System and method for controlling one or more multipoint control units as one multipoint control unit

• US 7,174,365 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polycom Israel Limited (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Israel Limited (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Even, Roni, Yad-Shalom, Ial, Gavish, Sigmund
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/708,898
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 709/244, 709/204, 709/205, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 370/260, 370/261, 370/263, 348/14.09, 379/202.01, 379/265.02
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 Traffic or load control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A video teleconferencing system for controlling multiple multipoint control units (MCU) from a single apparatus. The system utilizes a Virtual MCU (VMCU) (110) to communicate with a plurality of MCUs (135, 140, 145). A user initiates a reserve conference command with the VMCU (110). If sufficient resources are available, the reservation is made and connection numbers are assigned. When the time for the conference arises, an MCU (135, 140, 145) is assigned to the conference. The participants are then connected to the conference. By using a single VMCU (110) to schedule and coordinate multiple MCUs (135, 140, 145), the present invention is able to efficiently schedule a large number of conferences. This greater efficiency in scheduling may allow users to schedule conferences without the advance notice that is usually required.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a plurality of multipoint control units (MCUs), comprising:

a first application program interface (API) adapted to allow an operator to communicate with the apparatus using a web browser;

a second API adapted to allow the apparatus to communicate with a plurality of MCUs; and

a database adapted to store capability factors for the plurality of MCUs;

the apparatus adapted to;

receive and store information input by the operator using the first API concerning the capability factors for the plurality of MCUs;

evaluate capability factors of at least two multimedia terminals;

compare the capability factors of the at least two multimedia terminals to the capability factors of the MCUs; and

responsive to the comparing of capability factors, direct a communicative interconnection using the second API between the at least two multimedia terminals via at least two of the plurality of MCUs,

wherein the at least two multimedia terminals can be serviced by more than one of the plurality of MCUs and wherein the at least two of the plurality of MCUs are chosen based on the comparing of capability factors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capability factors include identification factors, matching factors, and routing factors.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the identification factors include information relating to identity, needs, requirements, and participation authority of the plurality of multimedia terminals.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the matching factors include information relating to the capacity and technological orientation of each of the plurality of multipoint control units.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the routing factors include information relating to the most expeditious route for effecting the communicative interconnection between the at least two multimedia terminals and the multipoint control units.

6. A method for multimedia communication, comprising:

communicatively interconnecting a plurality of multipoint control units (MCUs) to a central controller capable of scheduling and hosting a video conference and allocating conferences on the MCUs such that the number of conferences that can be scheduled on a conference schedule is optimized;

the central controller comprising a first application program interface (API) adapted to allow an operator to communicate with the apparatus using a web browser and a second API adapted to allow the apparatus to communicate with a plurality of MCUs;

identifying capability factors for each of a plurality of multimedia terminals and each of the plurality of MCUs;

wherein at least one of the multimedia terminals can be serviced by more than one of the plurality of MCUs and wherein the at least two of the plurality of MCUs are chosen based on the comparing of capability factors;

responsive to a command to initiate a multimedia communication between at least two of the plurality of multimedia terminals, evaluating the capability factors for each of the at least two multimedia terminals;

comparing the capability factors for each of the at least two multimedia terminals to the capability factors of the multipoint control units communicatively interconnected to the central controller to determine preferred interconnection between the at least two multimedia terminals;

responsive to the comparing of capability factors, the central controller directing a communicative interconnection between the at least two multimedia terminals via at least one of the plurality of multipoint control units; and

controlling multipoint control unit participant slots with the central controller, wherein the central controller controls the MCUs participant slots as if it were an additional MCU.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the conference schedule is optimized by combining conferences on a MCU so as to maximize the number of participants on the MCU.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the MCU participant slots are participant slots remaining after the MCU is optimally scheduled.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the command to initiate a multimedia communication is issued when the start time for a conference arrives.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the command to initiate a multimedia communication is issued when a participant requests an impromptu multimedia communication.