Method and apparatus for listening for incoming calls on multiple port/socket combinations

• US 6,505,234 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• 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): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/932,768
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 709/310-320, 709/204, 709/328-330
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

In a computer system having a memory, a processor, and a network interface, a method for listening on multiple conferencing interfaces having the steps of loading a set of transport components into the memory; initializing each transport components of the set of transport components to listen on a particular conferencing interface using the network interface, each transport component of the set of transport components listening to a different conferencing interface; receiving an incoming call signal on the network interface having an incoming conferencing interface; processing the incoming call signal to detect the incoming conferencing interface; and launching an application based on the incoming conferencing interface.

An apparatus for listening on multiple conferencing interfaces having a set of transport components coupled to the network interface, each transport component of the set of transport components having the capability of receiving a signal on a different conferencing interface; a conference component coupled to each component in the set of transport components; a call processing module coupled to the conference component; and, a process manager coupled to the call processing module; the conference component containing a circuit for causing the call processing module to cause process manager to activate a conferencing application upon detecting a call from one transport component of the set of transport components.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

loading a set of transport components into a memory;

initializing each transport component of the set of transport components to listen on a particular conferencing interface using a listen string to associate with a network interface, each transport component of the set of transport components listening to a different conferencing interface, the listen string encapsulating parameters to one or more calls to listen;

receiving an incoming call signal on the network interface having an incoming conferencing interface;

processing the incoming call signal to detect the incoming conferencing interface; and

launching an application based on the incoming conferencing interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an initialization message from the application; and

removing the application from a list if the initialization message does not correspond to an expected message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the incoming call signal comprises:

receiving a signal from a responding transport component in the set of transport components;

determining an identification of the responding transport component; and

deriving the incoming conferencing interface using the identification of the responding transport component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the launching the application comprises:

determining an application signature for the application based on the incoming conferencing interface;

locating the application using the application signature; and

signaling a process manager to launch the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conferencing interface comprises a transport control protocol/internet protocol port.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the conferencing interface comprises a communication port.

7. A computer readable storage medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system cause the system to perform a method comprising:

loading a set of transport components into a memory;

initializing each transport component of the set of transport components to listen on a particular conferencing interface using a listen string to associate with a network interface, each transport component of the set of transport components listening to a different conferencing interface, the listen string encapsulating parameters to one or more calls to listen;

receiving an incoming call signal on the network interface having an incoming conferencing interface;

processing the incoming call signal on a processor to detect the incoming conferencing interface; and

launching an application based on the incoming conferencing interface.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the program instructions further cause the system to perform the method further comprising

receiving an initialization message from the application; and

removing the application from a list if the initialization message does not correspond to an expected message.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein processing the incoming call comprises:

receiving a signal from a responding transport component in the set of transport components;

determining an identification of the responding transport component; and

deriving the incoming conferencing interface using the identification of the responding transport component.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein launching the application comprises:

determining an application signature for the application based on the incoming conferencing interface;

locating the application using the application signature; and

signaling a process manager to launch the application.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the conferencing interface comprises a transport control protocol/internet protocol port.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the conferencing interface comprises a communication port.