System and method for distributed multi-party call control

• US 7,110,368 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Santera Systems LLC
• Inventors: Perry, Matthew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man U.
• Application Number:
  US09/962,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 370260-265, 370352-360, 370389-395, 370401-432, 370473-475, 379210-219, 379221-229, 379202-203, 709228-230
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party service or three-way call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1225 Details of core network interconnection arrangements

Abstract

A system and method of distributed multi-party call control are provided. The method includes the steps of establishing a first leg of a multi-party call, adding a second leg of the multi-party call, associating the second leg with the first leg of the multi-party call, determining which of the first leg or the second leg to be the controlling or controlled legs of the multi-party call, and requesting a voice path to the controlled leg by the controlling leg to establish the multi-party call.

Claims

1. A method of inter-call manager messaging protocol, comprising:

establishing a first leg between two first parties of a multi-party call;

adding a second leg between a second party and one of the first parties of the multi-party call;

associating the second leg with the first leg of the multi-party call;

determining which of the first leg or the second leg to be the controlling or controlled legs of the multi-party call; and

requesting a voice path to the controlled leg by the controlling leg to establish the multi-party call;

wherein requesting the voice path comprises requesting the controlled leg to move a shared channel between the first and second legs to a connection context of the controlling leg.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising informing the controlled leg, by the controlling leg, that it is detaching from the multi-party call.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising informing the controlling leg, by the controlled leg, that it is releasing the multi-party call.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the second leg, a request to attach the second leg to the first leg; and

determining the second leg as the controlling leg.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the first leg, a request to initiate the second leg; and

determining the second leg as the controlling leg.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein requesting the voice path comprises requesting the controlled leg to apply an alert tone to a shared channel between the first and second legs.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein requesting the voice path comprises requesting the controlled leg to move a shared channel between the first and second legs back to its own context.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein requesting the voice path comprises requesting, by the controlling leg, the controlled leg to add a channel into a connection with a shared channel between the first leg and the second leg.

9. A method of setting up a multi-party call, comprising:

establishing a two-party call between an originator and a terminator, the two-party call forming a first leg of a multi-party call;

creating a second leg of the multi-party call involving the originator or terminator of the two-party call and a new terminator or a new originator of the second leg;

determining which of the first leg or the second leg to be the controlling or controlled legs of the multi-party call; and

requesting a voice path to the controlled leg by the controlling leg to establish the multi-party call;

wherein requesting the voice path comprises requesting the controlled leg to move a shared channel between the first and second legs to a connection context of the controlling leg.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising informing the controlled leg, by the controlling leg, that it is detaching from the multi-party call.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising informing the controlling leg, by the controlled leg, that it is releasing the multi-party call.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

sending, by the second leg, a request to attach the second leg to the first leg; and

determining the second leg as the controlling leg.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

sending, by the first leg, a request to initiate the second leg; and

determining the second leg as the controlling leg.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein requesting the voice path comprises requesting the controlled leg to apply an alert tone to a shared channel between the first and second legs.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein requesting the voice path comprises requesting the controlled leg to move a shared channel between the first and second legs back to its own context.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein requesting the voice path comprises requesting, by the controlling leg, the controlled leg to add a channel into a connection with a shared channel between the first leg and the second leg.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

designating the terminator of the second call leg as the controller of the multi-party call; and

disconnecting by the controller results in a ring-back to the controller to bring the controller back into the multi-party call.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

designating the originator of the second call leg as the controller of the multi-party call; and

disconnecting by the controller results in a two-party call between the terminator of the second call leg and the remaining party of the original two-party call.