System and method for dynamically upgrading / downgrading a conference session

• US 7,694,002 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STA Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ha, Binh Don, Asthana, Aseem, Vadlakonda, Sravan, Chotai, Ashish, Shaffer, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NICHOLAS R
• Application Number:
  US11/399,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/226, 709/225, 709/229, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2088 Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5072 Multiple active speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• 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 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/566 relating to a participants right to speak arrangements for multi-party communication with floor control, e.g. for conferences, H04L65/4038, H04L65/4046, H04L65/4053
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A conferencing system includes a plurality of ports for network connection to endpoint devices of participants to a conference session. A mixer receives input audio streams from the endpoint devices and then outputs a mixed audio stream back to the endpoint devices. A processor runs a program that automatically downgrades one or more of the participants to the conference session from a full-duplex communication mode to a half-duplex communication mode in response to an event affecting allocation of conferencing resources, the conferencing resources including the ports.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

during a conference session in a full-duplex communication mode, receiving input to downgrade one or more of the participants to the conference session to a half-duplex communication mode, the input being generated automatically via a policy configured on a web-based interface, the policy comprising occurrence of an event affecting conferencing resources;

according to the input, downgrading one or more of the participants to the conference session to the half-duplex communication mode;

providing a moderator of the conference session with an option to reserve the conferencing resources upon passing of the event or release of the conferencing resources;

following selection of the option by the moderator, automatically upgrading the one or more participants to the full-duplex communication mode upon passing of the event or release of the conferencing resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a mixer supports the conference session in the full-duplex communication mode and a push-to-talk (PTT) switch supports the portion of the conference session in the half-duplex communication mode, a single server comprising both the PTT switch and the mixer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a mixer supports the conference session in the full-duplex communication mode and a push-to-talk (PTT) switch supports the portion of the conference session in the half-duplex communication mode, a first server comprising the PTT switch and a second server comprising the mixer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising initiating a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call flow to downgrade to the half-duplex communication mode.