# US 2014/0153413 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 2014/0153413 A1 - Document ID: US20140153413A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,587 - 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/US20140153413A1 ## CPC - H04L 45/22: {Alternate routing} - H04L 65/00: Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication (real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00) - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 65/1083: In-session procedures - H04L 65/1095: Inter-network session transfer or sharing - H04L 65/80: Responding to QoS - H04M 3/00: Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges - H04L 43/0829: Packet loss - H04L 43/0858: {One way delays} - H04L 43/087: Jitter - H04L 43/0894: Packet rate - H04L 45/123: {Evaluation of link metrics (techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08)} - H04M 3/2236: {Quality of speech transmission monitoring} - H04M 7/0084: {Network monitoring; Error detection; Error recovery; Network testing} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## 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 performed by a first telephony device for conducting an Internet protocol (IP) telephony communication with a second telephony device, wherein the IP telephony communication is routed, at least initially, through an element of a data network that is in communication with the second telephony device, comprising: receiving a setup request at the first telephony device, the setup request indicating that an IP telephony communication is to be established between the first telephony device and the second telephony device through the data network; initiating the telephony communication by communicating data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication via a first path through the data network that extends between the first telephony device and a first element of the data network that is in communication with the second telephony device; testing of a quality of the first path and a quality of an alternate path through the data network that extends at least part of the way between the first telephony device and the second telephony device while data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication are traversing the first path; and continuing the telephony communication by communicating data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication via the alternate path based on the results of the testing step. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the continuing step comprises continuing the telephony communication by communicating data packets via the alternate path if the testing step indicates that a quality of the alternate path is better than a quality of the first path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first element of the data network is a data network interface device that is in communication with the second telephony device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the setup request identifies the first path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first telephony device selects the first path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first telephony device selects the first path and the alternate path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first telephony device consults a path engine of an IP telephony system to request identification of at least one of the first and alternate paths. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate path includes a second element of the data network which is not part of the first path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate path extends between the first telephony device and the second telephony device without traversing a media relay, a proxy server, a gateway or a session border controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the telephony communication is continued by communicating data packets bearing the media of the call via the first path if the result of the testing step indicates that a quality of the first path is better than a quality of the alternate path. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: retesting a quality of the path that is currently being used to communicate data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication and at least one alternate path each time that a predetermined delay period expires while the telephony communication is ongoing; and continuing the telephony communication by communicating data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication via an alternate path if the retesting step indicates that a quality of the alternate path is better than a quality of the current path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein if the telephony communication is switched from the first path to an alternate path while the telephony communication is ongoing, the method further comprises communicating keep alive messages via the first path while data packets bearing the media of the call are communicated via the alternate path. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein if the telephony communication is switched from an alternate path back to the first path while the telephony communication is ongoing, the method further comprises communicating keep alive messages via the alternate path while data packets bearing the media of the call are communicated via the first path. ### Claim 14 A first telephony device configured to conduct an Internet protocol (IP) telephony communication with a second telephony device, wherein the IP telephony communication is routed, at least initially, through an element of a data network that is in communication with the second telephony device, comprising: means for receiving a setup request, the setup request indicating that an IP telephony communication is to be established between the first telephony device and the second telephony device through the data network; means for initiating the telephony communication by communicating data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication via a first path through the data network that extends between the first telephony device and a first element of the data network that is in communication with the second telephony device; means for testing of a quality of the first path and a quality of an alternate path through the data network that extends at least part of the way between the first telephony device and the second telephony device while data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication are traversing the first path; and means for continuing the telephony communication by communicating data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication via the alternate path based on the results of the testing conducted by the testing means. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium bearing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a first telephony device enable the first telephony device to conduct an Internet protocol (IP) telephony communication with a second telephony device, wherein the IP telephony communication is routed, at least initially, through an element of a data network that is in communication with the second telephony device, wherein the instructions on the non-transitory computer readable medium cause the one or more processors of the first telephony device to perform a method that comprises: receiving a setup request that indicates that an IP telephony communication is to be established between the first telephony device and the second telephony device through the data network, initiating the telephony communication by communicating data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication via a first path through the data network that extends between the first telephony device and a first element of the data network that is in communication with the second telephony device; testing of a quality of the first path and a quality of an alternate path through the data network that extends at least part of the way between the first telephony device and the second telephony device while data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication are traversing the first path; and continuing the telephony communication by communicating data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication via the alternate path based on the results of the testing step. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the continuing step comprises continuing the telephony communication by communicating data packets via the alternate path if the testing step indicates that a quality of the alternate path is better than a quality of the first path. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first element of the data network is a data network interface device that is in communication with the second telephony device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein receiving the setup request comprises receiving a setup request that identifies the first path. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the step of initiating the telephony communication comprises the first telephony device selecting the first path. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the initiating step comprises the first telephony device selecting the first path, and wherein the testing step comprises the first telephony device selecting the alternate path. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein during the initiating step, the first telephony device consults a path engine of an IP telephony system to request identification of the first. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein during the testing step, the first telephony device consults a path engine of an IP telephony system to request identification of the alternate path. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the alternate path includes a second element of the data network which is not part of the first path. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the alternate path extends between the first telephony device and the second telephony device without traversing a media relay, a proxy server, a gateway or a session border controller. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the telephony communication is continued by communicating data packets bearing the media of the call via the first path if the result of the testing step indicates that a quality of the first path is better than a quality of the alternate path. ### Claim 26 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions on the non-transitory computer readable medium also cause the one or more processors of the first telephony device to perform the further steps of: retesting a quality of the path that is currently being used to communicate data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication and at least one alternate path each time that a predetermined delay period expires while the telephony communication is ongoing; and continuing the telephony communication by communicating data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication via an alternate path if the retesting step indicates that a quality of the alternate path is better than a quality of the current path. ### Claim 27 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein if the telephony communication is switched from the first path to an alternate path while the telephony communication is ongoing, the method further comprises communicating keep alive messages via the first path while data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication are communicated via the alternate path. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein if the telephony communication is switched from an alternate path back to the first path while the telephony communication is ongoing, the method further comprises communicating keep alive messages via the alternate path while data packets bearing the media of the telephony communication are communicated via the first path.