Patent ID: 7643414

Claim:
A method for performing call admission control, comprising: (a) determining at least one of (i) a bandwidth utilization level for a first Wide Area Network (WAN) path including a first WAN link, and (ii) an available bandwidth level for the first WAN path and one or more Quality of Service or QoS metrics for the first WAN path; (b) comparing the determined at least one bandwidth level and the one or more QoS metrics to one or more selected thresholds to determine whether a new live voice communication may be set up with a first selected codec, wherein the comparing step (b) comprises: (b1) adjusting the one or more QoS metrics to reflect placing the new live voice communication with the first selected codec; (b2) determining whether the adjusted one or more QoS metrics are acceptable in view of selected thresholds; and (b3) applying the following rules: (b3i) when the adjusted QoS metrics are acceptable, setting up the new live voice communication with the first selected codec; and (b3ii) when the adjusted QoS metrics are not acceptable, performing step (c); and (c) determining that the new live voice communication may not be set up with the first selected codec and in response to determining that the new live voice communication may not be set up with the first selected codec performing at least one of the following steps: (i) selecting a second different codec from among a plurality of possible codecs for the new live voice communication, wherein the second codec has a lower bit rate than the first codec; (ii) changing an existing live voice communication on the first WAN path from the first codec to the second codec; and (iii) redirecting the new live voice communication from the first WAN path to a second different WAN path, wherein the second WAN path does not include the first WAN.