System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients

• US 9,179,003 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PalTalk Holdings Incorporated (Paltalk, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PalTalk Holdings Incorporated (Paltalk, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chu, Frank J., Kwan, Katherine W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Andrews, Hoyet H
• Application Number:
  US14/251,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20140219138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0006 where voice calls cross both networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1225 Details of core network interconnection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0428 Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1319 Amplifier, attenuation circuit, echo suppressor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13201 Change-over of service during connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13296 Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

A method and computer program product which allows both phone-based and IP-based clients to participate in a single audio conference. The method enables at least two multi-point control units (MCUs) (i.e., conferencing servers) to connect via a standard data linkage (i.e., full-duplex dial-up or IP link). The method and computer program product enables the phone-based MCU to handle the phone clients and the IP-based MCU to handle the IP-based clients, while connecting the two to allow each participating client to hear all other participating clients.

Claims

1. A method executed by a circuit-switched conferencing server for connecting a plurality of circuit-switch based clients utilizing the circuit-switched conferencing server to a plurality of packet-switch based clients utilizing a packet-switched conferencing server, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing an active connection with the packet-switched conferencing server;

designating one or more of said plurality of circuit-switch based clients as an active speaker on said circuit-switched conferencing server;

receiving over the active connection a first combined audio packet from the packet-switched conferencing server, wherein the first combined audio packet is a mixture of audio packets received from each of the packet-switch based clients who have been designated as an active speaker by the packet-switched conferencing server;

converting the first combined audio packet to a format that the plurality of circuit-switch based clients can receive;

receiving a plurality of audio packets from each of the designated circuit-switch based clients, wherein said plurality of audio packets comprises a second combined audio packet;

mixing said first combined audio packet and said second combined audio packet into a composite audio packet;

forwarding said composite audio packet to each of the plurality circuit-switch based clients, wherein for each designated circuit-switch based client of the plurality of circuit-switch based clients, said designated circuit-switch based client receives the composite audio packet without an audio packet that had been transmitted from the designated circuit-switch based client to the circuit-switched conferencing server;

forwarding, over said connection, said second combined audio packet to said packet-switched conferencing server;

wherein the circuit-switched conferencing server is independent from the packet-switched conferencing server; and

wherein said plurality of circuit-switch based clients and said plurality of packet-switch based clients, using varying equipment and protocols, can simultaneously participate in a single audio conference application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of circuit-switch based clients comprising phone based clients.

3. A method executed by a packet-switched conferencing server for connecting a plurality of packet-switch based clients utilizing the packet-switched conferencing server to a plurality of circuit-switch based clients utilizing a circuit-switched conferencing server, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing an active connection with the circuit-switched conferencing server;

designating one or more of said plurality of packet-switch based clients as an active speaker on said packet-switched conferencing server;

receiving over the active connection a first combined audio packet from the circuit-switched conferencing server, wherein the first combined audio packet is a mixture of audio packets received from each of the circuit-switch based clients who have been designated as an active speaker by the circuit-switched conferencing server;

receiving a plurality of audio packets from each of the designated packet-switch based clients, where said plurality of audio packets comprises a second combined audio packet;

mixing said first combined audio packet and said second combined audio packet into a composite audio packet;

forwarding said composite audio packet to each of the plurality of packet-switch based clients, wherein for each designated packet-switch based client of the plurality of packet-switch based clients, said designated packet-switch based client receives the composite audio packet without an audio packet that had been transmitted from the designated packet-switch based client to the packet-switched conferencing server;

forwarding, over said connection, said second combined audio packet to said circuit-switched conferencing server;

wherein the circuit-switched conferencing server is independent from the packet-switched conferencing server; and

wherein said plurality of circuit-switch based clients and said plurality of packet-switch based clients, using varying equipment and protocols, can simultaneously participate in a single audio conference application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said plurality of circuit-switch based clients comprising phone based clients.

5. A computer program product carrying a computer program and embodied in a computer usable medium comprising hardware memory configured for causing a computer to connect a plurality of circuit-switch based clients connected to the circuit-switched conferencing server to a plurality of packet-switch based clients connected to a packet-switched conferencing server, the control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing said computer to establish, by said the circuit-switched conferencing server, an active connection with the packet-switched conferencing server;

second computer readable program code means for causing said computer to designate one or more of said plurality of circuit-switch based clients as an active speaker on said circuit-switched conferencing server;

third computer readable program code means for causing said computer to receive over the active connection a first combined audio packet from the packet-switched conferencing server, wherein the first combined audio packet is a mixture of audio packets received from each of the packet-switch based clients who have been designated as an active speaker by the packet-switched conferencing server;

fourth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to convert the first combined audio packet to a format that the plurality of circuit-switch based clients can receive;

fifth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to receive a plurality of audio packets from each of the designated circuit-switch based clients, wherein said plurality of audio packets comprises a second combined audio packet;

sixth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to mix said first combined audio packet and said second combined audio packet into a composite audio packet;

seventh computer readable program code means for causing said computer to forward said composite audio packet to each of the plurality circuit-switch based clients, wherein for each designated circuit-switch based client of the plurality of circuit-switch based clients, said designated circuit-switch based client receives the composite audio packet without an audio packet that had been transmitted from the designated circuit-switch based client to the circuit-switched conferencing server;

eighth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to forward, over said connection, said second combined audio packet to said packet-switched conferencing server;

wherein the circuit-switched conferencing server is independent from the packet-switched conferencing server; and

wherein said plurality of circuit-switch based clients and said plurality of packet-switch based clients, using varying equipment and protocols, can simultaneously participate in a single audio conference application.

6. A computer program product carrying a computer program and embodied in a computer usable medium comprising hardware memory configured for causing a computer to connect a plurality of packet-switch based clients connected to a packet-switched conferencing server to a plurality of circuit-switch based clients connected to a circuit-switched conferencing server, the control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing said computer to establish, by said packet-switched conferencing server, an active connection with the circuit-switched conferencing server;

second computer readable program code means for causing said computer to designate one or more of said plurality of packet-switch based clients as an active speaker on said packet-switched conferencing server;

third computer readable program code means for causing said computer to receive over the active connection a first combined audio packet from the circuit-switched conferencing server, wherein the first combined audio packet is a mixture of audio packets received from each of the circuit-switch based clients who have been designated as an active speaker by the circuit-switched conferencing server;

fourth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to receive a plurality of audio packets from each of the designated packet-switch based clients, where said plurality of audio packets comprises a second combined audio packet;

fifth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to mix said first combined audio packet and said second combined audio packet into a composite audio packet;

sixth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to forward said composite audio packet to each of the plurality of packet-switch based clients, wherein for each designated packet-switch based client of the plurality of packet-switch based clients, said designated packet-switch based client receives the composite audio packet without an audio packet that had been transmitted from the designated packet-switch based client to the packet-switched conferencing server;

seventh computer readable program code means for causing said computer to forward, over said connection, said second combined audio packet to said circuit-switched conferencing server;

wherein the circuit-switched conferencing server is independent from the packet-switched conferencing server; and

wherein said plurality of circuit-switch based clients and said plurality of packet-switch based clients, using varying equipment and protocols, can simultaneously participate in a single audio conference application.