System and method for providing reservationless conferencing

• US 7,310,320 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Decker, Eran, Boneh, Rami
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris; Derrick W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell; Louis
• Application Number:
  US10/954,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20050047336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/260, 370/261, 370/262, 370/352, 379/202.01, 379/203.01, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/207.03, 709/204, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 370/261
• 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 12/1822 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 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• 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 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• 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 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A video teleconferencing method for providing reservationless conferencing. The method involves creating a conference profile identifying selected connection parameters; allocating a dial-in number; notifying participants of the dial-in number; detecting a call from a requesting participant; determining if sufficient resources for the participant are available; and connecting the requesting participant into the reservationless conference. Additionally, the video teleconferencing method allows the conference time to be automatically extended. This is done using timers and reallocating available resources when the original end of conference time arrives. The method also enables the conference to automatically terminate after all conference participants leave the conference.

Claims

1. A method for automatically terminating a conference, comprising the steps of:

setting a first timer to a first timer duration at the beginning of the conference;

if the first timer expires prior to at least two participants joining into the conference, terminating the conference;

after all participants exit the conference, initialize setting a second timer to a second timer duration;

starting the second timer; and

if the second timer expires prior to any participants joining into the conference, terminating the conference.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

stopping the first timer if a participant connects to the conference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second timers are the same timer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

resetting the second timer if a participant joins the conference after the second timer is set.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

setting a third timer to a third timer duration when a first participant joins the conference prior to the expiration of the first timer; and

terminating the conference if the third timer expires prior to a second conference participant joining the conference.

6. A method for automatically terminating a conference, comprising the steps of:

setting a first timer to a first timer duration at the beginning of the conference;

if the first timer expires prior to any participants joining into the conference, terminating the conference;

after all participants exit the conference, initialize setting a second timer to a second timer duration;

starting the second timer; and

if the second timer expires prior to any participants joining into the conference, terminating the conference.

7. A method for automatically extending the duration of a conference, comprising the steps of:

setting a first timer to a first timer duration at the beginning of the conference;

setting a second timer to a second timer duration at the beginning of the conference

if the second timer expires and sufficient resources are available to continue the conference, resetting the first timer to a third timer duration and resetting the second timer to a fourth timer duration; and

if the first timer expires, terminating the conference.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

providing a warning indication prior to terminating the conference.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the warning indication is an audio tone.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the warning indication is a video indication.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the warning indication is an audio indication.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the second timer duration is less than the first timer duration.