System for negotiating conferencing capabilities by selecting a subset of a non-unique set of conferencing capabilities to specify a unique set of conferencing capabilities

• US 5,859,979 A
• Filed: 10/21/1997
• Issued: 01/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sloss, Reed, Tung, Peter, Cox, Katherine, Mirashrafi, Mojtaba
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US08/954,004
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.58, 395/200.34, 395/200.57, 395/11, 370/260, 370/261, 348/15, 706/10, 379/202, 379/93, 379/93.1
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 12/1818 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 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• 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

Conferencing nodes transmit messages back and forth to negotiate characteristics for their conferencing session. The messages identify different sets of conferencing capabilities supported by the conferencing nodes. A first node transmits a request to a second node, wherein the request identifies a first set of conferencing capabilities of the first node. The second node transmits a response to the first node, wherein the response identifies a second set of conferencing capabilities of the second node and the second set is a subset of the first set. The first node and second node conduct conferencing based on the second set.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for negotiating conferencing capabilities, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a request from a first node to a second node to establish a point-to-point conference between the first node and the second node, wherein;

the request identifies a first non-unique set of conferencing capabilities of the first node; and

a set of conferencing capabilities is unique only if each conferencing capability of the set of conferencing capabilities is specified uniquely;

(b) transmitting a response from the second node to the first node, wherein;

the response identifies a second set of conferencing capabilities of the second node; and

the second set is a subset of the first set and the second set corresponds to fewer conferencing capabilities than the first set; and

(c) conferencing between the first node and the second node based on the second set only if the second set is a unique set of conferencing capabilities.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the step of transmitting the request over an ISDN network.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein:

step (b) comprises the step of transmitting a further response from the first node to the second node;

the further response identifies a third set of conferencing capabilities of the first node;

the third set is a subset of the second set; and

step (c) comprises the step of conferencing between the first node and the second node based on the third set.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the conferencing capabilities comprise audio conferencing capabilities.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the audio conferencing capabilities comprise audio compression algorithm.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the conferencing capabilities comprise video conferencing capabilities.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the video conferencing capabilities comprise frame rate, video compression algorithm, frame resolution, and bit rate.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the request is a CallerCapRequest message; and

the response is one of a CalleeCapAccept message and a CalleeCapResponse message.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein:

the CallerCapRequest message comprises a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 500;

the CalleeCapAccept message comprises a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 501; and

the CalleeCapResponse message comprises a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 503.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a Capabilities structure.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the Capabilities structure comprises:

a structure length field;

a version ID field;

a product field;

a product version field;

a audio capabilities field; and

a video capabilities field.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein:

the structure length field is a 32-bit lLen field;

the version ID field is a 32-bit PCSVersion field;

the product field is a 32-character Product field;

the product version field is a 6-character Version field;

the audio capabilities field is a 32-bit AudioCaps field; and

the video capabilities field is a 32-bit VideoCaps field.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the conferencing capabilities comprise audio conferencing capabilities and video conferencing capabilities;

the audio conferencing capabilities comprise audio compression algorithm;

the video conferencing capabilities comprise frame rate, video compression algorithm, frame resolution, and bit rate;

the request is a CallerCapRequest message comprising;

a Capabilities structure; and

a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 500;

the response is one of a CalleeCapAccept message and a CalleeCapResponse message;

the CalleeCapAccept message comprises;

the Capabilities structure; and

a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 501;

the CalleeCapResponse message comprises;

the Capabilities structure; and

a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 503;

the Capabilities structure comprises;

a 32-bit lLen field;

a 32-bit PCSVersion field;

a 32-character Product field;

a 6-character Version field;

a 32-bit AudioCaps field; and

a 32-bit VideoCaps field.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein:

step (b) comprises the step of transmitting a further response from the first node to the second node;

the further response identifies a third set of conferencing capabilities of the first node;

the third set is a subset of the second set; and

step (c) comprises the step of conferencing between the first node and the second node based on the third set.

15. A computer system for negotiating conferencing capabilities, comprising:

(a) a first node; and

(b) a second node, wherein;

the first node transmits a request to the second node to establish a point-to-point conference between the first node and the second node, wherein;

the request identifies a first non-unique set of conferencing capabilities of the first node; and

a set of conferencing capabilities is unique only if each conferencing capability of the set of conferencing capabilities is specified uniquely;

the second node transmits a response to the first node, wherein;

the response identifies a second set of conferencing capabilities of the second node; and

the second set is a subset of the first set and the second set corresponds to fewer conferencing capabilities than the first set; and

the first node and second node conduct conferencing based on the second set only if the second set is a unique set of conferencing capabilities.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first node transmits the request over an ISDN network.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first node transmits a further response to the second node;

the further response identifies a third set of conferencing capabilities of the first node;

the third set is a subset of the second set; and

the first node and second node conduct conferencing based on the third set.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the conferencing capabilities comprise audio conferencing capabilities.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the audio conferencing capabilities comprise audio compression algorithm.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the conferencing capabilities comprise video conferencing capabilities.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the video conferencing capabilities comprise frame rate, video compression algorithm, frame resolution, and bit rate.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the request is a CallerCapRequest message; and

the response is one of a CalleeCapAccept message and a CalleeCapResponse message.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the CallerCapRequest message comprises a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 500;

the CalleeCapAccept message comprises a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 501; and

the CalleeCapResponse message comprises a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 503.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the request comprises a Capabilities structure.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the Capabilities structure comprises:

a structure length field;

a version ID field;

a product field;

a product version field;

a audio capabilities field; and

a video capabilities field.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the structure length field is a 32-bit lLen field;

the version ID field is a 32-bit PCSVersion field;

the product field is a 32-character Product field;

the product version field is a 6-character Version field;

the audio capabilities field is a 32-bit AudioCaps field; and

the video capabilities field is a 32-bit VideoCaps field.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the conferencing capabilities comprise audio conferencing capabilities and video conferencing capabilities;

the audio conferencing capabilities comprise audio compression algorithm;

the video conferencing capabilities comprise frame rate, video compression algorithm, frame resolution, and bit rate;

the request is a CallerCapRequest message comprising;

a Capabilities structure; and

a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 500;

the response is one of a CalleeCapAccept message and a CalleeCapResponse message;

the CalleeCapAccept message comprises;

the Capabilities structure; and

a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 501;

the CalleeCapResponse message comprises;

the Capabilities structure; and

a 16-bit Message number field corresponding to the integer value 503;

the Capabilities structure comprises;

a 32-bit lLen field;

a 32-bit PCSVersion field;

a 32-character Product field;

a 6-character Version field;

a 32-bit AudioCaps field; and

a 32-bit VideoCaps field.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the first node transmits a further response node to the second node;

the further response identifies a third set of conferencing capabilities of the first node;

the third set is a subset of the second set; and

the first node and the second node conduct conferencing based on the third set.