Method and apparatus for dynamic launching of a teleconferencing application upon receipt of a call

• US 6,189,034 B1
• Filed: 05/08/1996
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Riddle, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, CHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US08/646,503
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370/905, 370/462, 348/15, 348/12, 379/67, 379/93.01, 395/200.35, 395/200.37, 395/200.32, 709/205, 709/202, 709/204, 709/228, 709/227, 709/207, 707/529, 712/220
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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: Y10S 370/905 Asynchronous transfer mode, ASN

Abstract

In a computer system having a memory, a processor, and a network interface, a method for dynamically launching a conferencing application upon the receipt of an incoming call having the steps of: receiving an incoming call signal on the network interface; processing the incoming call signal to detect an intended recipient application; and launching the intended recipient application.

An apparatus for dynamically launching a conferencing application upon the receipt of an incoming call having a call directing module; a process manager coupled to the call directing module; and, a conferencing component coupled to the network interface; and the call directing module; the conferencing component containing a circuit for notifying the call directing module upon receipt of an incoming call and causing the call director to signal the process manager to activate a conferencing application.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a memory, a processor, and a network interface, a method comprising:

launching a call director unit to set up a demon conference component in said memory;

receiving an incoming call signal on said network interface;

processing said incoming call signal in said demon conference component to detect an intended recipient application using a listen string, said listen string containing an application signature, an application signal type and an application signal port; and

launching said intended recipient application using said application signature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing said incoming call signal comprises:

parsing said incoming call signal to determine a signal type and a signal port; and

determining said intended recipient application based on said signal type and said signal port.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said launching said intended recipient application comprises:

determining said intended recipient application based on a signal type and a signal port;

locating said intended recipient application using said application signature; and

signaling a process manager to launch said intended recipient application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said launching said call director unit to set up said demon conference component includes:

loading a call processing module into said memory; and

initializing said call processing module to process calls using said network interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said loading said call processing module into said memory comprises:

loading a call directing component;

loading a first conference component;

loading a first transport component; and

loading a first network component.

6. The method claim 5, wherein said initializing said call processing module comprises:

initializing said first network component to operate with said network interface;

initializing said call directing component to monitor for said incoming call signal;

initializing said first transport component to receive said incoming call signal; and

initializing said first conference component to transfer said incoming call signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an initialization message from said intended recipient application; and

removing said intended recipient application from an internal list if said initialization message does not correspond to an expected message.

8. In a computer system having a memory, a processor, and a network interface, an apparatus comprising:

a call directing module;

a process manager coupled to said call directing module; and

,

a conferencing component coupled to said network interface and said call directing module;

where said conferencing component is configured by said call directory module to notify said call directing module upon receipt of an incoming call and causing said call director to signal said process manager to activate a conferencing application based on a listen string, said listen string containing an application signature, an application signal type, and an application signal port.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor;

a network interface coupled to said processor;

said memory configured to cause said processor to;

receiving an incoming call signal on said network interface;

processing said incoming call signal to detect an intended recipient application using a listen string, said listen string containing an application signature, an application signal type and an application signal sort; and

launching a conferencing application using said application signature.

10. In a computer system having a memory, a processor, and a network interface, an apparatus comprising:

means for launching a call director unit to set up a demon conference component in said memory;

means for receiving an incoming call signal on said network interface;

means for processing said incoming call signal in said demon conference component to detect an intended recipient application using a listen string, said listen string containing an application signature, an application signal type and an application signal port; and

means for launching said intended recipient application using said application signature.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said means for processing said incoming call signal comprises:

means for parsing said incoming call signal to determine a signal type and a signal port; and

means for determining said intended recipient application based on said signal type and said signal port.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said means for launching said intended recipient application comprises:

means for determining said intended recipient application based on a signal type and a signal port;

means for locating said intended recipient application using said application signature; and

means for signaling a process manager to launch said intended recipient application.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for loading a call processing module into said memory; and

means for initializing said call processing module to process calls using said network interface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for loading said call processing module into said memory comprises:

means for loading a call directing component;

means for loading a first conference component;

means for loading a first transport component; and

means for loading a first network component.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for initializing said call processing module comprises:

means for initializing said first network component to operate with said network interface;

means for initializing said call directing component to monitor for said incoming call signal;

means for initializing said first transport component to receive said incoming call signal; and

means for initializing said first conference component to transfer said incoming call signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving an initialization message from said intended recipient application; and

means for removing said intended recipient application from an internal list if said initialization message does not correspond to an expected message.

17. An article comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, causes:

launching a call director unit to set up a demon conference component in a memory;

receiving an incoming call signal on a network interface;

processing said incoming call signal in said demon conference component to detect an intended recipient application using a listen string, said listen string containing an application signature, an application signal type and an application signal port; and

launching said intended recipient application using said application signature.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium further having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, causes:

parsing said incoming call signal to determine a signal type and a signal port; and

determining said intended recipient application based on said signal type and said signal port.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium further having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, causes:

determining said intended recipient application based on a signal type and a signal port;

locating said intended recipient application using said application signature; and

signaling a process manager to launch said intended recipient application.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium further having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, causes:

loading a call processing module into said memory; and

initializing said call processing module to process calls using said network interface.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the computer readable medium further having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, causes:

loading a call directing component;

loading a first conference component;

loading a first transport component; and

loading a first network component.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the computer readable medium further having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, causes:

initializing said first network component to operate with said network interface;

initializing said call directing component to monitor for said incoming call signal;

initializing said first transport component to receive said incoming call signal; and

initializing said first conference component to transfer said incoming call signal.

23. The article of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium further having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, causes:

receiving an initialization message from said intended recipient application; and

removing said intended recipient application from an internal list if said initialization message does not correspond to an expected message.