Apparatus and Method for Asymmetrical Conferencing Between Local and External Transceivers

• US 20100097959A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iptrade Net
• Original Assignee: Iptrade Net
• Inventors: Zander, Vincent, Mattivi, Didier, Joliet, Philippe, Dewonck, Benoit
• Granted Patent: US 8,149,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• 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 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

These multimedia conferencing apparatus and method manage asymmetrical public and/or private conferences. A conference takes place between an external transceiver and at least a local transceiver; local transceivers may take part to a plurality of conferences simultaneously. The apparatus comprises a communication interface connected to a packet data communication network in order to send and receive multimedia signals to and from the transceivers. A conference managing means is operable to determine, for each transceiver, which of the incoming multimedia signals received from the other transceivers are accessible to said transceiver, based on a transceiver'"'"'s state and on data characterising the existing conferences, said state indicating whether said transceiver is participating to a private conference or to a public conference. A signal generating means generates for each transceiver at least an outgoing multimedia signal by mixing the incoming multimedia signals of the transceivers accessible to said transceiver.

Claims

1. A multimedia conferencing apparatus for managing simultaneous asymmetrical public and/or private conferences wherein a conference takes place between an external transceiver and at least a local transceiver, local transceivers being able to take part to a plurality of conferences simultaneously, the apparatus comprising at least a communication interface connected to at least a packet data communication network, the communication interface being operable to send and receive multimedia signals to and from the transceivers, said apparatus being characterised in that it comprises:

a conference managing means;

for managing data indicating the existing public and/or private conferences and the transceivers participating to said conferences;

for managing, for each transceiver, a state, in the sense of a state of a finite state machine, indicating whether a transceiver is participating to a private conference or to a public conference, wherein the conference managing unit is operable to determine, for each transceiver, which of the incoming multimedia signals received from the other transceivers are accessible to said transceiver, based on the transceivers state and on the data characterising the existing conferences; and

a signal generating means for generating, for each transceiver, at least an outgoing multimedia signal by mixing the incoming multimedia signals accessible to said transceiver.

2. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the conference managing means is operable to determine, for each local transceiver, and for each of the conferences said local transceiver is taking part to, accessible incoming multimedia signals, based on the transceivers state and on the data characterising the existing conferences.

3. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the signal generating means is operable to generate, for each local transceiver, a plurality of separate outgoing multimedia signals, each dedicated to one of the conference the local transceiver is taking part, by mixing the accessible incoming multimedia signals associated to said conference and said local transceiver.

4. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when two local transceivers are both simultaneously taking part to two or more public conferences with a same external transceiver, the incoming signal of the first local transceiver is mixed in only one of the outgoing signals of the second transceiver and vice-versa.

5. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication interface is operable to receive at least a request from at least a local transceiver to take part to a private or public conference with an external transceiver and wherein the conference managing means is operable to accept or refuse said request based upon the state of the external transceiver.

6. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the conference managing means is operable, to refuse said request, if the external transceiver participates to a private conference according to its corresponding state.

7. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the conference managing means is operable, upon acceptance of said request, to update data representing the existing conferences to add said requested conference or to add said local transceiver as a participant, if the conference with said external transceiver exists already.

8. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the conference managing means is operable, upon acceptance of said request, to give access to the local transceiver'"'"'s incoming multimedia signal to the external transceiver and vice-versa.

9. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when said request is a request for a public conference, the conference managing means is operable to give access to the incoming multimedia signal of said local transceiver to at least some of the local transceivers already participating to a public conference with said external transceiver and vice-versa.

10. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia signals comprise voice-over-IP packet-based signals.

11. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein it comprises a signalisation control unit operable to establish for each transceiver at least a direct bi-directional communication channel to exchange the multimedia signals associated to said transceiver.

12. A multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the signalisation control unit is operable to establish for each local transceiver, a plurality of separate direct bi-directional communication channels between the communication interface and the local transceiver, each dedicated to the communication with one external transceiver only.

