Communication system

• US 20090316686A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mandre, Indrek
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1057 involving pre-assessment of levels of reputation of peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• 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

A method is provided of authorising a user of a communication system to be added to a group communication event. The method comprises: selecting a group of users of the communication system; initiating from a host node the group communication event with the group of users; responsive to receiving a group communication acceptance from at least a first user in the group, establishing the group communication event with the first user in the group; receiving at the host node a communication set up request from another user of the communication system; analysing the communication set up request to determine if said communication set up request is associated with said group communication event initiated by the host node; and adding said other user to the group communication event if it is determined that the communication set up request is associated with said group communication event.

Claims

1. A method of authorising a user of a communication system to be added to a group communication event comprising;

selecting a group of users of the communication system;

initiating from a host node the group communication event with the group of users;

responsive to receiving a group communication acceptance from at least a first user in the group, establishing the group communication event with the first user in the group;

receiving at the host node a communication set up request from another user of the communication system;

analysing the communication set up request to determine if said communication set up request is associated with said group communication event initiated by the host node; and

adding said other user to the group communication event if it is determined that the communication set up request is associated with said group communication event.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

assigning an identity to said group communication event; and

transmitting a notification of the communication event to said group of users, wherein the notification comprises the identity assigned to the communication event.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

receiving the notification of the group communication event at a user terminal of at least a second user of said group of users,

determining at the user terminal of the second user of said group of users if the second user of said group of users has established the group communication event, in response to receiving the notification of the group communication event; and

providing the second user of said group of users with an option for joining the group communication event, if it is determined that the second user of said group of users has not established the group communication event.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the step of;

receiving at the user terminal of the second user, a selection signal from the second user to join the group communication event; and

responsive to receiving the selection signal, transmitting a communication set up request to the host node, wherein said communication set up request includes the identity of said group communication event.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of analysing the communication set up request to determine if said communication set up request is associated with said group communication event initiated by the first node comprises determining if said other user is a member of said group of users.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of analysing the communication set up request to determine if said communication set up request is associated with said group communication event initiated by the first node comprises determining if said communication set up request is a request to join the group communication event.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the step of determining if said communication set up request is a request to join the group communication event comprises determining if said communication set up request comprises said identity.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the notification of the group communication event comprises a group communication event set up request.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the notification of the group communication event comprises a communication event notification message

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a group creation notification message from the host node to the group of users, wherein the group creation notification message comprises a list comprising the identity of each member of the group of users and an identity assigned to the group.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the identity assigned to the communication event is the identity assigned to the group.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1I1 further comprising the step of displaying in a user interface of a client executed at the user terminal of at least one user of said group of users, the identity of each member of the group in response to receiving the notification of the group communication event.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication set up request is transmitted using a calling protocol.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the group communication set up request is transmitted using a calling protocol.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the communication event notification message and the group creation notification message are transmitted using an instant messaging protocol.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the host node is a user terminal operated by a user of the communication system.

21. A computer program product comprising program code which when executed by a computer implement the steps according to the method of claim 1.

17. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of user terminals operated by a plurality of users of the communication system; and

a host node, wherein the host node comprises;

means for selecting a group of users from the plurality of users of the communication system;

means for initiating a group communication event with the group of users;

means for establishing a group communication event with at least a first user in the group, responsive to receiving a group communication acceptance from the at least first user in the group;

means for receiving a communication set up request from one of said plurality of users of the communication system;

means for analysing the communication set up request to determine if said communication set up request is associated with said group communication event initiated by the host node; and

means for adding said other user to the group communication event if it is determined that the communication set up request is associated with said group communication event.

18. The communication system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the host node further comprises

means for assigning an identity to said group communication event;

and

means for transmitting a notification of the communication event to said group of users, wherein the notification comprises the identity assigned to the communication event.

19. The communication system as claimed in claim 18 further comprising a user terminal of at least a second user of said group of users comprising:

means for receiving the notification of the group communication event,

means for determining if the at least second user of said group of users has established the group communication event, in response to receiving the notification of the group communication event; and

means for providing the at least second user of said group of users with an option for joining the group communication event, if it is determined that the at least second user of said group of users has not established the group communication event.

20. The communication system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the user terminal of the at least second user of said group of users further comprises:

means for receiving a selection signal from the at least second user to join the group communication event; and

means for transmitting a communication set up request to the host node, responsive to receiving the selection signal, wherein said communication set up request includes the identity of said group communication event.