# US 2014/0153409 A1 · Systems and methods of routing ip telephony data packet communciations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153409 A1 - Document ID: US20140153409A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,052 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Vonage Network LLC - Applicants: Vonage Network, LLC - Inventors: Andrew BUCKO; Baruch STERMAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153409A1 ## CPC - H04L 45/22: {Alternate routing} - H04L 43/50: Testing arrangements - H04L 45/121: by minimising delays - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 67/63: Routing a service request depending on the request content or context - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Systems and methods performed by a telephony device allow the telephony device to test the quality of multiple potential paths which can be used to conduct a telephony communication. By testing the conditions that presently exist, the telephony device can choose the path that is presently offering the best quality. A telephony communication may be setup over an initial path, and then subsequent testing may determine that it is best to switch to an alternate path offering better call quality. The initial path used for the telephony communication may be the one that offers the fastest initial connection. When multiple potential paths exist, the telephony communication may be conducted over a first path while keep alive messages are communicated over a second path so that the telephony communication can be quickly switched to the second path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of identifying one or more preferred paths for transmission of digital data packets bearing the media of an Internet protocol (IP) telephony communication that is to be conducted by a telephony device, comprising: conducting testing to determine the respective quality of each of a plurality of paths that can be used to communicate data packets between the telephony device and one or more elements of a communications network; evaluating the results of the conducting step to determine the relative quality of each of the plurality of paths; and identifying one or more of the paths as preferred paths based on the result of the evaluating step. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the conducting step is performed in response to a triggering event. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the triggering event is the telephony device establishing a new connection to a data network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the triggering event is the elapse of a predetermined period of time since the last time that the conducting step was performed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the triggering event is the elapse of a predetermined period of time since the last time that the identifying step was performed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step is performed in response to receipt of a call setup request. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the call setup request is received from a proxy server, a gateway or a session border controller, and wherein the identifying step comprises sending a communication identifying one or more of the paths as preferred paths to the device which sent the call setup request. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the conducting step comprises conducting testing to determine the respective quality of each of a plurality of paths between the telephony device and a plurality of media relays. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the paths comprises a path that extends from the telephony device, through a first media relay to a second media relay, and wherein data packets passing between the telephony device and the second media relay are communicated through the first media relay. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a listing of the plurality of paths from a path engine of an IP telephony system before performing the conducting step. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step comprises identifying the paths in a ranked order, the order being indicative of the relative quality of each of the paths. ### Claim 12 A system for identifying one or more preferred paths for transmission of digital data packets bearing the media of an Internet protocol (IP) telephony communication that is to be conducted by a telephony device, comprising: means for conducting testing to determine the respective quality of each of a plurality of paths that can be used to communicate data packets between the telephony device and one or more elements of a communications network; means for evaluating the results of testing conducted by the means for conducting testing to determine the relative quality of each of the plurality of paths; and means for identifying one or more of the paths as preferred paths based on the evaluation performed by the means for evaluating. ### Claim 13 A system for identifying one or more preferred paths for transmission of digital data packets bearing the media of an Internet protocol (IP) telephony communication that is to be conducted by a telephony device, comprising: a path quality testing unit that conducts testing to determine the respective quality of each of a plurality of paths that can be used to communicate data packets between the telephony device and one or more elements of a communications network; and a path selecting unit that evaluates the results of testing conducted by the path quality testing unit and that determines the relative quality of each of the plurality of paths, wherein the path selecting unit also identifies one or more of the paths as preferred paths based on the evaluation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the path quality testing unit conducts testing in response to a triggering event. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the triggering event is the telephony device establishing a new connection to a data network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the triggering event is the elapse of a predetermined period of time since the last time that path quality testing was performed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the triggering event is the elapse of a predetermined period of time since the last time that the path selection unit identified one or more paths as preferred paths. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the path selecting unit identifies one or more of the paths as preferred paths in response to receipt of a call setup request. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the call setup request is received from a proxy server, a gateway or a session border controller, and wherein the path selecting unit sends a communication identifying one or more of the paths as preferred paths to the device which sent the call setup request. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the path quality testing unit conducts testing to determine the respective quality of each of a plurality of paths between the telephony device and a plurality of media relays. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the paths comprises a path that extends from the telephony device, through a first media relay to a second media relay, and wherein data packets passing between the telephony device and the second media relay are communicated through the first media relay. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the path quality testing unit obtains a listing of the plurality of paths from a path engine of an IP telephony system before performing testing. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the path selection unit identifies the paths in a ranked order, the order being indicative of the relative quality of each of the paths. ### Claim 24 A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method comprising: conducting testing to determine the respective quality of each of a plurality of paths that can be used to communicate data packets between the telephony device and one or more elements of a communications network; evaluating the results of the conducting step to determine the relative quality of each of the plurality of paths; and identifying one or more of the paths as preferred paths based on the result of the evaluating step.