System and method for authorizing a party to join a conference

• US 7,184,531 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ringcentral IP Holdings, Inc. (RingCentral Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Crouch, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/456,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20040246332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370/262, 379/93.21, 379/142.05, 379/202.01, 379/203.01
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for allowing an authorized party to join a conference are provided. In some embodiments, an application may create or generate a request for an MCU to handle an ad-hoc or meet-me type conference. The application may provide the request to an MCU resource controller or other device. The MCU resource controller may have knowledge of the capabilities of one or more MCUs and be able to assign an MCU to host or otherwise handle the conference. In addition, the MCU resource controller may create or generate a resource address that a participant in the conference may use to access the assigned MCU. The MCU resource controller can provide the resource address to the application, which may then distribute the resource address to one or more parties participating in the conference. The resource address may include or have associated data that the assigned MCU can use to validate or authorize a party to join the conference.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating access to a conference, comprising:

receiving a request from an application for allocation of an MCU for a conference;

determining a MCU to handle said conference;

creating a resource address associated with said conference and said MCU, wherein said resource address has an associated validation token;

providing said resource address and said validation token to said applications and

using the validation token to validate a call is authorized to participate in a conference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said resource address includes said validation token.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said validation token includes a checksum associated with said resource address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said request includes at least one of the following:

data indicative of a type of conference;

data indicative of at least one media preference;

data indicative of a number of channels requested for said conference; and

data indicative of a resource address of an existing conference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said validation token includes at least one of the following;

data indicative of an identifier associated with said conference;

data indicative of an identifier associated with a party allowed to participate in said conference;

data indicative of a start time associated with said conference; and

data indicative of an ending time associated with said conference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said validation token includes at least one of the following:

data indicative of a maximum size associated with said conference;

data indicative of a resource assigned to said conference;

data indicative of said application; and

data indicative of said MCU.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said resource address includes at least one of the following:

data indicative of an identifier associated with said conference;

data indicative of an identifier associated with a party allowed to participate in said conference;

data indicative of a start time associated with said conference; and

data indicative of an ending time associated with said conference.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said validation token secures at least one of the following:

said data indicative of an identifier associated with said conference;

said data indicative of an identifier associated with a party allowed to participate in said conference;

said data indicative of a start time associated with said conference; and

said data indicative of an ending time associated with said conference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said resource address includes at least one of the following:

data indicative of a maximum size associated with said conference;

data indicative of a resource assigned to said conference;

data indicative of said application; and

data indicative of said MCU.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said validation token secures at least one of the following:

said data indicative of a maximum size associated with said conference;

said data indicative of a resource assigned to said conference;

said data indicative of said application; and

said data indicative of said MCU.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said conference has an associated first party allowed to participate in said conference and wherein said validation token includes data indicative of said first party.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said conference has an associated second party allowed to participate in said conference, and wherein said creating a resource address associated with said conference and said MCU includes creating a first resource address having a first validation token that includes data indicative of said first party and creating a second resource address having a second validation token that includes data indicative of said second party.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from said MCU, said data being indicative of at least one capability of said MCU.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a keep alive message from said MCU.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said validation token, wherein said validation token is associated with a first call;

determining that said first call is authorized to join said conference based, at least in part, on said validation token.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said validation token is encoded.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing access to said conference by a party that provides said validation token.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering said MCU.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data indicative of a request to initiate a conference.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing said resource address to at least one party.

21. A system for facilitating a conference, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

receive a request from an application for allocation of an MCU for a conference;

determine a MCU to handle said conference;

create a resource address associated with said conference and said MCU, wherein said resource address has an associated validation token;

provide said resource address and said validation token to said application; and

use the validation token to validate a call is authorized to participate in a conference.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said processor is further adapted to receive data from said MCU indicative of at least one capability of said MCU.

23. The system of claim 21, where said processor is further adapted to encode said validation token.

24. A system, comprising:

an application in communication with an MCU resource controller;

wherein said application is adapted to provide a request to said MCU resource controller to allocate an MCU for a conference;

wherein said MCU resource controller is adapted to allocate an MCU to host said conference and to create a resource address associated with said MCU and said conference;

wherein said resource address has an associated validation token; and

wherein said MCU resource controller is adapted to provide said resource address and said validation token to said application; and

wherein said MCU is adapted to use the validation token to validate a call is authorized to participate in a conference.

25. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for facilitating a conference, comprising:

instructions for obtaining a request from an application for allocation of an MCU for a conference;

instructions for identifying a MCU to handle said conference;

instructions for generating a resource address associated with said conference and said MCU, wherein said resource address has an associated validation token;

instructions for sending said resource address and said validation token to said application; and

instructions for using the validation token to validate a call is authorized to Participate in a conference.