Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080201418 | Web-Based Sharing of Documents - A technique is disclosed that enables telecommunications endpoints to conveniently share the addressing information—that is, the Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI)—of documents that are available on the World Wide Web. In particular, a server is used to provide a bookmark service. The server acts as a repository of tag-URI pairs, in which each tag functions as a shorthand label for the corresponding URI. In the disclosed technique, a first user creates the tag for the intended URI by assigning a keyword to represent the URI as part of a bookmark tag-URI pair that the server stores. The created tag is presumably shorter than the URI that it represents, making the tag more convenient to use. A second user is then able to retrieve and use the URI by specifying the tag to the bookmark server. In essence, the technique of the illustrative embodiment enables the sharing of Web documents by sharing the bookmarks to those documents. | 08-21-2008 |
20080205292 | Detection of Asymmetric Network Routes - Route asymmetry is detected in a network by running a route tracing program to trace routes between a first element of the network and a second element of the network. The route tracing program need be run at only a single network element, such as the first network element. Forward and reverse routes between the first and second network elements are identified as asymmetric if performance data from the route tracing program indicates a significant deviation from an expected monotonic characteristic as a function of time-to-live values of respective packets transmitted by the route tracing program. | 08-28-2008 |
20080301271 | METHOD OF IP ADDRESS DE-ALIASING - A method of internet protocol (IP) address de-aliasing that involves obtaining IP addresses from devices in a network, pinging pairs of the IP addresses by sending packets to pairs of the IP addresses, obtaining ping response orders for the packets, and determining whether the pairs of IP addresses are aliases of the same network device based on the obtained ping response orders. | 12-04-2008 |
20090003238 | Node Merging Process for Network Topology Representation - Node merging methods and apparatus are disclosed for generating simplified representations of network topology. A first topology representative of a given network is determined, and at least one pair of nodes of the first topology is merged into a single node based on measures associated with respective edges connecting the nodes of the node pair to at least one neighbor node common to that pair. The merging step is repeated for one or more additional pairs of nodes to produce a reduced network topology meeting one or more desired criteria, and a visualization or other representation of the reduced network topology is generated. | 01-01-2009 |
20090028062 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PARTITIONING END-TO-END PERFORMANCE EFFECTS USING NETWORK TOMOGRAPHY - Systems and methods are presented for partitioning end-to-end performance effects using network tomography. In one embodiment, a method for partitioning end-to-end performance effects within a network is presented. The method includes determining a network topology between at least two test points, obtaining an unrelated approximation of edge effects between the test points, measuring end-to-end performance data between the test points corresponding to a target application, regularizing an estimate of edge effects for the target application using the unrelated approximation of edge effects, and computing the estimate of edge effects for the target application to partition the end-to-end effects. | 01-29-2009 |
20090116397 | Network Condition Capture and Reproduction - A network condition capture and reproduction technique captures measurement data characterizing network conditions at a given time between first and second endpoint devices of a network, and utilizes the captured measurement data in a network impairment device to reproduce the network conditions at a later time and possibly in a different place. | 05-07-2009 |
20090141647 | Acknowledgment of Media Waveforms between Telecommunications Endpoints - An apparatus and method are disclosed that enable a first telecommunications endpoint to ensure that a second endpoint is receiving the first endpoint's packet stream transmissions with a satisfactory waveform quality. When the second endpoint receives the packet stream, it decodes the media waveform from the stream, encodes the waveform back into a second packet stream, and transmits some or all of the packets in the second stream back to the first endpoint. The first endpoint then decodes the received waveform in the second stream and compares it to the original waveform transmitted to the second endpoint. Based on the comparison, the first endpoint adjusts the value of a quality indication, and provides the quality indication to its user and to the second endpoint. Advantageously, the user at the second endpoint is able to determine whether the received waveform is, in fact, close enough to the waveform that the first endpoint's user intended to be received and understood. | 06-04-2009 |
20090219825 | Endpoint Device Configured to Permit User Reporting of Quality Problems in a Communication Network - An IP telephone or other endpoint device in a network is configured to support a reporting mode of operation that may be entered, for example, responsive to user entry of a report command via a user interface of the endpoint device. In one aspect, the endpoint device stores call information in one or more buffers. Responsive to an instruction to enter a reporting mode, the endpoint device sends contents of the buffer(s) to a report server over the network. The endpoint device may reinitialize the buffer(s) responsive to an instruction to leave the reporting mode. | 09-03-2009 |
