Abstract: Various approaches for the deployment and coordination of network operation processing, compute processing, and communications for 5G networks, including with the use of fingerprint-based vRAN cell integrity monitoring, are discussed. In an example, analyzing a state of a 5G network includes: obtaining initial fingerprint reference data of a network state between a virtualized radio access network (vRAN) node and at least one fingerprint reference unit (FRU) device wirelessly connected to the vRAN node; comparing the initial fingerprint reference data to subsequent fingerprint data of the network state between the vRAN node (e.g., operating as vRAN gNB, or as an IAB Donor or IAB Node) and the at least one FRU device to detect a changed network condition; and performing an action at the vRAN node to modify or disable a component of the 5G network, in response to detection of the changed network condition.

Abstract: A method for a client to receive streaming media over a network includes receiving data having the streaming media encoded therein and storing the received data in a de-jitter buffer thereby increasing a fullness of the de-jitter buffer. The method further includes, when the fullness reaches a fill level, initiating play out of the stored data from the de-jitter buffer, and changing the fill level while playing out the stored data.

Abstract: A method for a client to receive streaming media over a network includes receiving data having the streaming media encoded therein and storing the received data in a de-jitter buffer thereby increasing a fullness of the de-jitter buffer. The method further includes, when the fullness reaches a fill level, initiating play out of the stored data from the de-jitter buffer, and changing the fill level while playing out the stored data.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for minimizing the startup delay of streaming media transmitted through networks. A server maintains a portion of the media stream stored in an initial burst transmit buffer. At startup, the stored portion is transmitted at a rate higher than the fixed frame rate, exploiting the full available bandwidth. The initial burst transmission fills up the de-jitter receive buffer at the receiving end faster, thereby shortening the startup delay. Then transmission is switched to the regular rate, from the regular buffer. A variable bit rate transcoder is optionally used for the data of the initial transmission. The transcoder diminishes the size of these frames, so they can be transmitted faster. This shortens the start up delay even more. A receiver has a buffer with a fill level started at a value lower than a final value. This triggers the beginning of play out faster, further shortening the delay time.

Abstract: A method for adaptive media quality monitoring includes monitoring at least one metric of a call between at least two endpoints and detecting a threshold crossing event via the monitoring of the at least one metric. The method also includes executing a threshold crossing action based on detecting the threshold crossing event. The threshold crossing action comprises monitoring at least one additional metric of the call.

Abstract: A server is provided with a transmit buffer, a transcoder, and a redundancy encoder. The server is for transmitting streaming media to a client through a communication network. A control unit senses when the network is temporarily congested, and activates the transcoder and the redundancy encoder. The frames require fewer bits, and thus arrive in the client's de-jitter buffer without interruption, notwithstanding the network congestion. This prevents network jitter.

Abstract: A test system measures performance of telephone network echo cancellers using a primary criterion of estimated user annoyance due to audible returned echo. The invention generates live telephone calls, uses real speech samples as stimulus signals and provides tail-circuit emulation using actual measured telephone tail-circuit impulse responses. These features provide better ‘real-life’ test conditions for the echo canceller system under test than current ITU standard test methods. Two methods are employed for echo canceller performance evaluation via metrics of estimated user annoyance due to echo. Energy-based method employs point-by-point comparison of talker speech and talker echo signal energy envelopes and uses variable energy thresholds for estimation of echo audibility. A perceptual-model based method uses a Perceptual Speech Distortion Metric (PSDM), such as ITU P.861, in an unique configuration to estimate user annoyance due to audible echo.

Abstract: A Perceptual Speech Distortion Metric (PSDM) generates perceptual distortion values for voice prompts received from a voice response system by comparing the received voice prompts with reference signals associated with the same states in the voice response system. The perceptual distortion values identify the voice prompts as either correct or incorrect responses to signal generator inputs and also quantify an amount of perceptual distortion in the voice prompts.

Abstract: Multiple audio streams are spatially separated with a context switching system to allow a listener to mentally focus on individual point sources of auditory information in the presence of other sound sources. The switching system simultaneously directs incoming sound sources to different spatial processors. Each spatial processor moves the received sound sources to different audibly perceived point sources. The outputs from the spatial processors are mixed into a stereo signal with left and right outputs and then output to the listener. Important sound sources are moved to a foreground point source for increased intelligibility while less important source sources are moved to a background point source.