Method and System for Joining a virtual talk group

• US 7,639,634 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Douglas J., Shaffer, Shmuel, Talukder, Shah, Nagesh, Kittur V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashem; Lisa
• Application Number:
  US11/421,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20070280195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 455/519, 455/412.1, 455/419, 455/90.2, 455/416, 455/420, 370/261, 370/266, 370/270, 370/271
• US Class Current: 370/266
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656

Abstract

A method for joining a virtual talk group includes facilitating communications of a virtual talk group. The virtual talk group includes a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks. The method also includes recording the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group. The method also includes adding a first endpoint to the virtual talk group and presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group.

Claims

1. A method for joining an endpoint to a virtual talk group, comprising:

facilitating communications of a virtual talk group, the virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks;

recording the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group;

adding a first endpoint to the virtual talk group;

detecting a condition in communications among the plurality of endpoints and the added first endpoint;

presenting an option in response to the condition to the first added endpoint to play the recorded communications;

presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group;

providing an indication to the first endpoint indicating that the first endpoint is being presented with the recorded communications of the virtual talk group such that the first endpoint may distinguish the recorded communications from the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating communications among the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group and the added first endpoint while presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications when there is a pause in the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating communications among the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group and the added first endpoint while presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises pausing the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein pausing the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication comprises pausing the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication having a priority greater than the recorded communication.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the first endpoint to change a manner by which the recorded communications are presented.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the first endpoint to control a manner of the presentation of the recorded communications.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises increasing a rate by which the recorded communications are presented.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a condition of a predetermined policy has been satisfied; and

recording the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group based on the satisfaction of the condition of the predetermined policy.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that a condition of a predetermined policy has been satisfied comprises detecting an absence of the first endpoint from the virtual talk group.

10. A system for joining an endpoint to a virtual talk group, comprising:

a processor operable to;

facilitate communications of a virtual talk group, the virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks;

record the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group; and

add a first endpoint to the virtual talk group;

an interface coupled to the processor and operable to;

detect a condition in communications among the plurality of endpoints and the added first endpoint;

present an option in response to the condition to the first added endpoint to play the recorded communications;

present

the first endpoint with the recorded communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group; and

provide an indication to the first endpoint indicating that the first endpoint is being presented with the recorded communications of the virtual talk group such that the first endpoint may distinguish the recorded communications from the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor operable to facilitate communications among the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group and the added first endpoint while presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises a processor operable to present the first endpoint with the recorded communications when there is a pause in the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor operable to facilitate communications among the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group and the added first endpoint while presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises a processor operable to pause the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor operable to pause the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication comprises a processor operable to pause the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication having a priority greater than the recorded communication.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to receive a request from the first endpoint to change a manner by which the recorded communications are presented.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to receive a request from the first endpoint to control a manner of the presentation of the recorded communications.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein an interface operable to present the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises an interface operable to increase a rate by which the recorded communications are presented.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that a condition of a predetermined policy has been satisfied; and

record the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group based on the satisfaction of the condition of the predetermined policy.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor operable to determine that a condition of a predetermined policy has been satisfied comprises a processor operable to detect an absence of the first endpoint from the virtual talk group.

19. Software embodied in a computer readable medium for joining a virtual talk group, the software, when executed by a processor, operable to:

facilitate communications of a virtual talk group, the virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks;

record the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group;

add a first endpoint to the virtual talk group;

detect a condition in communications among the plurality of endpoints and the added first endpoint;

present an option in response to the condition to the first added endpoint to play the recorded communications;

present

the first endpoint with the recorded communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group;

provide an indication to the first endpoint indicating that the first endpoint is being presented with the recorded communications of the virtual talk group such that the first endpoint may distinguish the recorded communications from the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the software when executed operable to facilitate communications among the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group and the added first endpoint while presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises software when executed operable to present the first endpoint with the recorded communications when there is a pause in the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group.

21. The medium of claim 19, wherein the software when executed operable to facilitate communications among the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group and the added first endpoint while presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises software when executed operable to pause the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the software when executed operable to pause the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication comprises software when executed-operable to pause the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication having a priority greater than the recorded communication.

23. The medium of claim 19, wherein the software when executed is further operable to receive a request from the first endpoint to change a manner by which the recorded communications are presented.

24. The medium of claim 19, wherein the software when executed is further operable to receive a request from the first endpoint to control a manner of the presentation of the recorded communications.

25. The medium of claim 19, wherein the software when executed operable to present the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises code operable to increase a rate by which the recorded communications are presented.

26. The medium of claim 19, wherein the software when executed is further operable to:

determine that a condition of a predetermined policy has been satisfied; and

record the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group based on the satisfaction of the condition of the predetermined policy.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the software when executed operable to determine that a condition of a predetermined policy has been satisfied comprises software when executed operable to detect an absence of the first endpoint from the virtual talk group.

28. A system for joining an endpoint to a virtual talk group, comprising:

means for facilitating communications of a virtual talk group, the virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks;

means for recording the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group;

means for adding a first endpoint to the virtual talk group;

means for detecting a condition in communications among the plurality of endpoints and the added first endpoint;

means for presenting an option in response to the condition to the first added endpoint to play the recorded communications;

means

for presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group;

means for providing an indication to the first endpoint indicating that the first endpoint is being presented with the recorded communications of the virtual talk group such that the first endpoint may distinguish the recorded communications from the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group.

29. A method for joining an endpoint to a virtual talk group, comprising:

facilitating communications of a virtual talk group, the virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks;

recording the communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group;

adding a first endpoint to the virtual talk group;

detecting a condition in communications among the plurality of endpoints and the added first endpoint;

presenting an option in response to the condition to the first added endpoint to play the recorded communications;

presenting

the first endpoint with the recorded communications of the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group; and

wherein facilitating communications among the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group and the added, first endpoint while presenting the first endpoint with the recorded communications comprises pausing the presentation of the recorded communications to the first endpoint upon detecting an endpoint communication from one of the endpoints of the virtual talk group other than the first endpoint.