20090268622 | Route Tracing Program Configured to Detect Particular Network Element Making Type of Service Modification - One or more network elements that modify type of service values in a network are detected by sending route tracing messages having increasing time-to-live values and a designated type of service value from a first network element to a second network element. Type of service values are monitored in respective time exceeded messages received from respective network elements on a given network path between the first network element and the second network element responsive to the route tracing messages. At least a particular one of the network elements on the given network path that has made a modification in type of service value relative to the designated type of service value is identified, based on the monitored type of service values in the respective time exceeded messages. | 10-29-2009 |
20090274040 | Mid-call Redirection of Traffic Through Application-Layer Gateways - A method and apparatus are disclosed for redirecting traffic associated with an application so that the traffic advantageously traverses (or “hairpins”) through an application-layer gateway. Because the present invention advantageously redirects traffic without any participation by routers, no changes to or replacement of routers in a network is required. The illustrative embodiment is disclosed in the context of Internet telephony, but is also applicable to other kinds of applications and types of communication (e.g., Internet Protocol Television [IPTV], instant messaging [IM], videoconferencing, etc.) | 11-05-2009 |
20100061535 | Notification of Dropped Audio in a Teleconference Call - A method is disclosed that enables a participant in a conference call to monitor, as he is speaking, whether his speech is getting through to the other participants. A teleconference bridge receives audio signals from a group of telecommunications endpoints that are involved in a conference call. The bridge generates audio signals to be transmitted, which are based on one or more of the received audio signals. During the ongoing process of minimizing the presence of acoustic echo, the bridge might exclude one or more of the received audio signals from the transmitted audio signals. When this occurs, particularly when an active talker is being excluded, the bridge transmits an indication to one or more of the endpoints as part of one of the transmitted audio signals. The indication can be audible such as a tone or a voice, visual such as a flashing light, or tactile such as vibration. | 03-11-2010 |
20100062756 | Sharing of Electromagnetic-Signal Measurements for Providing Feedback about Transmit-Path Signal Quality - A technique is discloses that enables a first telecommunications terminal, wireless or otherwise, to report to its user whether a second, wireless telecommunications terminal is receiving the first terminal's packet stream transmissions at a satisfactory quality level. The second terminal receives the packet stream that conveys the media waveform transmitted by the first terminal. The media waveform can be that of the speech signal of the first terminal's user. The second terminal measures a trait of the received signal and encodes the measurement data into the packet stream that the second terminal is already transmitting to the first terminal. The first terminal then decodes the measurement data from the received second stream and presents, to its user, a quality indication that is based on the measurement data. In doing so, the first terminal provides its user with a better idea of whether the second terminal has reliably received the user's communication. | 03-11-2010 |
20100118700 | Automatic Detection and Re-Configuration of Priority Status In Telecommunications Networks - A technique for ensuring that a node that carries high-priority protocol data units and low-priority protocol data units is properly configured to accord the high-level protocol data units priority treatment is described. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, two streams of protocol data units are transmitted through a node to be tested. One stream comprises high-priority protocol data units, and the second stream comprises low-priority protocol data units. The processing capabilities of the node are then burdened by increasing the frequency of protocol data units transmitted to it, so that the node is compelled to treat the two streams differently, if, in fact, it is properly configured to treat them differently. If the node treats the two streams differently and accords the high-priority stream higher priority, then the node is properly configured. Otherwise, the node is re-configured to accord the high-priority stream higher priority. | 05-13-2010 |
20100124262 | Adaptive Partitioning of Traffic Without Additional Probe Traffic - A method is disclosed for adaptively and intelligently partitioning traffic among a plurality of communications channels, without injecting probe traffic into any of the channels. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a source node transmits traffic to a receiving node via K communications channels in accordance with partition coefficients α | 05-20-2010 |
20100246411 | System and Method for Sending Packets Using Another Device's Network Address - A network analyzer gets configuration information, usually in the form of a configuration packet sent from a network monitor. The configuration information comprises a second device network address and a third device network address. The second device network address is that of the network monitor and the third device network address is that of a communication device that is to be monitored. | 09-30-2010 |
20100278049 | System and Method for Testing a Dynamic Communication Across a Network - A network monitor gets a bill of materials for a communication across a network where different communication paths may be established. A bill of materials is a list of hardware/software components that are used to establish and maintain the communication. A request to generate a test communication between the same devices involved in the communication is received. A request to sample and send samples of test data is sent to a network analyzer. The test communication is established. A bill of materials for the test communication is determined. The bill of materials for the communication is compared to the bill of materials for the test communication. Test data is sent on the test communication. The sent test data is analyzed in relation to the sent samples of the test data and the compared bills of materials. | 11-04-2010 |
