Distributed speech coder pool system with front-end idle mode processing for voice-over-IP communications

摘要

A system and method for managing resources in a distributed Voice-over-IP (VoIP) speech coder pool arrangement including multiple speech coders each comprised of a first number of front-end modules and a second number of back-end modules. Each call session has assigned thereto a front-end module and a back-end module cooperatively functioning as a speech coder. In a preferred embodiment, voice samples are passed through the assigned front-end module to the back-end module where they are encoded and placed as speech frames on the IP network. As soon as absence of speech is detected by a Voice Activity Detector (which may or may not be shared by multiple front-end modules), processing is handed over to the front-end module freeing up the back-end module to sit idle resulting in reduced power consumption. In alternate embodiment, the freed-up back-end module is reassigned to a new VoIP call session for maximum resource utilization.