Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) multi-user conferencing

• US 20070091831A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Darrin, Croy, Jon, Hines, John, Lendvay, Kathleen
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,320 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 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) devices are invited to a conference bridge based on a pre-defined criteria for the conference bridge (e.g., passengers on a plane. The conference invite messages are transmitted using Internet Protocol, which they may or may not accept. The invited VoIP users may be determined based on their physical proximity to the initial caller and other pre-determined characteristics. A VoIP soft switch includes conference bridges that eliminate the conventional requirement that they dial the phone number of another specific VoIP communications device. Instead, location information relating to the initial VoIP user is passed to the VoIP conference bridge, either from the user'"'"'s VoIP communication device or from their respective location server. Location and other information is then compared by the VoIP soft switch against other VoIP devices, to find potential VoIP conference participants.

Claims

1. A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) conference bridge, comprising:

a conference bridge application active in a location addressed using Internet Protocol;

a module to determine a plurality of potential VoIP participants to said conference bridge based on a pre-defined criteria;

an invite module to issue invites to each of said plurality of potential VoIP participants to said conference bridge; and

a plurality of Internet interfaces to said conference bridge application, to accept a respective plurality of potential VoIP participants to said conference bridge;

wherein said given conference is established between said accepted plurality of VoIP participants, each of said plurality of VoIP participants satisfying said pre-defined criteria.

2. The Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) conference bridge according to claim 1, wherein:

said issued invites are transmitted using Internet Protocol (IP).

3. The Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) conference bridge according to claim 2, wherein:

said issued invites are transmitted over an Internet.

4. The Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) conference bridge according to claim 1, wherein:

said pre-defined criteria is pre-defined criteria relating to a service provider.

5. The Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) conference bridge according to claim 1, wherein:

said pre-defined criteria includes at least one pre-defined peer attribute.

6. A method of conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice communications devices, comprising:

establishing at least one conference bridge;

defining at least one criteria for participation in said given conference bridge; and

issuing an invite message to each of a plurality of potential VoIP participants defined by said at least one criteria.

7. The method of conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications devices according to claim 6, wherein:

said at least one criteria includes location-based information relating to a location of each of said plurality of potential VoIP participants.

8. The method of conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice communications devices according to claim 6, wherein:

a geographic boundary corresponding to said at least one criteria is moveable during an active conference established on said at least one conference bridge.

9. The method of conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications devices according to claim 8, wherein:

said geographic boundary corresponds to passengers on a mass transit vehicle.

10. The method of conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice communications devices according to claim 9, wherein:

said mass transit vehicle is an airplane.

11. The method of conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications devices according to claim 9, wherein:

said mass transit vehicle is a train.

12. The method of conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications device according to claim 6, wherein:

said conference bridge is established on a soft switch.

13. The method of conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications device according to claim 12, wherein:

said soft switch is located in a VoIP service provider'"'"'s network.

14. Apparatus for conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications devices, comprising:

means for establishing at least one conference bridge;

means for defining at least one criteria for participation in said given conference bridge; and

means for issuing an invite message to each of a plurality of potential VoIP participants defined by said at least one criteria.

15. The apparatus for conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications devices according to claim 14, wherein:

said at least one criteria includes location-based information relating to a location of each of said plurality of potential VoIP participants.

16. The apparatus for conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications devices according to claim 14, wherein:

a geographic boundary corresponding to said at least one criteria is moveable during an active conference established on said at least one conference bridge.

17. The apparatus for conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications devices according to claim 16, wherein:

said geographic boundary corresponds to passengers on a mass transit vehicle.

18. The apparatus for conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications devices according to claim 17, wherein:

said mass transit vehicle is an airplane.

19. The apparatus for conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice communications devices according to claim 18, wherein:

said mass transit vehicle is a train.

20. The apparatus for conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications device according to claim 14, wherein:

said conference bridge is established on a soft switch.

21. The apparatus for conferencing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) voice communications device according to claim 20, wherein:

said soft switch is located in a VoIP service provider'"'"'s network.