METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DATA STREAMING A MULTIPARTY CONFERENCE SESSION

• US 20080104171A1
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intercall Incorporated (West Corporation)
• Inventors: Vernon, Todd, Berberian, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0072 Speech codec negotiation H04L65/1069 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product having instructions stored thereon for automatically data streaming a multiparty conference session comprises receiving an Internet-based interface at a session moderator, said Internet-based interface configured for said session moderator to enter a request for data streaming a multiparty conference session, automatically establishing a data stream of said conferencing session, without any human intervention, wherein establishing said automated data stream includes: recording the multiparty conference session, and data streaming the multiparty conference session to listen-only participants thereby enabling listen-only participants to connect to the multiparty conference session without using additional conference ports and/or conference resources.

Claims

1. A method for automatically data streaming a multiparty conference session, comprising:

receiving an Internet-based interface at a session moderator, said Internet-based interface configured for said session moderator to enter a request for data streaming a multiparty conference session;

automatically establishing a data stream of said conferencing session, without any human intervention, wherein establishing said automated data stream includes;

recording the multiparty conference session; and

data streaming the multiparty conference session to listen-only participants thereby enabling listen-only participants to connect to the multiparty conference session without using additional conference ports and/or conference resources.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically transcoding the recorded data stream at a time unrelated to the multiparty conference session into an Internet-playback format.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating an address to identify where the data stream of the multiparty conference session is accessible; and

providing said address to said session moderator and other participants of the conference session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a fetch request from a user for the data stream of the multiparty conference session, the fetch request at least identifying said multiparty conference session; and

distributing the data stream via the Internet to the user based on the fetch request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said automated data streaming process comprises:

sending a communication interface designation from a transcoding platform to a conference-state-control platform;

reserving a communication interface associated with the communication interface designation from the pool of communication interfaces; and

creating a connection for communication, between the communication interface associated with the communication interface designation and a multipoint telephony platform.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the creating a connection includes initiating-a connection to the transcoding platform using the communication interface associated with the communication interface designation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said automated data streaming process proceeds as follows:

sending an initiation request from a conference-state-control platform to the transcoding platform;

initiating, from the conference-state-control platform to a multipoint telephony platform, a data-stream start command; and

sending the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session from the multipoint telephony platform to the transcoding platform based on the data-stream start command, wherein the data stream includes voice and non-voice data stream.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said data stream has voice content only.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a data-stream-initiation request from a session moderator for data streaming a multiparty conference session; and

means for establishing, in response to the data-stream-initiation request, a data stream associated with the multiparty conference session, wherein the means for establishing the data stream includes;

means for recording the multiparty conference session; and

means for data streaming the multiparty conference session to listen-only participants thereby enabling listen-only participants to connect to the multiparty conference session without using additional conference ports and/or conference resources.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for automatically transcoding the recorded data stream at a time unrelated to the multiparty conference session into an Internet-playback format.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for creating an address to identify where the data stream is accessible; and

means for providing the address to the session moderator or other participants of the conference session.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for establishing the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session comprises:

means for obtaining a communication-line designation;

means for reserving a communication line associated with the communication-line designation from a pool of communication lines; and

means for initiating a connection from the communication line associated with the communication-line designation to a multipoint telephony platform.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for establishing the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session comprises:

means for sending an initiation request from a conference-state-control platform to a transcoding platform;

means for initiating, from the conference-state-control platform to a multipoint telephony platform, a data-stream start command; and

means for sending the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session from the multipoint telephony platform to the transcoding platform based on the data-stream start command.

14. A computer program product having instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

receive a data-stream-initiation request from a session moderator for data streaming a multiparty conference session; and

establish, in response to the data-stream-initiation request, a data stream associated with the multiparty conference session without human intervention after receiving the data-stream-initiation request, wherein establishing said automated data stream includes;

recording the multiparty conference session; and

data streaming the multiparty conference session to listen-only participants thereby enabling listen-only participants to connect to the multiparty conference session without using additional conference resources.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, having instructions stored thereon, the additional instructions when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

automatically transcode the recorded data stream at a time unrelated to the multiparty conference session into an Internet-playback format.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, having instructions stored thereon, the additional instructions when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

create a resource identifier that uniquely identifies the data stream of the multiparty conference session; and

deliver the data stream to a user, upon a data stream request received from the user, said data stream request containing at least the resource identifier.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instruction to establish the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session includes the following additional instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

select a communication interface from a pool of communication interfaces, each of the pool of communication interfaces corresponding to a communication interface designation;

send the communication interface designation corresponding to the selected communication interface from the virtual participant to a conference-state-control platform, the virtual participant reserving the communication interface associated with the communication interface designation; and

initiate a connection between the communication interface associated with the communication interface designation and a multipoint telephony platform.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instruction to establish the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session includes the following additional instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

send an initiation request from a conference-state-control platform to the virtual participant, the virtual participant being a transcoding platform;

initiate, from the conference-state-control platform to a multipoint telephony platform, a data-stream start command; and

send the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session from the multipoint telephony platform to the transcoding platform based on the data-stream start command.

