Universal conference control manager

• US 6,282,278 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1998
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tantawi, Asser Nasreldin, Doganata, Yurdaer Nezihi
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGDEPPA, HECTOR A
• Application Number:
  US09/065,847
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202, 379/272
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically establishing an audio conference call where one of a number of audio conference call service providers must be selected. With this invention a resource broker receives requests from a number of users desiring to establish an audio conference call. Profile data on a number of conference call service providers is maintained by the resource broker. Based on the profile data and the requests from the users, one of the audio conference call service providers is selected, and the selected audio conference service provider then establishes an audio conference call in accordance with the request from the users.

Claims

1. In a communications network having a plurality of conference calls service providers and users connectible to each other, an audio conference resource broker independent of said service providers for automatically selecting one of a plurality of conference call service providers for establishing an audio conference call among a plurality of requesting ones of said users, said audio conference resource broker comprising:

a. a request processor for receiving user-generated requests from said requesting users to participate in an audio conference call, said requests comprising user preference information;

b. a service provider data base for storing profile data on each of said conference call service providers; and

c. an audio control manager for selecting one of said service providers using said conference call service provider data base and said requests from said users.

2. The audio conference resource broker as recited in claim 1, wherein said request processor is implemented as a multi-threaded process on a server machine.

3. In a communications network having a plurality of conference call service providers and users connectible to each other, an audio conference resource broker independent of said service providers for selecting one of said conference call service providers to be used for establishing an audio conference call among a plurality of requesting ones of said users, said audio conference resource broker comprising:

a. means for receiving user-generated requests from said requesting users to participate in an audio conference call, said requests comprising user preference information;

b. means for maintaining a conference call service provider profile data base on each of said conference call service providers; and

c. means for selecting one of said service providers using said conference call service provider profile database and said requests from said users.

4. The audio conference resource broker as recited in claim 3, wherein said means for receiving requests is implemented as a multi-threaded process on a server machine.

5. In a communications network having a plurality of conference call service providers and users connectible to each other, an audio conference resource broker independent of said service providers for automatically establishing an audio conference call among a plurality of requesting ones of said users, said audio conference resource broker comprising:

a. means for receiving user-generated requests from said requesting users to participate in an audio conference call, said requests comprising user preference information;

b. means for maintaining a conference call service provider profile data base on each of said conference call service providers; and

c. means for selecting one of said service providers using said conference call service provider profile database and said requests from said users; and

d. means for establishing an audio conference call by transmitting control signals to said selected one of said service providers which establishes said audio conference call in accordance with said requests from said users.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said conference call service provider profile database comprises information on names, locations, availability and conference calling prices of said conference call service provider.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, further comprising means for maintaining a user profile database on each of said users, wherein said user profile database is used to select one of said conference call service providers.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said user provider database comprises information on names, access and accounting of users.

9. The audio conference resource broker as recited in claim 5, wherein said means for receiving requests is implemented as a multi-threaded process on a server machine.

10. In a communications network having a plurality of conference call service providers and users connectible to each other, a method of automatically establishing an audio conference call among a plurality of requesting ones of said users, said method comprising:

a. receiving user-generated requests from said requesting users to participate in an audio conference call, said requests comprising user preference information;

b. maintaining a conference call service provider profile data base on each of said conference call service providers; and

c. selecting one of said service providers using said conference call service provider profile database and said requests from said users; and

d. establishing an audio conference call by connecting said requesting users to said selected one of said service providers in accordance with said requests from said users.

11. An method as recited in claim 10, wherein said conference call service provider profile database comprises information on names, locations, availability and conference calling prices of said conference call service provider.

12. An method as recited in claim 10, further comprising means for maintaining a user profile database on each of said users, wherein said user profile database is used to select one of said conference call service providers.

13. An method as recited in claim 12, wherein said user provider database comprises information on names, access and accounting of users.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said step of receiving requests comprises receiving requests at a multi-threaded process on a server machine.

15. In a communications network having a plurality of conference call service providers and users connectible to each other, an audio conference resource broker independent of said service providers for automatically establishing an audio conference call among a plurality of requesting ones of said users, said audio conference resource broker comprising:

a. a request processor for receiving user-generated requests from said requesting users to participate in an audio conference call, said requests comprising user preference information;

b. a service provider database for storing profile data base on each of said conference call service providers;

c. an optimizer for selecting one of said service providers using said profile data on each of said conference call service providers and using said requests from said users; and

d. an audio control manager for transmitting control signals to said selected one of said service providers which establishes said audio conference call in response to said control signals.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said request processor is implemented as a multi-threaded process on a server machine.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said audio control manager maintains connection configuration information for each of said conference service providers.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein said connection configuration information comprises IP addresses of each of said service providers, and information on the audio bridging platform used by each of said service providers.