Methods, systems, and products for network conferencing

• US 20090193081A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Wesley
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1074 for supporting data block transmission mechanisms file transfer H04L67/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for conducting a peer to peer conference amongst remote participants. Prior to the conference, a library of digital objects is communicated to an upstream participant communications device and is further communicated from the upstream participant communications device to a downstream participant communications device. During the conference, a synchronization command is communicated from a host communications device to the upstream participant communications device, and then, communicated from the upstream participant communications device to the downstream participant communications device. The synchronization command instructs the upstream participant communications device as well as the connected downstream participant communications device to present an object from the library of digital objects. A synchronization acknowledgment is then communicated from the downstream participant communications device to the upstream communications device, and the upstream participant communications device communicates the synchronization acknowledgement to the host communications device. The synchronization acknowledgment confirms a successful presentation of the object on the upstream participant communications device and on the downstream participant communications device.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a conference, comprising:

receiving a synchronization command at a conference participant'"'"'s communications device that was sent from a conference host'"'"'s communications device that instructs the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to present a digital object stored in memory;

forwarding the synchronization command from the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to a downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device that instructs the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device to present the same digital object.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a synchronization acknowledgment at the conference host'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the conference participant'"'"'s communications device.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a synchronization acknowledgment at the conference host'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a synchronization acknowledgment at the conference host'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the conference participant'"'"'s communications device and at the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a synchronization acknowledgment at the conference participant'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a synchronization acknowledgment at the conference host'"'"'s communications device that identifies both the conference participant'"'"'s communications device and the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device and that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at both the conference participant'"'"'s communications device and the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the digital object from the conference host'"'"'s communications device to the conference participant'"'"'s communications device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the digital object from the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising delaying sending a subsequent synchronization command from the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device until the synchronization acknowledgment is received from the peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising delaying sending a subsequent synchronization command from the conference host'"'"'s communications device until the synchronization acknowledgment is received from the conference participant'"'"'s communications device.

11. A system, comprising:

a processor communicating with memory storing code causing the processor to;

receive a library of digital objects at a conference participant'"'"'s communications device and store the library of digital objects in the memory;

forward the library of digital objects to a downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device;

receive a synchronization command at the conference participant'"'"'s communications device that was sent from a conference host'"'"'s communications device that instructs the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to present a digital object;

forward the synchronization command from the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to a downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device that instructs the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device to present the same digital object.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising code that causes the processor to send a synchronization acknowledgment to the conference host'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the conference participant'"'"'s communications device.

13. The system according to claim 11, further comprising code that causes the processor to send a synchronization acknowledgment to the conference host'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

14. The system according to claim 11, further comprising code that causes the processor to send a synchronization acknowledgment to the conference host'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the conference participant'"'"'s communications device and at the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising code that causes the processor to receive a synchronization acknowledgment at the conference participant'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

16. The system according to claim 11, further comprising code that causes the processor to send a synchronization acknowledgment to the conference host'"'"'s communications device that identifies both the conference participant'"'"'s communications device and the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device and that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at both the conference participant'"'"'s communications device and the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

17. The system according to claim 11, further comprising code that causes the processor to delay sending a subsequent synchronization command from the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device until the synchronization acknowledgment is received from the peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

18. A computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a synchronization command at a conference participant'"'"'s communications device that was sent from a conference host'"'"'s communications device that instructs the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to present a digital object stored in memory;

forwarding the synchronization command from the conference participant'"'"'s communications device to a downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device that instructs the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device to present the same digital object.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, further comprising instructions for receiving a synchronization acknowledgment at the conference participant'"'"'s communications device that confirms the digital object was successfully presented at the downstream peer-to-peer participant'"'"'s communications device.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, further comprising instructions for forwarding the synchronization acknowledgment to the conference host'"'"'s communications device.