Method and system for improving establishing of a multimedia session

• US 8,924,464 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gonen, Edward, Yedlin, Guil, Sahai, Anupam, Toren, Shai, Rakhlin, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/941,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,758 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/4038 with floor control

Abstract

Multimedia communication systems and methods are disclosed. An exemplary system comprises a server adapted to communicate with two or more multimedia endpoints; and a MCU adapted to communicate with the at least one server and the multimedia endpoints, wherein the server contains a module for instructing the multimedia endpoints to call a dial number for the MCU to establish a multimedia conference in response to a requested list of multimedia endpoints received from one of the multimedia endpoints. An exemplary method for establishing a multimedia conference comprises receiving at a server from a first endpoint a requested list of second endpoints desired to participate in the multimedia session; reviewing at the server the status of the second endpoints; and if the status of a particular second endpoint is an available status, instructing at least some of the available second endpoints to call a dial number for a MCU to participate in the multimedia conference. A further exemplary method allows for a determination to be made whether a multipoint or point-to-point conference is required, and allows a user to leave a message for users who unavailable to participate in the conference.

Claims

1. A multimedia communication system, comprising:

a server adapted to communicate with two or more dial-in multimedia endpoints, the server separate from the two or more dial-in multimedia endpoints,

wherein the server contains a module configured to cause the dial-in multimedia endpoints to call a dial number of a multipoint control unit (MCU) to establish a multimedia session in response to receiving a list of requested dial-in multimedia endpoints from one of the dial-in multimedia endpoints, responsive to a determination that the multimedia session requires an MCU.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an MCU adapted to communicate with the at least one server and the two or more dial-in multimedia endpoints.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the dial number is associated with the MCU.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the module further instructs the MCU to call a dial-out number of at least one of the dial-in multimedia endpoints included in the requested list of dial-in multimedia endpoints.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the server is configured to transfer the multimedia session from the MCU to another MCU in the event of a failure.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is integrated with the MCU.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one network for carrying the communication between the server and the dial-in multimedia endpoints, and for carrying multimedia communications between the dial-in multimedia endpoints and the MCU.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is an IP server.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the dial-in multimedia endpoints each are associated with a computer, and wherein the server communicates with the dial-in multimedia endpoints via their associated computer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the associated computer is integrated with at least one dial-in multimedia endpoint.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one network for carrying the communication between the server and the dial-in multimedia endpoints.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one network comprises an IP network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the dial number comprises a network address.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the module is configured to reestablish the session if not successfully established initially.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the module is configured to reestablish the session using different connection parameters if not successfully established initially.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises at least one buddy list, wherein each buddy in the list is associated with at least one dial-in multimedia endpoint, and wherein the requested list is generated via access to the buddy list.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the buddy list comprises information concerning a status of the dial-in multimedia endpoints for each buddy in the list or an availability of the buddy.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the requested list is initiated from a scheduling application.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the requested list is initiated from a hosting application.

20. A method for establishing a multimedia session, comprising:

receiving at a server from a first endpoint a requested list of one or more dial-in endpoints desired to participate in the multimedia session;

the server separate from the first endpoint;

determining at the server whether the requested multimedia session requires an MCU (multipoint control unit) and the status of the second one or more dial-in endpoints; and

when an MCU is required and if at least one endpoint of the one or more dial-in endpoint has an available status, causing by the server at least one available dial-in endpoints of the one or more dial-in endpoints to call a dial number for a MCU to participate in the multimedia session.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the server is an IP server.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints each are associated with a computer, and wherein the server communicates with the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints via their associated computer.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the server is integrated with at least one computer.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising at least one network for carrying multimedia communications between the server and the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints, and for carrying multimedia communications between the MCU and the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one network comprises an IP network.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the dial number comprises a network address.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the server is integrated with the MCU.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the server comprises at least one buddy list, wherein each buddy in the list is associated with an endpoint of the one or more dial-in endpoints, and wherein the requested list is generated via access to the buddy list.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the buddy list comprises information concerning a status of the one or more dial-in endpoints for each buddy in the list.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising having the MCU call a dial-out number for at least some of the available one or more dial-in endpoints.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the requested list is initiated from a scheduling application.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the requested list is initiated from a hosting application.

33. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining whether the multimedia session is successfully established, and if not, reestablishing the session using alternate connection parameters.

34. The method of claim 20, further comprising checking a status of the multimedia session, and if the session is disconnected, reestablishing the session.

35. A method for establishing a multimedia session, comprising:

receiving at a server from a first endpoint a requested list of one or more dial-in endpoints desired to participate in the multimedia session;

the server separate from the first endpoint;

determining at the server whether the multimedia session requires an MCU (multipoint control unit) and the status of the second one or more dial-in endpoints; and

when an MCU is not required and if the status of a particular dial-in endpoint from the one or more dial-in endpoint is an available status, causing by the server the first endpoint or the particular dial-in endpoint to call a dial-in number of the other endpoint to establish the multimedia session.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the server is an IP server.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints each are associated with a computer, and wherein the server communicates with the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints via their associated computer.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the server is integrated with at least one computer.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising at least one network for carrying multimedia communications between the server and the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints, or for carrying multimedia communications between the MCU and the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the at least one network comprises an IP network.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the dial-in number comprises a network address.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the server is integrated with the MCU.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein the server comprises at least one buddy list, wherein each buddy in the list is associated with a dial-in endpoint of the one or more dial-in endpoints, and wherein the requested list is generated via access to the buddy list.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the buddy list comprises information concerning a status of the one or more dial-in endpoints for each buddy in the list.

45. The method of claim 35, wherein the requested list is initiated from a scheduling application.

46. The method of claim 35, wherein the requested list is initiated from a hosting application.

47. The method of claim 35, further comprising determining whether the multimedia session is successfully established, and if not, reestablishing the session using alternate connection parameters.

48. The method of claim 35, further comprising checking a status of the multimedia session, and if the session is disconnected, reestablishing the session.

49. A method for establishing a multimedia conference, comprising:

receiving at a server from a first endpoint a requested list of one or more dial-in endpoints desired to participate in a dial-in multimedia conference, the server separate from the first endpoint;

determining at the server whether an MCU (multipoint control unit) is required;

when an MCU is required, assigning an MCU to host the multimedia conference and causing by the server at least one of the one or more dial-in endpoints to call the MCU; and

when an MCU is not required, providing a dial-in and causing by the server the first endpoint or a particular endpoint of the one or more dial-in endpoints to call the dial-in number to establish the multimedia conference.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein assigning an MCU to host the multimedia conference comprises having the server provide the first endpoint and or the with a dial number of the MCU to host the multimedia conference.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein determining whether an MCU is required is based on at least one parameter selected from a group of consisting of a type of the one or more dial-in endpoints, capabilities of the one or more dial-in endpoints, a number of endpoints in the multimedia conference, network load, network topology, MCU availabilities, and user preference.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the server is an IP server.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints each are associated with a computer, and wherein the server communicates with the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints via their associated computer.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein the server is integrated with at least one computer.

55. The method of claim 49, further comprising at least one network for carrying multimedia communications between the server and the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints, and for carrying multimedia communications between the MCU and the first endpoint and the one or more dial-in endpoints.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the at least one network comprises an IP network.

57. The method of claim 49, wherein the MCU hosts the conference by providing a dial-out number for the MCU to the one or more dial-in endpoints.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the dial-out number for the MCU is provided in response to an instruction from the server.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the dial-out number for the MCU comprises a network address.

60. The method of claim 49, wherein the server is integrated with the MCU.

61. The method of claim 49, wherein the server comprises at least one buddy list, wherein each buddy in the list is associated with an endpoint of the one or more dial-in endpoints, and wherein the requested list is generated via access to the buddy list.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the buddy list comprises information concerning a status of the one or more dial-in endpoints for each buddy in the list.

63. The method of claim 49, wherein the requested list is initiated from a scheduling application.

64. The method of claim 49, wherein the requested list is initiated from a hosting application.

65. The method of claim 49, wherein at least one of the one or more dial-in endpoints comprises a gateway.