Voice-quality evaluating system, communication system, test management apparatus, and test communication apparatus

Abstract

A voice-quality evaluating system, in a secure network that allows a voice packet to pass, transmits and receives communication information for a voice quality testing between a test management apparatus and a test communication apparatus connected to the network and between the test communication apparatuses, for the voice quality testing between the test communication apparatuses arranged on the network. The voice-quality evaluating system embeds the communication information in a payload of the voice packet, and transmits and receives communication-information-embedded voice packet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic for illustrating an overview of a problem of a voice evaluation test in a voice-only network;

FIG. 2 is a schematic for illustrating an overview of an RTP-packetization of a TCP packet;

FIG. 3 is a schematic for illustrating a method of using the RTP packet.

FIG. 4 is a schematic for illustrating an overview of the voice evaluation test in the voice-only network according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic for illustrating a network structure of a voice-evaluation test system in the voice-only network;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a test management apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a probe according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of a test-scenario transmission processing according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram of an RTP-test-packet transmission processing according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of a test-result transmission processing according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a test management apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a probe according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram of a test suspension processing between a test management apparatus and the probe on the test-packet transmission side according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram of a test suspension processing between the probe on the test-packet transmission side and the probe on the test-packet reception side according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a test management apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a probe according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a sequence diagram of a test resumption processing between a test management apparatus and the probe on the test-packet transmission side according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a sequence diagram of a test resumption processing between the probe on the test-packet transmission side and the probe on the test-packet reception side according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a test management apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a block diagram of a probe according to the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a sequence diagram of a time synchronization processing according to the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 22 is a block diagram of a test management apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a block diagram of a probe according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 24 is a sequence diagram of a firmware update processing according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a sequence diagram of an RTP-test-packet partial-retransmission processing according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a sequence diagram of an RTP-test-packet entire-retransmission processing according to the sixth embodiment;

FIG. 27 is a block diagram of a test management apparatus according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a table concerning the protocol type selection according to the seventh embodiment;

FIG. 29 is a flowchart of the protocol selection processing procedure according to the seventh embodiment;

FIG. 30 is a block diagram of a test management apparatus according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 31 is a sequence diagram of an RTP-session-start negotiation processing according to the eighth embodiment.

Claims

1. A voice-quality evaluating system in a secure network that allows a voice packet to pass, the voice-quality evaluating system transmitting and receiving communication information for a voice quality testing between a test management apparatus and a test communication apparatus connected to the network and between the test communication apparatuses, for the voice quality testing between the test communication apparatuses arranged on the network, wherein the voice-quality evaluating system embeds the communication information in a payload of the voice packet, and transmits and receives communication-information-embedded voice packet.

2. The voice-quality evaluating system according to claim 1, wherein the test management apparatus transmits the communication-information-embedded voice packet to the test communication apparatus.

3. The voice-quality evaluating system according to claim 1, wherein before starting the voice quality testing, the test management apparatus embeds a test scenario defining test details and test procedure of the voice quality testing executed by the test communication apparatuses in the payload of the voice packet and transmits test-scenario-embedded voice packet to the test communication apparatus.

4. The voice-quality evaluating system according to claim 1, wherein the test communication apparatus transmits the communication-information-embedded voice packet to other test communication apparatus.

5. The voice-quality evaluating system according to claim 1, wherein the network is configured in such a manner that an apparatus that is connected to the network or arranged on the network can be added or moved, anda transmission-path securing apparatus that secures a transmission path from a connection source apparatus to a connection destination apparatus is further arranged on the network.

6. The voice-quality evaluating system according to claim 5, wherein the connection destination apparatus includes a communication permitting unit that determines whether a communication start request is from a connection source apparatus that is to be permitted to perform a communication with the connection destination apparatus, and when it is determined that the communication start request is from the connection source apparatus that is to be permitted to perform the communication with the connection destination apparatus, permits start of the communication.

7. The voice-quality evaluating system according to claim 5, wherein the connection destination apparatus determines whether the connection source apparatus is an apparatus permitted to perform a connection based on a uniform resource indicator of the connection source apparatus, and when it is determined that the connection source apparatus is an apparatus permitted to perform a connection, permits the connection.

