Dynamic web conference monitoring through a streaming mechanism

• US 20030235279A1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Richomme, Morgan
• Application Number:
  US10/396,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20030235279A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1255 where the switching fabric and the switching logic are decomposed such as in Media Gateway Control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols

Abstract

A method for monitoring a voice-based conference based on the exchange of notification messages between Web terminal devices (PC(CC), PCVoIP, PC2, PC3) is proposed. The conference is monitored via an agenda that can be dynamically updated. Updates are distributed to conference participants by means of a streaming mechanism. The present method adds new features to voice-based conferences. Amendments or changes of the conference agenda, identified action points and a summary of the conference can be communicated to participants with Web terminal devices (PC(CC), PCVoIP, PC2, PC3) in real time.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a voice-based conference, comprising:

a) establishing connections to participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3) for notification of a plurality of participants in the voice-based conference,

b) maintaining a conference agenda on a Web terminal device (PC(CC)),

c) monitoring the voice-based conference based on the conference agenda; and

d) transmitting monitoring information (uppgui, clpgui) to the plurality of participants during the voice-based conference.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a) opening a connection between the Web terminal device (PC(CC)) and a conference server (CtC),

b) establishing connections between the conference server (CtC) and the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3),

c) encoding the monitoring information at the conference server (CtC) for sending the monitoring information in the form of a programming language code that is executable by the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3),

d) using a streaming mechanism for transmission of the monitoring information from the conference server (CtC) to the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3); and

e) executing the programming language code by browsers of the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3), whereby the monitoring information is displayed.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

a) maintaining at least one of the connections between the conference server (CtC) and the participants'"'"' Web terminal device (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3) throughout the voice-based conference; and

b) sending regularly messages from a participant'"'"'s Web terminal device to the conference server (CtC) to enquire whether the connection still needs to be kept open.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising:

sending monitoring information in real time.

5. The method according to one of the claims 2 to 4, further comprising:

opening the connection between the Conference server (CtC) and one of the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3) by invoking a server-side Java servlet.

6. The method according to one of the claims 2 to 5, further comprising:

using the HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) protocol for at least one of the connections between the conference server (CtC) and a participant'"'"'s Web terminal device (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3).

7. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 6, further comprising:

updating the agenda during the voice-based conference; and

transmitting the updated agenda as monitoring information (uppgui) to at least one of the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3).

8. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 7, further comprising:

monitoring time spent on agenda items during the voice-based conference; and

transmitting monitoring information related to the time spent on agenda items to at least one of the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3).

9. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 8, further comprising:

generating action items in the course of the voice-based conference; and

transmitting monitoring information related to the generated action items to at least one of the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3).

10. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 9, further comprising:

generating a conference report at the end of the voice-based conference; and

transmitting the conference report as monitoring information to at least one of the participants'"'"' Web terminal devices (PCVoIP, PC2, PC3).