QUALITY OF SERVICE ASSESSMENT FOR CONFERENCES

A method, executed by a computer, includes sending a test media packet sequence to a client of a plurality of clients, receiving from the client a response packet sequence corresponding to the test media packet sequence, comparing the test media packet sequence to the response packet sequence to determine a quality of service score for the client, and notifying the client of the quality of service score. A computer system and computer program product corresponding to the above method are also disclosed herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to conferencing, and more specifically, to assessing the quality of service for participants in a conference.

In the field of conferencing, a user may collaborate with remote participants using text, audio, and/or video chat. If a user has poor quality of service, the user may experience poor video or audio quality from participants in a conference. Additionally, the other participants may not be able to see or hear the user clearly. One problem is assessing the quality of service that participants may expect for a conference before initiating the conference itself.

SUMMARY

As disclosed herein, a method, executed by a computer, includes sending a test media packet sequence to a client of a plurality of clients, receiving from the client a response packet sequence corresponding to the test media packet sequence, comparing the test media packet sequence to the response packet sequence to determine a quality of service score for the client, and notifying the client of the quality of service score. A computer system and computer program product corresponding to the above method are also disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to audio and video conferencing, and more specifically, to assessing the quality of service that conference participants may expect when joining a conference. When a user first join a conference, it may be unclear as to whether the user will be able to clearly communicate with the other participants. For example, while the user may clearly receive audio and/or video from other participants, the user might not realize that the other participants cannot see or hear him. Quality of service may be determined before a conference begins by simulating text, audio, and/or video communication with the exchange of media samples. A test media packet sequence sent to a user may be compared to a response packet sequence received by the user to assess the user's quality of service.

It should be noted that references throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language herein do not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the embodiments disclosed herein should be, or are in, any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features, advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

These features and advantages will become more fully apparent from the following drawings, description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures.

FIG. 1is a block diagram depicting an example of a quality of service assessment system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. As depicted, quality of service assessment system100includes media server110with session initiation server120, media control unit130, conference manager140, and test media150; clients160A-160D, and network170. Media server110may host a conference with clients160A-160D as well as assess the quality of service that clients160A/160D will experience or are currently experiencing. Media server110may host modules such as session initiation server120, media control unit130, conference manager140, provide the modules with computing resources, and provide storage for test media150.

Session initiation server120may initiate sessions or register end points using various protocols, such as session Initiation Protocol (SIP). In some embodiments, session initiation server120uses SIP to initiate sessions and/or route text between clients160A-160D. End points, such as clients160A-160D, may register with session initiation server120in order to make the endpoints available or discoverable for conferencing. In some embodiments, a client registers with session initiation server120using SIP by providing session initiation server120with the client's IP address, port(s) to be used for conferencing, user account(s) associated with the client, and the like. Thus, conference manager140may discover clients and invite them to a conference using session initiation server120. For example, if client160A wishes to conference with client160C, client160A may send a request to media server110, which is sent to conference manager140, which in turn communicates with SIP sever120in order to look up client160C's port and IP address so that conference manager140may send an invitation to client160C.

Media control unit130may assess the quality of service for participants of a conference prior to or during the conference. Media control unit130may use test media150to send a client a test media packet sequence, and may receive from the client a response packet sequence. Test media150may include a sample of text, audio, and/or video media that is used by media control unit130to assess quality of service. When media control unit130has received a response packet sequence, media control unit130may compare the response packet sequence to the test media packet sequence to determine the client's quality of service, and may issue the client a quality of service score.

For example, test media150may be an audio and video file that media control unit130uses as source to send client160B a test media packet sequence. Client160B may receive the test media packet sequence and, using the test media packets received, respond with a response packet sequence. If the quality of the connection between client160B and media server110is excellent, the response packet sequence may mostly (or even perfectly) mirror the test media packet sequence, meaning there is no difference in the two, and a file described by the response media packet sequence would be substantially similar or identical to test media150. If a connection between client160B and media server110is poor, then the response media packet sequence may differ from the test media packet sequence in terms of latency, number of packets, etc. If little or no response media packets are received by media control unit130, then it may determine that a client will not be able to participate in a conference due to poor or no connectivity.

When assessing quality of service, media control unit130may compare a test media packet sequence to its corresponding response packet sequence in terms of response time of packets, jitter, packet loss, round-trip delay time, latency, and the like. Media control unit130may also create a media file from the response packet sequence and compare the media file to the original test media150in terms of audio quality, video quality, bitrate, resolution, playback length, number of compression artifacts, and the like. Media control unit130may assess the quality of service for a client prior to the client joining a conference, and/or at any point during the conference. In some embodiments, media control unit130informs a client of its own quality of service and the quality of service of all of the other clients, so that every client is privy to the quality of service of all participants. Media control unit130may inform clients of their quality of service in terms of a quality of service score, which may be represented as a rating such as a percentage or an integer score ranging from zero to ten.

Conference manager140may initiate a conference for participants, such as clients160A-160D. In some embodiments, conference manager140discovers invitees using registrar information obtained from session initiation server120, and initiates a conference by inviting all of the participants. Conference manager140may provide all of the computing resources necessary to host a conference. In some embodiments, rather than be invited, a client may elect to join a predefined conference shared with the client. When a conference session is active, conference server140or media control unit130may relay data between all participants using the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP).

In various embodiments of the present invention, clients160A-160D may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbook computer, a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a thin client, or any programmable electronic device capable of executing computer readable program instructions. Clients160A-160D may include internal and external hardware components, as depicted and described in further detail with respect toFIG. 4. Clients may initially register with media server110's session initiation server120over SIP, and once a conference begins, may communicate with other clients over RTP.

