Floor control language

• US 7,085,244 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Koskelainen, Petri, Vainikainen, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US10/384,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/260, 370/261, 370/352, 370/401, 370/466, 370/467, 370/462, 455/414, 379/202.01, 379/201.01, 709/203, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 370/261
• 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

Abstract

A telecommunications method and system of floor control, for enabling at least one conference participant to access a shared object or resource for purposes of input. A floor control command signal establishes at least one floor control policy, and the floor control command signal includes a floor control language script for automatically determining the access. This access is determined based upon factors such as access requests and prior access history, without need for a floor chair.

Claims

1. A method of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource for purposes of input during the conference, comprising the steps of:

sending a floor control command signal, and

establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control language script for automatically determining the access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for purposes of input,

wherein the floor control script further determines durations of the access, and

wherein the floor control script functions in the absence of a floor chair and floor moderator.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the durations of access depend upon whether the at least one particular conference participant is first to access the object or resource.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the durations of access also depend upon whether the idle time during the access reaches a prescribed level.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the floor control language script is defined and uploaded using a floor control protocol mechanism substantially identical to a chair-controlled protocol mechanism.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the floor control language script is used for determining the access in tandem with, or subject to override by, a chair or moderator of the floor.

2. A method of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource for purposes of input during the conference, comprising the steps of:

sending a floor control command signal, and

establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control language script for automatically determining the access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for purposes of input

wherein the floor control language script is provided by a wildcard which accompanies a parameter, and wherein the parameter is used to create or modify a floor.

3. A method of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource for purposes of input during the conference, comprising the steps of:

sending a floor control command signal, and

establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control language script for automatically determining floor access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for purposes of input,

the method further comprising the steps of;

monitoring how many times users have accessed the shared object or resource, and what category the users belong to, and

providing the access in response to the monitoring, and also in response to the floor control language script.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein the access has longer duration for the users belonging to a senior category, and wherein the access has shorter duration for the users that have previously obtained the access.

4. A method of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource for purposes of input during the conference, comprising the steps of:

sending a floor control command signal, and

establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control language script for automatically determining the access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for purposes of input

wherein the floor control language script provides the access to random users under specific circumstances, wherein the access is audio access, and wherein the audio access is to an internet portal.

5. A method of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource for purposes of input during the conference, comprising the steps of:

sending a floor control command signal, and

establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control language script for automatically determining the access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for purposes of input;

the method further comprises the step of;

memorizing past floor access of users,

sending an access request signal,

changing resource status automatically, in response to the access request signal, and in accordance with the floor control policy appropriate to the past floor access, and

sending a floor control event message reporting changes in the resource status,

wherein the floor control language script is sufficient to obviate a floor chair, and

wherein the floor control language script provides at least one policy that depends upon the past floor access.

6. A system of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource to provide input during the conference, comprising:

user equipment, for sending a floor control command signal; and

at least one server for establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control languages script for automatically determining floor access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for providing the input

wherein the floor control script is for further determining durations of the access, and

wherein the floor control script is functional in the absence of a floor chair and floor moderator.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the durations of access depend upon whether the at least one particular conference participant is first to access the object or resource.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the durations of access also depend upon whether the idle time during the access reaches a prescribed level.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein the floor control language script is defined and uploadable using a floor control protocol mechanism substantially identical to a chair-controlled protocol mechanism.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein the floor control language script is for determining the access in tandem with, or subject to override by, a chair or moderator of the floor.

7. A system of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource to provide input during the conference, comprising:

user equipment, for sending a floor control command signal; and

at least one server for establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control languages script for automatically determining floor access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for providing the input

wherein the floor control language script is transferable by a wildcard which accompanies a parameter, and wherein the parameter is for creating or modifying a floor.

8. A system of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource to provide input during the conference, comprising:

user equipment, for sending a floor control command signal; and

at least one server for establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control language script for automatically determining floor access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for providing the input, the system further comprising;

a floor control language module for monitoring how many times users have respectively accessed the shared object or resource, and for monitoring what category the users respectively belong to; and

wherein the at least one server provides the access in response to the monitoring, and also in response to the floor control language script.

20. The system of claim 8, wherein the access has longer duration for the users belonging to a senior category, and wherein the access has shorter duration for the users that have previously obtained the access.

9. A system of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource to provide input during the conference, comprising:

user equipment, for sending a floor control command signal; and

at least one server for establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control languages script for automatically determining floor access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for providing the input

wherein the floor control language script is for providing the access to random users under specific circumstances, wherein the access is audio access, and wherein the audio access is to an internet portal.

10. A system of floor control for enabling at least one particular conference participant to access a shared object or resource to provide input during the conference, comprising:

user equipment, for sending a floor control command signal; and

at least one server for establishing at least one floor control policy in response to the floor control command signal,

wherein the floor control command signal includes a floor control languages script for automatically determining floor access of the conference participant to the shared object or resource for providing the input;

the system further comprising;

a floor control language module for memorizing past floor access of users,

wherein the user equipment is also for sending an access request signal,

wherein the at least one server is also for changing resource status automatically, in response to the access request signal, and in accordance with the floor control policy appropriate to the past floor access,

wherein the at least one server is also for sending a floor control event message reporting changes in the resource status,

wherein the floor control language script is sufficient to obviate a floor chair, and

wherein the floor control language script provides at least one policy that depends upon the past floor access.