INVITING A CONFERENCING UNAWARE ENDPOINT TO A CONFERENCE

• US 20090055475A1
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sekaran, Dhigha D., Narayanan, Sankaran
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Systems and methods that enable conference unaware clients to participate in the conference. A conferencing component is aware of what protocol to employ, and enables devices and/or end points that employ disparate or heterogeneous protocols to participate in the same conference initiated therebetween. A call flow (e.g., in form of a dial out) can be initiated, wherein the conferencing component invites conference unaware devices to participate in the conference.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

a conferencing server that manages a conference among a plurality of clients; and

a conferencing component that enables participation of conference unaware clients in the conference, the conferencing component associated with the conferencing server.

2. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the conferencing component knowledgeable regarding communication protocols of the conference unaware client.

3. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising a call flow in form of a dial out as part of the conferencing component.

4. The computer implemented system of claim 1 the conference unaware clients include cell phones.

5. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising multipoint control units (MCUs) that manage conference unaware clients.

6. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising a notification component that supplies notification services to conference unaware invitees.

7. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising a roster component that provides roster control services.

8. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising a scheduling component that schedules the conference.

9. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising an authentication component that supplies user authorization and authentication.

10. The computer implemented system of claim 5 further comprising an interface component associated with the MCU.

11. The computer implemented system of claim 5 further comprising a MCU allocation component that allocates available MCUs for the conference.

12. The computer implemented system of claim 5 further comprising a collection component that obtains information related to participants and topic of the conference.

13. A computer implemented method comprising the following computer executable acts:

initiating a conference between conference aware clients;

inviting conference unaware clients to the conference; and

joining the conference unaware clients to the conference.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising establishing a common communication denominator to allow interaction between users who employ disparate protocols.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising sharing documents in heterogeneous environments.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising sending a request for invitee addition by conference aware clients to a conferencing server of the conference.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16 further comprising sending an invitation by the conferencing server to conference unaware clients.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting an alert to the conference unaware clients.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising sending the invitation in form of a dial out from the conferencing server.

20. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

means for managing a conference among users; and

means for enabling conference unaware clients to participate in the conference.