Non-intrusive monitoring of quality levels for voice communications over a packet-based network
View Patent ↗Provided is a method and apparatus for objectively and non-intrusively measuring voice quality on live calls without disrupting the call session or the network. A communication system includes plural communities each including a switch that controls access to a packet-based data network for call sessions. Each of the communities is coupled to the data network by respective packet-based trunks. Quality of service (QoS) monitoring devices are coupled to the respective packet-based trunks to monitor quality levels of routes between any two given communities. Each QoS monitoring device receives packets containing streaming data (which may be actual packets or test packets). From the received packets, the QoS monitoring device can derive QoS parameters, particularly for audio and speech signals on live calls without disrupting the call session.
1. A method of determining a quality of service parameter of a packet-based network, comprising:
receiving incoming test packets among streaming data traffic packets over the packet-based network during a session;
detecting whether received incoming data packets are test packets, comprising: detecting a start of test signal message; and
when the received incoming data packets are test packets:
deriving a test signal from plural received test packets; and
comparing the derived test signal to a reference test signal to determine the quality of service parameter.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the test signal and the reference test signal are speech signals.
3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the step of deriving a test signal from plural received packets comprises decoding the plural received packets to derive the test signal.
4. method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising aligning the derived test signal and the reference test signal before comparing the derived test signal to the reference test signal.
5. The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising retrieving the reference test signal from a storage device.
6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting whether received incoming data packets are test packets comprises detecting an end of test signal message.
7. The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising controlling operation of the packet-based network responsive to the determined quality of service parameter.
8. A method of determining a quality of service parameter of a packet-based network, comprising:
receiving incoming streaming data during a session;
checking the incoming streaming data for activity; and
on determining a period of inactivity in the incoming streaming data, transmitting outgoing streaming data during the session, the outgoing steaming data comprising a plurality of test packets from which a test signal can be derived and a start of test signal message indicative of a test signal transmission.
9. The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the test signal is a speech signal.
10. A system for determining a quality of service parameter of a packet-based network, comprising:
an interface to the packet-based network configured to receive incoming test packets among streaming data traffic packets over the packet-based network during a session; and
a processor configured to detect whether received incoming data packets are test packets and configured to detect a start of test signal message and, when the received incoming data packets are test packets to derive a test signal from plural received test packets and to compare the derived test signal to a reference test signal to determine the quality of service parameter.
11. The system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the test signal and the reference test signal are speech signals.
12. The system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to decode the plural received packets to derive the test signal.
13. The system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to align the derived test signal and the reference test signal before comparing the derived test signal to the reference test signal.
14. A system for determining a quality of service parameter of a packet-based network, comprising:
an interface to the packet-based network configured to receive incoming streaming data during a session; and
a processor configured to check the incoming streaming data for activity and, on determining a period of inactivity in the incoming streaming data, to transmit outgoing streaming data during the session, the outgoing steaming data comprising a plurality of test packets from which a test signal can be derived and a start of test signal message indicative of a test signal transmission.
15. The system in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the test signal is a speech signal.
16. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions for determining a quality of service level of a packet-based network, the instructions comprising instructions for:
receiving incoming test packets among streaming data traffic packets over the packet-based network during a session;
detecting whether received incoming data packets are test packets and detecting a start of test signal message; and
when the received incoming data packets are test packets:
deriving a test signal from plural received test packets; and
comparing the derived test signal to a reference test signal to determine the quality of service parameter.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the test signal and the reference test signal are speech signals.
18. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions for determining a quality of service level of a packet-based network, the instructions comprising instructions for:
receiving incoming streaming data during a session;
checking the incoming streaming data for activity; and
on determining a period of inactivity in the incoming streaming data, transmitting outgoing streaming data during the session, the outgoing steaming data comprising a plurality of test packets from which a test signal can be derived and a start of test signal message indicative of a test signal transmission.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the test signal is a speech signal.