19. A method for automatically data streaming a multiparty conference session, comprising:

receiving a data-stream request from an Internet-based interface associated with a session moderator;

automatically data streaming the multiparty conference session based on the received data-stream request; and

automatically transcoding the data-streamed conference session.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

recording the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session upon receiving a record request from the session moderator; and

the automatic transcoding of the recorded data stream being performed such that the recorded data stream is transcoded into an Internet-playback format.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

creating a resource identifier that uniquely identifies the data stream of the multiparty conference session; and

delivering the data stream to a user, upon a data stream request received from the user, said data stream request containing at least the resource identifier.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a plurality of data-stream requests from the Internet-based interface.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the automatic data streaming proceeds as follows:

sending a communication line designation from a transcoding platform to a conference-state-control platform, the conference-state-control platform reserving a communication line associated with the communication-line designation from a pool of communication lines; and

initiating a connection from the communication line associated with the communication-line designation to a multipoint telephony platform.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the automatic data streaming proceeds as follows:

sending an initiation request from a conference-state-control platform to a transcoding platform;

initiating, from the conference-state-control platform to a multipoint telephony platform, a data-stream start command; and

sending the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session from the multipoint telephony platform to the transcoding platform based on the data-stream start command.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session has voice content only.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a transcoding platform; and

a conference-state-control platform coupled to the transcoding platform, the conference-state-control platform automatically establishing a data stream associated with a multiparty conference session utilizing the transcoding platform,

the transcoding platform recording the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session, the transcoding platform automatically transcoding the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session is recorded into an Internet-playback format.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

the conference-state-control platform sends an address request from a session moderator to the transcoding platform, the address request identifying at least said conference session;

the conference-state-control platform pushes a resource address associated with the conference session to the session moderator;

the transcoding platform receives a fetch request from a user, said fetch request including the resource address; and

the transcoding platform distributes the data stream associated with said conference session via the Internet to the user based on the received fetch request.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the conference-state-control platform establishes the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session by the following:

sending an initiation request from the conference-state-control platform to the transcoding platform;

initiating, from the conference-state-control platform a data-stream start command; and

sending the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session to the transcoding platform based on the data-stream start command.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

a transcoding platform coupled configured to be coupled to a telephone network; and

a conference-state-control platform coupled to the transcoding platform, the conference-state-control platform automatically establishing a data stream associated with a multiparty conference session utilizing the transcoding platform,

the transcoding platform recording the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session is recorded into an Internet-playback format.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein:

the conference-state-control platform sends an address request from a session moderator to the transcoding platform, the address request identifying at least said conference session;

the conference-state-control platform pushes a resource address associated with the conference session to the session moderator;

the transcoding platform receiving a fetch request from a user based on the resource address; and

the transcoding platform distributing the data stream via the Internet to the user based on the received fetch request.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the conference-state-control platform establishes the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session by the following:

sending an initiation request from the conference-state-control platform to the transcoding platform;

initiating, from the conference-state-control platform, a data-stream start command; and

sending the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session to the transcoding platform based on the data-stream start command.

34. A method for automatically data streaming a multiparty conference session, comprising:

receiving an initiation request at a transcoding platform;

in response to said initiation request, receiving at a multipoint telephony platform, a data-stream start command, the data-stream start command being configured to trigger transmitting a data stream associated with the multiparty conference session from the multipoint telephony platform to the transcoding platform; and

providing said data stream associated with the multiparty conference session to one or more users,

wherein, none of the above steps require any human intervention.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving a connection confirmation indicating that a connection associated with the multiparty conference session has been established between the multipoint telephony platform and the transcoding platform.

36. A method for initiating a multiparty conference session, comprising:

receiving a conference request from a session moderator associated with a multiparty conference session for data streaming said conference session; and

creating and sending a machine-readable request based on the conference request, the request being configured to automatically establish a data stream associated with the multiparty conference session, the data stream being automatically established without further human intervention after receipt of the conference request.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein:

the request is further configured to cause the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session to be recorded.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein:

the request is further configured to cause the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session to be recorded; and

the request is further configured to cause the data stream to be transcoded into an Internet-playback format.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein:

the request is further configured to cause the data stream associated with the multiparty conference session to be recorded; and

the request is further configured to cause the data stream to be transcoded into an Internet-playback format, the transcoded data stream being subsequently distributed via the Internet.

40. A method for automatically data streaming a multiparty conference session, comprising:

receiving a request; and

automatically establishing, upon receiving the request, a data stream associated with the multiparty conference session, and providing said data stream to conference participants at run time of said conference session, the automatically establishing being performed without human intervention after receiving the request.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the data stream is recorded for subsequent playback.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the recorded data stream is accessed via a packet switched network.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the packet switched network is the Internet.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the recorded data stream is accessed via a circuit switched network.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the circuit switched network is a telephone network.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the automatically establishing and providing said data stream at run time of the multiparty conference session allows for conference participation through either the Internet or a telephone network.

47. The method of claim 40, wherein the automatically establishing and providing said data stream at run time of the multiparty conference session allows for conference participation by receive-only participants, wherein each receive-only participant can observe the conference session and cannot contribute to the conference session, and wherein no additional conference resource is required for adding more receive-only participants to the conference session.