Videoconferencing System Discovery

• US 20090079811A1
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Brandt, Matthew K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,661,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

System and method for discovering videoconferencing systems. A first videoconferencing system may contact a known second videoconferencing system. The first videoconferencing system may receive contact information of one or more other videoconferencing systems from the second videoconferencing system. The first videoconferencing system may send a request signal to a third videoconferencing system of the one or more other videoconferencing systems. The request signal may use the contact, wherein the first videoconferencing system sending the request signal uses the contact information of the third videoconferencing system. The first videoconferencing system may receive a response from the third videoconferencing system, and the response may include information regarding the third videoconferencing system.

Claims

1. A method for determining contact information of videoconferencing systems, the method comprising:

a first videoconferencing system sending a first inquiry to a videoconferencing application of a known second videoconferencing system, wherein the second videoconferencing system stores videoconferencing contact information of one or more third videoconferencing systems;

the first videoconferencing system receiving and storing the videoconferencing contact information of the one or more third videoconferencing systems from the second videoconferencing system;

wherein the first videoconferencing system is operable to communicate with each of the one or more third videoconferencing systems using the videoconferencing contact information.

2. The method of claim 1

the first videoconferencing system displaying a graphical user interface with a first one or more videoconferencing contacts prior to sending the first inquiry;

the first videoconferencing system displaying the graphical user interface with a second plurality of videoconferencing contacts after receiving and storing the videoconferencing contact information, wherein the second plurality of videoconferencing contacts includes at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system receiving a response from the third videoconferencing system, wherein the response comprises information regarding the third videoconferencing system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the response from the third videoconferencing system comprises videoconferencing contact information of one or more fourth videoconferencing systems;

wherein the first videoconferencing system is operable to communicate with each of the one or more fourth videoconferencing systems using the videoconferencing contact information of the one or more fourth videoconferencing systems.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system transmitting a signal to one or more videoconferencing systems in a local network one or more times, wherein the signal indicates contact information of the first videoconferencing system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system receiving responses from at least a subset of the one or more videoconferencing systems; and

the first videoconferencing system storing information regarding the at least a subset of the one or more videoconferencing systems.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first videoconferencing system stores a list of known videoconferencing systems, wherein the second videoconferencing system is comprised in the list of known videoconferencing systems.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first videoconferencing system stores a list of possible videoconferencing systems, wherein after the first videoconferencing system receives the contact information of the one or more third videoconferencing systems from the second videoconferencing system, the method further comprises:

storing the contact information of at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems in the list of possible videoconferencing systems.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system sending a second inquiry to the at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems;

the first videoconferencing system receiving a response from the at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems;

the first videoconferencing removing the at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems from the list of possible videoconferencing systems; and

the first videoconferencing system storing the at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems in a list of known videoconferencing systems.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system sending a second inquiry to at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems;

wherein the first videoconferencing system stores a list of unresponsive videoconferencing systems, wherein if the first videoconferencing system does not receive a response from the at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems within a predetermined length of time, the method further comprises;

storing each unresponsive third videoconferencing system in the list of unresponsive videoconferencing systems.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first videoconferencing system stores information regarding contact information of videoconferencing systems, and wherein the method further comprises:

the first videoconferencing system comparing the contact information of the one or more third videoconferencing systems with the information regarding contact information of videoconferencing systems;

wherein the first videoconferencing system is operable to communicate with each of the one or more third videoconferencing systems based on the first videoconferencing system comparing the contact information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information regarding the contact information of videoconferencing systems comprises a white list of addresses.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the information regarding the contact information of videoconferencing systems comprises a black list of addresses.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system sending signals to known videoconferencing systems;

the first videoconferencing system receiving responses from one or more of the known videoconferencing systems; and

for each videoconferencing system that a response is not received from within a predetermined length of time;

removing the videoconferencing system from a list of known videoconferencing systems; and

storing the videoconferencing system in a list of unresponsive videoconferencing systems.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system sending one or more first signals to known or possible videoconferencing systems; and

the first videoconferencing system sending one or more second signals to known videoconferencing systems indicating each of the videoconferencing systems that a response was not received from within a predetermined length of time.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the videoconferencing system sending signals to unresponsive videoconferencing systems;

the first videoconferencing system receiving responses from one or more of the unresponsive videoconferencing systems; and

for each of the responses;

removing the corresponding videoconferencing system from a list of unresponsive videoconferencing systems; and

storing the corresponding videoconferencing system in a list of known videoconferencing systems.

17. A method for discovering videoconferencing systems comprising:

a first videoconferencing system sending an inquiry to a known second videoconferencing system;

the first videoconferencing system receiving contact information of one or more other videoconferencing systems from the second videoconferencing system; and

the first videoconferencing system sending an inquiry to a third videoconferencing system of the one or more other videoconferencing systems, wherein the first videoconferencing system sending the request signal uses the contact information of the third videoconferencing system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system sending a second inquiry to each of the one or more third videoconferencing systems using the contact information of the one or more third videoconferencing systems;

the first videoconferencing system receiving and storing additional contact information from at least one of the one or more third videoconferencing systems.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system sending a second inquiry to each of the one or more third videoconferencing systems using the contact information of the one or more third videoconferencing systems;

the first videoconferencing system monitoring responses received from the one or more third videoconferencing systems to determine availability of respective ones of the one or more third videoconferencing systems.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the first videoconferencing system sending a second inquiry to each of the one or more third videoconferencing systems using the contact information of the one or more third videoconferencing systems;

the first videoconferencing system receiving contact information of one or more fourth videoconferencing systems from each of at least a subset of the one or more third videoconferencing systems.

21. A computer-accessible memory medium comprising program instructions for determining contact information of videoconferencing systems, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

send a first inquiry to a videoconferencing application of a known first videoconferencing system, wherein the first videoconferencing system stores videoconferencing contact information of one or more second videoconferencing systems;

receive and store the videoconferencing contact information of the one or more second videoconferencing systems from the first videoconferencing system; and

communicate with each of the one or more second videoconferencing systems using the videoconferencing contact information.

22. The memory medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

display a graphical user interface with a first one or more videoconferencing contacts prior to sending the first inquiry;

display the graphical user interface with a second plurality of videoconferencing contacts after receiving and storing the videoconferencing contact information, wherein the second plurality of videoconferencing contacts includes at least one of the one or more second videoconferencing systems.

23. The memory medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive a response from the third videoconferencing system, wherein the response from the third videoconferencing system comprises videoconferencing contact information of one or more third videoconferencing systems; and

communicate with each of the one or more fourth videoconferencing systems using the videoconferencing contact information of the one or more fourth videoconferencing systems.

24. The memory medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

update stored information regarding videoconferencing systems.

25. The memory medium of claim 24, wherein the stored information regarding videoconferencing systems comprises an address book, and wherein the address book is usable to invoke videoconferencing with one or more of the videoconferencing systems.