Customization of interactive services for QoE enhancement in audio-video transmission over bandwidth guaranteed IP networks

This paper proposes a method of customizing interactive audiovisual communication services over bandwidth guaranteed IP networks typified by NGN in order to maximize QoE(Quality of Experience) on an individual users' basis. The method is based upon an extension of a QoE guarantee architecture GPSQ (Guarantee of Psychologically Scaled Quality), which the authors proposed previously. GPSQ extended for interactive services is referred to as interactive GPSQ, which focuses on a salient feature associated with the interactive services, i.e., the existence of the optimum playout buffering time for absorbing delay jitter. The customization method is “semi-tailored” in the sense that it provides the users with a means of adjusting the buffering time so that it can maximize his/her own QoE. This paper examines the feasibility of the basic idea for interactive GPSQ and the customization method through a minimum number of conversational opinion tests, i.e., two tasks with different visual effects. For that purpose, we have built a simple experimental system of interactive GPSQ and made experiment on QoE assessment with and without the customization method. The experiment showed that the interactive GPSQ is feasible and that the customization improves QoE.