Techniques for virtual conferencing servers

• US 8,990,305 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Barkley, Warren V., Chou, Philip A., Crinon, Regis J., Moore, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): KATSIKIS, KOSTAS J
• Application Number:
  US11/583,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20080095079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,079 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Techniques for virtual conferencing servers are described. An apparatus may comprise a conferencing server to manage a conference call with multiple client terminals. The conferencing server may have a virtual conference manager to select a first client terminal to operate as a first virtual conferencing server, and transfer conference call operations for a second client terminal from the conferencing server to the first virtual conferencing server. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining one or more locations at a conferencing server for multiple client terminals in a conference call based on location information received from one or more of the multiple client terminals that indicates a geographic location for each of the one or more multiple client terminals;

generating a distribution plan at the conferencing server based on said one or more geographic locations to distribute data among the one or more geographic locations, the distribution plan to determine efficient distribution of media information across the multiple client terminals, the distribution plan including a selection of one or more client terminals of the multiple client terminals to operate as one or more virtual conferencing servers;

transforming a first client terminal of the selected one or more client terminals at the conferencing server to operate as a first virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan; and

transferring a second client terminal from the conferencing server to said first virtual conferencing server, said transferring comprising recording control information at the conferencing server and sending said control information to said first virtual conferencing server, said control information comprising at least one of an audio processing state, a video processing state, or a signaling state.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising sending video information in a video stream for said second client terminal from said conferencing server to said first virtual conferencing server.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving a first bandwidth estimate from said first client terminal and a second bandwidth estimate from said second client terminal;

comparing said first bandwidth estimate with said second bandwidth estimate; and

selecting said first client terminal to operate as said first virtual conferencing server based on said comparison.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving an input bit rate budget estimate and an output bit rate budget estimate for said first client terminal;

receiving a bandwidth estimate for said second client terminal;

comparing said input bit rate budget estimate and said output bit rate budget estimate with said bandwidth estimate; and

selecting said first client terminal to operate as said first virtual conferencing server based on said comparison.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising performing media processing operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising performing security operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising performing video encoding or decoding operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising performing video transcoding or video trans-rating operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising performing audio encoding or decoding operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a third client terminal to operate as a second virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan, said first virtual conferencing server and said second virtual conferencing server forming a virtual conferencing server cluster.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

detecting a failure condition for said first virtual conferencing server; and

transferring said second client terminal from said first virtual conferencing server to said conferencing server.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

selecting a third client terminal to operate as a second virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan;

detecting a failure condition for said first virtual conferencing server; and

transferring said second client terminal from said first virtual conferencing server to said second virtual conferencing server.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising:

selecting a third client terminal to operate as a second virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan;

determining a current traffic load for said first virtual conferencing server; and

transferring said second client terminal from said first virtual conferencing server to said second virtual conferencing server to reduce said current traffic load for said first virtual conferencing server.

14. An apparatus comprising a conferencing server to manage a conference call with multiple client terminals, said conferencing server having a virtual conference manager to receive location information from one or more of the multiple client terminals, determine, by circuitry, one or more geographic locations for the multiple client terminals based on the received location information, generate a distribution plan based on the one or more geographic locations to distribute data among the one or more locations, the distribution plan to determine efficient distribution of media information across the multiple client terminals, the distribution plan including a selection of one or more client terminals of the multiple client terminals to operate as one or more virtual conferencing servers, transform a first client terminal of the selected one or more client terminals to operate as a first virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan by recording control information at said conferencing server and sending said control information to said first virtual conferencing server, said control information comprising at least one of an audio processing state, a video processing state, or a signaling state, and transfer conference call operations for a second client terminal from said conferencing server to said first virtual conferencing server.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, said conferencing server sending video information in a video stream for said second client terminal to said first virtual conferencing server.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, said first virtual conferencing server performing video transcoding operations for said second client terminal.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, said virtual conference manager to receive capabilities information for said client terminals, and select said first client terminal as said first virtual conferencing server based on said capabilities information.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, said first virtual conferencing server performing encryption operations for said second client terminal.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, said first virtual conferencing server performing video decoding operations for said second client terminal.

20. An article comprising at least one of a memory unit and a storage device containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

determine one or more geographic locations at a conferencing server for multiple client terminals in a conference call based on location information received from one or more of the multiple client terminals;

generate a distribution plan at the conferencing server based on said one or more geographic locations to distribute data among the one or more geographic locations, the distribution plan to determine efficient distribution of media information across the multiple client terminals, the distribution plan including a selection of one or more client terminals of the multiple client terminals to operate as one or more virtual conferencing servers;

transform a first client terminal of the selected one or more client terminals at the conferencing server to operate as a first virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan by recording control information at said conferencing server and sending said control information to said first virtual conferencing server, said control information comprising at least one of an audio processing state, a video processing state, or a signaling state; and

transfer a second client terminal from the conferencing server to said first virtual conferencing server.

21. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to select a third client terminal as a second virtual conferencing server to remove additional temporal/spatial scales to adjust to a set of client terminals with even bandwidth or performance capability.

22. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to send video information in a video stream for said second client terminal from said conferencing server to said first virtual conferencing server.

23. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

receive a first bandwidth estimate from said first client terminal and a second bandwidth estimate from said second client terminal;

compare said first bandwidth estimate with said second bandwidth estimate; and

select said first client terminal to operate as said first virtual conferencing server based on said comparison.

24. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

receive an input bit rate budget estimate and an output bit rate budget estimate for said first client terminal;

receive a bandwidth estimate for said second client terminal;

compare said input bit rate budget estimate and said output bit rate budget estimate with said bandwidth estimate; and

select said first client terminal to operate as said first virtual conferencing server based on said comparison.

25. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to perform media processing operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

26. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to perform encryption operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

27. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to perform video decoding operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

28. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to perform video transcoding or video trans-rating operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

29. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to perform audio decoding operations by said first virtual conferencing server for said second client terminal.

30. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to select a third client terminal to operate as a second virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan, said first virtual conferencing server and said second virtual conferencing server forming a virtual conferencing server cluster.

31. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

detect a failure condition for said first virtual conferencing server; and

transfer said second client terminal from said first virtual conferencing server to said conferencing server.

32. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

select a third client terminal to operate as a second virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan;

detect a failure condition for said first virtual conferencing server; and

transfer said second client terminal from said first virtual conferencing server to said second virtual conferencing server.

33. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

select a third client terminal to operate as a second virtual conferencing server based on said distribution plan;

determine a current traffic load for said first virtual conferencing server; and

transfer said second client terminal from said first virtual conferencing server to said second virtual conferencing server to reduce said current traffic load for said first virtual conferencing server.