Method and apparatus for mixed mode multimedia conferencing
First Claim
1. A method for mixed mode conference call setup comprising the steps of:
- inviting two or more users to a mixed mode conference call by providing invitation information from an inviting user to a server indicating the two or more users, a plurality of modes acceptable for the mixed mode conference call and a selected one of the plurality of modes accepted by the inviting user;
providing an invitation from the server to each of the two or more users, the invitation including information indicating the plurality of modes acceptable for the mixed mode conference call;
a first user of the two or more users providing a response to the server including information indicating a first mode of the plurality of modes which has been user selected by the first user of the two or more users;
a second user of the two or more users providing a response to the server including information indicating a second mode of the plurality of modes which has been user selected by the second user of the two or more users, wherein the second mode of the plurality of modes is different from the first mode of the plurality of modes;
the server setting up a mixed mode conference call for communicating in at least the first and second modes of the plurality of modes in response to the invitation information provided by the inviting user and each response from the two or more users; and
the inviting user and the two or more users communicating in the mixed mode conference call in one of the plurality of modes, while the first user of the two or more users communicates in the mixed mode conference call in the first mode of the plurality of modes and the second user of the two or more users communicates in the mixed mode conference call in the second mode of the plurality of modes.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for mixed mode conference call setup. The method includes the steps of inviting users to a mixed mode conference call by providing invitation information from an inviting user to a server and thereby providing invitations from the server to each of the users. The invitation information indicates the users, the modes acceptable for the conference call and the mode accepted by the inviting user. The invitations from the server include information indicating the modes acceptable for the conference call. The users provide a response to the server which includes information indicating a selected mode accepted by each user. The server sets up a conference call where each of the users and the inviting user communicate in the selected modes accepted by each.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method for mixed mode conference call setup comprising the steps of:
-
inviting two or more users to a mixed mode conference call by providing invitation information from an inviting user to a server indicating the two or more users, a plurality of modes acceptable for the mixed mode conference call and a selected one of the plurality of modes accepted by the inviting user; providing an invitation from the server to each of the two or more users, the invitation including information indicating the plurality of modes acceptable for the mixed mode conference call; a first user of the two or more users providing a response to the server including information indicating a first mode of the plurality of modes which has been user selected by the first user of the two or more users; a second user of the two or more users providing a response to the server including information indicating a second mode of the plurality of modes which has been user selected by the second user of the two or more users, wherein the second mode of the plurality of modes is different from the first mode of the plurality of modes; the server setting up a mixed mode conference call for communicating in at least the first and second modes of the plurality of modes in response to the invitation information provided by the inviting user and each response from the two or more users; and the inviting user and the two or more users communicating in the mixed mode conference call in one of the plurality of modes, while the first user of the two or more users communicates in the mixed mode conference call in the first mode of the plurality of modes and the second user of the two or more users communicates in the mixed mode conference call in the second mode of the plurality of modes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A server in a communication system comprising a plurality of user entities, the server comprising:
-
an input handler coupled to the communication system for receiving invitation information from an inviting user entity, the inviting user entity being one of the plurality of user entities and the invitation information indicating two or more of the plurality of user entities as invited user entities, a plurality of modes acceptable for a mixed mode conference call and a selected one of the plurality of modes accepted by the inviting user entity, the input handler further receiving messages from the two or more of the plurality of user entities; a conference call invitation controller coupled to the input handler for generating an invitation message in response to the invitation information, the invitation message comprising information indicating the plurality of modes acceptable for the mixed mode conference call; an output handler coupled to the conference call invitation controller and the communication system for providing the invitation message to the communication system for transmitting to the invited user entities; and a conference call controller coupled to the input handler for receiving the messages therefrom and determining in response to the messages two or more of the plurality of modes user selected by the invited user entities and accepted by the inviting user entity, the conference call controller setting up the mixed mode conference call where the invited user entities and the inviting user entity communicate with the server on two or more selected ones of a plurality of communication channels in the two or more of the plurality of modes in response to the selected ones of the plurality of modes user selected by the invited user entities and accepted by the inviting user entity. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A communication system comprising:
-
a plurality of user entities wherein one of the plurality of user entities can choose to be an inviting user entity for initiating a mixed mode conference call and wherein the inviting user entity can choose at least one other of the plurality of user entities to be an invited user entity, each of the plurality of user entities capable of being coupled to other of the plurality of user entities on one of a plurality of communication channels; and a server coupled to the inviting user entity and capable of coupling to other ones of the plurality of user entities, the server comprising; a conference call invitation controller for generating an invitation message in response to information received from the inviting user entity, the invitation message indicating a plurality of modes acceptable for the mixed mode conference call; and a conference call controller for determining which of the plurality of modes have been accepted by each invited user entity and for setting up the mixed mode conference call where each of the invited user entity and the inviting user entity communicate on selected ones of the plurality of communication channels in response to the selected ones of the plurality of modes accepted thereby, wherein the conference call controller, after setting up the mixed mode conference call, sets up a second one of the plurality of communication channels for one of the plurality of user entities and terminates a first one of the plurality of communication channels for the one of the plurality of user entities in response to the one of the plurality of user entities indicating that the one of the plurality of user entities desires to change the selected one of the plurality of modes previously selected by the one of the plurality of user entities, the second one of the plurality of communication channels having a second bandwidth smaller than a first bandwidth of the first one of the plurality of communication channels if the one of the plurality of user entities indicates that the one of the plurality of user entities desires to downgrade the selected one of the plurality of modes and the second one of the plurality of communication channels having a second bandwidth larger than a first bandwidth of the first one of the plurality of communication channels if the one of the plurality of user entities indicates that the one of the plurality of user entities desires to upgrade the selected one of the plurality of modes.
-
Specification