Conferencing network resource management for call connectivity

• US 7,009,943 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neil, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US10/032,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 370260-263, 370/270, 370/401, 370/402, 370352-358, 370/395.21, 370/395.4, 370/395, 370/4, 370/401.M, 709/248, 709/102, 709/204, 348/14.01, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 346/14.1
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/748 Negotiation of resources, e.g. modification of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/785 among multiple network domains, e.g. multilateral agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/806 Broadcast or multicast traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 : Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• 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

A system and method that provides reliable connectivity of conference calls by ensuring that sufficient network resources are available at the time of the requested conference calls. The system includes multiple endpoints for requesting conference calls, and a gatekeeper bound to a resource scheduler such that requested conference calls are scheduled via the scheduler according to connectivity policies maintained by the gatekeeper.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling a conference call within a network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a conference call from a requestor;

determining whether the requested conference call may be completed based on one or more network policies and based on availability of one or more invitees determined from the one or more invitees'"'"' calendar; and

if the requested conference call may be completed based on the one or more network policies and availability of one or more invitees, scheduling the requested conference call and performing one or more of;

transmitting invitations to conference invitees and updating the calendar of the one or more invitees.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the requested conference call may not be completed based on the one or more network policies or availability of one or more invitees, notifying the requestor that the conference call may not be completed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of notifying the requestor that the conference call may not be completed further comprises proposing at least one alternate conference time at which the requested conference call may be completed based on the one or more network policies and the availability of one or more invitees.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising rejecting any competing ad hoc conference calls that conflict with a scheduled conference call.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising notifying participants in an ad hoc conference call that availability of network resources used by the ad hoc conference call will expire shortly prior to initiation of the scheduled conference call.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising rejecting any competing ad hoc conference calls that conflict with a scheduled conference call.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising notifying participants in an ad hoc conference call that availability of network resources used by the ad hoc conference call will expire shortly prior to initiation of the scheduled conference call.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising rejecting any competing ad hoc conference calls that conflict with a scheduled conference call.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising notifying participants in an ad hoc conference call that availability of network resources used by the ad hoc conference call will expire shortly prior to initiation of the scheduled conference call.