Method and system for selecting a communication connection candidate for transmission of a media stream

A system for selecting a communication connection candidate for transmission of a media stream via a media connection over a communications network, the system comprising:

• a plurality of peer-to-peer communication connection candidates, each of the peer-to-peer communication connection candidates configured to connect a local peer to a remote peer via a communication network;
• at least one of the local peer and the remote peer configured to use Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) protocol for selecting, based on a connectivity check of the communication connection candidates, a first peer-to-peer communication connection candidate of the communication candidates for transmitting a media stream from the local peer to the remote peer;
• at least one of the local peer and the remote peer configured so that, during transmission of the media stream from the local peer to the remote peer via the selected first communication connection candidate, the other peer-to-peer communication connection candidates are tested with respect to Quality of Service (QoS), in both communication directions so that the QoS the tested communication connection candidates is comparable to the QoS of the selected first communication connection candidate transmitting the media stream, and upon a determination that one of the tested communication connection candidates provide a better QoS than the QoS of the selected first communication connection candidate transmitting the media stream, switching the transmission of the media stream to the tested communication connection candidate providing the better QoS.

A communication apparatus comprising:

• a local peer that is communicatively connectable to a plurality of peer-to-peer communication connection candidates, each of the peer-to-peer communication connection candidates configured to connect the local peer to a remote peer via a communication network;
• the local peer being configured to use Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) protocol for selecting, based on a connectivity check of the communication connection candidates, a first peer-to-peer communication connection candidate of the communication candidates for transmitting a media stream from the local peer to the remote peer;
• the local peer configured so that, during transmission of the media stream from the local peer to the remote peer via the selected first communication connection candidate, the other peer-to-peer communication connection candidates are tested with respect to Quality of Service (QoS), in both communication directions so that the QoS the tested communication connection candidates is comparable to the QoS of the selected first communication connection candidate transmitting the media stream, and upon a determination that one of the tested communication connection candidates provide a better QoS than the QoS of the selected first communication connection candidate transmitting the media stream, switching the transmission of the media stream to the tested communication connection candidate providing the better QoS.