20100278056 | System and Method for Monitoring a Network Communication at Multiple Network Layers - A network monitor gets a (layer 7) media path bill of materials for a communication between two communication devices. The network monitor also gets a (layer 7) signaling path bill of materials. The media path bill of materials and the signaling path bill of materials comprise a plurality of items that are involved in the communication (e.g. hardware, software, links). The media path bill of materials and the signaling path bill of materials comprise a communication path bill of materials. The network monitor sends at least one configuration packet to a plurality of network analyzers to monitor packets that contain a status of the communication in relation one or more items in the communication path bill of materials. The status of the communication is output and displayed in relation to the items in the communication path bill of materials. | 11-04-2010 |
20100284426 | INTELLIGENT MULTI-PACKET HEADER COMPRESSION - A packet analyzer(s) gets multiple packets, typically of a communication between communication devices. The multiple packets use the same protocol and contain one or more protocol headers with individual field(s) that contain data. The packets are organized into an array of packets. Each packet is a row in the array of packets. Each column in the array is comprised of the same field in each packet in the array of packets. The data in the fields in the column are then compressed into a compression packet. | 11-11-2010 |
20100290344 | DETECTION AND DISPLAY OF PACKET CHANGES IN A NETWORK - The system and method send test packets into a network between a plurality of source and destination nodes. Each source node is also a destination node. The test packet contains an additional field (e.g., a field of particular interest to an application or user) that is subject to being modified as the test packet traverses the network (e.g., a DSCP marking). A determination is made if the additional field has changed; if so, the network node that changed the additional field is identified and displayed to a user in a matrix display of the source nodes and destination nodes. This allows a user to identify situations where changes in the additional field may indicate that the test packet is being routed in the network at a priority that is outside of a Service Level Agreement. | 11-18-2010 |
20110026410 | System and Method for Comparing Packet Traces for Failed and Successful Communications - The system and method get a packet trace for a failed communication and a packet trace for a successful communication. The two packet traces are generated with packets from a common protocol(s) shared by the two communications. The failed and successful communications have at least some network elements in common. A field(s) in the common protocol(s) is identified. The field(s) is updated to be the same in both packet traces. The two packet traces are then compared to produce a list of remaining differences that can be used to diagnose problems in the failed communication. The list can also be compared to bills of materials for the failed and successful communications to further enhance diagnosis of the failed communication. | 02-03-2011 |
20110211450 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY ADAPTING AUDIO PACKET MARKING IN A PACKET NETWORK - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for managing a packet network to deal with a problem of dropped audio packets. A triggering event signal indicates that audio marked packet traffic in the packet network has exceeded a capacity limit. Upon receiving the triggering event signal, a transmitting device transmits audio packets marked as non-audio packets through the packet network. The transmitting device, for example, is a VoIP telephone. The triggering event signal, for example, is generated when the audio marked packet traffic exceeds a dropped packet threshold, or when monitoring of audio marked packet traffic indicates that audio marked packet traffic approaches a committed data rate (CDR) threshold. | 09-01-2011 |
20110211459 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING AND TESTING PACKET FLOWS TO LOCALIZE PROBLEMS - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for analyzing packet flows and generating an alarm and for active testing of a network to localize problems. The system analyzes packet flows for bitstreams associated with a network node in order to compute a measure of protection that a queue of the network node gives to a high-priority one of the bitstreams relative to a low-priority one of the bitstreams, and uses the measure of protection to determine whether the network node is a source of a protection error with respect to priority markings for packets flowing through the network node, and generates an alarm upon determining that the network node is a source of a protection error with respect to the priority markings for the packets flowing through the network node. | 09-01-2011 |
20110211491 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING SOURCES OF ROGUE NON-AUDIO TRAFFIC MARKED AS AUDIO TRAFFIC - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for managing a packet network to deal with rogue applications that produce non-audio packets marked as audio packets. The system analyzes packet flow through the network to identify an unauthorized source of non-audio packets marked as audio packets, and upon identifying the unauthorized source, the system stops subsequent unauthorized transmission of non-audio packets marked as audio packets from the identified unauthorized source. For example, such an unauthorized source is identified by finding that an audio marked packet has a source address that is not found on a list of authorized sources, or by detecting atypical patterns of audio queue utilization, or by determining whether audio marked packets from a source exceed a threshold value related to transmission of audio marked packets. | 09-01-2011 |
