Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) multicast tree delivery switching

• US 5,930,238 A
• Filed: 07/10/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HaiVision Systems, Inc. (HaiVision Network Video)
• Original Assignee: General DataComm, Inc. (General DataComm Industries, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Annie Thanhvan
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US08/891,176
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/270, 370/329, 370/337, 370/395, 370/397, 370/401, 370/410, 370/471, 370/486, 370/496, 370/522, 395/200.2, 395/200.04, 395/306
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

Multimedia multipoint conferencing and distance learning sessions utilizing the ATM network use multimedia conferencing equipment at remote sites coupled to the ATM network via ATM network interface switches. All ATM switches are coupled to, and receive control information from a network manager (NM). An application server (AS) is coupled to the NM, and is also coupled to conferencing equipment via an out-of-band connection such as ETHERNET, to which the conferencing equipment is also connected. To establish a multimedia multipoint conference, the AS sends information regarding the participants to the NM. At conference time, the NM establishes a plurality of SPVC multicast trees from each participating site to all other participating sites in the conference, and activates one multicast tree and deactivates all others. An application running on a computer system at a main site tracks requests from remote sites for recognition. A request is recognized via a command sent from the main site to the AS which causes the NM to deactivate the previously activated multicast tree, and activate the already set up, but non-activated multicast tree from the recognized site to the main and other sites. Control is re-obtained by the main site by sending another command to the AS which causes the NM to deactivate the then active multicast tree and to reactivate the previous multicast tree from the main site to all remote sites.

Claims

1. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system for connecting at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means coupled to an ATM network having a plurality of ATM switches and a network manager coupled to the ATM switches, said conferencing system comprising:

a) an application server means coupled to said at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means via out-of-band connections, and coupled to the network manager, said application server means for providing information to said network manager;

b) a communication means resident in each multimedia conferencing equipment means, each communication means for communicating with the application server via the out-of-band connections, wherein

in response to a message from one of said communication means, said application server means provides said information to the network manager and causes said network manager to establish a plurality of sets of virtual connections among the plurality of ATM switches, each of said plurality of sets of virtual connections connecting one of the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means to the others of the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means, wherein,

in response to said message from one of said communications means, said application server provides said information to the network manager which causes said network manager to deactivate an active one of said plurality of sets of virtual connections and to activate a deactivated other of said plurality of sets of virtual connections.

5. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 1, wherein:

one of said communications means establishes one of the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means as a main site, others of said communications means establishing others of the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means as remote sites.

6. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 5, wherein:

in response to a second message from said communication means of a remote site, said application server provides control information to said multimedia conferencing equipment means of said main site.

7. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 5, wherein:

each set of said plurality of sets of virtual connections comprises a Semi-permanent Virtual Connection (SPVC) tree.

8. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 7, wherein:

said out-of-band connections comprise a LAN or WAN.

9. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 8, wherein,

said LAN or WAN comprises an ETHERNET connection.

10. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 1, wherein:

said out-of-band connections comprise a LAN or WAN.

11. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 10, wherein,

said LAN or WAN comprises an ETHERNET connection.

12. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 5, wherein:

said communication means of said main site includes reservation request means for forwarding a reservation request to said application server, said reservation request including conference time data, and

said application server means includes reservation setup means for receiving said reservation request from said application server, wherein said application server means provides said information to the network manager and causes said network manager to establish a plurality of connections among the plurality of ATM switches at a time based on said conference time data.

2. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system for connecting at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means coupled to an ATM network having a plurality of ATM switches and a network manager coupled to the ATM switches, said conferencing system comprising:

a) an application server means coupled to said at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means via out-of-band connections, and coupled to the network manager, said application server means for providing information to said network manager;

b) a communication means resident in each multimedia conferencing equipment means, each communication means for communicating with the application server via the out-of-band connections, wherein

in response to a message from one of said communication means, said application server means provides said information to the network manager and causes said network manager to establish a plurality of sets of virtual connections among the plurality of ATM switches, each of said plurality of sets of virtual connections connecting one of the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means to the others of the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means, and

in response to said message from one of said communications means, said application server provides said information to the network manager which causes the network manager to deactivate all others of said plurality of sets of virtual connections and to activate one of said plurality of sets of virtual connections, and

in response to another message from one of said communications means, said application server provides said information to the network manager which causes the network manager to deactivate said active one of said plurality of sets of virtual connections and to activate another of said plurality of sets of connections.

17. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 2, wherein:

said out-of-band connections comprise a LAN or WAN.

18. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 17, wherein:

said LAN or WAN comprises an ETHERNET connection.

3. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system for connecting at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means coupled to an ATM network having a plurality of ATM switches and a network manager coupled to the ATM switches, said conferencing system comprising:

a) an application server means coupled to said at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means via out-of-band connections, and coupled to the network manager, said application server means for providing information to said network manager;

b) a communication means resident in each multimedia conferencing equipment means, each communication means for communicating with the application server via the out-of-band connections, wherein

in response to a message from one of said communication means, said application server means provides said information to the network manager and causes said network manager to establish a plurality of sets of virtual connections among the plurality of ATM switches, each of said plurality of sets of virtual connections connecting one of the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means to others of the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means, and wherein

each set of said plurality of sets of virtual connections comprises a Semi-permanent Virtual Connection (SPVC) tree.

4. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 3, wherein:

each SPVC tree is an SPVC multicast tree.

19. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 3, wherein:

said out-of-band connections comprise a LAN or WAN.

20. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 19, wherein:

said LAN or WAN comprises an ETHERNET connection.

13. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system coupled to an ATM network having a plurality of ATM switches, said conferencing system comprising:

a) a network manager coupled to the ATM switches;

b) an application server means coupled to said network manager for providing information to said network manager;

c) at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means coupled to the ATM network, each multimedia conferencing equipment means including communication means for communicating out-of-band with said application server, wherein

in response to a message from one of said communication means, said application server means provides said information to said network manager and causes said network manager to establish a plurality of virtual connections among the plurality of ATM switches thereby connecting each of said at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means to all others of said at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means over the ATM network said plurality of virtual connections comprising Semi-permanent Virtual Connection (SPVC) trees, with only one of said SPVC trees being activated at a time.

14. A multimedia multipoint conferenceing system according to claim 13, wherein:

said communication means for communicating out-of-band comprises ETHERNET connection means.

15. A multimedia multipoint conferencing system according to claim 13, wherein:

said SPVC trees are SPVC multicast trees.

16. A method of conducting a multimedia multipoint conference utilizing a system having an ATM network with a plurality of ATM switches, at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means coupled to the ATM network, an application server coupled to the at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means via an out-of-ATM-band connection means, a network manager means coupled to the application server and to the ATM switches, said at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means including communications means for communicating with the application server via the out-of-ATM-band connection means, said method comprising:

a) using said application server and network manager to generate a plurality of sets of virtual connections through the ATM network, each particular set of virtual connections representing a connection from a particular one of said at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means to others of said at least three multimedia conferencing equipment means;

b) based on information forwarded to said application server from a multimedia conferencing equipment means during a conference, at a first time, activating a first one of said plurality of sets and deactivating others of said plurality of sets, and at a second time deactivating said first one and others of said plurality of sets and activating another of said plurality of sets.