System and methods for facilitating a multiparty communications session with a dynamically designated session manager
First Claim
1. A method of initiating and managing a multiparty communications session, the method comprising:
- creating a communication link between a first participant and a second participant for the communication of media therebetween;
creating a communication link between the first participant and a third participant for the communication of media therebetween;
creating a communication link between the second participant and the third participant for the communication of media therebetween;
determining whether a characteristic associated with the first participant meets a predetermined criterion;
upon determining that the characteristic meets the predetermined criterion, designating the first participant as a session manager of the multiparty communications session for receiving all session management messages from participants in the multiparty communications session and for;
controlling the admission of an additional participant to the multiparty communications session;
responding to a participant exiting the multiparty communications session;
maintaining an authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session;
updating the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session in response to participants joining and exiting the multiparty communications session; and
exclusively synchronizing the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session with each of the participants in the multiparty communications session;
issuing, by the first participant, an invitation inviting the additional participant to join the multiparty communications session, wherein the invitation includes the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session, the authoritative list of participants including at least the second and third participants; and
when the additional participant is admitted to the multiparty communications session, creating a communication link between the additional participant and the first participant for the communication of media therebetween, a communication link between the additional participant and the second participant for the communication of media therebetween, and a communication link between the additional participant and the third participant for the communication of media therebetween, so that the additional participant can communicate with the other participants without having to route the communication through the session manager,wherein each participant is an end point for the bi-directional communication of media in the multiparty communications session,wherein the additional participant uses the authoritative list of participants to join the multiparty communications session, by;
sending a message to each of at least the second and third participants;
receiving a successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants;
when the additional participant has received the successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants, sending a message to the first participant; and
creating a communication link between the additional participant and each of at least the second and third participants for the communication of media therebetween, andwherein only the first participant that has been designated as the session manager of the multiparty communications session may issue the invitation inviting the additional participant to join the multiparty communications session.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and methods for facilitating multiparty communications sessions with a plurality of participants and for dynamically designating a communications session manager. More particularly, a system and methods, including protocols, for: establishing a multiparty communications session between a plurality of participants and their respective communication devices in a full-mesh topology; establishing a dynamically designated session manager uniquely associated with a first participant of the multiparty session and, hence, such participant'"'"'s communication device; as necessary, adding and removing participants and their respective communication devices from the multiparty communications session; and, designating, or electing, another participant as session manager when the first participant exits the multiparty communications session. The methods also enable participants to maintain consistent lists of session participants and establish peer to peer communication links between the participants.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of initiating and managing a multiparty communications session, the method comprising:
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creating a communication link between a first participant and a second participant for the communication of media therebetween; creating a communication link between the first participant and a third participant for the communication of media therebetween; creating a communication link between the second participant and the third participant for the communication of media therebetween; determining whether a characteristic associated with the first participant meets a predetermined criterion; upon determining that the characteristic meets the predetermined criterion, designating the first participant as a session manager of the multiparty communications session for receiving all session management messages from participants in the multiparty communications session and for; controlling the admission of an additional participant to the multiparty communications session; responding to a participant exiting the multiparty communications session; maintaining an authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session; updating the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session in response to participants joining and exiting the multiparty communications session; and exclusively synchronizing the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session with each of the participants in the multiparty communications session; issuing, by the first participant, an invitation inviting the additional participant to join the multiparty communications session, wherein the invitation includes the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session, the authoritative list of participants including at least the second and third participants; and when the additional participant is admitted to the multiparty communications session, creating a communication link between the additional participant and the first participant for the communication of media therebetween, a communication link between the additional participant and the second participant for the communication of media therebetween, and a communication link between the additional participant and the third participant for the communication of media therebetween, so that the additional participant can communicate with the other participants without having to route the communication through the session manager, wherein each participant is an end point for the bi-directional communication of media in the multiparty communications session, wherein the additional participant uses the authoritative list of participants to join the multiparty communications session, by; sending a message to each of at least the second and third participants; receiving a successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants; when the additional participant has received the successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants, sending a message to the first participant; and creating a communication link between the additional participant and each of at least the second and third participants for the communication of media therebetween, and wherein only the first participant that has been designated as the session manager of the multiparty communications session may issue the invitation inviting the additional participant to join the multiparty communications session. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
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6. The method of claim wherein the method further comprises:
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issuing, by the second participant, a request to invite the third participant to the multiparty communications session; receiving, by the first participant, the request to invite from the second participant; and issuing, by the first participant, an invitation inviting the third participant to the multiparty communications session.
