Real-time monitoring of perceived quality of packet voice transmission

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for monitoring perceived quality of a packet-switched voice service in a network. The method includes the step of receiving a packetized voice communication via the packet-switched voice service. At least one objective measurement is obtained from the received packetized voice communication. User perceived quality of voice data is derived from the at least one objective measurement. The user perceived quality of voice data is provided to a user. The steps of receiving, obtaining, deriving, and providing are performed in real-time.

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . An apparatus comprising:
 a transceiver comprising:
 a packet interface configured to:
 couple to a packet switched network; and 
 process packet headers of a call over the packet switched network to obtain packet transmission statistical data; 
 
 a codec configured to:
 receive a coded digital signal for the call from the packet interface; and 
 decode and decompress the coded digital signal to create a digital audio signal; 
 
   a quality analyzer of the transceiver configured analyze at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal to obtain a quality measurement for the call over the packet switched network.   
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 51  wherein the quality analyzer is configured to analyze both the packet transmission statistical data and the digital audio signal to obtain the quality measurement. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 51  wherein the quality measurement comprises a distortion measurement. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 53  wherein the quality analyzer is further configured to report the distortion measurement to a sending transceiver through the packet interface to indicate reception quality. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 51  wherein the transceiver is further configured to send a signal to a receiving transceiver over the packet switched network; and the transceiver further comprises a far-end quality indicator configured to receive a distortion measurement from the receiving transceiver to indicate reception quality for the signal. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 51  wherein the quality analyzer configured to obtain the quality measurement comprises the quality analyzer configured to:
 obtain a set of objective measurements from at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or digital audio signal; and 
 create one or more estimates for a perceived level of impairment for the call using the set of objective measurements. 
 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 56  wherein the quality analyzer is further configured to transform the one or more estimates for the perceived level of impairment for the call into perceived impairment data. 
     
     
         58 . A method comprising:
 receiving a call over a packet switched network at a packet interface;   processing packet headers of the call to obtain packet transmission statistical data;   receiving a coded digital signal for the call at a codec from the packet interface;   decoding and decompressing the coded digital signal with the codec to create a digital audio signal; and   analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with a quality analyzer to obtain a quality measurement for the call over the packet switched network.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal comprises analyzing both the packet transmission statistical data and the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain the quality measurement. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain the quality measurement comprises analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain a distortion measurement. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60  further comprising reporting the distortion measurement with the quality analyzer to a sending transceiver through the packet interface to indicate reception quality. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 58  further comprising:
 sending a signal over the packet switched network to a receiving transceiver with the packet interface; and 
 receiving a distortion measurement from the receiving transceiver at a far-end quality indicator to indicate reception quality for the signal. 
 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain the quality measurement for the call over the packet switched network comprises:
 obtaining a set of objective measurements from at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or digital audio signal; and 
 estimating a perceived level of impairment for the call using the set of objective measurements. 
 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63  wherein the analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain the quality measurement for the call over the packet switched network further comprises transforming the one or more estimates for the perceived level of impairment for the call into perceived impairment data. 
     
     
         65 . A tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a call over a packet switched network at a packet interface;   processing packet headers of the call to obtain packet transmission statistical data;   receiving a coded digital signal for the call at a codec from the packet interface;   decoding and decompressing the coded digital signal with the codec to create a digital audio signal; and   analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with a quality analyzer to obtain a quality measurement for the call over the packet switched network.   
     
     
         66 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 65  wherein the analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal comprises analyzing both the packet transmission statistical data and the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain the quality measurement. 
     
     
         67 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 65  wherein the analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain the quality measurement comprises analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain a distortion measurement. 
     
     
         68 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 65  wherein the operations further comprise:
 sending a signal over the packet switched network to a receiving transceiver with the packet interface; and 
 receiving a distortion measurement from the receiving transceiver at a far-end quality indicator to indicate reception quality for the signal. 
 
     
     
         69 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 65  wherein the analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain a quality measurement for the call over the packet switched network comprises:
 obtaining a set of measurements from at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or digital audio signal; and 
 estimating a perceived level of impairment for the call using the set of measurements. 
 
     
     
         70 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 65  wherein the analyzing at least one of the packet transmission statistical data or the digital audio signal with the quality analyzer to obtain the quality measurement for the call over the packet switched network further comprises transforming the one or more estimates for the perceived level of impairment for the call into perceived impairment data