EP0848560A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and system for increasing quality of service at or below a treshold cost
Assignee: Siemens Communications Inc
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Filing: 1997-12-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-12-15
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for managing the routing of communications data, such as real-time multimedia exchanges between remote sites, includes monitoring various communications modes, with each mode having pre-established quality of service parameter values and a pre-established session tariff. Some of the modes provide variable quality of service. The variable modes are monitored continuously to determine present-time quality of service parameter values. When a request to establish a communication session is received, the request will specify quality of service requirements. An acceptable session tariff is calculated based upon the match of the specified requirements with the pre-established parameter values of the modes. In a preferred embodiment, the next step is to select that mode having the highest quality of service available for a session tariff that does not exceed the predefined acceptable session tariff. In this embodiment, the tariff of the selected mode may be greater than an alternative mode that satisfies the QoS requirements, but only if the selected mode has a greater QoS. In another embodiment, real-time multimedia sessions are conducted using available modes that include the global Internet, and the session tariff becomes more of a factor. In a third embodiment, the user identifies a QoS level and an acceptable session tariff, and the system notifies the user when present-time quality of service is available at the acceptable session tariff.
Inventors
- 👤 Shmuel Shaffer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 05:24
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/80; H04L12/00; H04L12/02; H04L12/14; H04L12/141; H04L12/1414; H04L12/1417; H04L12/1485; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5691; H04L12/5692; H04L47/00; H04L47/10; H04L47/15; H04L47/70; H04L47/72; H04L47/724; H04L47/74; H04L47/741; H04L47/80; H04L47/801; H04L47/805; H04L47/82; H04L47/822; H04L65/60; H04L65/75; H04L65/752; H04M; H04M15/00; H04M15/57; H04M15/70; H04M15/745; H04M15/80; H04M15/8016; H04M15/83; H04M15/85; H04M15/851; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/64; H04Q3/66; H04W; H04W28/00; H04W28/16; H04W28/24; H04W4/00; H04W4/24; H04M2215/00; H04M2215/01; H04M2215/0108; H04M2215/0168; H04M2215/20; H04M2215/208; H04M2215/22; H04M2215/32; H04M2215/74; H04M2215/7414; H04M2215/81; H04M2215/815; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13138; H04Q2213/13166; H04Q2213/1329; H04Q2213/13296; H04Q2213/13389
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A method of managing communications routing comprising steps of: accessing capability to exchange communication data
between remotely located sites using any of a plurality of distinct communications
modes having pre-established quality of service parameter
values and pre-established session tariffs; monitoring at least some of said modes to determine
present-time quality of service parameter values for said modes; receiving requests to establish communications sessions
such that each session has quality of service requirements; determining an acceptable session tariff for each of said
sessions based upon comparing said quality of service requirements to
said pre-established parameter values for said plurality of modes; selecting among said modes on a session-by-session basis
to determine which of said modes provides a highest present-time quality
of service at a session tariff which is at or below said acceptable session
tariff, said highest present-time quality of service being based upon said
determined present-time parameter values for said plurality of modes; and utilizing said selected modes on a session-by-session basis
to implement said sessions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of executing
in-session switching from said selected mode to an alternative mode in
response to detecting that said alternative mode has a session tariff at or
below said acceptable session tariff and a higher present-time quality of
service than said selected mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said step of executing in-session
switching includes weighting said pre-established session tariff of said
alternative mode in determining whether to switch to said alternative
mode, said weighting being indicative of a connection cost for utilizing
said alternative mode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining an acceptable
session tariff includes determining which of said modes are acceptable
with respect to satisfying said quality of service requirements for a
particular session and further includes identifying which one of said
acceptable modes has a lowest pre-established session tariff, said lowest
pre-established session tariff thereby being designated the acceptable
session tariff.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of accessing capability to
exchange communication data includes providing access to various
modes for implementing real-time multimedia sessions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said step that includes providing
access to said various modes includes providing a selection of modes
that are distinguishable with respect to protocol, with one of said modes
utilizing the Internet Protocol.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving requests is a
step of receiving requests to establish a telecommunications session
having specified quality of service parameter values.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said steps of monitoring said modes
and selecting among said modes are executed during said sessions to
enable in-session switching between modes that each satisfy said quality
