Automated call launching

• US 7,353,251 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Balakrishnan, Pradeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shingles; Kristie
• Application Number:
  US09/495,134
• Time in Patent Office: 2,983 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/208, 709/227, 709/200, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. conference server dials participants
• 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 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

According to the principles of the invention, there is provided a system, apparatus, and method for automated call launching in a call conferencing network. The system includes computer executable code for sharing information among a plurality of multipoint conference units, so that a remote user may, from a web site for example, initiate a conference call from one of the multipoint conference units. Using distributed code, a user'"'"'s call request initiates a search of the network for a multipoint conference unit with adequate capacity and suitable capabilities for a requested call. Once a multipoint conference unit is selected, the multipoint conference unit calls out to selected participants who may accept or decline the call. This call setup is transparent to the user, who receives an acknowledgment once the conference call has been initiated.

Claims

1. A method for automated call launching from a first Multipoint Conference Unit (MCU) having a first middleware program, among networked MCUs, each MCU having a middleware program, the method comprising:

the first middleware program receiving a place call request from a user, the place call request including a number of designated participants;

the first middleware program contacting middleware programs on networked MCUs and locating an available MCU having an available virtual conference room with a number of ports at least as great as the number of designated participants;

the first middleware program receiving an availability response from the available MCU;

initiating a call launch by the available MCU, wherein the available MCU calls each of the number of designated participants with an invitation to join a call; and

wherein initiating a call launch comprises remotely logging into the available MCU and operating the available MCU as a slave.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the place call request includes a designation of a preferred MCU, and wherein the first middleware program determines availability of the preferred MCU prior to determining the availability of any other MCU.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the place call request comprises a universal datagram protocol datagram transmitted over a data network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the available MCU comprises a plurality of cascaded MCUs.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the place call request from a web client.

6. A computer program product stored on computer readable media for automated conference call launching from a Multipoint Conference Unit (MCU) among networked MCUs, wherein the computer program product is running on each of the MCUs, the computer program product comprising:

code executing on the MCU;

the code receiving a place call request from a user, the place call request including a number of designated participants;

code executing on the MCU, the code contacting computer program products on MCUs and locating among a plurality of MCUs an available MCU having an available virtual conference room with a number of ports at least as great as the number of designated participants;

code executing on the MCU, the code receiving an availability response from the available MCU; and

code executing on the MCU, the code initiating a call launch by the available MCU, wherein the available MCU calls each of the number of designated participants with an invitation to join a call, wherein the code initiating a call launch comprises computer executable code remotely logging into the available MCU and operating the available MCU as a slave.

7. The computer executable code of claim 6 wherein the place call request includes a designation of a preferred MCU, and wherein the computer executable code to determine availability of the preferred MCU prior to determining the availability of any other MCU.

8. The computer executable code of claim 6 wherein the place call request comprises a universal datagram protocol datagram transmitted over a data network.

9. The computer executable code of claim 6 wherein the available MCU comprises a plurality of cascaded MCUs.

10. A distributed call management system comprising:

a plurality of Multipoint Conference Units (MCUs) connected by a network, each one of the plurality of MCUs having capability characteristics and availability characteristics;

wherein each MCU having a middleware program executing on each of the MCUs exposing capability characteristics and availability characteristics to each other one of the plurality of MCUs;

wherein the MCU having a user interface, receiving a call request from a user and submitting the call request to the middleware program, the call request including a request for user-defined capability characteristics and user-defined availability characteristics, the middleware program responding to the call request by locating an available MCU having capabilities and availabilities consistent with the call request;

wherein the available MCU initiates a call launch for remotely logging into the available MCU and operating the available MCU and operating the available MCU as a slave.

11. The distributed call management system of claim 10 wherein the call request designates one or more participants on a telecommunications network and one or more participants on a data network.

12. The distributed call management system of claim 10, the user interface further comprising a web client.

13. The distributed call management system of claim 10, further comprising a rack, wherein at least one of the MCUs operates in the rack, the rack further including a gateway and a web server.

14. The distributed call management system of claim 10, the capability characteristics including one or more voice codecs, one or more video codecs, and data sharing.