Conferencing network resource management for call connectivity

• US 20020085490A1
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: OʼNeil, Timothy M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,009,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/748 Negotiation of resources, e.g. modification of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/785 among multiple network domains, e.g. multilateral agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/806 Broadcast or multicast traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 : Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A system and method that provides reliable connectivity of conference calls by ensuring that sufficient network resources are available at the time of the requested conference calls. The system includes multiple endpoints for requesting conference calls, and a gatekeeper bound to a resource scheduler such that requested conference calls are scheduled via the scheduler according to connectivity policies maintained by the gatekeeper.

Claims

1. A system for ensuring availability of network resources for conference calls, comprising:

endpoints that request the conference calls;

a resource scheduler for receiving the conference call requests; and

a gatekeeper communicatively coupled to the resource scheduler for managing the network resources.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper includes a connectivity policy module for maintaining network policies.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the network policies include call authorization policies.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the network policies include call management policies.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the network policies include network bandwidth management policies.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the gatekeeper manages the network resources based on the conference call requests and the network policies.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the gatekeeper includes a bandwidth module communicatively coupled to the connectivity policy module for determining network bandwidth availability for the conference call requests.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the gatekeeper includes a call authorization and management module communicatively coupled to the bandwidth module.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the call authorization and management module maintains a list of ongoing conference calls.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the call authorization and management module manages access of the endpoints to the network resources.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein management of the network resources includes determining if sufficient network resources are available to connect the conference calls associated with the conference call requests.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein if the gatekeeper determines that sufficient network resources are available to connect the conference calls, the resource scheduler schedules the conference calls.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein if the gatekeeper determines that sufficient network resources are unavailable to connect the conference calls at requested times, the resource scheduler notifies the endpoints of alternate times for requesting conference calls.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the connectivity policy module maintains network policies.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the connectivity policy module accesses a bandwidth module for determining available network resources.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the bandwidth module accesses a call authorization and call management module for determining available network resources.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining if sufficient network resources are available to connect the conference call is based upon the conference call request, the policies maintained by the connectivity policy module, and available network resources.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein if sufficient network resources are available to connect the conference call, the resource scheduler schedules the conference call.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein if sufficient network resources are unavailable to connect the conference call, the resource scheduler notifies the requester of the conference call of alternate times.

14. A method for ensuring availability of network resources for a conference call, comprising the steps of:

requesting the conference call;

receiving the conference call request by a resource scheduler;

accessing a connectivity policy module; and

determining if sufficient network resources are available to connect the conference call.

21. A system for ensuring availability of network resources for a conference call, comprising:

means for requesting the conference call;

means for receiving the conference call request;

means for accessing a connectivity policy module, the connectivity policy module having connectivity policies;

means for determining available network resources; and

means for determining if sufficient network resources are available to connect the conference call based on connectivity policies, the conference call request, and the available network resources.

22. A system for allocating network resources for conference calls, comprising:

a plurality of local area networks;

a plurality of endpoints coupled to the local area

networks for requesting conference calls;

a resource scheduler coupled to the local area networks for scheduling the conference calls; and

a gatekeeper coupled to the resource scheduler for allocating the network resources to the conference calls;

23. The system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of endpoints is a videoconference-enabled device.