Method and apparatus for monitoring and processing voice over internet protocol packets

A method of processing data packets representing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls in a packet-switched network comprising:

• providing in the packet-switched network one or more VoIP processors at each of a plurality of alternative routing points such that the VoIP processors form a virtual network overlaid upon the packet-switched network, wherein a first one of the alternative routing points is at an edge of a traffic-engineered domain of the packet-switched network and at least a second of the alternative routing points is at a peering point of presence associated with a service provider of the network, and further wherein each of the VoIP processors (a) executes a voice packet processing operating system that is configured to monitor or manipulate voice packets at a transport layer, a media layer and a signaling layer of the call, and (b) includes a plurality of independently callable primitive software functions that carry out low-level VoIP packet processing functions;
• detecting VoIP packets that pass through the one or more VoIP processors and identifying one or more values of fields in the packets;
• creating and storing call state information associated with each call that is represented by the one or more values of fields in the packets;
• creating and storing call state information associated with each call that is represented by the one or more VoIP packets;
• modifying one or more of the VoIP packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more call processing functions of one or more application programs, wherein at least one of the application programs comprises a traffic engineering application;
• under control of the traffic engineering application, creating and storing one or more specified routes from at least the first one of the alternative routing points to at least the second of the alternative routing points, in association with network performance criteria information;
• at one of the VoIP processors, detecting that the network performance criteria are satisfied for at least one call that has been routed along a conventional routing path in the packet-switched network;
• and
• re-routing the at least one call along one of the specified routes between two or more of the VoIP processors of the virtual network.

A method of processing data packets representing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls in a packet-switched network comprising:

• providing in the packet-switched network one or more VoIP processors at each of a plurality of resource reservation points in the packet-switched network, wherein each of the VoIP processors (a) executes a voice packet processing operating system that is configured to monitor or manipulate voice packets at a transport layer, a media layer and a signaling layer of the call, and (b) includes a plurality of independently callable primitive software functions that carry out low-level VoIP packet processing functions;
• detecting VoIP packets that pass through the one or more VoIP processors and identifying one or more values of fields in the packets;
• creating and storing call state information associated with each call that is represented by the one or more values of fields in the packets;
• creating and storing call state information associated with each call that is represented by the one or more VoIP packets;
• modifying one or more of the VoIP packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more call processing functions of one or more application programs, wherein at least one of the application programs comprises a resource reservation application;
• under control of the resource reservation application at one of the VoIP processors, detecting that one of a plurality of network performance criteria are satisfied for at least one call that has been routed along a routing path in the packet-switched network;
• creating an aggregated resource reservation request for a plurality of calls;
• and
• communicating the aggregated resource reservation request to all the VoIP processors such that a large reservation is established across the network between pairs of VoIP processors.

A method of processing data packets representing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls in a packet-switched network comprising:

• providing in the packet-switched network one or more VoIP processors, wherein each of the VoIP processors (a) executes a voice packet processing operating system that is configured to monitor or manipulate voice packets at a transport layer, a media layer and a signaling layer of the call, and (b) includes a plurality of independently callable primitive software functions that carry out low-level VoIP packet processing functions;
• detecting VoIP packets that pass through the one or more VoIP processors and identifying one or more values of fields in the packets;
• creating and storing call state information associated with each call that is represented by the one or more values of fields in the packets;
• creating and storing call state information associated with each call that is represented by the one or more VoIP packets;
• modifying one or more of the VoIP packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more call processing functions of one or more application programs, wherein at least one of the application programs comprises an access control and fraud detection application;
• under control of the access control and fraud detection application, monitoring one or more packets associated with a call at the signaling layer and the media layer;
• determining that a user associated with the call has signaled an end of the call and that a media stream associated with the call remains in operation;
• and
• in response to such determination, dropping all packets associated with the call from further transmission within the packet-switched network.

A computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions for processing data packets representing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls in a packet-switched network, wherein the packet-switched network includes one or more VoIP processors at each of a plurality of alternative routing points such that the VoIP processors form a virtual network overlaid upon the packet-switched network, wherein each of the VoIP processors (a) executes a voice packet processing operating system that is configured to monitor or manipulate one or more voice packets at a transport layer, a media layer and a signaling layer of the call, (b) includes a plurality of independently callable primitive software functions that carry out low-level VoIP packet processing functions, and (c) executes one or more application programs that provide one or more call processing functions by selectively calling one or more of the primitive software functions and are independent of any underlying protocols of an existing network, and in which the sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

• detecting VoIP packets that pass through the one or more VoIP processors and identifying one or more values of fields in the packets;
• creating and storing call state information associated with each call that is represented by the one or more VoIP packets;
• detecting, at one of the VoIP processors, network congestion along a routing path in the packet-switched network;
• and
• modifying one or more of the VoIP packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more call processing functions of the one or more application programs to re-route a call along a virtual path between two or more of the VoIP processors of the virtual network.

An apparatus for processing data packets representing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls in a packet-switched network, comprising:

• one or more VoIP processors at each of a plurality of alternative routing points such that the VoIP processors form a virtual network overlaid upon the packet-switched network, wherein each of the VoIP processors (a) executes a voice packet processing operating system that is configured to monitor or manipulate the packets at a transport layer, a media layer and a signaling layer of the call, (b) includes a plurality of independently callable primitive software functions that carry out low-level VoIP packet processing functions, and (c) executes one or more application programs that provide one or more call processing functions by selectively calling one or more of the primitive software functions and are independent of any underlying protocols of an existing network;
• means for detecting VoIP packets that pass through the one or more VoIP processors and identifying one or more values of fields in the packets;
• means for creating and storing call state information associated with each call that is represented by the one or more VoIP packets;
• means for detecting, at one of the VoIP processors, network congestion along a routing path in the packet-switched network;
• and
• means for modifying one or more of the VoIP packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more call processing functions of the one or more application programs to re-route a call along a virtual path between two or more of the VoIP processors of the virtual network.

An apparatus for processing VoIP traffic, the apparatus comprising:

• means for overlaying one or more VoIP processors at alternative routing points such that the VoIP processors form a virtual network overlaid upon an existing packet-switched network;
• means for listening to VoIP packets that are passing through the one or more VoIP processors;
• means for parsing one or more VoIP packets that are passing through the one or more VoIP processors;
• means for tracking and storing a state information associated with the one or more VoIP packets;
• means for providing on the one or more VoIP processors a VoIP operating system on which can be executed a plurality of VoIP applications that are independent of any underlying protocols of the existing network;
• means for detecting, at one of the VoIP processors, network congestion along a routing path in the packet-switched network;
• and
• means for modifying one or more of the VoIP packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more call processing functions of one or more application programs to re-route a call along a virtual path between two or more of the VoIP processors of the virtual network.

A method of processing data packets representing video over Internet Protocol data in a packet-switched network, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• providing in the packet-switched network one or more video over Internet Protocol processors at each of a plurality of alternative routing points such that the video over Internet Protocol processors form a virtual network overlaid upon the packet-switched network, wherein each of the video over Internet Protocol processors (a) executes a video packet processing operating system that is configured to monitor or manipulate the packets at a transport layer, a media layer and a signaling layer, (b) includes a plurality of independently callable primitive software functions that carry out low-level video over Internet Protocol packet processing functions, and (c) executes one or more application programs that provide one or more video processing functions by selectively calling one or more of the primitive software functions and are independent of any underlying protocols of an existing network;
• detecting video over Internet Protocol packets that pass through the one or more video over Internet Protocol processors and identifying one or more values of fields in the packets;
• creating and storing video state information associated with each video display that is represented by the one or more video over Internet Protocol packets;
• detecting, at one of the video over Internet Protocol processors, network congestion along a routing path in the packet-switched network;
• and
• modifying one or more of the video over Internet Protocol packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more video processing functions of the one or more application programs to re-route the video over Internet Protocol packets along a virtual path between two or more of the video over Internet Protocol processors of the virtual network.