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8. A method of managing a multiparty communications session, the method comprising:
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creating a full-mesh of communication links for a first participant, a second participant, and a third participant for the multiparty communications session; determining whether the first participant meets a session manager criterion, after determining that the first participant meets the session manager criterion, designating the first participant in the multiparty communications session as a session manager of the multiparty communications system for; receiving all session management messages from participants in the multiparty communications session; exclusively maintaining an authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session; exclusively controlling an admission of an additional participant to the multiparty communications session; exclusively inviting the additional participant to join the multiparty communication session; exclusively providing the authoritative list of participants to the additional participant, wherein the additional participant used the authoritative list of participants to join the multiparty communications session, by; sending a message to each of at least the second and third participants; receiving a successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants; when the additional participant has received the successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants sending a message to the first participant; and creating a communication link between the additional participant and each of at least the second and third participants for the communication of media therebetween; and exclusively synchronizing the authoritative list of participants with the participants in the multiparty communications session to reflect the additional participant, wherein not ail communications between participants in the multiparty communications session are routed through the session manager. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of managing multiparty communications session having multiple participants, the method comprising:
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creating a full-mess of communication links for a first participant, a second participant, and a third participant for the multiparty communications session; determining whether the first participant meets a session manager criterion; after determining that the first participant meets the session manager criterion, designating the first participant as a session manager of the multiparty communications session; exclusively maintaining, by the session manager, an authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session; exclusively inviting, by the session manager, an additional participant to join the multiparty communications session; exclusively providing, by the session manager, the authoritative list of participants to the additional participant, wherein all additional participants joining the multiparty communications session obtain the authoritative list of participants from the session manager, such that the possibility of multiple participants receiving different lists of participants is reduced wherein the additional participants uses the authoritative list of participants to join the multiparty communications session, by; sending a message to each of at least the second and third participants; receiving a successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants; when additional participant has received the successful response the message from each of at least the second and third participants, sending a message to the first participant; and creating a communication link between the additional participant and each of at least the second and third participants for the communication of media therebetween; exclusively receiving, by the session manager, an acceptance by the additional participant of the invitation to join the multiparty communications session; after receiving, exclusively updating, by the session manager, the authoritative list of participants to include the additional participant; and after updating, exclusively synchronizing, by the session manager, the authoritative list of participants with the other participants in the multiparty communications system to reflect the additional participant. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-readable storage device encoded with computer-executable instructions for initiating and managing a multiparty communications session, by a method comprising:
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creating a full-mesh of communication links for a first participant, a second participant, and a third participant for the multiparty communications session; determining whether the first participant meets a session manager criterion; upon determining that the first participant meets the session manager criterion, designating the first participant meets session manager of the multiparty communications session for; exclusively maintaining and authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session; exclusively updating the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session in response to participants joining and exiting the multiparty communications session; exclusively issuing an invitation inviting the additional participant to join the multiparty communications session, the invitation including the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session so that the additional participant uses the authoritative list to establish communications links with at least the second participant and the third participant to effect a full-mesh of communication links for the first participant, the second participant, the third participant, and the additional participant by; sending a message to each of at least the second and third participants; receiving a successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants; when the additional participant has received the successful response to the message from each of at least the second and third participants, sending a message to the first participant; and creating a communication link between the additional participant and each of at least the second and third participants for the communication of media therebetween; and exclusively synchronizing the authoritative list of participants in the multiparty communications session with each of the participants in the multiparty communications session to ensure that each participant has a synchronized copy of the authoritative list. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification