Video conference service

• US 9,338,194 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hendrickson, Heath W., Haltom, Jeffrey, Reger, Jeffrey J., Stallcup, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/512,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.03, 348/14.08, 348/14.07, 379/202.01, 709/204, 726/1, 370/260, 370/261, 455/519
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• 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: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A system is configured to receive a request to set up a first video conference and another request to set up a second video conference, where the request is received from a client device and where the other request is received from another client device; obtain first information associated with an enterprise with which the client device is associated and second information associated with another, different enterprise with which the other client device is associated; determine whether the first information permits the client device to set up the first video conference and whether the second information permits the other client device to set up the second video conference; establish the first video conference when the first information permits the client device to set up the first video conference; and establish the second video conference when the second information permits the other client device to set up the second video conference.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device and from a first client device, a request to initiate a video conference call between the first client device and a second client device,

the first client device being associated with a first enterprise, and

the second client device being associated with a second enterprise that is different than the first enterprise;

obtaining, by the device and based on the request, first client information associated with the first client device and second client information associated with the second client device;

establishing, by the device, a conference bridge, associated with the video conference call, when it is determined, based on the first client information, that the first client device is permitted to attend the video conference call,

the first client device being permitted to attend the video conference call when a first privilege level specified by the first client information satisfies a threshold and when the first client information indicates that the first client device is capable of communicating based on an encryption scheme;

connecting, by the device and based on determining that the first client device is permitted to attend the video conference call, the first client device to the conference bridge;

determining, by the device and based on the second client information, that the second client device is permitted to attend the video conference call,

the second client device being permitted to attend the video conference call when a second privilege level specified by the second client information satisfies the threshold and when the second client information indicates that the second client device is capable of communicating based on the encryption scheme; and

connecting, by the device and based on determining that the second client device is permitted to attend the video conference call, the second client device to the conference bridge.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, when it is determined, based on the first client information, that the first client device is not permitted to attend the video conference call, a notification to the first client device indicating that the first client device is not authorized to attend the video conference call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating resources with the conference bridge,

the resources allowing the first client device to be connected to or to communicate via the conference bridge,

where, when connecting the first client device to the conference bridge, the method includes;

connecting, based on associating resources with the conference bridge, the first client device to the conference bridge.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, when it is determined, based on the first client information, that the first client device is permitted to attend the video conference call, conference information; and

transmitting, when it is determined, based on the first client information, that the first client device is permitted to attend the video conference call, a notification to the first client device indicating that the first client device is authorized to attend the video conference call,

where, when establishing the conference bridge, the method includes;

establishing, based on generating the conference information, the conference bridge.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from at least one of the first client device or the second client device, a request to access the video conference call;

determining, based on receiving the request from the at least one of the first client device or the second client device, if the at least one of the first client device or the second client device is authorized to access the video conference call; and

establishing, when the at least one of the first client device or the second client device is permitted to attend the video conference call and authorized to access the video conference call, a connection between the at least one of the first client device or the second client device and the conference bridge.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting, when the at least one of the first client device or the second client device is not authorized to access the video conference call, a notification to the at least one of the first client device or the second client device indicating that the at least one of the first client device or the second client device is not authorized to access the video conference call.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying, based on information associated with the request to access the video conference call, information associated with the conference bridge; and

identifying, based on the information associated with the request to access the video conference call, information associated with the at least one of the first client device or the second client device,

where, when determining if the at least one of the first client device or the second client device is authorized to access the video conference call, the method includes;

determining if the at least one of the first client device or the second client device is authorized to access the video conference call based on the information associated with the conference bridge and the identified information associated with the at least one of the first client device or the second client device.

8. A device comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

receive, from a first client device, a request to initiate a video conference call between the first client device and a second client device,

the first client device being associated with a first enterprise, and

the second client device being associated with a second enterprise that is different than the first enterprise;

obtain, based on the request to initiate the video conference call, first client information associated with the first client device;

obtain, based on the request to initiate the video conference call, second client information associated with the second client device;

establish the video conference call when it is determined, based on the first client information, that the first client device is permitted to set up the video conference call,

the first client device being permitted to set up the video conference call when a first privilege level specified by the first client information satisfies a threshold and when the first client information indicates that the first client device is capable of communicating based on an encryption scheme,

the processor, when establishing the video conference call, being to;

generate conference information, associated with the video conference call, based on a determination that the first client device is authorized to set up the video conference call; and

establish, based on the generated conference information, the video conference call;

determine, based on the second client information, that the second client device is permitted to attend the video conference call,

the second client device being permitted to attend the video conference call when a second privilege level specified by the second client information satisfies the threshold and when the second client information indicates that the second client device is capable of communicating based on the encryption scheme; and

cause, based on determining that the second client device is permitted to attend the video conference call, the second client device to be connected the video conference call.

9. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to:

identify a third client device to attend the video conference call;

determine, based on the first client information, whether the third client device is permitted to access the video conference call; and

transmit, when it is determined, based on the first client information, that the third client device is not permitted to access the video conference call, a notification that the third client device is not authorized to access the video conference call.

10. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to:

obtain, from the first client device and based on the request from the first client device, set up information associated with the video conference call;

associate, based on the set up information, resources with a conference bridge associated with the video conference call; and

cause, based on associating the resources with the conference bridge, the first client device to be connected to the conference bridge.

11. The device of claim 10, where the set up information includes an indication that the video conference call is to be established on a just-in-time basis.

12. The device of claim 10, where the set up information includes information associated with a quantity of bandwidth associated with the first client device.

13. The device of claim 10, where the processor is further to:

receive, from a third client device, a request to access the video conference call;

determine, based on the first client information, that the third client device is permitted to access the video conference call;

associate, based on determining that the third client device is permitted to access the video conference call, additional resources with the conference bridge; and

connect, based on associating the additional resources with the conference bridge, the third client device to the conference bridge.

14. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to:

communicate, based on an instruction to obtain the first client information, with another device to obtain the first client information; and

store the first client information.

15. A system comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive, from a first client device, a request to set up a video conference call,

the request identifying a second client device to access the video conference call,

the first client device being associated with a first enterprise, and

the second client device being associated with a second enterprise that is different than the first enterprise;

obtain, based on the request, first client information associated with the first client device and second client information associated with the second client device;

establish, when it is determined, based on the first client information, that the first client device is authorized to set up the video conference call, a conference bridge associated with the video conference call,

the first client device being authorized to set up the video conference call when a first privilege level specified by the first client information satisfies a threshold and when the first client information indicates that the first client device is capable of communicating based on an encryption scheme;

connect the first client device to the conference bridge;

receive, from the second client device, a request to access the video conference call,

the second client device being different than the first client device;

determine, based on the request to access the video conference call and based on the second client information, that the second client device is permitted to access the video conference call,

the second client device being permitted to access the video conference call when a second privilege level specified by the second client information satisfies the threshold and when the second client information indicates that the second client device is capable of communicating based on the encryption scheme;

associate, based on determining that second client device is permitted to access the video conference call, resources with the conference bridge that allow the second client device to communicate with the conference bridge; and

connect, based on associating the resources with the conference bridge that allow the second client device to communicate with the conference bridge, the second client device to the conference bridge.

16. The system of claim 15, where the one or more devices, when establishing the conference bridge, are to:

transmit, to the second client device, a network address that allows the second client device to communicate with the first client device.

17. The system of claim 16, where the second client device communicates with the first client device via a virtual environment.

18. The system of claim 15, where the one or more devices, when connecting the first client device to the conference bridge, are to:

establish a connection with the first client device using a protocol that prevents traffic, associated with the video conference call, from being transmitted to a third client device that is connected to another conference bridge.

19. The system of claim 15, where

the one or more devices are further to:

identify, based on the request to access the video conference call, a first address associated with the second client device and a second address associated with the video conference call; and

determine if the first address is stored in a list of first addresses that correspond to one or more client devices that are authorized to set up or access the video conference call, and

the one or more devices, when connecting the second client device to the conference bridge, are to;

connect the second client device to the conference bridge when first address is stored in the list of first addresses.

20. The system of claim 19, where

the one or more devices are further to:

determine if the second address is stored in a list of second addresses that correspond to one or more client devices that are authorized to set up or access the video conference call, and

the one or more devices, when connecting the second client device to the conference bridge, are to;

connect the second client device to the conference bridge when second address is stored in the list of second addresses.