Call management over reduced bandwidth

• US 20070287466A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LoopUp Ltd. (LoopUp Group plc)
• Original Assignee: Ring2 Communications Limited (LoopUp Group plc)
• Inventors: Siddiq, Abdelkareem, Hughes, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• 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

Abstract

A status proxy server having a full bandwidth connection with a media server and wireless connection with a mobile end user device, receives SIP or similar protocol structured data; maintains a status indicator representative of the received structured data; and communicating at time intervals an update of the status indicator to the mobile end user device.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a mobile end user device and a media server, which media server forms part of a communication network providing for calls between end users, the media server being configured to communicate with some end users according to at least one call management structured data set, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a status proxy server having a full bandwidth connection with the media server and a reduced bandwidth connection with the mobile end user device;

receiving structured data at the status proxy server from the media server according to the call management structured data set;

maintaining a status indicator at the status proxy server, which status indicator is representative of the received structured data; and

communicating at time intervals an update of the status indicator to the mobile end user device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the time intervals between the communication of updates of the status indicator to the mobile end user device are in aggregate substantially greater than the time intervals between receipt of structured data at the status proxy server according to the call management structured data set.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communication of updates of the status indicator to the mobile end user device are asynchronous with receipt of structured data from the media server at the status proxy server.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the bandwidth of the communication between the media server and the status proxy server is at least four times and preferably at least ten times greater than the bandwidth of the communication between the status proxy server and the mobile end user device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of communicating updates of the status indicator comprises the steps of:

determining the time interval since the last status update communicated to the mobile end user device;

determining an structured data type represented in the status indicator; and

electing in accordance with those determinations whether or not to communicate an update to the mobile end user device.

6. A method according to claim 1, in which the reduced bandwidth connection with the mobile end user device is a wireless connection.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the call management structured data set is defined by the SIP protocol as defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile end user device is configured to manage conference calls involving the mobile end user device and at least two other end user devices in communication with the media server.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the status indicator comprises an indication of the status of each call leg in a conference call.

10. Data processing apparatus adapted and configured to provide a status proxy server for use in a communication network providing for calls between end users, the communication network including at least one mobile end user device and a media server configured to communicate with some end users according to at least one call management structured data set, the status proxy server having a full bandwidth connection with the media server and a reduced bandwidth connection with the mobile end user device, the status proxy server serving to receive structured data from the media server according to the call management structured data set;

maintain a status indicator, which status indicator is representative of the received structured data; and

communicate at time intervals an update of the status indicator to the mobile end user device.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the time intervals between the communication of updates of the status indicator to the mobile end user device are in aggregate substantially greater than the time intervals between receipt of instructions at the status proxy server according to the call management structured data set.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the communication of updates of the status indicator to the mobile end user device are asynchronous with receipt of structured data from the media server at the status proxy server.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the bandwidth of the communication between the media server and the status proxy server is at least four times and preferably at least ten times greater than the bandwidth of the communication between the status proxy server and the mobile end user device.

14. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the step of communicating updates of the status indicator comprises the steps of determining the time interval since the last status update communicated to the mobile end user device;

determining an structured data type represented in the status indicator; and

electing in accordance with those determinations whether or not to communicate an update to the mobile end user device.

15. Apparatus according to claim 10, in which the reduced bandwidth connection with the mobile end user device is a wireless connection.

16. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the call management structured data set is defined by the SIP protocol as defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

17. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the mobile end user device is configured to manage conference calls involving the mobile end user device and at least two other end user devices in communication with the media server.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the status indicator comprises an indication of the status of each call leg in a conference call.

19. A communication client for a mobile end user device, for use in a communication network providing for calls between end users, the network including a media server configured to communicate with some end users according to at least one call management structured data set, and a status proxy server having a full bandwidth connection with the media server and a reduced bandwidth connection with the mobile end user device, the communication client being configured to receive at time intervals from the status proxy server and to interpret an update of a status indicator, which status indicator is maintained at the status proxy server and is representative of the structured data received at the status proxy server according to the call management structured data set.

20. A client according to claim 19, in which the reduced bandwidth connection with the mobile end user device is a wireless connection.

21. A client according to claim 19, wherein the call management structured data set is defined by the SIP protocol as defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

22. A client according to claim 19, configured to manage conference calls involving the mobile end user device and at least two other end user devices in communication with the media server.

23. A client according to claim 22, wherein the status indicator comprises an indication of the status of each call leg in a conference call.