EP0848560B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and system for increasing quality of service at or below a treshold cost
Assignee: Siemens Communications Inc
•
Filing: 1997-12-15
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Granted: 2004-04-14
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Expires: 2017-12-15
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Shmuel Shaffer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 06:13
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/80; H04L12/00; H04L12/02; H04L12/14; H04L12/141; H04L12/1414; H04L12/1417; H04L12/1485; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5691; H04L12/5692; H04L47/00; H04L47/10; H04L47/15; H04L47/70; H04L47/72; H04L47/724; H04L47/74; H04L47/741; H04L47/80; H04L47/801; H04L47/805; H04L47/82; H04L47/822; H04L65/60; H04L65/75; H04L65/752; H04M; H04M15/00; H04M15/57; H04M15/70; H04M15/745; H04M15/80; H04M15/8016; H04M15/83; H04M15/85; H04M15/851; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/64; H04Q3/66; H04W; H04W28/00; H04W28/16; H04W28/24; H04W4/00; H04W4/24; H04M2215/00; H04M2215/01; H04M2215/0108; H04M2215/0168; H04M2215/20; H04M2215/208; H04M2215/22; H04M2215/32; H04M2215/74; H04M2215/7414; H04M2215/81; H04M2215/815; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13138; H04Q2213/13166; H04Q2213/1329; H04Q2213/13296; H04Q2213/13389
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of managing real-time communications routing comprising
steps of: accessing capability to exchange communications
data between remotely located sites (46,48,50) using any of a
plurality of distinct communications modes having pre-established
quality of service parameter values and pre-established
session tariffs; monitoring (78) at least some of said modes to determine
present-time quality of service parameter values for said
modes; receiving requests (54) to establish communications
sessions such that each session has quality of service
requirements; determining an acceptable session tariff (60) for each
of said sessions based upon comparing said quality of service
requirements to said pre-established parameter values for
said plurality of modes; selecting among said modes (70) on a session-by-session
basis to determine which of said modes provides a highest
present-time quality of service at a session tariff which is
at or below said acceptable session tariff, said highest
present-time quality of service being based upon said
determined present-time parameter values (72) for said plurality
of modes; and utilizing (76) said selected modes on a session-by-session
basis to implement said sessions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
51 words
the method of claim 1 further comprising a step of
executing in-session switching from said selected mode to an
alternative mode in response to detecting that said
alternative mode has a session tariff at or below said
acceptable session tariff and a higher present-time quality
of service than said selected mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said step of executing in-session
switching includes weighting said pre-established
session tariff to said alternative mode in determining
whether to switch to said alternative mode, said weighting
being indicative of a connection cost for utilizing said
alternative mode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining an
acceptable session tariff includes determining which of said
modes are acceptable with respect to satisfying said quality
of service requirements for a particular session and further
includes identifying which one of said acceptable modes has a
lowest pre-established session tariff, said lowest pre-established
session tariff thereby being designated the
acceptable session tariff.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of accessing
capability to exchange communication data includes providing
access to various modes for implementing real-time multimedia
sessions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said step that includes
providing access to said various modes includes providing a
selection of modes that are distinguishable with respect to
protocol, with one of said modes utilizing the Internet
Protocol.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving
requests is a step of receiving requests to establish a
telecommunication session having specified quality of service
parameter values.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said steps of monitoring
said modes and selecting among said modes are executed during
said sessions to enable in-session switching between modes
that each satisfy said quality of service requirements of
said particular session.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising a step of in-session
switching from a particular mode when it is
determined that said present-time parameter values of said
particular mode no longer satisfy said quality of service
requirements of said particular session.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising a step of
reserving communications resources of an unselected mode such
that each session has reserved communications resources for
said in-session switching, said unselected mode for said
particular session being that mode which satisfies requested
quality of service requirements of said particular session at
said acceptable session tariff for said particular session.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
89 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the step of monitoring at
least some of said nodes includes continuously monitoring
available present-time quality of service for each of said
modes such that variations in quality of service for said
modes are detected; and switching from a first mode to a second mode upon
detection that said second mode has a present-time quality of
service satisfying said requirements of said multimedia
session and that utilizing said second mode is more cost-efficient
than said first mode utilized in conducting said
multimedia session.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said step of selecting
among said modes further includes selecting from among modes
distinguishable with respect to transmission media, including
analog lines and digital lines.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising a step of
continuously reserving resources of one of said modes having
pre-established quality of service parameters satisfying said
requirements of said multimedia session, such that said
reserved resources remain available to said multimedia
session.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising a step of
switching from said second mode upon detection that either
said second mode no longer satisfies said requirements of
that a third mode satisfies said requirements and is more
cost-efficient than said second mode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said step of selecting
among said modes includes selecting said first mode based
upon present-time qualities of service and upon session
tariffs of said modes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
122 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a
request to establish a communications session includes
indicating a maximum session tariff; if one of said modes satisfies said indicated
minimum quality of service within said maximum session
tariff, establishing connectivity for said session utilizing
said one of said modes; and if none of said modes satisfies said indicated
minimum quality of service within said maximum session
tariff, then (a) queuing said request; (b) tracking said monitored present-time quality
of service parameter values for said modes
until a specific mode has a present-time
quality of service that satisfies said
indicated minimum quality of service within
said maximum session tarfiff; and (c) selecting said specific mode for establishing
connectivity for said session.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising a step (d) of
notifying a user of availability of said specific mode
subsequent to said step (c) of selecting said specific mode
and prior to establishing connectivity.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
169 words
A system for managing real-time communications sessions
comprising: a plurality of types of interfaces (12,14,16,18,
20,22) to provide connections for conducting a communications
session, different interfaces (12,14,16,18,20,22) being
compatible with different communications modes, each mode
having a pre-established session tariff and pre-established
quality of service parameter values; means (34) for comparing quality of service
requirements of said session with said pre-established
parameter values of said modes to select a subset of modes
suitable for supporing said session; means (34), responsive to said comparing means
(34), for designating a threshold session tariff for conducting
said session, said threshold session tariff being a
lowest pre-established session tariff of said subset of
modes; means (24) connected to said interfaces (12,14,16,
18,20,22) for continuously monitoring present-time quality of
service available for each of said modes; and means (34) for switching modes during support of
said session in response to said monitoring means (24)
detecting a mode having increased present-time quality of
service and a pre-established session tariff not exceeding
said threshold session tariff.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 18 wherein said interfaces (12,14,16,
18,20,22) include at least one analog interface (20) and at
least one digital interface (22).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 18 wherein said interfaces (12,14,16,
18,20,22) support multimedia sessions and at least one
interface (12) supports communications using Internet
Protocol.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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