Multiple Subscriber Videoconferencing System

• US 20130235148A1
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Margalla Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Margalla Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Jang, Saqib, Kent, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,154,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• 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: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 : Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 : Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 : Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13335 : Simulation, emulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 : Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13339 : Ciphering, encryption, security
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 : Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 : Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 : Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system, method, and device for use in videoconferencing. The method typically includes installing a videoconferencing services switch at an access point to an IP network, and registering a plurality of subscribers for videoconferencing services. Each subscriber typically has a plurality of endpoints. The method further includes receiving subscriber-specific settings to be applied to multiple videoconferencing calls from the plurality of endpoints associated with each subscriber. The method further includes storing the subscriber-specific settings at a location accessible to the switch, and configuring the switch to connect calls from the plurality of endpoints at each subscriber based on the corresponding subscriber-specific settings.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system comprising a plurality of videoconferencing services switches coupled in a distributed network, each videoconferencing services switch comprising:

a call control module providing control of videoconferencing calls in a service provider Internet Protocol (IP) network, the call control module configured to perform call set-up operations, to manage call data streams, and to perform call tear-down operations;

a security module configured to provide firewall and network address translation services for videoconferencing calls; and

a tunneling services module configured to provide a virtual private network (VPN) between the videoconferencing services switch and an enterprise subscriber network, wherein each videoconferencing services switch is adapted for deployment at an access point of a service provider IP network.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a virtual router that routes call data between one or more enterprise subscriber networks and the call control module and segments call data for each enterprise subscriber; and

a virtual private network (VPN) module configured to create virtual private networks for traffic flowing across the distributed network.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the call control module further comprises:

an H.323 gatekeeper module for controlling calls placed with the H.323 protocol.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the call control module further comprises:

a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy module for controlling calls placed with the SIP protocol.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a policy engine that enforces policies based on subscriber-specific settings on the videoconferencing data stream.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the subscriber-specific settings comprise subscriber-wide settings that apply to all calls from a subscriber and user-specific settings that apply a particular terminal of the subscriber.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein subscriber-specific settings are selected from the group consisting of:

outbound/inbound calling privileges, encryption policies, bandwidth policies, priority among users'"'"' policies, participation privileges, inbound/outbound calling restrictions, time-of-day restrictions, audio or video restrictions.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein subscriber-specific settings include firewall settings.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein subscriber-specific settings include network address translation (NAT) settings.

30. A videoconferencing services switch capable of processing a videoconferencing call between an origination terminal and a destination terminal, the origination and destination terminals being located on one or more enterprise subscriber networks, the videoconferencing services switch comprising:

a call control module capable of performing call set-up and tear-down operations and managing call data streams for the videoconferencing call;

a quality of service module capable of being configured to guarantee quality of service videoconferencing calls placed via the switch according to the subscriber-specific settings;

a security module configured to provide firewall and network address translation services for videoconferencing calls;

a tunneling services module configured to provide a virtual private network (VPN) between the videoconferencing services switch and the enterprise subscriber network; and

a policy engine capable of being configured to enforce policies on the videoconferencing call based on subscriber-specific and/or user-specific settings.

31. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 30, wherein the subscriber-specific settings are selected from the group consisting of:

calling privileges, encryption, bandwidth, priority, participation, and restriction policies.

32. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 30, wherein the quality of service module comprises:

a call bandwidth management module.

33. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 30, wherein the quality of service module comprises:

a call Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) traffic engineering module.

34. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 30, wherein the quality of service module comprises:

a call Differentiated Services (Diff Serv) capabilities module.

35. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 30, wherein the security module further comprises:

a H.323/SIP firewall module configured to use firewall settings on a per-subscriber basis to allow a subscriber-specific firewall that is custom-implemented for traffic from each subscriber.

36. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 30, wherein the security module further comprises:

a H.323/SIP Network Address Translation (NAT) module configured to provide network address translation services for the videoconferencing calls based on subscriber-specific network address translation settings.

37. A method for providing videoconferencing services using a globally distributed network, wherein the globally distributed network comprises a plurality of videoconferencing services switches deployed at access points in a service provider IP network, comprising:

receiving call control data and call set-up information from call origination and destination videoconferencing endpoints in enterprise subscriber networks;

receiving real-time audio and video data streams from call origination and destination videoconferencing endpoints in enterprise subscriber networks ;

managing transfer of the real-time audio and video data streams between the said globally distributed network and enterprise subscriber networks using encrypted traffic flows;

enabling enterprise firewall and network address translation (NAT) traversal for the real-time audio and video data streams based on enterprise subscriber-specific settings; and

enforcing policies based on enterprise subscriber specific settings.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the subscriber-specific settings are selected from the group consisting of:

calling privileges, encryption, bandwidth, priority, participation, and audio/video restriction policies.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the subscriber-specific settings comprise subscriber-wide settings that apply to all calls from a subscriber and user-specific settings that apply a particular terminal of the subscriber.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the enterprise subscriber-specific settings are globally configurable

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the subscriber-specific settings includes firewall settings.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the subscriber-specific settings includes NAT settings.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein managing quality of service further comprises:

managing call bandwidth.

44. The method of claim 44, wherein each videoconferencing services switch maintains a repository of enterprise subscriber-specific settings.

45. A system for use in videoconferencing, comprising:

multiple enterprise subscriber networks, each enterprise subscriber network having one or more videoconferencing terminals;

a service provider network configured to enable users of the multiple enterprise subscriber networks to access a global computer network via access points;

a globally distributed infrastructure comprising a plurality of videoconferencing services switches each configured to process videoconferencing calls from terminals of each of the multiple enterprise subscriber networks, based on subscriber specific settings;

wherein each videoconferencing services switch includes an encryption module configured to encrypt videoconferencing data sent between the globally distributed infrastructure and each enterprise subscriber network.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the videoconferencing service switches are located at service provider network access points to process videoconferencing calls from terminals of each of the multiple enterprise subscriber networks.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the globally distributed infrastructure directs the videoconferencing calls from each of the participants connecting to the closest service provider network access point to minimize their latency.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the subscriber-specific settings comprise subscriber-wide settings that apply to all calls from a subscriber and user-specific settings that apply a particular terminal of the subscriber.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein the globally distributed infrastructure enables enterprise firewall and network address translation (NAT) traversal for the real-time audio and video data streams based on enterprise subscriber-specific settings.