8. The voice-quality evaluating system according to claim 1, wherein a transmission side apparatus embeds synchronization time information in the payload of the voice packet and transmits the synchronization-time-information-embedded voice packet to a reception side apparatus connected to or arranged on the network, to perform time synchronization between the transmission side apparatus and the reception side apparatus.

9. The voice-quality evaluating system according to claim 1, wherein a transmission side apparatus embeds firmware information in the payload of the voice packet and transmits firmware-information-embedded voice packet to a reception side apparatus connected to or arranged on the network, to update firmware of the reception side apparatus.

10. A communication system in a secure network that allows a voice packet to pass, the communication system transmitting and receiving intersystem communication information between apparatuses connected to the network, wherein the communication system embeds the intersystem communication information in a payload of the voice packet and transmits and receives intersystem-communication-information-embedded voice packet.

11. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the network is configured in such a manner that an apparatus that is connected to the network or arranged on the network can be added or moved,a transmission-path securing apparatus that secures a transmission path from a connection source apparatus to a connection destination apparatus by checking the connection destination apparatus to is further arranged on the network, andwhen securing the transmission path through the transmission-path securing apparatus before starting a communication between a transmission side apparatus and a reception side apparatus, the communication system embeds, intersystem communication information for securing the transmission path in the payload of the voice packet and transmits and receives the intersystem-communication-information-embedded voice packet.

12. The communication system according to claim 10, comprising: a communication-protocol selecting unit that selects a communication protocol for the communication, based on a communication protocol selection standard; anda protocol managing unit that stores and manages the communication protocol selected by the communication-protocol selecting unit.

13. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the voice packet transmitted from a transmission side apparatus to a reception side apparatus connected to or arranged on the network is a real-time transport protocol packet.

14. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the real-time transport protocol packet includes a plurality of sequences, andthe communication system further comprises a retransmission requesting unit that determines whether a part of the sequences is lost at a time of receiving the real-time transport protocol packet in the reception side apparatus, and when it is determined that a part of the sequences is lost, requests the transmission side apparatus to retransmit lost sequence or the real-time transport protocol packet.

15. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the transmission side apparatus starts transmission of the real-time transport protocol packet when the transmission side apparatus receives a permission from the reception side apparatus in response to a request for permission of the transmission of the real-time transport protocol packet.

16. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein the transmission side apparatus suspends the transmission of the real-time transport protocol packet when the transmission side apparatus does not receive the permission from the reception side apparatus in response to the request for permission of the transmission of the real-time transport protocol packet.

17. A test management apparatus that manages voice quality testing between test communication apparatuses arranged on a network for transmitting and receiving a voice packet to perform communication for a voice call, wherein the test management apparatus embeds communication information for the voice quality testing in a payload of the voice packet, and transmits communication-information-embedded voice packet.

18. The test management apparatus according to claim 17, wherein before starting the voice quality testing, the test management apparatus embeds a test scenario defining test details and test procedure of the voice quality testing executed by the test communication apparatuses in the payload of the voice packet and transmits test-scenario-embedded voice packet to the test communication apparatus.

19. The test management apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the test management apparatus embeds synchronization time information in the payload of the voice packet and transmits the synchronization-time-information-embedded voice packet to the test communication apparatuses arranged on the network.

20. The test management apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the test management apparatus embeds firmware information in the payload of the voice packet and transmits firmware-information-embedded voice packet to the test communication apparatuses arranged on the network.

21. A test communication apparatus for performing voice quality testing on a network that transmits and receives a voice packet and performs communication for a voice call, wherein the test communication apparatus embeds communication information for the voice quality testing in a payload of the voice packet communication-information-embedded voice packet to other test communication apparatus.

22. The test communication apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the voice packet includes a plurality of sequences, andthe test communication apparatus comprises a retransmission requesting unit that determines whether a part of the sequences is lost at a time of receiving the communication information from the other test communication apparatus, and when it is determined that a part of the sequences is lost, requests the other test communication apparatuses to retransmit lost sequence or the voice packet.

23. The test communication apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the test communication apparatus starts transmission of the voice packet when the test communication apparatus receives a permission from the other test communication apparatuses in response to a request for permission of the transmission of the voice packet.

24. The test communication apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the test communication apparatus suspends transmission of the voice packet when the test communication apparatus does not receive a permission from the other test communication apparatuses in response to a request for permission of the transmission of the voice packet.