more receipt reports including a measured transfer rate at which bits of the media transmitted over the network safely arrive at a recipient over a predetermined period of time; and

computing the ascertained usable bit rate on the network based on the received one or more reports.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the ascertained usable bit rate with the bit rate threshold; and

either;

(a) transmitting the full bit rate representation of the media when the computed usable bit rate exceeds the bit rate threshold;

or

(b) transmitting the reduced bit rate representation of the media when the computed usable bit rate is below the bit rate threshold, but the latency involved in transmitting the reduced bit rate representation is sufficiently small so as not to substantially interfere with real-time communication.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

ascertaining when the amount of latency in transmitting the reduced bit rate representation of the media exceeds the point where real-time communication of the media is impractical or impossible; and

transmitting the media for transmission out of storage as conditions on the network permit when the ascertained amount of latency is exceeded.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the full bit rate representation of the media is transmitted when the latency on the network does not substantially interfere with real-time communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum bit rate throughput sufficient for maintaining real-time communication is at least 80% of the bit rate throughput needed to transmit and decode the full bit rate representation of the media at the same rate the media was originally encoded.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the reduced bit rate representation of the media further comprises varying the amount of latency during the transmission as needed depending on conditions on the network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting either the reduced bit rate representation of the media or the media from storage within an adaptive transmission range, the adaptive transmission range ranging from at or below the bit rate threshold to just above the point where there is no usable bit rate available on the network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the reduced bit rate representation of the media for transmission further comprises one of the following:

(a) using fewer bits per unit of time when packetizing the reduced bit rate representation of the media relative to the packetization and transmission of the full bit rate representation;

(b) increasing the packetization interval when transmitting the reduced bit rate representation of the media relative to the packetization interval used for the transmission of the full bit rate representation;

(c) adjusting the rate at which packets containing the reduced bit rate representation of the media are transmitted;

or

(d) any combination of (a) through (c).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the reduced bit rate representation of the media for transmission comprises, when packetizing the media for transmission, using one of the following:

(a) one or more different codec settings;

(b) one or more different codecs;

(c) a compression algorithm;

or

(d) any combination of (a) through (c).

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining when the usable bit rate on the network is reduced to nothing;

storing the media for transmission when the ascertained usable bit rate on the network is reduced to nothing;

delaying the transmission of the stored media created when the usable bit rate on the network is reduced to nothing; and

transmitting the stored media from storage after the delay as the usable bit rate on the network increases.

12. The method claim 1, wherein transmitting the full bit rate representation of the media for transmission further comprises:

(a) defining a transmission loop;

(b) ascertaining the media for transmission in the defined transmission loop;

(c) transmitting the full bit rate representation of the media during the transmission loop; and

(d) defining successive transmission loops and repeating (a) through (c) for each loop when media is available for transmission.

13. The method of claim 1, transmitting the reduced bit rate representation of the media for transmission further comprising:

(a) defining a transmission loop;

(b) determining if the ascertained usable bit rate is not sufficient to transmit the full bit rate representation of the media for transmission in the defined transmission loop;

(c) transmitting the reduced bit rate representation of the media during the defined transmission loop; and

(d) defining successive transmission loops and repeating (a) through (c) for each loop when media is available for transmission.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(e) ascertaining time-sensitive media among the media for transmission in the defined transmission loop, the time-sensitivity of the media being determined by an intent of a recipient to review the media upon receipt;

(f) transmitting the reduced bit rate presentation of only the available time-sensitive media during the defined transmission loop; and

(g) successively repeating (a) through (f) while media is available for transmission and the ascertained usable bit rate is not sufficient to transmit the full bit rate representation of the media.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving media over the network at the communication device;

storing the media received over the network at the communication device; and

providing the ability to render the media received over the network when the media received over the network is of sufficient completeness that it will be decipherable when rendered.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

(a) maintaining a data quality store at the communication device;

(b) noting any missing, corrupted or reduced bit rate versions of received media received over the network in the data quality store;

(c) transmitting from the communication device over the network requests for retransmission of any received media noted in the data quality store;

(d) removing the notation from the data quality store as the requests for retransmission are satisfied; and

(e) repeating (a) through (d) until a complete copy of the received media is stored, wherein the complete copy is a full bit rate representation of the received media as the received media was originally encoded.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a conversation; and

associating the media for transmission and received media received over the network with the conversation.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising persistently storing the media for transmission and received media received over the network, wherein persistently storing is defined as storage beyond the time period needed to either transmit the media for transmission or render the received media respectively.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving media at the communication device over the network;

storing the received media at the communication device as the media is received over the network; and

providing the ability to review the received media;

(a) in a time-shifted mode by retrieving the stored media from storage and rendering the retrieved media on the communication device;

or

(b) in a real-time mode by rendering the media on the communication device as it is received over the network; and

(c) seamlessly transition the review of the received media between the two modes (a) and (b).

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is one of the following:

(a) a wired network;

(b) a wireless network;

or

(c) a combination of both a wired and wireless network.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises one of the following:

land-line phone, wireless phone, cellular phone, satellite phone, computer, radio, server, satellite radio, tactical radio or tactical phone.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the media comprises one or more of the following types of media:

voice, video, text, sensor data, position or GPS information, radio signals, or a combination thereof.

23. A communication device, comprising:

an application, the application including modules for performing the method recited in claim 1; and

a processor for executing the application within the communication device.