Upstream data rate estimation
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsMatthew McRae, Allen J. Huotari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a VoIP device operable to estimate an upstream data rate for a network device is provided. The VoIP device includes a transceiver operable to transmit VoIP packets to and receive VoIP packets from the network device; and a logic engine configured to initiate a series of simulated VoIP streams through the network device to a VoIP call destination, the logic engine being further configured to determine when at least one of the simulated VoIP streams in the series is unsuccessful, the logic engine being further configured to estimate the upstream data rate for the network device based upon a data rate for those simulated VoIP streams preceding the unsuccessful simulated VoIP stream.
Claims18
A VoIP device configured to estimate an upstream data rate of a modem through which the VoIP device accesses the Internet, comprising:
- a transceiver operable to transmit VoIP packets to and receive VoIP packets from the modem;
- and
- a logic engine configured to initiate a series of simulated VoIP streams through the modem to a VoIP call destination, wherein each simulated VoIP stream uses a VoIP protocol supported by the VoIP call destination, the logic engine being further configured to determine when at least one of the simulated VoIP streams in the series is unsuccessful, the logic engine being further configured to estimate the upstream data rate for the modem based upon a data rate for those simulated VoIP streams preceding the at least one unsuccessful simulated VoIP stream.
A VoIP-integrated router operable to interface with analog telephones and digital devices, comprising:
- a transceiver operable to transmit packets to and receive packets from a modem through which the router accesses the Internet;
- and
- a logic engine configured to estimate an upstream data rate for the modem by performing the acts of:
- successively initiating simulated VoIP streams of a known data rate through the modem to a VoIP call destination such that the succession forms a series of simulated VoIP streams, wherein each simulated VoIP stream uses a VoIP protocol supported by the VoIP call destination;
- for each initiated simulated VoIP stream, determining whether the simulated VoIP stream was successful;
- and
- estimating the upstream data rate based upon the known data rates of the simulated VoIP streams preceding an unsuccessful simulated VoIP stream.
A VoIP telephone, wherein the VoIP telephone is configured to estimate an upstream data rate of a modem though which the VoIP telephone accesses the Internet by performing the acts of:
- successively initiating simulated VoIP streams of a known data rate through the modem to a VoIP call destination such that the succession forms a series of simulated VoIP streams, wherein each simulated VoIP stream uses a VoIP protocol supported by the VoIP call destination;
- for each initiated simulated VoIP stream, determining whether the simulated VoIP stream was successful;
- and
- estimating the upstream data rate based upon the known data rates of the simulated VoIP streams preceding an unsuccessful VoIP stream.
A method of estimating an upstream data rate of a modem, comprising:
- successively initiating simulated VoIP streams of a known data rate through the modem to a VoIP call destination such that the succession forms a series of simulated VoIP streams, wherein each simulated VoIP stream uses a VoIP protocol corresponding to a VoIP protocol supported by the VoIP call destination;
- for each initiated simulated VoIP stream, determining whether the VoIP stream was successful;
- and
- estimating the upstream bandwidth based upon the known data rates of the simulated VoIP streams preceding an unsuccessful VoIP stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.