Shared distribution media resources in a communication network

• US 7,523,203 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2001
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Liang, Nguyen, Thang C, Whetten, Delon R, Pearce, Christopher E, Ji, Li
• Primary Examiner(s): BATES, KEVIN T
• Application Number:
  US09/850,384
• Time in Patent Office: 2,906 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 370/260, 370/265, 370/270, 370/271, 379/201.01, 379/201.03, 379/202.01
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1013 Network architectures, gateways, control or user entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers

Abstract

A method for sharing distributed media resources includes determining at a first call manager that a telephony device controlled by the first call manager requires the use of a media resource device. The method further includes selecting an appropriate media resource device from a media resource group list associated with the telephony device. In addition, the method includes communicating an allocation request to a device process that is associated with the selected media resource device and that is executing at a second call manager controlling the selected media resource device.

Claims

1. A method for sharing distributed media resources, comprising:

determining at a first call manager that a telephony device controlled by the first call manager requires the use of a media resource device;

selecting an appropriate media resource device from a media resource group list associated with the telephony device, wherein the media resource group list comprises one or more media resource groups, each media resource group including a list of device names of one or more media resource devices and a device type associated with each device name, and wherein selecting an appropriate media resource device from the media resource group list comprises selecting a device name associated with a device type that is required by the telephony device; and

communicating an allocation request to a device process associated with the selected media resource device, the device process executing at a second call manager controlling the selected media resource device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device desires to establish a telecommunication with a second telephony device and determining that a transcoder is required to establish the telecommunication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device desires to initiate a conference call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that a media termination point is required to maintain a communication session with the telephony device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device has been placed on hold and may be connected to a music-on-hold server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the media resource group list includes a plurality of device names each identifying a media resource device; and

selecting an appropriate media resource device comprises selecting a device name from the media resource group list.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

accessing a mapping table to determine a process identification (PID) associated with the selected device name, the PID identifying a device process associated with the media resource device identified by the device name; and

communicating the allocation request to the device process using the PID.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the media resource groups are ordered in the media resource group list;

the device names are ordered in each media resource group; and

selecting an appropriate media resource device comprises searching through the media resource groups and the device names in each media resource group in order until a device name associated with the required device type is found.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the media resource groups include only media resource devices located in the same geographic area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the media resource groups include only media resource devices for use by a particular class of user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an allocation response from the device process indicating that the selected media resource device is available; and

establishing a media streaming connection between the telephony device and the media resource device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an allocation response from the device process indicating that the selected media resource device is unavailable;

selecting a second appropriate media resource device from the media resource group list; and

communicating an allocation request to a second device process associated with the second media resource device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the media resource group list associated with the telephony device from the telephony device.

14. A call manager coupled to a packet-based network and operable to control a plurality of devices, the call manager comprising the following logic embodied in a computer-readable medium:

a control module operable to determine that a telephony device controlled by the call manager requires the use of a media resource device; and

a media resource manager operable to;

select an appropriate media resource device from a media resource group list associated with the telephony device, wherein the media resource group list comprises one or more media resource groups, each media resource group including a list of device names of one or more media resource devices and a device type associated with each device name, and wherein the media resource manager is operable to select a device name associated with a device type that is required by the telephony device; and

communicate an allocation request to a device process associated with the selected media resource device, the device process executing at a second call manager controlling the selected media resource device.

15. The call manager of claim 14, wherein the control module comprises a call control module.

16. The call manager of claim 14, wherein the control module comprises a media control module.

17. The call manager of claim 14, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device desires to establish a telecommunication with a second telephony device and determining that a transcoder is required to establish the telecommunication.

18. The call manager of claim 14, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device desires to initiate a conference call.

19. The call manager of claim 14, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that a media termination point is required to maintain a communication session with the telephony device.

20. The call manager of claim 14, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device has been placed on hold and may be connected to a music-on-hold server.

