Method and apparatus for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server

• US 8,601,057 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Han, Yinjun, Guo, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAK, PETER K
• Application Number:
  US13/003,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709204-207, 709227-229, 709/231, 709236-237, 709/246, 370260-262, 370270-271, 370/312, 370/374, 370/376, 370389-390, 370/395.2, 370/395.5, 370/395.64, 370/465
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server, the method includes: in the multimedia conference, the application server divides the m-line in a received terminal session description protocol (SDP), message into two SDPs according to the type of media, and sends them respectively to an audio-video media server and a data media server, or assembles SDPs returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server into one SDP, and sends it to a terminal. The apparatus includes an application server, and the application server includes an SDP dividing module and an SDP assembling module. This invention simplifies the process of signaling interaction, reduces the consumption of the signaling interaction; better synchronizes the controlling of the conventional audio-video media and the data media, makes the realization of the multimedia client more simple; meanwhile, is compatible with the terminals traditionally not supporting data media.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server, AS, comprising:

in the multimedia conference, the AS dividing m-lines in a received terminal session description protocol, SDP, message into two SDP messages according to the type of media, and

sending them respectively to an audio-video media server and a data media server, or assembling SDP messages returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server into one SDP message, and sending it to a terminal wherein when the conference initiating terminal of the multimedia conference initiates the conference, the method specifically comprises the following steps;

the AS parsing the SDP message sent by the conference initiating terminal, obtaining the m-lines of the audio-video media and the data media, and classifying the m-lines;

dividing the SDP message sent by the conference initiating terminal into two or more SDP messages according to the classification of the m-lines, and sending them respectively to the audio-video media server and the data media server;

when the AS has received one SDP message returned by one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, and not yet received another SDP message returned by other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, saving the SDP message of the one of the audio-video media server and the data media server and waiting for the SDP message of the other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, and extracting the SDP message of the one of the audio-video media server and the data media server when receiving the SDP message of the other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server;

the AS assembling the SDP messages returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server into one SDP message, and sending it to the conference initiating terminal;

wherein after the multimedia conference has been successfully initiated, if the conference initiating terminal needs to switch off a type of conference media channel, then after the AS assembling the SDP messages returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server into one SDP message, and sending it to the conference initiating terminal, the method further comprises the following steps;

the conference initiating terminal setting the port of the m-lines corresponding to the media channel to be switched off in the SDP message to be 0, and sending it to the AS via the SIP message;

the AS comparing the media type of the received SDP message with the media type of the conference currently in progress, and extracting the m-lines with the port being 0 in the SDP message, forming one new SDP message, and sending the new SDP message to a corresponding media server to notify it to switch off the corresponding media channel;

the AS assembling the SDP messages of the two media servers corresponding to a member terminal into one new SDP message, sending it to the member terminal, to notify it to switch off the corresponding media channel, and extracting the m-lines corresponding to the media server of the media channel to be switched off in the SDP message of the member terminal, forming one new SDP message, and sending it to the corresponding media server;

the port of the m-lines corresponding to media type to be switched off in the new SDP message is 0.

2. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 1, wherein when the conference initiating terminal of the multimedia conference needs to call a member, the method specifically comprises the following steps:

the AS sending a session initiation protocol, SIP message to the member terminal, and obtaining the SDP message of the member terminal;

the AS parsing the SDP message sent by the member terminal, obtaining the m-lines of the audio-video media and the data media, and classifying the m-lines;

dividing the SDP message sent by the member terminal into two SDP messages according to the classification of the m-lines, and sending the two SDP messages respectively to the audio-video media server and the data media server;

when the AS has received one SDP message returned by one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, and not yet received another SDP message returned by other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, saving the SDP message of the one of the audio-video media server and the data media server and waiting for the SDP message of the other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, and extracting the SDP message of the one of the audio-video media server and the data media server when receiving the SDP message of the other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server;

the AS assembling the SDP messages returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server into one SDP message, and sending it to the member terminal transparently.

3. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 1, wherein after the multimedia conference has been successfully initiated, if the conference initiating terminal needs to add a type of media channel, then after the AS assembling the SDP messages returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server into one SDP message, and sending it to the conference initiating terminal, the method further comprises the following steps:

the AS switching on the media channel corresponding to the media server with the port of the m-lines being 0, according to the SDP message sent by conference initiating terminal;

the AS notifying the member terminal supporting the type of media to switch on the corresponding media channel.

4. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 1, wherein the method for dividing SDP message is:

first extracting the session description portion of the SDP message sent by the conference initiating terminal, copying it directly to the divided SDP message as the session description portion;

then classifying the m-line of the SDP message transmitted by the conference initiating terminal into an m-line set of audio-video media and an m-lines set of data media according to the media type, and copying the m-lines set of audio-video media and the m-lines set of data media respectively to the corresponding divided SDP messages as the media description portion.

5. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 1, wherein the method for assembling SDP message is:

first extracting the session description portion of the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server as the session description portion of an assembled SDP message, then according to the order of the m-lines in the SDP of the conference initiating terminal, assembling the m-lines of the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server as the media description portion of the assembled SDP, if there is no corresponding m-lines in the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server or the data media server, setting the port of the m-lines to be 0.

6. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 1, wherein in the method, for the terminal without data media capability, the AS merely interactively negotiates with the audio-video media server corresponding to the terminal during the whole media negotiation process.

7. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 1, wherein in the method, if one media type needs to be switched off by the conference initiating terminal, the AS directly sending an ending message to corresponding one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, and using the SDP message of other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server to form an SDP message, in which the port of the m-lines of the media type of a switched-off media server is 0, sending the SDP mesaage to the conference initiating terminal, then switching off the media type corresponding to each member;

if the whole conference needs to be switched off by the conference initiating terminal, the AS sending an ending message to all media servers, and forming an SDP message with all ports of m-lines being 0 and transmitting it to the conference initiating terminal, then sending an ending message to each member and the media server corresponding to it.

8. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 1, wherein the method for dividing SDP message is:

first extracting the session description portion of the SDP message sent by the conference initiating terminal, copying it directly to the divided SDP message as the session description portion;

then classifying the m-lines of the SDP message transmitted by the conference initiating terminal into an m-lines set of audio-video media and an m-lines set of data media according to the media type, and copying the m-lines set of audio-video media and the m-lines set of data media respectively to the corresponding divided SDP messages as the media description portion.

9. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 2, wherein the method for dividing SDP message is:

first extracting the session description portion of the SDP message sent by the conference initiating terminal, copying it directly to the divided SDP message as the session description portion;

then classifying the m-lines of the SDP message transmitted by the conference initiating terminal into an m-lines set of audio-video media and an m-lines set of data media according to the media type, and copying the m-lines set of audio-video media and the m-lines set of data media respectively to the corresponding divided SDP messages as the media description portion.

10. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 1, wherein the method for assembling SDP message is:

first extracting the session description portion of the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server as the session description portion of an assembled SDP message, then according to the order of the m-lines in the SDP message of the conference initiating terminal, assembling the m-lines of the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server as the media description portion of the assembled SDP message, if there is no corresponding m-lines in the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server or the data media server , setting the port of the m-lines to be 0.

11. The method for controlling a multimedia conference by an application server according to claim 2, wherein the method for assembling SDP message is:

first extracting the session description portion of the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server as the session description portion of an assembled SDP message, then according to the order of the m-lines in the SDP message of the conference initiating terminal, assembling the m-lines of the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server as the media description portion of the assembled SDP message, if there is no corresponding m-lines in the SDP message returned by the audio-video media server or the data media server , setting the port of the m-lines to be 0.

12. An apparatus for controlling a multimedia conference, comprising an application server, AS, further comprising a session description protocol, SDP, dividing module and an SDP message assembling module, the SDP message dividing module is configured to divide the SDP message sent by a terminal into two SDP messages according to the classification of the m-lines;

the SDP assembling module is configured to assemble the SDP messages returned by an audio-video media server and a data media server into one SDP message wherein when the conference initiating terminal of the multimedia conference initiates the conference, the method specifically comprises the following steps;

the AS parsing the SDP message sent by the conference initiating terminal, obtaining the m-lines of the audio-video media and the data media, and classifying the m-lines;

dividing the SDP message sent by the conference initiating terminal into two or more SDP messages according to the classification of the m-lines, and sending them respectively to the audio-video media server and the data media server;

when the AS has received one SDP message returned by one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, and not yet received another SDP message returned by other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, saving the SDP message of the one of the audio-video media server and the data media server and waiting for the SDP message of the other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server, and extracting the SDP message of the one of the audio-video media server and the data media server when receiving the SDP message of the other one of the audio-video media server and the data media server;

the AS assembling the SDP messages returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server into one SDP message, and sending it to the conference initiating terminal;

wherein after the multimedia conference has been successfully initiated, if the conference initiating terminal needs to switch off a type of conference media channel, then after the AS assembling the SDP messages returned by the audio-video media server and the data media server into one SDP message, and sending it to the conference initiating terminal, the method further comprises the following steps;

the conference initiating terminal setting the port of the m-lines corresponding to the media channel to be switched off in the SDP message to be 0, and sending it to the AS via the SIP message;

the AS comparing the media type of the received SDP message with the media type of the conference currently in progress, and extracting the m-lines with the port being 0 in the SDP message , forming one new SDP message, and sending the new SDP message to a corresponding media server to notify it to switch off the corresponding media channel;

the AS assembling the SDP messages of the two media servers corresponding to a member terminal into one new SDP message, sending it to the member terminal, to notify it to switch off the corresponding media channel, and extracting the m-lines corresponding to the media server of the media channel to be switched off in the SDP message of the member terminal, forming one new SDP message, and sending it to the corresponding media server;

the port of the m-lines corresponding to media type to be switched off in the new SDP message is 0.