Systems and methods for conferencing among governed and external participants

• US 20050084086A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Multimedia Telesys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Telesys Incorporated
• Inventors: Hesse, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US11/005,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20050084086A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• 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: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A video conference system for an enterprise facilitates conferences among participants governed by the policies of the enterprise and other participants. The system includes conference participant stations for use by governed participants and a gateway that facilitates linking through a public network to conference participant stations used by those external to the enterprise. The system includes barriers to access to data and processes proprietary to the enterprise. A related method may invoke either paid or unpaid video conferencing on a public network.

Claims

1. A conference services gateway comprising:

a first interface to a public network for communication with a first provided conference participant station;

a second interface to an enterprise network for communication with a second provided conference participant station, the enterprise network coupled to a provided first database describing availability of governed participants; and

a server, coupled to the first and the second interfaces, that repeatedly receives data from the first database for posting to a second database;

so that scheduling a conference to include the first and second conference participant stations is accomplished with reference to the second database and without read access to the first database.

2. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the server schedules the conference.

3. The gateway of claim 2 wherein the second database comprises a first conference schedule for the conference so that further conference scheduling is accomplished with further reference to the first conference schedule.

4. The gateway of claim 1 wherein data is repeatedly received without repeated requesting.

5. The gateway of claim 1 wherein receiving data is unsolicited by the conference services gateway.

6. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the server conducts a transaction for payment for the conference.

7. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the server conducts a transaction via the first interface for payment for the conference.

8. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the server reschedules the conference in response to determining that a particular participant of the conference is not available.

9. The gateway of claim 8 wherein the particular participant comprises equipment.

10. The gateway of claim 8 wherein the particular participant comprises the governed participant.

11. The gateway of claim 8 wherein the particular participant comprises an external participant.

12. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the server receives a request for the conference via the first interface so that scheduling the conference is in accordance with the request.

13. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the server receives a request for the conference via the second interface so that scheduling the conference is in accordance with the request.

14. A method for arranging a conference among governed and external participants, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a conference;

receiving unsolicited data describing governed participant availability; and

scheduling the conference with reference to the unsolicited data.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the request is received via an interface to a public network.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the request is received via an interface to an enterprise network.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving second data describing availability of at least one external participant; and

scheduling the conference with further reference to the second data.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

monitoring availability of a particular participant of the conference; and

canceling the conference in accordance with determining unavailability of the particular participant.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the particular participant comprises equipment.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving indicia of payment for the conference from at least one external participant; and

assuring payment for the conference in accordance with the indicia of payment.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising conducting the conference as scheduled.

22. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

monitoring availability of a particular participant of the conference; and

rescheduling the conference in accordance with determining unavailability of the particular participant.

23. A computer programmed product comprising instructions for performing the method of claim 14.

24. A system comprising:

means for receiving unsolicited data describing governed participants;

means for receiving a request for a conference to include a governed participant and an external participant; and

means for scheduling a conference in accordance with the request.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the request is received via an interface to a public network.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the request is received via an interface to an enterprise network.

27. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for receiving second data describing availability of at least one external participant; and

means for scheduling the conference with further reference to the second data.

28. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for monitoring availability of a particular participant of the conference; and

means for canceling the conference in accordance with determining unavailability of the particular participant.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the particular participant comprises equipment.

30. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for receiving indicia of payment for the conference from at least one external participant; and

means for assuring payment for the conference in accordance with the indicia of payment.

31. The system of claim 24 further comprising conducting the conference as scheduled.

32. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for monitoring availability of a particular participant of the conference; and

means for rescheduling the conference in accordance with determining unavailability of the particular participant.