Methods and systems for subconferences in secure media-based conferencing

• US 8,929,257 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edifire LLC
• Original Assignee: Edifire LLC
• Inventors: Goepp, Daniel P., Anderson, Eric, Rudkowski, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US14/289,138
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370/262, 370/263, 370/266
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, are described for media-based (e.g., video and/or audio) conferencing between a plurality of end point devices. The methods and apparatuses provide for secure conferencing while offering a robust feature set that provides call enhancement features such as interactive voice response (IVR) functionality and auto attendance, call security features such as password management, multi-factor authentication and authorization of end points (including filtering and allow/deny functionality), and call compliance features such as recording options, regulatory rules, and other retention/surveillance features.

Claims

1. A computerized method for establishing a sub-conference between a plurality of end point devices participating in a media-based conference call, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server computing device, a request to establish a sub-conference from a first end point device participating in a main conference call, the request including a identifier associated with a second end point device participating in the main conference call;

initiating, by the server computing device, a call instance separate from the main conference call based upon the request to establish the sub-conference;

coupling, by the server computing device, the first end point device and the second end point device to the separate call instance without separating the first end point device and the second end point device from the main conference call; and

establishing, by the server computing device, a signaling and media flow between the first end point device and second end point device, wherein the main conference call is prevented from accessing the signaling and media flow between the first end point device and the second end point device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the server computing device, a request to join a sub-conference to the second end point device based upon the identifier associated with the second end point device.

3. The method of claim 1, the initiating a call instance step further comprising notifying, by the server computing device, other end point devices participating in the main conference call of the request to establish a sub-conference from the first end point device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the notifying step includes changing presence information associated with the first end point device and the second end point device, the presence information viewable by the other end point devices participating in the main conference call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating, by the server computing device, at least one of the first end point device and the second end point device prior to coupling the first end point device to the second end point device to the separate call instance.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording, by the server computing device, the media exchanged between the first end point device and the second end point device via the separate call instance.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the server computing device, one or more rules associated with initiating the separate call instance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the server computing device does not initiate the separate call instance if the request to establish the sub-conference is not in compliance with one of the rules.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more rules are based upon privacy requirements and/or regulatory requirements.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the end point devices participating in the main conference call agree on the rules.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the server computing device, one or more context attributes of the main conference call;

and applying, by the server computing device, the one or more context attributes to the separate call instance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more context attributes include call routing features, call enhancement features, signaling protocol attributes, transcoding, and recording attributes.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the media exchanged between the first end point device and second end point device is audio information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the media exchanged between the first end point device and second end point device is video information and audio information.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the media exchanged between the first end point device and second end point device is textual information.

16. A system for establishing a sub-conference between a plurality of end point devices participating in a media-based conference call, the system including a server computing device configured to:

receive a request to establish a sub-conference from a first end point device participating in a main conference call, the request including a identifier associated with a second end point device participating in the main conference call;

initiate a call instance separate from the main conference call based upon the request to establish the sub-conference;

couple the first end point device and the second end point device to the separate call instance without separating the first end point device and the second end point device from the main conference call; and

establish a signaling and media flow between the first end point device and second end point device, wherein the main conference call is prevented from accessing the signaling and media flow between the first end point device and the second end point device.

17. The system of claim 16, the server computing device further configured to transmit a request to join a sub-conference to the second end point device based upon the identifier associated with the second end point device.

18. The system of claim 16, the initiating a call instance step further comprising notifying, by the server computing device, other end point devices participating in the main conference call of the request to establish a sub-conference from the first end point device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the notifying step includes changing presence information associated with the first end point device and the second end point device, the presence information viewable by the other end point devices participating in the main conference call.

20. The system of claim 18, the server computing device further configured to authenticate at least one of the first end point device and the second end point device prior to coupling the first end point device to the second end point device to the separate call instance.

21. The system of claim 16, the server computing device further configured to record the media exchanged between the first end point device and the second end point device via the separate call instance.

22. The system of claim 16, the server computing device further configured to determine one or more rules associated with initiating the separate call instance.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the server computing device does not initiate the separate call instance if the request to establish the sub-conference is not in compliance with one of the rules.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more rules are based upon privacy requirements and/or regulatory requirements.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the end point devices participating in the main conference call agree on the rules.

26. The system of claim 16, the server computing device further configured to determine one or more context attributes of the main conference call;

and applying, by the server computing device, the one or more context attributes to the separate call instance.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more context attributes include call routing features, call enhancement features, signaling protocol attributes, transcoding, and recording attributes.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the media exchanged between the first end point device and second end point device is audio information.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the media exchanged between the first end point device and second end point device is video information and audio information.

30. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage device, for establishing a sub-conference between a plurality of end point devices participating in a media-based conference call, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a server computing device to

receive a request to establish a sub-conference from a first end point device participating in a main conference call, the request including a identifier associated with a second end point device participating in the main conference call;

initiate a call instance separate from the main conference call based upon the request to establish the sub-conference;

couple the first end point device and the second end point device to the separate call instance without separating the first end point device and the second end point device from the main conference call; and

establish a signaling and media flow between the first end point device and second end point device, wherein the main conference call is prevented from accessing the signaling and media flow between the first end point device and the second end point device.