Techniques for managing a multimedia conference call

• US 20080226051A1
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Srivatsa K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• 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 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: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012

Abstract

Techniques for managing a multimedia conference call are described. An apparatus may comprise a wireless device having at least one wireless transceiver and a conference call manager module. The conference call manager module may establish a voice connection and a data connection for a multimedia conference call using the wireless transceiver, the voice connection to communicate media information and the data connection to communicate conference call event information during the multimedia conference call. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to join a conference call by activating a single user interface selection item having conference call connection information;

establishing a first connection to a conference bridge using the conference call connection information in response to the request;

establishing a second connection to a server using the conference call connection information in response to the request; and

receiving media information from the conference bridge over the first connection and conference call event information from the server over the second connection during the conference call.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying the single user interface selection item with the conference call connection information from a personal information manager.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing the first connection to a conference bridge over a first type of communication channel comprising a voice channel.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing the second connection to a conference bridge over a second type of communication channel comprising a data channel.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising sending authentication information to the server to receive the conference call event information.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving the conference call event information from the server over the second connection during the conference call as session initiation protocol conference notifications.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving participant information from the server over the second connection during the conference call.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving supplemental information from the server over the second connection during the conference call.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving active speaker information from the server over the second connection during the conference call.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising retrieving a uniform resource identifier from the personal information manager to establish the second connection to the server.

12. The article of claim 1 further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to display the single user interface selection item with the conference call connection information from a calendar application.

11. An article comprising a storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

receive a request to join a conference call by activating a single user interface selection item having conference call connection information;

establish a voice connection to a conference bridge using the conference call connection information in response to the request;

establish a data connection to a server using the conference call connection information in response to the request; and

receive media information from the conference bridge over the voice connection and conference call event information from the server over the data connection.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to send authentication information to the server to receive the conference call event information.

14. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive the conference call event information from the server over the data connection during the conference call as session initiation protocol conference notifications.

15. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive context information, participant information or supplemental information from the server over the data connection during the conference call.

16. An apparatus comprising a wireless device having at least one wireless transceiver and a conference call manager module, the conference call manager module to establish a voice connection and a data connection for a multimedia conference call using the wireless transceiver, the voice connection to communicate media information and the data connection to communicate conference call event information during the multimedia conference call.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising a user interface module to generate a single user interface selection item having conference call connection information, the single user interface selection item to automatically establish the voice connection and the data connection when activated.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising a display to display a single user interface selection item having conference call connection information, the single user interface selection item to automatically establish the voice connection and the data connection when activated.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, the transceiver and the conference call manager module to communicate and process control signals in accordance with a session initiation protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, the conference call event information comprising context information, participant information or supplemental information for the multimedia conference call.