20130058243 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING SOURCES OF ROGUE NON-AUDIO TRAFFIC MARKED AS AUDIO TRAFFICE - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for managing a packet network to deal with rogue applications that produce non-audio packets marked as audio packets. The system analyzes packet flow through the network to identify an unauthorized source of non-audio packets marked as audio packets, and upon identifying the unauthorized source, the system stops subsequent unauthorized transmission of non-audio packets marked as audio packets from the identified unauthorized source. For example, such an unauthorized source is identified by finding that an audio marked packet has a source address that is not found on a list of authorized sources, or by detecting atypical patterns of audio queue utilization, or by determining whether audio marked packets from a source exceed a threshold value related to transmission of audio marked packets. | 03-07-2013 |
20130201865 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING ROGUE TRAFFIC USING FLOW STATISTICS WITH A LIST OF AUTHORIZED ENGINES - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for determining rogue traffic using flow statistics and a list of authorized media engines. A system configured according to this disclosure receives data associated with a group of packets in a media queue, such as the source network address where the packets originated, the destination network address for the packets, and an indication of an associated queue for the packets. The system then verifies the data received by comparing the source network address to a list of network addresses of known media engines. The system further verifies that the indication of an associated queue for the packets is correct for the packets. Should the system detect failure in the verification of known media engines or the verification of indication of associated queues, the system generates a notification. | 08-08-2013 |
20130215768 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC DSCP TRACING FOR XOIP ELEMENTS - Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for performing automatic Differentiated Services Code Point tracing for XoIP elements. A system configured as an agent maintains a cache of destination network addresses based on prior network communications. Then, the system identifies a destination network address to test. The system can identify the destination network address to test based on the cache of destination network addresses. The cache can include additional information, such as network test results, traffic information, port numbers, DSCP trace value, measurements of traffic protection, service provider information, etc. Next, the system automatically sends to the destination network address a network test configured to determine a Differentiated Services Code Point trace. The system can perform the network test for any type of network traffic and port. | 08-22-2013 |
20130223223 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VERIFYING MULTIPROTOCOL LABEL SWITCHING CONTRACTS - Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for verifying service contracts by measuring rates of out-of-contract traffic. The method is discussed in terms of a system implementing the method. The system determines, based on packet markings, a number of network packets that are classified as out-of-contract by a network device, wherein the packet markings indicate a classification associated with respective network packets. The packet markings can be Differentiated Services Code Point markings Moreover, the classification associated with respective network packets can include a class of service and at least one of an in-contract status and an out-of-contract status. Next, the system measures network packets sent to the network device. Finally, the system determines how the network device is configured to classify incoming packets based on the number of network packets that are classified as out-of-contract by the network device and the network packets sent to the network device. | 08-29-2013 |
20130227117 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC SESSION MAPS - Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for creating dynamic session maps. The method is discussed in terms of a system implementing the method. The system generates a dynamic session map token for a packet in a communication session, wherein the dynamic session map token instructs a node to send a copy of the packet to a specified destination. The dynamic session map token includes a unique dynamic session map identifier, a port number, and an IP address associated with the specified destination. Next, the system adds the dynamic session map token to the packet to yield a tracing packet. The dynamic session map token can be incorporated into the header portion of the packet, for example. Finally, the system transmits the tracing packet to the node. In one embodiment, the system also sends the copy of the packet to the specified destination. | 08-29-2013 |
20130250779 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR END-TO-END RTCP - Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for implementing real-time transport control protocol to obtain end-to-end session information. The system receives a real-time transport control protocol extension associated with a real-time transport control protocol packet in a communication session, wherein the real-time transport control protocol extension comprises an instruction for transmitting real-time transport control protocol data based on a triggering event, and wherein the real-time transport control protocol extension is configured to propagate along the communication session. Next, in response to the triggering event, the system transmits the real-time transport control protocol data to an address defined by the instruction as a destination address for receiving information associated with the triggering event. | 09-26-2013 |
