Multipoint multimedia/audio conference using IP trunking

• US 20040047342A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Even, Roni, Gavish, Sigi
• Granted Patent: US 7,701,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A multipoint communication system uses Internet protocol trunking to facilitate communication between media control units (for sending and receiving multipoint communication signals between end-point devices), a media gateway (for translating between non-Internet protocol multipoint communication signals and Internet protocol communication signals), and a controller (for establishing and controlling a multipoint communication session between the end-point devices). In addition, a multimedia gateway (for use in a multipoint communication system) is described that incorporates an interactive voice response unit through which users of non-Internet protocol devices (connected to the multimedia gateway) interact to establish a communication session with a multipoint communication system.

Claims

1. A multipoint communication system, comprising:

a plurality of media control units adapted to send and receive communication signals with a plurality of end-points;

a media gateway communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of media control units, said media gateway adapted to translate non-Internet protocol communication signals from at least one non-Internet protocol end-point to Internet protocol communication signals; and

a controller adapted to establish and control a multipoint communication session between the at least one non-Internet protocol end-point and the plurality of end-points through at least one of the plurality of media control units and the media gateway,

wherein communication signals between the media gateway, the plurality of media control units and the controller comprise Internet protocol communication signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media control unit comprises an audio bridge.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the media control unit comprises a media processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the media control unit comprises a multipoint control unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of end points comprise an Internet protocol end-point.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the Internet protocol end-point comprises an Internet Protocol multimedia end-point.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said non-Internet protocol communication signals comprise switched circuit network protocol signals.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said switched circuit network protocol signals comprise communication signals from a telephone.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the telephone is selected from the group consisting of an analog telephone, a digital telephone and a cellular telephone.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said switched circuit network protocol signals comprise signals from multimedia end-points selected from the group consisting of H.321, H.324 and H.320 compatible end-points.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one non-Internet protocol end-point is selected from the group consisting of H.321, H.324 and H.320 compatible end-points.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the media gateway is further adapted to provide interactive voice response capability to said at least one non-Internet protocol endpoint.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said at least one non-Internet protocol endpoint access the system through a single-dial conference service number (SDCSN).

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of end-points access the system through a single-dial conference service number (SDCSN).

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the media gateway is geographically separated from at least one of the plurality of media control units.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the media gateway is geographically separated from the controller.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a Decomposed architecture.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a virtual multipoint control unit architecture.

19. A multimedia gateway for use in a multipoint communication system, comprising:

a translator to convert non-Internet protocol signals from a first end-point device to Internet protocol signals; and

an interactive voice response unit adapted to interface with the first end-point device when that device is attempting to establish a communication session with the multipoint communication system.

20. The multimedia gateway of claim 19, wherein said first end-point device comprises a switched circuit network protocol device.

21. The multimedia gateway of claim 20, wherein said switched circuit network protocol device comprises a telephone.

22. The multimedia gateway of claim 21, wherein the telephone is selected from the group consisting of an analog telephone, a digital telephone and a cellular telephone.

23. The multimedia gateway of claim 20, wherein said switched circuit network protocol device comprise end-point devices selected from the group consisting of H.321, H.324 and H.320 compatible end-point devices.

24. A multimedia gateway for use in a multipoint communication system, comprising:

a first port adapted to send and receive Internet protocol signals;

a second port adapted to send and receive non-Internet protocol signals;

a translator adapted to convert Internet protocol signals to and from the first port to non-Internet protocol signals to and from the second port; and

an interactive voice response unit adapted to establish a multipoint communication session between a multimedia control unit communicatively coupled to the first port and an end-point device communicatively coupled to the second port.

25. The multimedia gateway of claim 24, further comprising a third port adapted to send and receive Internet protocol signals to a second multimedia control unit.

26. A multipoint communication system, comprising:

at least two media control units adapted to send and receive multipoint communication signals between a plurality of end-point devices;

at least one non-Internet protocol end-point device communicatively coupled to the at least two media control units; and

a controller adapted to establish and control a multipoint communication session between the plurality of end-point devices and the at least one non-Internet protocol end-point device through the at least two media control units,

wherein communication between the at least two media control units and the controller uses the Internet protocol.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein at least one of the plurality of end-point devices comprise a non-Internet protocol end-point device.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein at least one of the plurality of end-point devices comprise an Internet protocol end-point device.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said at least one of the plurality of end-point devices is selected from the group consisting of H.321, H.324 and H.320 compatible end-point devices.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising a media gateway adapted to send and receive Internet protocol communication signals with the at least two media control units and the controller.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the media gateway comprises an interactive voice response unit.

32. A method for conducting a multipoint media conferencing between a plurality of end-points, wherein at least one of said plurality of end-points is a non-Internet protocol network end-point, comprising:

providing at least two media control units adapted to send and receive multimedia communication signals, wherein the at least two media control units are adapted to communicate over an Internet network;

providing a media gateway communicatively coupled to each of the at least two media control units through the Internet protocol network, the media gateway adapted to translate non-Internet media communication protocol signals from at least one non-Internet protocol network end-point to Internet media communication protocol signals;

receiving, at the media gateway, a single-dial conference service number call from the at least one non-Internet protocol network end-point;

establishing a multipoint media conferencing session in response to the act of receiving; and

routing the translated non-Internet media communication protocol signals from the at least one non-Internet protocol network end-point to at least one of the at least two media control units over the Internet protocol network.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the act of routing is performed in accordance with routing instructions from a controller.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said controller is communicatively coupled to the media gateway and the at least two media control units through the Internet protocol network.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein said Internet protocol network comprises a plurality of separate Internet protocol networks.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the act of establishes comprises invoking an interactive voice response unit in the media gateway.