US 2008/0177534 A1 · Assessing gateway quality using audio systems

Abstract

Described is automatically testing the quality of an audio channel between a caller and a callee that includes a device under test, such as a VoIP or other gateway. An analyzer receives timestamps from a caller and callee during a calling session, including timestamps for when the callee initially provides audio (e.g., speech) to the caller, when the caller initially detects sound, when the caller initially provides audio to the callee, and when the callee initially detects sound. The analyzer uses the relative timing of the timestamps and the speech recognizer's outcome to determine whether the audio channel is experiencing interference or echo. When the audio includes speech, a confidence level corresponding to accuracy of speech recognition also may establish the audio channel's quality. Random selection and timing of output may be employed, such as to vary the testing patterns during repetitive tests.

Claims19

Dependent claims

In a computing environment, a method comprising:

evaluating quality of an audio channel between a caller and a callee, including:
outputting at the callee, at a first time, first audio generated from a first audio file;
detecting the first audio at the caller at a second time, and in response, at a third time, outputting at the caller second audio generated from a second audio file;
and
detecting sound at the callee at a fourth time;
and
analyzing relative timing of members of a time set containing at least two of the first, second, third or fourth times to provide results indicative of the quality of the audio channel.

4 more elements

In a computing environment, a system comprising:

a caller mechanism coupled for communication with a callee mechanism via an audio channel that includes a device under test;
analyzer logic that receives timestamps from the caller mechanism and the callee mechanism during a calling session, including a first timestamp corresponding to when the callee mechanism initially provides audio to the caller mechanism, a second timestamp corresponding to when the caller mechanism initially detects sound, a third timestamp corresponding to when the caller mechanism initially provides audio to the callee mechanism, and a fourth timestamp corresponding to when the callee mechanism initially detects sound, and wherein the analyzer logic determines that:
1) the audio channel is operating correctly with respect to not having interference or echo when the first timestamp is before the second timestamp, the second timestamp is before the third timestamp, and the third timestamp is before the fourth timestamp;
2) the audio channel has interference when the fourth timestamp is before the first timestamp, or when the second timestamp is before the first;
or
3) the audio channel has echo when the fourth timestamp is before the third timestamp and after the first timestamp, or the callee detects its own audio at the fourth timestamp that it initially provided at the first timestamp, and wherein the results correspond to echo being detected at the callee mechanism.

3 more elements

a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, comprising:

analyzing quality of an audio channel established between a caller and a callee that includes a device under test, including establishing a first timestamp corresponding to when the callee outputs first audio to the caller, establishing a second timestamp corresponding to when the caller detects the audio from the callee, establishing a third timestamp corresponding to when the caller outputs second audio including speech to the callee, establishing a fourth timestamp corresponding to when the callee detects sound, recognizing speech received at the callee and establishing a confidence level indicative of speech recognition accuracy, and using at least some of the timestamps to determine whether the audio channel has interference or echo;
and
outputting information corresponding to the analyzed quality including data indicative of whether the audio channel has interference or echo, or data indicative of the confidence level, or both data indicative of whether the audio channel has interference or echo and indicative of the confidence level.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Assessing gateway quality using audio systems

Life of this patent

Assessing gateway quality using audio systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19