Method and system for reserving resources of a multipoint conference

• US 20060187859A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Christenson, Steven L., Patel, Labhesh, Shaffer, Shmuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1877 Measures taken prior to transmission

Abstract

A method for reserving conference resources includes communicating a conference notification to each of a plurality of conference invitees. The conference notification is associated with a multipoint conference. The method includes receiving, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees, a response to the conference notification indicating that the invitee will participate on the multipoint conference. The first number of the plurality of invitees comprises participating invitees. The method includes automatically determining, based on the responses to the conference notifications, a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference. The method also includes automatically reserving the determined sufficient amount of resources and hosting the multipoint conference between the participating invitees using the reserved resources

Claims

1. A method for reserving conference resources, comprising:

communicating a conference notification to each of a plurality of conference invitees, the conference notification associated with a multipoint conference;

receiving, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees, a response to the conference notification indicating that the invitee will participate on the multipoint conference, the first number of the plurality of invitees comprising participating invitees;

automatically determining, based on the responses to the conference notifications, a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference;

automatically reserving the determined sufficient amount of resources; and

hosting the multipoint conference between the participating invitees using the reserved resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises automatically determining a sufficient amount of communication ports to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises automatically determining a sufficient amount of digital signal processing (DSP) resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the conference notifications comprise a plurality of attendance options;

each response to the conference notifications received from the first number of the plurality of conference invitees comprises an attendance option selection; and

automatically determining, based on the responses to the conference notifications, a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises automatically determining a sufficient amount of resources based on the attendance option selections to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the plurality of attendance options comprise an option for communication ports;

the attendance option selections comprise selections of communication ports; and

automatically determining a sufficient amount of resources comprises automatically determining a sufficient amount and type of communication ports based on the selections of communication ports.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the option for communication ports comprises an option for at least audio and video communication ports.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality attendance options comprise a phone attendance option, a video attendance option and an instant messaging attendance option.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of attendance options comprise a plurality of location options for attendance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees, a response to the conference notification comprises receiving, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees a response to the conference notification through a conference uniform resource locator (URL) presented to the plurality of conference invitees.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring respective calendars of a second number of the plurality of conference invitees; and

automatically determining whether each of the second number of the plurality of conference invitees will participate on the multipoint conference based on their respective calendars, the determined conference invitees of the second number of the plurality of conference invitees who will participate comprising participating invitees.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the responses to the conference notification received from a conference invitee is received as an automatic response based on a personal workflow and schedule of the conference invitee.

12. A system for reserving conference resources, comprising:

an interface operable to;

communicate a conference notification to each of a plurality of conference invitees, the conference notification associated with a multipoint conference;

receive, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees, a response to the conference notification indicating that the invitee will participate on the multipoint conference, the first number of the plurality of invitees comprising participating invitees; and

a processor coupled to the interface, the processor operable to;

automatically determine, based on the responses to the conference notifications, a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference;

automatically reserve the determined sufficient amount of resources; and

host the multipoint conference between the participating invitees using the reserved resources.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a processor operable to automatically determine a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises a processor operable to automatically determine a sufficient amount of communication ports to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein a processor operable to automatically determine a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises a processor operable to automatically determine a sufficient amount of digital signal processing (DSP) resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the conference notifications comprise a plurality of attendance options;

each response to the conference notifications received from the first number of the plurality of conference invitees comprises an attendance option selection; and

a processor operable to automatically determine, based on the responses to the conference notifications, a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises a processor operable to automatically determine a sufficient amount of resources based on the attendance option selections to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the plurality of attendance options comprise an option for communication ports;

the attendance option selections comprise selections of communication ports; and

a processor operable to automatically determine a sufficient amount of resources comprises a processor operable to automatically determine a sufficient amount and type of communication ports based on the selections of communication ports.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the option for communication ports comprises an option for at least audio and video communication ports.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality attendance options comprise a phone attendance option, a video attendance option and an instant messaging attendance option.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of attendance options comprise a plurality of location options for attendance.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein an interface operable to receive, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees, a response to the conference notification comprises a processor operable to receive, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees a response to the conference notification through a conference uniform resource locator (URL) presented to the plurality of conference invitees.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operable to:

monitor respective calendars of a second number of the plurality of conference invitees; and

automatically determine whether each of the second number of the plurality of conference invitees will participate on the multipoint conference based on their respective calendars, the determined conference invitees of the second number of the plurality of conference invitees who will participate comprising participating invitees.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the interface is operable to receive at least one of the responses to the conference notification from a conference invitee as an automatic response based on a personal workflow and schedule of the conference invitee.

23. A system for reserving conference resources, comprising:

means for communicating a conference notification to each of a plurality of conference invitees, the conference notification associated with a multipoint conference;

means for receiving, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees, a response to the conference notification indicating that the invitee will participate on the multipoint conference, the first number of the plurality of invitees comprising participating invitees;

means for automatically determining, based on the responses to the conference notifications, a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference;

means for automatically reserving the determined sufficient amount of resources; and

means for hosting the multipoint conference between the participating invitees using the reserved resources.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the conference notifications comprise a plurality of attendance options;

each response to the conference notifications received from the first number of the plurality of conference invitees comprises an attendance option selection; and

means for automatically determining, based on the responses to the conference notifications, a sufficient amount of resources to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises means for automatically determining a sufficient amount of resources based on the attendance option selections to allow the participating invitees to communicate on the multipoint conference.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the plurality of attendance options comprise an option for communication ports;

the attendance option selections comprise selections of communication ports; and

means for automatically determining a sufficient amount of resources comprises means for automatically determining a sufficient amount and type of communication ports based on the selections of communication ports.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the option for communication ports comprises an option for at least audio and video communication ports.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of attendance options comprise a plurality of location options for attendance.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein means for receiving, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees, a response to the conference notification comprises means for receiving, from each of a first number of the plurality of conference invitees a response to the conference notification through a conference uniform resource locator (URL) presented to the plurality of conference invitees.

29. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for monitoring respective calendars of a second number of the plurality of conference invitees; and

means for automatically determining whether each of the second number of the plurality of conference invitees will participate on the multipoint conference based on their respective calendars, the determined conference invitees of the second number of the plurality of conference invitees who will participate comprising participating invitees.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the responses to the conference notification received from a conference invitee is received as an automatic response based on a personal workflow and schedule of the conference invitee.