Method and system for managing conference resources

• US 20070036317A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Shaffer, Shmuel, Christenson, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,929,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• 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

Abstract

A method for managing conference resources includes receiving from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants. Each participant communicates on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint. The method includes determining that an insufficient amount of resources exist to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference and determining participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference. The method also includes communicating the participation instructions. Location information associated with the user and location information associated with at least one of the plurality of participants may be used to determine the participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

Claims

1. A method for managing conference resources, comprising:

receiving from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants, each participant communicating on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint;

determining that an insufficient amount of resources exist to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference;

determining participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference; and

communicating the participation instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises using location information associated with the user and location information associated with at least one of the plurality of participants to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the participation instructions comprise instructions to the user to join the at least one of the plurality of participants to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the at least one of the plurality of participants; and

communicating the participation instructions comprises communicating the participation instructions to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises using location information associated with at least one of the plurality of participants to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the participation instructions comprise instructions to a first participant of the plurality of participants to join a second participant of the plurality of participants to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the second participant;

the location information associated with at least one of the plurality of participants comprises location information associated with at least the first participant or the second participant; and

communicating the participation instructions comprises communicating the participation instructions to the first participant.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein communicating the participation instructions to the first participant comprises communicating the participation instructions to the first participant using whisper communication, instant messaging, e-page or short message service messaging.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving from the first participant a refusal to join the second participant on the conference;

identifying a third participant of the plurality of participants based on location information associated with the third participant to join the second participant to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the second participant; and

communicating to the third participant instructions to join the second participant to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein determining participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises using participation activity associated with at least one of the plurality of participants to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the insufficient amount of resources comprise an insufficient amount of conference ports.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the insufficient amount of resources comprise an insufficient amount of DSP resources.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that an insufficient amount of resources exist to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises determining that an insufficient amount of resources have been reserved to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

12. A method for managing conference resources, comprising:

receiving from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants, each participant communicating on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint;

determining, using location information associated with the user or at least one of the plurality of participants, participation instructions comprising instructions for the user or the at least one the plurality of participants to join another of the plurality of the participants to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the another of the plurality of participants; and

communicating the participation instructions to the user or the at least one of the plurality of participants.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein participation instructions are determined when use of conference resources reaches a predefined threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the conference resources comprise conference ports.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the conference resources comprise DSP resources.

16. A system for managing conference resources, comprising:

an interface operable to receive from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants, each participant communicating on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

determine that an insufficient amount of resources exist to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference;

determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference; and

communicate the participation instructions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a processor operable to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises a processor operable to use location information associated with the user and location information associated with at least one of the plurality of participants to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the participation instructions comprise instructions to the user to join the at least one of the plurality of participants to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the at least one of the plurality of participants; and

a processor operable to communicate the participation instructions comprises a processor operable to communicate the participation instructions to the user.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein a processor operable to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises a processor operable to use location information associated with at least one of the plurality of participants to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the participation instructions comprise instructions to a first participant of the plurality of participants to join a second participant of the plurality of participants to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the second participant;

the location information associated with at least one of the plurality of participants comprises location information associated with at least the first participant or the second participant; and

a processor operable to communicate the participation instructions comprises a processor operable to communicate the participation instructions to the first participant.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein a processor operable to communicate the participation instructions to the first participant comprises a processor operable to communicate the participation instructions to the first participant using whisper communication, instant messaging, e-page or short message service messaging.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive from the first participant a refusal to join the second participant on the conference; and

the processor is further operable to;

identify a third participant of the plurality of participants based on location information associated with the third participant to join the second participant to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the second participant; and

communicate to the third participant instructions to join the second participant to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein a processor operable to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises a processor operable to use participation activity associated with at least one of the plurality of participants to determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the insufficient amount of resources comprise an insufficient amount of conference ports.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the insufficient amount of resources comprise an insufficient amount of DSP resources.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein a processor operable to determine that an insufficient amount of resources exist to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference comprises a processor operable to determine that an insufficient amount of resources have been reserved to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.

27. A system for managing conference resources, comprising:

an interface operable to receive from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants, each participant communicating on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

determine, using location information associated with the user or at least one of the plurality of participants, participation instructions comprising instructions for the user or the at least one the plurality of participants to join another of the plurality of the participants to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the another of the plurality of participants; and

communicate the participation instructions to the user or the at least one of the plurality of participants.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein participation instructions are determined when use of conference resources reaches a predefined threshold.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the conference resources comprise conference ports.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the conference resources comprise DSP resources.

31. A system for managing conference resources, comprising:

means for receiving from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants, each participant communicating on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint;

means for determining that an insufficient amount of resources exist to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference;

means for determining participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference; and

means for communicating the participation instructions.

32. A system for managing conference resources, comprising:

means for receiving from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants, each participant communicating on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint;

means for determining, using location information associated with the user or at least one of the plurality of participants, participation instructions comprising instructions for the user or the at least one the plurality of participants to join another of the plurality of the participants to participate on the multipoint conference using the respective endpoint of the another of the plurality of participants; and

means for communicating the participation instructions to the user or the at least one of the plurality of participants.

33. Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

receive from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants, each participant communicating on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint;

determine that an insufficient amount of resources exist to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference;

determine participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference; and

communicate the participation instructions.