System for identifying new client and allocating bandwidth thereto by monitoring transmission of message received periodically from client computers informing of their current status

• US 5,600,797 A
• Filed: 11/16/1994
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Marshall, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Po C.
• Application Number:
  US08/340,634
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 340/827, 340/286.02, 340/500, 340/825.06, 340/870.01, 370/60, 370/94.1, 370/94.2, 370/60, 370/68.1, 370/110.1, 370/118, 395/650, 395/200.02, 395/200.11, 395/200.13, 395/200.06, 395/838
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities
• 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 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: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

Client computers on a computer network send messages informing their management computer on the network of the status of transmissions such as those for conferences involving the client computers. Managers use the messages to maintain records of active transmissions to (1) discover transmissions that started without explicit authorization from the managers and (2) delete transmission records corresponding to transmissions that terminated without explicitly notifying the managers.

Claims

1. A computer for a computer system comprising a management computer and one or more client computers interconnected over a computer network, wherein:

the computer is one of the management computer and a client computer;

the client computers can communicate over the computer network;

the management computer allocates bandwidth to the client computers for communication sessions over the computer network;

each client computer that is participating in an active communication session periodically transmits a message over the computer network to inform the management computer of current status of the active communication session; and

if the management computer receives a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was not previously aware, then the management computer allocates bandwidth for the communication session.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the computer network is a packet-switched computer network.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein each message identifies an address for a client computer that sent the message about a communication session, an address for another computer participating in the communication session, and an amount of bandwidth allocated for the communication session.

4. The computer of claim 1, wherein, if the management computer fails for a specified duration to receive a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was previously aware, then the management computer deallocates bandwidth for the communication session.

5. The computer of claim 1, wherein, if the management computer receives a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was not previously aware and if there is insufficient bandwidth for the communication session, then the management computer instructs one or more of its client computers to terminate their communication sessions.

6. The computer of claim 5, wherein, if the management computer fails for a specified duration to receive a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was previously aware, then the management computer deallocates bandwidth for the communication session.

7. The computer of claim 1, wherein:

when the management computer receives a message from a first client computer about a first communication session of which the management computer was not previously aware, then the management computer adds the first client computer and the first communication session to the list and allocates external bandwidth for the first communication session as an external communication session; and

if, before the first communication session is terminated, the management computer subsequently receives a message from a second client computer about the first communication session, then the management computer deallocates the external bandwidth for the first communication session and allocates local bandwidth for the first communication session as a local communication session.

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein:

if the management computer fails for a specified duration to receive a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was previously aware, then the management computer deallocates bandwidth for the communication session;

if the management computer receives a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was not previously aware and if there is insufficient bandwidth for the communication session, then the management computer instructs one or more of its client computers to terminate their communication sessions;

the computer network is a packet-switched computer network; and

each message identifies an address for a client computer that sent the message about a communication session, an address for another computer participating in the communication session, and an amount of bandwidth allocated for the communication session.

9. A computer for a computer system comprising a management computer and one or more client computers interconnected over a computer network, wherein:

the computer is one of the management computer and a client computer;

the client computers can participate in one or more communication sessions over the computer network;

the management computer allocates bandwidth to the client computers for the communication sessions over the computer network;

each client computer that is participating in an active communication session periodically transmits a message over the computer network to inform the management computer of current status of the active communication session; and

if the management computer fails for a specified duration to receive a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was previously aware, then the management computer deallocates bandwidth for the communication session.

10. The computer of claim 9, wherein the computer network is a packet-switched computer network.

11. The computer of claim 9, wherein, if the management computer receives a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was not previously aware and if there is insufficient bandwidth for the communication session, then the management computer instructs one or more of its client computers to terminate their communication sessions.

12. The computer of claim 11, wherein:

the computer network is a packet-switched computer network; and

each message identifies an address for a client computer that sent the message about a communication session, an address for another computer participating in the communication session, and an amount of bandwidth allocated for the communication session.

13. A computer for a computer system comprising a management computer and one or more client computers interconnected over a computer network, wherein:

the computer is one of the management computer and a client computer;

the client computers can participate in one or more communication sessions over the computer network;

the management computer allocates bandwidth to the client computers for the communication sessions over the computer network;

each client computer that is participating in an active communication session periodically transmits a message over the computer network to inform the management computer of current status of the active communication session; and

if the management computer receives a message from a client computer about a communication session of which the management computer was not previously aware and if there is insufficient bandwidth for the communication session, then the management computer instructs one or more of its client computers to terminate their communication sessions.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the computer network is a packet-switched computer network.

15. The computer of claim 14, wherein each message identifies an address for a client computer that sent the message about a communication session, an address for another computer participating in the communication session, and an amount of bandwidth allocated for the communication session.