21. The call manager of claim 14, wherein:

the media resource group list includes a plurality of device names each identifying a media resource device; and

the media resource manager is operable to select a device name from the media resource group list.

22. The call manager of claim 21, further comprising a device manager operable to:

receive the device name from the media resource manager;

access a mapping table to determine a process identification (PID) associated with the device name, the PID identifying a device process associated with the media resource device identified by the device name; and

communicating the PID to the media resource manager for use in communicating the allocation request to the media resource device.

23. The call manager of claim 14, wherein:

the media resource groups are ordered in the media resource group list;

the device names are ordered in each media resource group; and

the media resource manager is operable to search through the media resource groups and the device names in each media resource group in order until a device name associated with the required device type is found.

24. The call manager of claim 14, wherein one or more of the media resource groups include only media resource devices located in the same geographic area.

25. The call manager of claim 14, wherein one or more of the media resource groups include only media resource devices for use by a particular class of user.

26. The call manager of claim 14, wherein:

the media resource manager is further operable to receive an allocation response from the device process indicating that the selected media resource device is available; and

the control module is further operable to establish a media streaming connection between the telephony device and the media resource device in response to the allocation response.

27. The call manager of claim 14, wherein the media resource manager is further operable to:

receive an allocation response from the device process indicating that the selected media resource device is unavailable;

select a second appropriate media resource device from the media resource group list; and

communicate an allocation request to a second device process associated with the second media resource device.

28. The call manager of claim 14, wherein the control module is further operable to:

receive the media resource group list associated with the telephony device from the telephony device; and

communicate the media resource group list to the media resource manager.

29. Call manager software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to:

determine that a telephony device controlled by the call manager software requires the use of a media resource device;

select an appropriate media resource device from a media resource group list associated with the telephony device, wherein the media resource group list comprises one or more media resource groups, each media resource group including a list of device names of one or more media resource devices and a device type associated with each device name, and wherein the call manager software is operable to select an appropriate media resource device from the media resource group list by selecting a device name associated with a device type that is required by the telephony device; and

communicate an allocation request to a device process associated with the selected media resource device, the device process associated with other call manager software controlling the selected media resource device.

30. The software of claim 29, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device desires to establish a telecommunication with a second telephony device and determining that a transcoder is required to establish the telecommunication.

31. The software of claim 29, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device desires to initiate a conference call.

32. The software of claim 29, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that a media termination point is required to maintain a communication session with the telephony device.

33. The software of claim 29, wherein determining that the telephony device requires the use of a media resource device comprises determining that the telephony device has been placed on hold and may be connected to a music-on-hold server.

34. The software of claim 29, wherein:

the media resource group list includes a plurality of device names each identifying a media resource device; and

selecting an appropriate media resource device comprises selecting a device name from the media resource group list.

35. The software of claim 34, further operable to:

access a mapping table to determine a process identification (PID) associated with the selected device name, the PID identifying a device process associated with the media resource device identified by the device name; and

communicate the allocation request to the device process using the PID.

36. The software of claim 29, wherein:

the media resource groups are ordered in the media resource group list;

the device names are ordered in each media resource group; and

selecting an appropriate media resource device comprises searching through the media resource groups and the device names in each media resource group in order until a device name associated with the required device type is found.

37. The software of claim 29, wherein one or more of the media resource groups include only media resource devices located in the same geographic area.

38. The software of claim 29, wherein one or more of the media resource groups include only media resource devices for use by a particular class of user.

39. The software of claim 29, further operable to:

receive an allocation response from the device process indicating that the selected media resource device is available; and

establish a media streaming connection between the telephony device and the media resource device.

40. The software of claim 29, further operable to:

receive an allocation response from the device process indicating that the selected media resource device is unavailable;

select a second appropriate media resource device from the media resource group list; and

communicate an allocation request to a second device process associated with the second media resource device.

41. The software of claim 29, further operable to receive the media resource group list associated with the telephony device from the telephony device.