Method and apparatus for establishing a distributed conference bridge

• US 20060209728A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: van der Gaast, Tjietse
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for establishing a conference bridge. Specifically, the method comprises obtaining at least one request for establishing the conference bridge where the conference bridge is operable for enabling communications between a plurality of user devices, and determining a configuration for establishing the conference bridge, the configuration comprising at least one sub-bridge wherein each of the at least one sub-bridge comprises a communication path between a first combining user device and one of a second combining user device and a non-combining user device, wherein the configuration tends to minimize a bandwidth required for supporting communications between the plurality of user devices.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a conference bridge, comprising:

obtaining at least one request for establishing said conference bridge, said conference bridge operable for enabling communications between a plurality of user devices; and

determining a configuration for establishing said conference bridge, said configuration comprising at least one sub-bridge, wherein each of said at least one sub-bridge comprises a communication path between a first combining user device and one of a second combining user device and a non-combining user device;

said configuration tending to minimize a bandwidth required for supporting communications between said plurality of user devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said configuration for establishing said conference bridge comprises:

computing at least one weighting factor for each of at least one pair of user devices in said plurality of user devices, each of said at least one pair of user devices comprising a first user device and a second user device; and

determining said configuration for establishing said conference bridge using said at least one weighting factor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one weighting factor is computed using at least one of a distance between said first user device and said second user device, a path delay associated with a path between said first user device and said second user device, a first location associated with said first user device and a second location associated with said second user device, and a first device characteristic associated with said first user device and a second device characteristic associated with said second user device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing said conference bridge according to said configuration.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said establishing comprises:

generating at least one sub-bridge establishment message, said at least one sub-bridge establishment message for establishing said at least one sub-bridge; and

transmitting said at least one sub-bridge establishment message towards at least one of said plurality of user devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one sub-bridge establishment message is operable for enabling at least one combining user device associated with each of said at least one sub-bridge to perform at least one of audio switching, audio mixing, video switching, and video mixing.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving said at least one sub-bridge establishment message at said at least one of said plurality of user devices; and

processing said at least one sub-bridge establishment message for establishing said conference bridge according to said configuration.

8. A computer readable medium storing a software program, that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

obtaining at least one request for establishing a conference bridge, said conference bridge operable for enabling communications between a plurality of user devices; and

determining a configuration for establishing said conference bridge, said configuration comprising at least one sub-bridge, wherein each of said at least one sub-bridge comprises a communication path between a first combining user device and one of a second combining user device and a non-combining user device;

said configuration tending to minimize a bandwidth required for supporting communications between said plurality of user devices.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said determining said configuration for establishing said conference bridge comprises:

computing at least one weighting factor for each pair of user devices in said plurality of user devices; and

determining said configuration for establishing said conference bridge using said at least one weighting factor.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein said at least one weighting factor is computed using at least one of a distance between said first user device and said second user device, a path delay associated with a path between said first user device and said second user device, a first location associated with said first user device and a second location associated with said second user device, and a first device characteristic associated with said first user device and a second device characteristic associated with said second user device.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

establishing said conference bridge according to said configuration.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein said establishing comprises:

generating at least one sub-bridge establishment message, said at least one sub-bridge establishment message for establishing said at least one sub-bridge; and

transmitting said at least one sub-bridge establishment message towards at least one of said plurality of user devices.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said at least one sub-bridge establishment message is operable for enabling at least one combining user device associated with each of said at least one sub-bridge to perform at least one of audio switching, audio mixing, video switching, and video mixing.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving said at least one sub-bridge establishment message at said at least one of said plurality of user devices; and

processing said at least one sub-bridge establishment message for establishing said conference bridge according to said configuration.

15. An apparatus for establishing a conference bridge, comprising:

means for obtaining at least one request for establishing said conference bridge, said conference bridge operable for enabling communications between a plurality of user devices; and

means for determining a configuration for establishing said conference bridge, said configuration comprising at least one sub-bridge, wherein each of said at least one sub-bridge comprises a communication path between a first combining user device and one of a second combining user device and a non-combining user device;

said configuration tending to minimize a bandwidth required for supporting communications between said plurality of user devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said means for determining said configuration for establishing said conference bridge comprises:

means for computing at least one weighting factor for each pair of user devices in said plurality of user devices; and

means for determining said configuration for establishing said conference bridge using said at least one weighting factor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said at least one weighting factor is computed using at least one of a distance between said first user device and said second user device, a path delay associated with a path between said first user device and said second user device, a first location associated with said first user device and a second location associated with said second user device, and a first device characteristic associated with said first user device and a second device characteristic associated with said second user device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for establishing said conference bridge according to said configuration.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for establishing comprises:

means for generating at least one sub-bridge establishment message, said at least one sub-bridge establishment message for establishing said at least one sub-bridge; and

means for transmitting said at least one sub-bridge establishment message towards at least one of said plurality of user devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said at least one sub-bridge establishment message is operable for enabling at least one combining user device associated with each of said at least one sub-bridge to perform at least one of audio switching, audio mixing, video switching, and video mixing.