An apparatus for processing data packets representing video over Internet Protocol data in a packet-switched network, comprising:

• one or more video over Internet Protocol processors at each of a plurality of alternative routing points such that the video over Internet Protocol processors form a virtual network overlaid upon the packet-switched network, wherein each of the video over Internet Protocol processors (a) executes a video packet processing operating system that is configured to monitor or manipulate the packets at a transport layer, a media layer and a signaling layer, (b) includes a plurality of independently callable primitive software functions that carry out low-level video over Internet Protocol packet processing functions, and (c) executes one or more application programs that provide one or more video processing functions by selectively calling one or more of the primitive software functions and are independent of any underlying protocols of an existing network;
• means for detecting video over Internet Protocol packets that pass through the one or more video over Internet Protocol processors and identifying one or more values of fields in the packets;
• means for creating and storing video state information associated with each video display that is represented by the one or more video over Internet Protocol packets;
• means for detecting, at one of the video over Internet Protocol processors, network congestion along a routing path in the packet-switched network;
• and
• means for modifying one or more of the video over Internet Protocol packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more video processing functions of the one or more application programs to re-route the video packets along a virtual path between two or more of the video over Internet Protocol processors of the virtual network.

An apparatus for processing video over Internet Protocol data traffic, the apparatus comprising:

• means for overlaying one or more video over Internet Protocol data processors at each of a plurality of alternative routing points such that the video over Internet Protocol processors form a virtual network overlaid upon an existing packet-switched network;
• means for listening to video over Internet Protocol packets that are passing through the one or more video over Internet Protocol data processors
• means for parsing one or more video over Internet Protocol data packets that are passing through the one or more video over Internet Protocol data processors;
• means for tracking and storing a video state information associated with the one or more video over Internet Protocol data packets;
• means for providing on the one or more video over Internet Protocol data processors a video over Internet Protocol data operating system on which can be executed a plurality of video over Internet Protocol data applications that are independent of any underlying protocols of the existing network
• means for detecting, at one of the video over Internet Protocol data processors, network congestion along a routing path in the packet-switched network;
• and
• means for modifying one or more of the video over Internet Protocol packets at either the transport layer, the media layer, or the signaling layer as required to carry out one or more call processing functions of one or more application programs to re-route a call along a virtual path between two or more of the video over Internet Protocol processors of the virtual network.

An apparatus for processing voice over Internet Protocol data traffic on a network, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more physical interfaces through which voice over Internet Protocol data packets enter and leave;
• a switching interface that receives the voice over Internet Protocol data packets from the one or more physical interfaces for distribution to one or more components of a voice over Internet Protocol data system;
• one or more classification engines coupled to the switching interface for classifying the voice over Internet Protocol data traffic;
• one or more processors coupled to the switching interface and to the one or more classification engines to receive the voice over Internet Protocol data packets therefrom;
• a memory accessible to the one or more processors;
• and
• one or more sequences of instructions stored in the memory which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
• listening to the voice over Internet Protocol data packets that are passing through the apparatus;
• parsing one or more voice over Internet Protocol data packets that are passing through the apparatus;
• tracking and storing a voice state information associated with the one or more voice over Internet Protocol data packets;
• and
• executing one or more voice over Internet Protocol data applications of a plurality of voice over Internet Protocol data applications that are independent of any underlying protocols of the network to detect, at one of the VoIP processors, network congestion along a routing path in the network and modify one or more of the voice over IP data packets at either a transport layer, a media layer, or a signaling layer as required to re-route a call along a virtual path between two or more of routing points.

An apparatus for processing video over Internet Protocol data traffic on a network, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more physical interfaces through which video over Internet Protocol data packets enter and leave;
• a switching interface that receives the video over Internet Protocol data packets from the one or more physical interfaces for distribution to one or more components of a video over Internet Protocol data system;
• one or more classification engines coupled to the switching interface for classifying the video over Internet Protocol data traffic;
• one or more processors coupled to the switching interface and to the one or more classification engines to receive the video over Internet Protocol data packets therefrom;
• a memory accessible to the one or more processors;
• and
• one or more sequences of instructions stored in the memory which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to detect, at one of the processors, network congestion along a routing path in the network and modify one or more of the video over Internet Protocol data packets at either a transport layer, a media layer, or a signaling layer as required to re-route a call along a virtual path between two or more of routing points by:
• IP processing associated with one or more video over Internet Protocol data packets of a plurality of video over Internet Protocol data packets at a transport layer;
• media processing at a media layer;
• and
• video processing at a signaling layer.