Managing a packet switched conference call

• US 20040076277A1
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kuusinen, Jarmo, Lakaniemi, Ari
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/569 using the instant speaker's algorithm speech detection per se G10L25/78
• 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

The invention relates to a method for managing a packet switched, centralized conference call between a plurality of terminals 13. In order to enable an enhancement of the user comfort, it is proposed that the method comprises at a conference call server 12 receiving data packets from all terminals 13. Based on these data packets, then at least one terminal 13 currently providing voice data is determined. In a next step, the data received in the data packets is mixed, and the mixed data is inserted into new data packets together with at least one identifier associated to one of the terminals 13 which were determined to provide voice data, such that the at least one identifier can be distinguished from any other information in the data packets. Finally, the new data packets are transmitted to terminals 13 participating in the conference call. The invention relates equally to a corresponding server and to a corresponding terminal.

Claims

1. Method for managing a packet switched, centralized conference call between a plurality of terminals (13), said method comprising at a conference call server (12):

receiving data packets from all terminals (13) participating in said conference call, which data packets include either voice data or background noise information as well as an identifier associated to the respective terminal (13) providing said voice data or said background noise information;

determining based on said received data packets at least one terminal (13) currently providing voice data, if any, among said terminals (13) participating in said conference call;

mixing said received voice data and said received background noise information and inserting said mixed data into new data packets together with at least one identifier associated to one of said terminals (13) which were determined to provide currently voice data, if any, such that said at least one identifier can be distinguished from any other information included in said data packets; and

transmitting said new data packets to terminals (13) participating in said conference call.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said identifiers associated to said terminals (13) are identifiers associated randomly to said terminals (13) for said conference call, said method comprising as preceding steps receiving at said conference call server.(12) control packets from said terminals (13) participating in said conference call, said control packets including a mapping of an identifier associated a respective terminal (13) to an identification of said terminal (13), and forwarding said mapping in control packets from said conference call server (12) to said terminals (13) participating in said conference call.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein said conference call server (12) transmits in said new data packets exclusively identifiers associated to terminals (13) which were determined to provide voice data.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein said conference call server (12) includes in said new data packets identifiers associated to terminals (13) currently providing voice data as well as identifiers associated to terminals currently providing background noise information, at least one identifier associated to a terminal (13) which was determined to provide voice data being included in said data packet at a predetermined position among all included identifiers.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein said conference call server (12) includes in said new data packets identifiers associated to terminals (13) currently providing voice data as well as identifiers associated to terminals (13) currently providing background noise information, wherein at least one identifier associated to one of said terminals (13) which were determined to provide voice data, if any, is included in said data packets at a predetermined position among all included identifiers, and wherein identifiers associated to terminals (13) which were determined to provide voice data are separated by a marker from included identifiers associated to other terminals (13).

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein said marker corresponds to an identifier associated to said conference call server (12).

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein said conference call is based on the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), wherein said data packets are RTP packets, wherein said identifiers associated to said terminals (13) are Synchronization Source (SSRC) identifiers, and wherein said identifiers are included by said conference call server (12) in said new data packets to a field provided in a packet header for a Contributing Source (CSRC) list.

8. Method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving said new data packets transmitted by said conference call server (12) at a terminal (13) participating in said conference call and pointing out an identification (32, 33) of at least one terminal (13) determined to provide voice data to a user based on an identifier included in said received new data packets.

9. Conference call server (12) comprising means for managing a centralized conference call between a plurality of terminals (13), said means including means (15) for realizing the steps of the method according to claim 1.

10. Terminal (13) comprising means for participating in a centralized conference call, said means including

means for receiving data packets transmitted by a conference call server (12), which data packets comprise mixed voice data and/or background noise information provided by terminals (13) participating in said conference call and at least one identifier associated to a terminal (13) that was determined in said conference call server (12) to currently provide voice data, if any;

means for recognizing in received data packets identifiers associated to terminals (13) that were determined in a conference call server (12) to currently provide voice data; and

means for pointing out to a user an identification of terminals (13) providing voice data based on recognized identifiers associated to terminals (13) that were determined in a conference call server (12) to currently provide voice data.