20130250786 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR END-TO-END CALL QUALITY INDICATION - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for generating an end-to-end quality indication associated with a communication session. Based on a real-time transport control protocol message, the system identifies a media path associated with a communication session. Next, the system determines a respective media leg quality for a plurality of media legs in the media path. Based on the respective media leg quality, the system then determines a media path quality. The system can also generate a media quality indication based on the media path quality, and display the media quality indication. | 09-26-2013 |
20130272118 | System and Method for Automatically Adapting Audio Packet Marking in a Packet Network - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for managing a packet network to deal with a problem of dropped audio packets. A triggering event signal indicates that audio marked packet traffic in the packet network has exceeded a capacity limit. Upon receiving the triggering event signal, a transmitting device transmits audio packets marked as non-audio packets through the packet network. The transmitting device, for example, is a VoIP telephone. The triggering event signal, for example, is generated when the audio marked packet traffic exceeds a dropped packet threshold, or when monitoring of audio marked packet traffic indicates that audio marked packet traffic approaches a committed data rate (CDR) threshold. | 10-17-2013 |
20130295917 | Sharing Electromagnetic-Signal Measurements for Providing Feedback About Transmit-Path Signal Quality - A technique is discloses that enables a first telecommunications terminal, wireless or otherwise, to report to its user whether a second, wireless telecommunications terminal is receiving the first terminal's packet stream transmissions at a satisfactory quality level. The second terminal receives the packet stream that conveys the media waveform transmitted by the first terminal. The media waveform can be that of the speech signal of the first terminal's user. The second terminal measures a trait of the received signal and encodes the measurement data into the packet stream that the second terminal is already transmitting to the first terminal. The first terminal then decodes the measurement data from the received second stream and presents, to its user, a quality indication that is based on the measurement data. In doing so, the first terminal provides its user with a better idea of whether the second terminal has reliably received the user's communication. | 11-07-2013 |
20140056148 | System and Method for Detecting Rogue Traffic Using Flow Statistics with a List of Authorized Engines - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for determining rogue traffic using flow statistics and a list of authorized media engines. A system configured according to this disclosure receives data associated with a group of packets in a media queue, such as the source network address where the packets originated, the destination network address for the packets, and an indication of an associated queue for the packets. The system then verifies the data received by comparing the source network address to a list of network addresses of known media engines. The system further verifies that the indication of an associated queue for the packets is correct for the packets. Should the system detect failure in the verification of known media engines or the verification of indication of associated queues, the system generates a notification. | 02-27-2014 |
20150039747 | COMMUNICATION DEVICE EVENT CAPTURES - A user interaction or a timer event is detected in a communication device. A timestamp is associated with the user interaction or the timer event. In response to detecting the user interaction or the timer event in the communication device, the user interaction or the timer event and the timestamp are stored in a packet log file associated with the communication device. The packet log file can also include a packet trace of packets that are sent to and received by the communication device. This allows the user interactions and/or the timer events to be displayed chronologically in relation to the packets sent to and received by the communication device. | 02-05-2015 |
20150039775 | TRACKING THE PROGRESSION OF A COMMUNICATION SESSION - A global identifier is generated based on the initiation of a communication session in a network. The global identifier is sent during the initiation of the communication session. For example, in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE, the global identifier is passed as the communication session progresses across the network. The communication session is logged based on the global identifier in a communication log. A map of the communication session is built from the session log based on the global identifier. The map includes all the elements that were involved with the communication session.
| 02-05-2015 |
20150058492 | MANAGEMENT OF NETWORK IMPAIRMENT BY COMMUNICATION ENDPOINTS - A communication session is established between a first communication endpoint and a second communication endpoint. A determination of a network condition is made, such as determining a type of network impairment. In response to determining the network condition, a message is sent to the second communication endpoint that requests the second communication endpoint to change a process for sending packets in the communication session. The process for changing packets can include: having the second communication endpoint send the same packets in the communication session at least twice; having the second communication endpoint use a different packet priority value for the communication session; having the second communication endpoint switch from a connection oriented protocol to a connectionless protocol for the communication session; and having the second communication endpoint switch from the connectionless protocol to the connection oriented protocol for the communication session. | 02-26-2015 |