System and method for supporting conferencing capabilities over packet-switched networks
First Claim
1. A first station for supporting a conference call with a plurality of other stations over a packet-switched network, the first station enabling a voice conference in response to a conference request signal received from each of the plurality of other stations, the first station comprising:
- a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming modules including a means for conferencing and a means for establishing a communication channel, wherein;
said means for conferencing is operable to receive a conference request signal, andsaid means for establishing a communication channel is operable to establish a communication channel between the first station and a second station in response to said means for conferencing receiving the conference request signal, the communication channel supporting voice communication over the packet-switched network;
means for mixing input signals which mixes the signals received at the first station to produce a combined signal output which is played at said first station; and
means for transferring a communication session between the first station and the second station to a third station by disconnecting the second station from the conference call and establishing a communication channel between the first station and the third station based upon a transfer signal transmitted by said second station, wherein the transfer signal includes a conference request signal designating the third station.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An IP telephone which supports a voice conference call with a plurality of other IP telephones over a packet-switched network is disclosed. The IP telephone exchanges audio and signaling messages with the other IP devices during the conference call, and thereby allows three or more conference call participants to talk together over the packet-switched network. The IP telephone includes a memory, which stores a conferencing module and a channel establishment module, and a mixing module for mixing input signals received at the IP telephone to produce a combined signal output. When played back, the combined signal output allows the user to hear what was said by the other conference call participants.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A first station for supporting a conference call with a plurality of other stations over a packet-switched network, the first station enabling a voice conference in response to a conference request signal received from each of the plurality of other stations, the first station comprising:
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a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming modules including a means for conferencing and a means for establishing a communication channel, wherein; said means for conferencing is operable to receive a conference request signal, and said means for establishing a communication channel is operable to establish a communication channel between the first station and a second station in response to said means for conferencing receiving the conference request signal, the communication channel supporting voice communication over the packet-switched network; means for mixing input signals which mixes the signals received at the first station to produce a combined signal output which is played at said first station; and means for transferring a communication session between the first station and the second station to a third station by disconnecting the second station from the conference call and establishing a communication channel between the first station and the third station based upon a transfer signal transmitted by said second station, wherein the transfer signal includes a conference request signal designating the third station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for establishing a conference call at a first station with a plurality of stations over a packet-switched network, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first conference request signal at a first station from a second station; determining whether the second station is authorized to establish a communication channel with the first station based on an identification code received by the first station, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies the second station; determining whether the first station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the packet-switched network with the second station; establishing a communication channel between the first station and the second station, if the first station can support a communication channel and the second station is authorized to establish the communication channel with the first station; and sending a transfer signal which includes a conference request command designating a third station, if the first station cannot support the communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A first station for supporting a conference call with a plurality of other stations over a packet-switched network, the first station comprising:
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a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming modules including a conferencing module and a channel establishment module, wherein; the conferencing module is operable to receive a conference request signal from a second station and to determine whether to establish a communication channel between the first and second stations, and the channel establishment module is operable, based upon the determination of the conferencing module, to establish the communication channel which supports voice communication over the packet-switched network; a mixed module for mixing input signals received at the first station to produce a combined signal output which is played at said first station; and a transfer controller operable to transfer a communication session between the first and second stations to a third station by disconnecting second station from the conference call, and wherein the channel establishment module establishes a second communication channel between the first and third stations based upon a transfer signal provided by said second station, and wherein the transfer signal includes a conference request signal designating the third station. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A first station for supporting voice communication with one or more other stations:
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a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming modules including a means for conferencing and a means for establishing a communication channel, wherein; the means for conferencing is associated with a conference request signal, and the means for establishing a communication channel is operable to establish a communication channel between a first station and a second station in response to the means for conferencing, the communication channel supporting voice communication over a packet-switched network; means for mixing input signals which mixes the signals received at the first station to produce a combined signal output which is played at the first station; means, in communication with the means for conferencing, for authorizing a station to establish a communication channel based upon receiving an identification code, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies the second station; and means for detecting changes in network conditions that affect quality of service, and wherein the means for conferencing is operable to provide a transfer signal to the second station in response to the means for detecting changes in network conditions detecting a change in network conditions affecting quality of service. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. Logic embodied in computer-readable media and operable to perform the following steps:
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receiving a first conference request signal at a first station from a second station; determining whether the second station is authorized to establish a communication channel with the first station based on an identification code received by the first station, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies the second station; and establishing a communication channel between the first station and the second station, if the second station is authorized to establish a communication channel with the first station, wherein establishing the communication channel comprises; determining whether the first station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the packet-switched network with the second station; in response to determining that the first station can support the communication channel, establishing the communication channel; and in response to determining that the first station cannot support the communication channel, sending a transfer signal which includes a conference request command designating a third station. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A first station for supporting a conference call with a plurality of other stations over a packet-switched network, the first station comprising:
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a storage medium, operable to store a plurality of programming modules including a conferencing module and a channel establishment module; the conferencing module, operable to receive a conference request signal from a second station and to determine whether to establish a communication channel between the first station and a second station, wherein the communication channel supports voice communication over a packet-switched network, and the channel establishment module, operable to establish, based upon the determination of the conferencing module; a mixed module for mixing input signals received at the first station to produce a combined signal output which is played at the first station; an authorization module, operable to determine whether the second station is authorized to establish a voice communication channel with the first station based upon receipt of an identification code which uniquely identifies the second station; and a network monitoring module operable to detect a change in network conditions affecting quality of service and to provide a transfer signal to the second station in response to detecting a change in network conditions affecting quality of service. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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46. A method for establishing a conference call at a first station with a plurality of stations over a packet-switched network, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first conference request signal at a first station; determining whether the first station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the packet-switched network with a second station; and if so, establishing a first communication channel between the first station and the second station, else, sending a transfer signal which includes a conference request command designating a fourth station; receiving a second conference request signal at the first station; establishing a second communication channel between the first station and a third station; and mixing the input signals from the first and second communication channels at the first station and playing a combined signal output at said first station. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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Specification