Systems, methods, devices and arrangements for cost-effective routing
Assignee8x8, Inc.
InventorsMarc Petit-Huguenin, Garth Judge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A variety of methods, systems, devices and arrangements are implemented for assessing and/or controlling call routing for VoIP/VioIP calls. According to one such method, endpoint devices are used to monitor and/or assess the call-quality. The assessment is sent to a centralized server arrangement and call-routing is controlled therefrom. Endpoint devices employ a decentralized testing mechanism to further monitor and assess call quality including the use of test connections. Aspects of call quality are analyzed and attributed to endpoint devices and/or local connections or networks to distinguish intermediate routing issues from local/endpoint issues.
Claims19
A system for providing call routing, the system comprising:
- a plurality of endpoint devices each having
- an Internet Protocol (IP) interface,
- an audio output circuit for producing audible sounds,
- an audio input circuit for converting audible sounds to electrical signals, and
- a logic circuit including at least one processor and programmed software instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform the steps of:
- measuring a plurality of call quality factors for a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) call implemented using the IP interface,
- publishing, using the IP interface, data representing the plurality of call quality factors,
- establishing a test connection with another of the plurality of endpoint devices, to measure a plurality of test-call-quality factors relating to the test connection,
- publishing, using the IP interface, data representing the plurality of test-call-quality factors from the test connection, and
- isolating perceived call quality problems associated with the audio input and output circuits from transmission related call-quality;
- and
- at least one server including a database containing call-quality metrics and call-cost metrics for various call-routing options, the at least one server configured and arranged for:
- receiving the published data representing the plurality of call quality factors from each endpoint device participating in the VoIP calls to which the published data applies,
- assigning, to the call quality factors in the received data, weight factors indicative of a relative correlation between different portions of a first call route for the VoIP call and each of the call-quality factors for the first call route, respectively, and
- selecting a second call route for a subsequent VoIP call using an algorithm based upon the assigned weight factors and the call-cost metrics for each portion of the second call route for the subsequent VoIP call.
A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) endpoint device comprising:
- an Internet Protocol (IP) interface;
- an audio output circuit for producing audible sounds;
- an audio input circuit for converting audible sounds to electrical signals;
- and
- a logic circuit including at least one processor and programmed software instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform the steps of:
- measuring a plurality of call quality factors for a VoIP call implemented using the IP interface,
- assigning, to the measured plurality of call quality factors, weight factors representing different portions of a call route for the VoIP call,
- publishing, using the IP interface, results of the assignment of the plurality of call quality factors,
- establishing a test connection with another VoIP endpoint device to measure a plurality of test-call-quality factors relating to the test connection,
- publishing, using the IP interface, data representing the plurality of test-call-quality factors from the test connection, and
- isolating perceived call quality problems associated with the audio input and output circuits from transmission related call-quality.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.