Voice Call Latency Reduction via Packet Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Monitoring telephone calls in packet switched networks leads to increased latency due to the process of tromboning or hairpinning, which involves multiple compressions and decompressions of data packets, resulting in delays during voice conversations.
Innovation Solution
A service management platform with a component for handling voice calls that includes a monitoring component for detecting commands within data packets, and a relay component for directly relaying data packets between input/output legs, eliminating the need for intermediate decompression and recompression, thereby reducing latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data packets are collected in a buffer, decompressed, decoded, processed by monitoring equipment, encoded, recompressed, and retransmitted, then command monitoring capability is achieved, but call latency increases due to multiple compressions and decompressions
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the data packet handling into two separate paths: a fast relay path that directly forwards packets between call legs without processing, and a monitoring path that extracts and analyzes command data from packet payloads. This segmentation allows the majority of traffic to flow with minimal latency while monitoring functions are performed on extracted data.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts command data from the packet payload and separates it from the voice data stream. By taking out the monitoring function and processing it separately from the main data flow, the system achieves reliable command detection without requiring the entire packet to undergo slow processing cycles.
2Measurement precision
If data packets undergo multiple compressions and decompressions for monitoring, then command detection accuracy is improved, but processing time and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary extraction of command data from the packet payload before the main processing occurs. By preparing and separating the command data in advance, the monitoring component can process it with high accuracy without waiting for the complete decompression and encoding cycle, thus reducing overall processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a copy of the packet payload containing command data and processes this copy separately from the original voice data stream. This copying approach allows parallel processing where command detection can be performed with high precision on the copied data while the original stream continues through the relay path without delay.
3Loss of time
If a relay component directly relays data packets between input/output legs, then call latency is reduced, but command monitoring capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary monitoring component that sits between the relay path and the network. This intermediary extracts and processes command data from packets passing through the relay, enabling the relay to maintain its fast, low-latency operation while the intermediary ensures comprehensive command monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay component is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a fast data forwarding element and as a source for command extraction. By making the relay universal, it can simultaneously perform its primary relay function with minimal latency while also providing data to the monitoring component for command detection.
Data Source
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AI summary
A service management platform for processing packet switched communications is provided. The service management platform has a component for handling voice calls. The component for handling voice calls comprises a first input/output for sending and receiving data packets associated with a first leg of a call, a second input/output for sending and receiving data packets associated with a second leg of the call, a monitoring component for monitoring copies of the data packets for commands contained within a payload of the data packets, and a relay component for directly relaying the data packets between the first input/output and the second input/output and for generating and forwarding copies of the data packets to the monitoring component.