Communication system architecture for voice first collaboration

• US 7,472,162 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2000
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Thompson, Graham H., Ganesan, Ashok
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason D
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOUDHURY, AZIZUL Q
• Application Number:
  US09/740,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20010056466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,933 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 395 51- 52
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• 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 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

A collaborative computer telephony system, comprising a communication network; a plurality of integrated computer telephony devices connected to the network and identified by unique IP addresses, at least two of the integrated computer telephony devices supporting collaboration application programs; an indicator on at least one of the integrated computer telephony devices; and a collaborate control program associated with each of the integrated computer telephony devices for detecting commonly supported ones of the collaboration application programs and in response activating the indicator.

Claims

1. A collaborative computer telephony system, comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of integrated computer telephony devices connected to the network and identified by unique IP addresses, at least two of said integrated computer telephony devices supporting collaboration application programs and voice communication sessions;

an indicator on at least one of said integrated computer telephony devices, said indicator having an active state associated with the presence of at least one common collaboration application program between said at least two integrated computer telephony devices, said indicator further having an inactive state associated with at least a lack of at least one common collaboration application program between said at least two integrated computer telephony devices;

a collaborate control program associated with each of said at least two integrated computer telephony devices for detecting commonly supported ones of said collaboration application programs when said at least two integrated computer telephony devices are engaged in a voice communication session, said collaborate control program enabled for activating said indicator to said active state, in response to said detecting, thus indicating availability to initiate a collaborative work-share environment upon launching said at least one common collaboration application program, said collaborate control program further enabled to launch at least one common collaboration application program upon receiving a notification; and

a phone proxy for determining IP addresses of said at least two integrated computer telephony devices and notifying said collaborate control program of said IP addresses.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user input device on said at least one of said integrated computer telephony devices for launching said commonly supported ones of said collaboration application programs in the event said indicator is activated.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said network is a local area network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said network is the Internet.

5. The system of claim 1. wherein said collaboration application programs include video conferencing applications, fax applications, document sharing applications, and shared whiteboard applications.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said integrated computer telephony devices each further comprise a telephone and a computer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said computer and telephone are each connected directly to the network.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said computer is connected to said telephone which in turn is connected directly to the network.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said telephone is connected to said computer which in turn is connected directly to the network.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said indicator further comprises a right on said telephone and said user input device is a button on said telephone.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said indicator and user input device further comprise a graphical user interface on said computer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said indicator is enabled for actuation upon said activating said indicator, and said collaborate control program is enabled to detect actuation of said indicator and, in response to said actuation, launch at least one of said commonly supported ones of said collaboration application programs to initiate said active work-share environment.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said collaborate control program is further enabled to provide a list of said commonly supported ones of said collaboration application programs and launch at least one of said commonly supported ones of said collaboration application programs in response receiving input indicative that said at least one of said commonly supported ones of said collaboration application programs has been chosen from said list

14. In a collaborative computer telephony system including a communication network, a plurality of telephones and associated computers connected to the network and identified by respective IP addresses, at least two of said computers supporting collaboration application programs, and an indicator on at least one of said telephones associated with one of said two computers a method for controlling said indicator comprising the steps of:

establishing a voice communication session between the at least one of said telephones and at least one other telephone associated with the other of said two computers;

exchanging IP addresses of said at least two computers over said network in response to establishing said voice communication session, said IP addresses initially received from a phone proxy for determining the addresses of said at least two computers and notifying a collaborate control program of said IP addresses;

issuing a request from a first one of said computers to a second one of said computers for a list of said collaboration application programs supported by said second one of said computers;

comparing said list with a further list of supported ones of said collaboration application programs within said first computer;

activating said indicator to an active state at said first telephone in the event of at least one commonly supported ones of said collaboration application in said first and second ones of said computers, said active state associated with the presence of at least one common collaboration application program between said at least two computers, said indicator further having an inactive state associated with at least a lack of at least one. common collaboration application program between said at least two computers, such that activating indicator to said active state indicates availability to initiate a collaborative work-share environment upon launching said at least one common collaboration application program; and

launching at least one common collaboration application program upon receiving a notification.

15. Computer telephony apparatus for use in a collaborative computer telephony system comprising a network and a plurality of terminals, said apparatus comprising:

telephone means for establishing a voice communication session between the computer telephony apparatus and another computer telephony apparatus;

indicator means for indicating that a collaborative session is set up with said another computer telephony apparatus, said indicator means having an active state associated with the presence of at least one common collaboration application program between the computer telephony apparatus and said another computer telephone apparatus, said indicator means further having an inactive state associated with at least a lack of at least one common collaboration application program between the computer telephony apparatus and said another computer telephone apparatus; and

collaborative control means for detecting the presence of collaborative control means in said another computer telephony apparatus when the computer telephony apparatus and another computer telephone apparatus are engaged in said voice communication session, said collaborate control means enabled for activating said indicator means to said active state in response to said detecting, thus indicating availability to initiate a collaborative work-share environment upon launching said at least one common collaboration application program, said collaborative control means further enabled to launch at least one common collaboration application program upon receiving a notification; and

phone proxy means for determining the addresses of the computer telephony apparatus and said another computer telephone apparatus and notifying said collaborative control means of said addresses.

16. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for controlling a computer to;

receive a request for a collaborative session with at least one second computer, said request issued in association with establishment of a voice communication session between a telephony device associated with said computer and at least a second telephony device associated with said at least one second computer;

receive the addresses of the corn outer and said at least one second computer from a phone proxy for determining the addresses of the corn outer and said at least one second computer;

issue a request to said at least one second computer over a network for a list of collaborative programs supported by said at least second computer;

compare said list with a list of supported collaboration programs within said computer;

issue an activation signal to activate an indicator, on at least one of said telephony devices, to an active state in the event that at least one collaborative program is commonly supported by said computer and said at least one second computer, said active state associated with the presence of at least one common collaboration application program between the corn outer and said at least one second computer, said indicator further having an inactive state associated with at least a lack of at least one common collaboration application program between the computer and said at least one second computer. such that activating said indicator to said active state indicates availability to initiate a collaborative work-share environment upon launching said at least one common collaboration application program, and

launch at least one common collaboration application program upon receiving a notification.

17. A collaborative computer telephony system, comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of integrated computer telephony devices connected to the network, at least two of said integrated computer telephony devices supporting collaboration application programs for implementing collaborate application communication sessions therebetween, said at least two of said integrated computer telephony devices further supporting voice communication sessions;

a user input device on at least one of said integrated computer telephony devices;

a collaborate control program associated with each of said at least two integrated computer telephony devices for detecting commonly supported ones of said collaboration application programs when said at least two integrated computer telephony devices are engaged in a voice communication session and initiating said collaborate application communication session in response to user activation of said user input device while maintaining said voice communication session such that users associated with said at least two integrated computer telephony devices may communicate via voice while engaged in said collaborate application communication session;

a phone proxy for determining the addresses of said at least two integrated computer telephony devices and notifying said collaborate control program of said addresses; and

an indicator on said at least one of said integrated computer telephony devices for indicating detection of said commonly supported ones of said collaboration application programs, said indicator having an active state associated with the presence of at least one common collaboration application program between said at least two integrated computer telephony devices, said indicator further having an inactive state associated with at least a lack of at least one common collaboration application program between said at least two integrated computer telephony devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said network is a local area network.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said network is the internet

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said collaboration application programs include video conferencing applications, fax application, document sharing applications, and shared whiteboard applications.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said integrated computer telephony devices each further comprise a telephone and a computer.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said computer and telephone are each connected directly to the network.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said computer is connected to said telephone which in turn is connected directly to the network.

24. A system of claim 21, wherein said telephone is connected to said computer which in turn is connected directly to the network.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said- indicator further comprises a light on said telephone and said user input device is a button on said telephone.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said indicator and user input device further comprise a graphical user interface on said computer.

27. In a collaborative computer telephony system including a communication network, a plurality of telephones and associated computers connected to the network and identified by respective IP addresses, at least two of said computers supporting collaboration application programs, an indicator on at least one of said plurality of telephones and a user input device on at least one of said telephones, a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a voice connection between the at least one of said telephones and at least one other telephone of said plurality of telephones;

detecting user activation of said user input device;

receiving IP addresses of a first one of said at least two computers associated with the at least one telephone and a second one of at least two computers associated with said at least one other telephone, wherein determining said IP addresses is based on said associations;

exchanging IP addresses of said at least two computers over said network;

issuing a request from said a first one of said computers to said a second one of said computers for a list of said collaboration ,application programs supported by said second one of said computers;

comparing said list with a further list of supported ones of said collaboration application programs within said first computer;

activating said indicator to an active state in the event of at least one commonly supported ones of said collaboration application in said first and second ones of said computers, said active state associated with the presence of at least one common collaboration application program between said at least two computers, said indicator further having an inactive state associated with at least a lack of at least one common collaboration application program between said at least two computers, such that activating indicator to said active state indicates availability to initiate a collaborative work-share environment upon launching said at least one common collaboration application program; and

initiating a collaborate application communication session between said first and second ones of said computers in the event of at least one commonly supported collaboration application in said first and second ones of said computers.

28. Computer telephony apparatus for use in a collaborative computer telephony system having a communication network, said apparatus comprising:

a user input for initiating a collaborative session with another computer telephony apparatus when the computer telephony apparatus and said another computer telephony apparatus are engaged in a voice communication session while maintaining said voice communication session such that users associated with the computer telephony device and said another computer telephony apparatus may communicate via voice while engaged in said collaborative communication session; and

collaborative control means for detecting the presence of collaborative controlled means in said another computer telephony apparatus in response to user activation of said user input;

an indicator means for indicating that a collaborative session is set up with another computer telephony apparatus, said indicator means having an active state associated with said presence of said collaborative controlled means in said another computer telephony apparatus, said indicator means further having an inactive state associated with at least a lack of said presence of said collaborative controlled means in said another computer telephony apparatus; and

a phone proxy for determining the addresses of the computer telephony apparatus and said another computer telephony apparatus and notifying said collaborate control means of said addresses.

29. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for controlling a computer to;

receive a request for a collaborative session with at least one second computer when said computer and said at least one second computer are engaged in a voice communication session;

determine addresses of the computer and said at least one second computer and issuing a notification of said addresses;

issue a request to said at least one second computer over a network for a list of collaborative programs supported by said at least one second computer;

compare said list with a list of supported collaboration programs within said computer;

issue an activation signal to activate an indicator, on at least one of said telephony devices, to an active state in the event that at least one collaborative program is commonly supported by said computer and said at least one second computer, said active state associated with the presence of at least one common collaborative program between the computer and said at least one second computer, said indicator further having an inactive state associated with at least a lack of at least one common collaborative program between the computer and said at least one second computer, such that activating said indicator to said active state indicates availability to initiate a collaborative work-share environment upon launching said at least one common collaboration program and

initiate said collaborative session in the event that at least one collaborative program is commonly supported by said computer and said at least one second computer while maintaining said voice communication session such that users associated said computer and said at least one second corn outer may communicate via voice while engaged in said collaborative session.