Call management over reduced bandwidth

• US 8,326,277 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LoopUp Ltd. (LoopUp Group plc)
• Original Assignee: Ring2 Communications Limited (LoopUp Group plc)
• Inventors: Hughes, Michael, Siddiq, Abdelkareem
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): YI, ALEXANDER J.
• Application Number:
  US11/798,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20070287466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• Field of Search: 455/416, 455/450, 709/205, 709/225, 709/207, 709/227, 709/203, 370/352, 370/401, 370/466, 370/261, 370/260, 370/390, 370/356, 370/389, 370/262, 370/312, 370/395.52, 379/88.17, 379/205.01
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• 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

Abstract

A status proxy server having a full bandwidth connection with a media server and wireless connection with a mobile end user device, receives SIP or similar protocol structured data; maintains a status indicator representative of the received structured data; and communicating at time intervals an update of the status indicator to the mobile end user device.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a mobile end user device and a media server, which media server forms part of a communication network providing for calls between end users, the media server being configured to communicate with some end users according to at least one call management structured data set defined by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or other call management protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a status proxy server having a full bandwidth connection with the media server and a reduced bandwidth wireless connection with the mobile end user device;

receiving structured data comprising information, instructions, handshake, and other data provided under the SIP or other call management protocol at the status proxy server from the media server according to the call management structured data set;

maintaining a call status indicator at the status proxy server, which call status indicator is representative of the received structured data; and

communicating at time intervals an update of the call status indicator to the mobile end user device which is asynchronous with the receipt of structured data at the proxy server and which summarises the structured data received at the proxy server, wherein the step of communicating updates of the call status indicator comprises the steps of;

determining a throttle function having parameters of at least two of;

the time interval since the last status update communicated to the mobile end user device;

the time criticality of the structured data type;

a speed of connection parameter; and

a payload size; and

electing in accordance with those determinations whether or not to communicate an update to the mobile end user device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile end user device is configured to manage conference calls involving the mobile end user device and at least two other end user devices in communication with the media server.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the call status indicator comprises an indication of the status of each call leg in a conference call.

4. Data processing apparatus adapted and configured to provide a status proxy server for use in a communication network providing for calls between end users, the communication network including at least one mobile end user device and a media server configured to communicate with some end users according to at least one call management structured data set defined by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or other call management protocol, the status proxy server having a full bandwidth connection with the media server and a reduced bandwidth wireless connection with the mobile end user device, the bandwidth of the communication between the media server and the status proxy server being at least four times greater than the bandwidth of the wireless communication between the status proxy server and the mobile end user device, the status proxy server serving to receive structured data comprising information, instructions, handshake, and other data provided under the SIP or other call management protocol from the media server according to the call management structured data set;

maintain a call status indicator, which call status indicator is representative of the received structured data; and

communicate at time intervals an update of the call status indicator to the mobile end user device which is asynchronous with the receipt of structured data at the proxy server and which summarises the structured data received at the proxy server, wherein the step of communicating updates of the status indicator comprises the steps of determining a throttle function having parameters of at least two of;

the time interval since the last status update communicated to the mobile end user device;

the time criticality of the structured data type;

a speed of connection parameter; and

a payload size; and

electing in accordance with those determinations whether or not to communicate an update to the mobile end user device.

5. A method of communicating between a mobile end user device and a media server, which media server forms part of a communication network providing for calls between end users, the media server being configured to communicate with some end users according to at least one call management structured data set, the structured data set comprising the information, instructions, handshake and other data provided under SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or other a call management protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a status proxy server having a full bandwidth connection with the media server and a reduced bandwidth wireless connection with the mobile end user device, the bandwidth of the communication between the media server and the status proxy server being at least four times greater than the bandwidth of the wireless communication between the status proxy server and the mobile end user device;

receiving structured data at the status proxy server from the media server according to the call management structured data set;

maintaining a status indicator at the status proxy server, which status indicator is representative of the information, instructions, handshake and other data of the received structured data; and

communicating at time intervals an update of the status indicator to the mobile end user device which is asynchronous with the receipt of structured data at the proxy server and which summarises the structured data received at the proxy server, wherein the step of communicating updates of the status indicator comprises the steps of;

determining a throttle function having parameters of;

the time interval since the last status update communicated to the mobile end user device; and

the time criticality of the structured data type represented in the status indicator; and

electing in accordance with those determinations whether or not to communicate an update to the mobile end user device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said throttle function has a speed of connection parameter.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said throttle function has a payload size parameter.