Switchable calling within combined conferencing and calling

• US 6,424,994 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Glasser, Daniel S, Pirich, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALDWELL, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US08/978,906
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/351, 370/270, 370/259, 370/261, 370/262, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/227, 345/753-758
• US Class Current: 709/205
• 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: 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

Abstract

The invention discloses combined conferencing and calling, and switchable calling for such combined conferencing and calling. In one embodiment, a system has at least a first and a second node. The second node initiates a conference and a call with the first node. To a user at each of the nodes, initiation of the call appears imperceptible as separate from initiation of the conference. In another embodiment, a system has a conference including at least a first, a second, and a third node. The first node has an initial call with the second node. The first node is able to seamlessly switch the call to the third node, without affecting the conference.

Claims

1. A computerized system comprising:

a first node;

a second node in a T.120 conference with the first node; and

a third node in the T.120 conference with the first and the second nodes, wherein the third node initially is in a combined H.323 call and T.120 conference with the first node, and subsequently switches the H.323 call to the second node while maintaining the T.120 conference with the first and the second nodes, thereby creating a combined H.323 call and T.120 conference with the second node.

2. The computerized system of claim 1, further comprising a fourth node in the T.120 conference with the first, the second, and the third nodes, wherein the third node switches the H.323 call to the fourth node while maintaining the T.120 conference with the first, the second, and the fourth nodes thereby creating a combined H.323 call and T.120 conference with the fourth node.

3. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein each node maintains a roster list indicating each node'"'"'s presence in the T.120 conference and whether each node is also in an H.323 call.

4. A computerized node comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium; and

a computer program executed by the processor from the medium to cause the node to switch a H.323 call from a first node to a second node while maintaining a T.120 conference of the node, the first node, and the second node, thereby creating a combined H.323 call and T.120 conference with the second node.

5. The computerized node of claim 4, wherein the program further causes the node to maintain a roster list of each node present in the T.120 conference and whether each node is also in an H.323 call.

6. A computerized method comprising:

a) disconnecting by a first node of a first call with a second node, where the first node and the second node both are in a conference;

b) while maintaining the conference, initiating by the first node of a second call with a third node as a switch call as opposed to a new call; and

c) accepting the second call automatically by the third node without asking a user at the third node whether to accept the second call, thereby creating a combined call and conference with the third node.

7. The computerized method of claim 6, further comprising maintaining a roster at at least one of the first, the second, and the third nodes of each node present in the conference and whether each node is also in a call.

8. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein the conference comprises a T.120 conference.

9. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein the call comprises an H.323 call.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon to cause a first node computer to perform a method comprising:

a) disconnecting a first H.323 call with a second node computer with which the first node computer is in a combined H.323 call and T.120 conference; and

b) while maintaining the T.120 conference, initiating a second H.323 call with a third node computer as a switch call as opposed to a new call, thereby creating a combined call and conference with the third node computer.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising maintaining a roster of each node computer present in the T.120 conference and whether each node computer is also in an H.323 call.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon to cause a first node computer to perform a method comprising accepting an H.323 call automatically as initiated by a second node computer, without asking a user at the first node computer whether to accept the H.323 call, where both the first and the second nodes are in a T.120 conference, thereby creating a combined H.323 call and T.120 conference.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising maintaining a roster of each node present in the T.120 conference and whether each node is also in an H.323 call.