Performance Information Packets for Network Congestion Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telephony over packet networks lacks effective mechanisms for real-time bandwidth management and call handling due to the absence of connection path state awareness, leading to issues like congestion, jitter, and packet loss, which are difficult to diagnose and manage, especially in converged networks carrying voice, data, and video.
Innovation Solution
The system generates and communicates performance information packets (PIP packets) to determine network performance, including real-time and non-real-time bandwidth usage, across network segments, enabling call control managers to make informed decisions and manage network resources more effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If telephony operates over packet networks without connection path state awareness, then network flexibility and convergence of voice/data/video is improved, but network performance management and quality of service deteriorate due to congestion, jitter, and packet loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where network elements monitor and report connection path state information back to the network. Performance information packets (PIPs) carry real-time data about bandwidth usage, congestion, jitter, and packet loss, enabling the network to adapt and manage quality of service dynamically while maintaining convergence capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces performance information packets (PIPs) as intermediary elements that mediate between the packet network infrastructure and the telephony applications. These PIPs carry connection path state awareness information without requiring fundamental changes to the packet network architecture, thus preserving network flexibility while enabling performance management
2Productivity
If performance information packets are implemented to provide real-time network performance monitoring, then network resource management and call handling improve, but network complexity and information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments network performance monitoring into distributed components where individual network elements (switches, routers, access nodes) independently generate and process performance information packets for their local segments. This segmentation avoids centralized processing bottlenecks and reduces overall network device complexity while improving resource management efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial monitoring where performance information packets are generated selectively based on network conditions and priorities. Not all network elements generate PIPs at all times, but rather when performance thresholds are crossed or for high-priority traffic, reducing processing overhead while maintaining effective resource management
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for determining network performance information. The system includes an interface configured to communicate between customer premise equipment (CPE) and a communications device. The system also includes one or more processing units in communication with the interface. The one or more processing units are configured to generate packets communicated by the interface between the CPE and the communications device to determine the network performance information.