Method and system for pluggable terminal with TAPI

• US 6,904,485 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2000
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Quinton, Mary Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, RAYMOND NGAN
• Application Number:
  US09/649,510
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 710 62- 64, 710 72- 73, 710305-306, 710/10, 710/12, 710314-315, 710 15- 19, 710300-304, 710 8- 11, 710/16, 709/203, 709/227, 709237-238, 709/309, 709/311, 709/315, 709/328, 709/329, 379/201, 379/207, 379/265.09, 379/90.01, 379 9305- 93, 379/265, 379/266, 455552-557
• US Class Current: 710/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0021 Details of Application Programming Interfaces

Abstract

Systems, methods, and data structures for pluggable terminals are provided. Pluggable terminals are part of client and server TAPI communications systems. Pluggable terminal allow third parties to provide their own media processing devices and implement control methods for those devices. Methods for plugging in a pluggable terminal and conducting a communications session using the new pluggable terminal are described. A data structure for a pluggable terminal type has a wrapper around a media processing device control method. A data structure for registering a pluggable terminal has a terminal class name, a unique identifier, and a set of media types supported by the pluggable terminal. A data structure for a terminal base class has an interface for plugging in a pluggable terminal and another interface for a TAPI application component.

Claims

1. A TAPI communications system, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor; and

a TAPI application component operative on the processor to register pluggable terminals with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media type, and a method of signaling events, to provide a list of registered terminals including the registered media type, to select a pluggable terminal for a communications session from the provided list, and to conduct the communications session, where the pluggable terminal is of a type created under the direction of an application and is associated with a virtual or non-virtual device,

wherein the pluggable terminals provide a uniform interface to the terminal manager.

2. A method in a computer system for implementing pluggable terminals for telephony communication, the method comprising:

registering pluggable terminals with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media direction flow, a set of media types, and a method for signaling events;

receiving a request for available terminals;

in response to receiving the request, providing a list of registered terminals indicating the registered media direction flow and registered set of media types;

receiving a selection of a registered terminal;

instantiating a terminal object of the terminal class name for the selected registered terminal; and

conducting media processing during a communication session using the registered method of the instantiated terminal object for communicating media processing events,

wherein the pluggable terminals provide a uniform interface to the terminal manager.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the terminal manager is part of an implementation of a telephony application programming interface.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein a pluggable terminal provides a wrapper around media processing functions that provides the uniform interface.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein a pluggable terminal corresponds to a virtual device.

6. The method of claim 2 including discovering the pluggable terminals that are to be registered.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the selection is received from a user.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the selection is received from an application program.

9. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to support pluggable terminals for telephony communication, by a method comprising:

registering pluggable terminals with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media type, and a method for signaling events;

providing a list of registered terminals indicating the registered media type;

receiving a selection of a registered terminal;

instantiating a terminal object of the terminal class name for the selected registered terminal; and

processing media during a communication session using the registered method of the instantiated terminal object to communicate media processing events,

wherein the pluggable terminals provide a uniform interface to the terminal manager.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the terminal manager is part of an implementation of a telephony application programming interface.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein a pluggable terminal provides a wrapper around media processing functions that provides the uniform interface.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein a pluggable terminal corresponds to a virtual device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 including discovering the pluggable terminals that are to be registered.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the selection is received from a user.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the selection is received from an application program.

16. A computer system for supporting pluggable terminals for telephony communication, comprising:

a component that registers pluggable terminals by providing a media type and a method for signaling events;

a component that provides a list of registered terminals indicating the registered media type;

a component that receives a selection of a registered terminal;

a component that instantiates a terminal object for the selected registered terminal; and

a component that communicates media processing events during a communication session using the registered method of the instantiated terminal object,

wherein the pluggable terminals provide a uniform interface.

17. The computer system of claim 16 wherein uniform interface is provided to a terminal manager that is part of an implementation of a telephony application programming interface.

18. The computer system of claim 16 wherein a pluggable terminal provides a wrapper around media processing functions that provides the uniform interface.

19. The computer system of claim 16 including discovering the pluggable terminals that are to be registered.

20. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to support pluggable terminals for telephony communication, by a method comprising:

registering pluggable terminals with a terminal manager;

receiving a selection of a registered terminal;

instantiating a terminal object for the selected registered terminal; and

processing media during a communication session using a method of the instantiated terminal object to communicate media processing events,

wherein the pluggable terminals provide a uniform interface to the terminal manager.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the terminal manager is part of an implementation of a telephony application programming interface.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein a pluggable terminal provides a wrapper around media processing functions that provides the uniform interface.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein a pluggable terminal corresponds to a virtual device.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 including discovering the pluggable terminals that are to be registered.