Network170may include any sort of network over which media server110, session initiation server120, media control unit130, conference manager140, and clients160A-160D may all communicate. Network170may be a local network, intranet, wireless network, or the like. In some embodiments, network170is the Internet.

FIG. 2is a flow chart depicting an example of a quality of service assessment method200in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. As depicted, quality of service assessment method200includes sending (210) a test sequence, receiving (220) a response sequence, comparing (230) the test and response sequences, notifying (240) the client, and suggesting (250) a QoS mode. Quality of service assessment method200may assess the quality of a conference before it begins so that participants may be informed of the degree of coherency and intelligibility that they might expect.

Sending (210) a test media packet sequence may include sending test media150as a sequence of packets to one or more clients. The clients may receive the packets from media server110and respond with response packets that together form a response packet sequence. A client may respond with a response packet as soon as it receives a test media packet, or the client may respond with a complete (or as nearly complete as possible, in the case of packet loss) response packet sequence upon delivery of the test media packet sequence.

Receiving (220) the response packet sequence may include receiving the response packet sequence transmitted from one or more clients. Media server110may relay response packet sequences to media control unit130, or media control unit130may receive directly from the one or more clients160A-160D.

Comparing (230) the test and response sequences may include comparing the test media packet sequence to the response packet sequence in terms of various metrics. The various metrics may include response time metric, jitter metric, packet loss metric, round-trip delay time metric, and latency metric, where each metric may be derived from executing algorithms that compare the statistics of the test and response packet sequences. Furthermore, as the response packet sequence may be intended to describe a media file, the resulting media file may be compared to the test media150so that audio and video quality may be compared. In some embodiments, media control unit130may calculate an overall or composite score that takes into account the various metrics and audio and video quality in order to succinctly qualify the quality of service of a client.

Notifying (240) one or more clients of the quality of service may include notifying each client of their own quality of service as well as every other participant's quality of service. Quality of service may be represented using one or more of the quality of service metrics or an overall quality of service composite score. In some embodiments, the quality of service is represented to a user on a client's user interface.

Suggesting (250) a quality of service mode may include suggesting one or more modes to a user of a client depending on the client's quality of service score. Different quality of service modes may include an audio-video mode, an audio-only mode, a text-only mode, or variations on these having various resolutions or bitrates ranging from high to low.

FIG. 3is a flow chart depicting an example of a conference initiation method300in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. As depicted, conference initiation method300includes registering (310) clients, receiving (320) a request, determining (330) QoS of clients, informing (340) clients, and initiating (350) the conference. Conference initiation method300enables a user to start a conference, invite other participants, assess the participants' quality of service, and share the participants' quality of service with each other.

Registering (310) clients with a session initiation server may include registering the user account(s), IP address, and/or ports of clients160A-160D with session initiation server120. Clients may register over SIP. Receiving (320) a request to start a conference may include receiving, over SIP, a request from a particular client to start a conference with other enumerated participants. In some embodiments, the list of participants may not be per se enumerated but may be “all contacts,” “co-workers,” “most recent contact(s)” or the like. Conference manager140may then contact and invite participants, using session initiation server120to look up the participants' client IP address or other contact information in order to send an invitation.

Determining (330) the quality of service of clients may include determining, for each client that is to be a participant of a conference, their quality of service. In some embodiments, the quality of service is determined by quality of service assessment method200.

Informing (340) a client of the clients' quality of service may include informing each client160A-160D of each of the other clients'160A-160D quality of service, as well as their own, prior to initiation of a conference. The clients may be informed by media server110and/or media control unit130. For example, client160A may be informed that client160B can audio- and video-conference with client160A, that client160C can only audio-conference with client160A, and that client160D is unreachable. Following this example, client160D may be told that the other clients160A-160C will not be able to communicate meaningfully with a user of client160D.

Initiating (350) the conference may include provisioning a virtual conference room, and enabling clients to join the conference. In some embodiments, a conference room is provisioned by conference manager140, which provides it with an appropriate amount of computing resources. Conference manager140may obtain from session initiation server120endpoint connection information for SIP signaling in order to invite or add clients160A-160D to the conference at any time. Clients may join at any time to a predetermined conference room.

FIG. 4is a block diagram depicting components of a computer400suitable for executing the methods disclosed herein. It should be appreciated thatFIG. 4provides only an illustration of one embodiment and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to the depicted environment may be made.

Memory406and persistent storage408are computer readable storage media. In the depicted embodiment, memory406includes random access memory (RAM)416and cache memory418. In general, memory406can include any suitable volatile or non-volatile computer readable storage media.

One or more programs may be stored in persistent storage408for execution by one or more of the respective computer processors404via one or more memories of memory406. The persistent storage408may be a magnetic hard disk drive, a solid state hard drive, a semiconductor storage device, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, or any other computer readable storage media that is capable of storing program instructions or digital information.

Communications unit412, in these examples, provides for communications with other data processing systems or devices. In these examples, communications unit412includes one or more network interface cards. Communications unit412may provide communications through the use of either or both physical and wireless communications links.

I/O interface(s)414allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be connected to computer400. For example, I/O interface414may provide a connection to external devices420such as a keyboard, keypad, a touch screen, and/or some other suitable input device. External devices420can also include portable computer readable storage media such as, for example, thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards.

Software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention can be stored on such portable computer readable storage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage408via I/O interface(s)414. I/O interface(s)414may also connect to a display422. Display422provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be, for example, a computer monitor.