of service requirements of said particular session.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising a step of in-session switching
from a particular mode when it is determined that said present-time
parameter values of said particular mode no longer satisfy said quality of
service requirements of said particular session.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising a step of reserving communications
resources of an unselected mode such that each session has
reserved communications resources for said in-session switching, said
unselected mode for said particular session being that mode which satisfies
requested quality of service requirements of said particular session at
said acceptable session tariff for said particular session.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
150 words
A method of managing transmissions between remote sites during a
real-time multimedia session comprising steps of: receiving requested quality of service requirements for said
multimedia session; selecting among a plurality of available communications
modes for conducting said multimedia session, including selecting among
modes that are distinguishable with respect to protocol, one of said
protocols being an Internet Protocol, selection of a first mode being at
least partially based upon differences in quality of service parameters for
said modes; continuously monitoring available present-time quality of
service for each of said modes such that variations in quality of service
for said modes are detected; and switching from said first mode to a second mode upon
detection that said second mode has a present-time quality of service
satisfying said requirements of said multimedia session and that utilizing
said second mode is more cost-efficient than said first mode utilized in
conducting said multimedia session.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said step of selecting among said
modes further includes selecting from among modes distinguishable with
respect to transmission media, including analog lines and digital lines.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising a step of continuously
reserving resources of one of said modes having pre-established quality
of service parameters satisfying said requirements of said multimedia
session, such that said reserved resources remain available to said
multimedia session.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising a step of switching from
said second mode upon detection that either said second mode no longer
satisfies said requirements or that a third mode satisfies said requirements
and is more cost-efficient than said second mode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said step of selecting among said
modes includes selecting said first mode based upon present-time
qualities of service and upon session tariffs of said modes.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
168 words
A method of managing communications routing comprising steps of: accessing capability to exchange communication data
between remotely located sites using any of a plurality of distinct communications
modes having pre-established session tariffs; monitoring said modes to determine present-time quality of
service parameter values for said modes; receiving a request to establish a communications session
such that said request indicates a minimum quality of service and a
maximum session tariff; if one of said modes satisfies said indicated minimum quality
of service within said maximum session tariff, establishing connectivity
for said session utilizing said one of said modes; and if none of said modes satisfies said indicated minimum
quality of service within said maximum session tariff, then (a) queuing said request; (b) tracking said monitored present-time quality of service
parameter values for said modes until a specific mode
has a present-time quality of service that satisfies
said indicated minimum quality of service within said
maximum session tariff; and (c) selecting said specific mode for establishing connectivity
for said session.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising a step (d) of notifying a
user of availability of said specific mode subsequent to said step (c) of
selecting said specific mode and prior to establishing connectivity.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
158 words
A system for managing real-time communications sessions comprising: a plurality of types of interfaces to provide connections
for conducting a communications session, different interfaces being
compatible with different communications modes, each mode having a
pre-established session tariff and pre-established quality of service
parameter values; means for comparing quality of service requirements of said
session with said pre-established parameter values of said modes to
select a subset of modes suitable for supporting said session; means, responsive to said comparing means, for designating
a threshold session tariff for conducting said session, said threshold
session tariff being a lowest pre-established session tariff of said subset
of modes; means connected to said interfaces for continuously
monitoring present-time quality of service available for each of said
modes; and means for switching modes during support of said session in
response to said monitoring means detecting a mode having increased
present-time quality of service and a pre-established session tariff not
exceeding said threshold session tariff.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 18 wherein said interfaces include at least one
analog interface and at least one digital interface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 18 wherein said interfaces support multimedia
sessions and at least one interface supports communications using
Internet Protocol.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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