Distributable, scalable, pluggable conferencing architecture

• US 20080069011A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Parthasarathy, Vijay Kishen Hampapur, Pierce, Shaun D., Nichols, David, Curtis, Pavel, Sekaran, Dhigha D., Kimchi, Gur, Mehta, Bimal K., Eydelman, Vadim, Shoroff, Srikanth, Cox, Shaun D., Levin, Orit
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• 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 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• 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

Architecture for a scalable, pluggable multi-party, and distributed multimedia conferencing. A centralized policy and control conferencing component allows the seamless plug-in of different distributed media components (e.g., data, audio/video, messaging) to accommodate client participation in a conference session. The centralized conference control component includes the following: a conference notification service for accepting subscriptions to the conference state and notifying subscribers about changes to that state; a conference policy and roster control service for storing and manipulating conference policy and rosters; a security service for user authorization/authentication based on user identity information; a scheduling service for conference scheduling; an allocation service for allocating the most available media component(s) for a conference session; and, an MCU management service for conference policy and roster management of the distributed media components.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented conferencing system, comprising:

a conference control component for centralized control of a conference session; and

a distributed media component for interfacing a client to the conference session using a media type.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media component is a multipoint control unit that accommodates at least one of data, audio signals, video signals, and instant messaging signals.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a notification component for accepting subscription to the session and notifying changes in state associated with the session.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising policy and roster component for maintaining rules that govern operation of the session and allow a participant to the session.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an authentication component for imposing security on the conference session by restricting access to the session based on participant identify information.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an allocation component for allocating the distributed media component to the conference session.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a scheduling component for scheduling the conference session.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising conferencing pool of frontend servers each of which runs an instance of the conference session, wherein a session participant accesses one of the frontend servers to access the conference session.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the conferencing pool of frontend servers includes a load balancer that balances session load among the frontend servers.

10. A computer-implemented method of managing a multiparty conference, comprising:

receiving a request for a conference session via a network-based conference control component;

creating and configuring a conference instance;

assessing availability of distributed multipoint control units (MCUs) for media access by a session participant;

allocating an available MCU to the session for session access by the session participant; and

authenticating participant access to the conference session.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising dynamically maintaining state information of the conference session in a database.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving individual state information for each MCU allocated for the conference session;

aggregating the individual state information; and

distributing the aggregated state information to each client of the conference session.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating a session roster based on changes in session participants.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising associating a URI address with each of the MCUs, the session participant accesses the session via one of the MCUs.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising requesting creation of the conference session via a session initiation protocol (SIP).

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising bootstrapping an MCU into the conference session.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising joining an MCU using a dial-in to an MCU URI, a dial-out using the MCU URI, or a direct invite from the MCU to the MCU URI.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising initiating an ad hoc invitation to another participant.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising presenting a single conference view of the session via the conference control component.

20. A computer-executable conferencing system, comprising:

computer-implemented means for receiving a request from a client for initiating a conference session;

computer-implemented means for creating a conference instance for the session;

computer-implemented means creating and sending an address of the session to the client;

computer-implemented means for allocating a distributed MCU to the session based on availability of media types; and

computer-implemented means for managing conference state during the session.