25. A communication system for managing simultaneous asymmetrical public and/or private conferences, wherein a conference takes place between an external transceiver and at least a local transceiver, local transceivers being able to take part to a plurality of conferences simultaneously, said system comprising:

a local packet data communication network operable to transmit multimedia signals;

at least one local transceiver connected to said local network and operable to send and receive multimedia signals;

a gateway connected to the local network and to an external network, at least one external transceiver being connected to the external network;

said gateway being operable to transmit multimedia signals between the external and the local network, characterised in that it comprises at least a multimedia conferencing apparatus according to claim 1 connected to the local network operable to send and receive multimedia signals to and from the transceivers in order to manage conferences between local and external transceivers.

26. Communication system according to claim 25 wherein the local network supports voice-over-IP protocol and wherein the multimedia signals comprise voice-over-IP packet-based signals.

27. Storage medium readable by a programmable processing apparatus, possibly entirely or partially detachable from said processing apparatus, including digital media, such as digital versatile disk or compact disk or magnetic media, such as a hard drive or floppy disk or transmissible data media, such as an electrical or optical signal carrying data, characterised in that it comprises instructions to program a programmable processing apparatus to become operable according to claim 1.

28. Computer programme stored comprising instructions to program a programmable processing apparatus to become operable according to claim 1, when said programme is loaded and executed by said processing apparatus.

13. Method for managing simultaneous asymmetrical public and/or private conferences, wherein a conference takes place between an external transceiver and at least a local transceiver, local transceiver being able to take part to a plurality of conferences simultaneously, the method being performed in a data processing apparatus connected to a data packet-switched network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, through at least a communication interface connected to the network, incoming multimedia signals from transceivers;

managing, by a conference managing means;

data indicating the existing public and/or private conferences and the transceivers participating to said conferences; and

for each transceiver, a state, in the sense of a state of a finite state machine, indicating whether a transceiver is participating to a private conference or to a public conference;

determining by said conference managing means, for each transceiver, which incoming multimedia signals received from the other transceivers are accessible to said transceiver, based on the state of said corresponding other transceivers and on the data characterising the existing conferences; and

generating, for each transceiver, by a signal generating means, at least an outgoing multimedia signal by mixing the incoming multimedia signals of the transceivers accessible to said transceiver.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of determining, by the conference managing means, for each local transceiver and for each of the conferences said local transceiver is taking part to, includes determining accessible incoming multimedia signals, based on the transceivers state and on the data characterising the existing conferences.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein it comprises the step of generating, by the signal generating means, for each local transceiver, includes generating a plurality of separate outgoing multimedia signals, each dedicated to one of the conference the local transceiver is taking part, by mixing the accessible incoming multimedia signals associated to said conference and to said local transceiver.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein when two local transceivers are both simultaneously taking part to two or more public conferences with a same external transceiver, the incoming signal of the first local transceiver is mixed in only one of the outgoing signals of the second transceiver and vice-versa.

17. A method according to claim 13, it comprises further comprising the steps of:

receiving through the communication interface a request from at least a local transceiver to take part to a private or public conference with an external transceiver; and

accepting or refusing, by the conference managing means, said request based upon the state of the external transceiver.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said request is refused if the external transceiver participates to a private conference according to its corresponding state.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein upon acceptance of said request, the step of updating data representing the existing conferences includes adding said requested conference or said local transceiver as a participant, if the conference with said external transceiver exists already.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein upon acceptance of said request, the method further comprises the step of giving access to the local transceiver'"'"'s incoming multimedia signal to the external transceiver and vice-versa.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein when said request is a request for a public conference, said method comprises the further step of giving access to the incoming multimedia signal of said local transceiver to at least some of the local transceivers already participating to a public conference with said external transceiver and vice and versa.

22. A method according to claim 13, wherein the multimedia signals comprise voice-over-IP packet-based signals.

23. A method according to claim 13, wherein said method further comprises the step of establishing, by a signalisation control unit, for each transceiver a direct bi-directional communication channel to exchange the multimedia signals associated to said transceiver.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of establishing for each local transceiver, a plurality of separate direct bi-directional communication channels between the data processing apparatus and said local transceiver, includes each dedicated to the communication having gin one external transceiver only.