AUTOMATED SESSION ADMISSION

• US 20100299736A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Edholm, Philip, Yoakum, John H.
• Application Number:
  US12/540,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

The present invention allows a first communication client, which is initiating a communication session, to include admission information in a session request used to establish the communication session in a regular call or conference scenario. The session request is intended to trigger a communication session between the first communication client and another communication client, which is associated with a telephony endpoint or a conferencing system having a communication client. The receiving communication client will use the admission information provided in the session request to determine whether the session is authorized. If authorized, the receiving communication client will either establish the communication session or allow the communication session to be established, as the situation dictates.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) determining to initiate a communication session with a communication client;

b) providing admission information configured to authorize establishment of the communication session;

c) creating a session request comprising the admission information; and

d) sending the session request over a communication network toward the communication client.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the admission information is used by the communication client to determine whether to establish the communication session.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the admission information is used to determine whether to establish the communication session in association with a conference.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the communication session is one of a plurality of sessions associated with the conference.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the communication client is a media application server providing a bridging function adapted to bridge the plurality of sessions associated with the conference.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the session request is received by a media application server, which cooperates with the communication client to control access to the conference.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the communication client is separate from the media application server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the admission information comprises authentication information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the admission information comprises identification information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the admission information comprises a password.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the admission information comprises a conference access code.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the admission information comprises a conference identification code.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing action information configured to allow the communication client to take an action in association with the communication session, wherein the session request is created to include the action information.

14. A system comprising:

a) a communication interface; and

b) a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

i) determine to initiate a communication session with a communication client;

ii) provide admission information configured to authorize establishment of the communication session;

iii) create a session request comprising the admission information; and

iv) send the session request over a communication network toward the communication client.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the admission information is used by the communication client to determine whether to establish the communication session.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the admission information is used to determine whether to establish the communication session in association with a conference.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the communication session is one of a plurality of sessions associated with the conference.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the communication client is a media application server providing a bridging function adapted to bridge the plurality of sessions associated with the conference.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the session request is received by a media application server, which cooperates with the communication client to control access to the conference.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the communication client is separate from the media application server.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the admission information comprises authentication information.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the admission information comprises identification information.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the admission information comprises a password.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the admission information comprises a conference access code.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the admission information comprises a conference identification code.

26. The system of claim 14 further comprising providing action information configured to allow the communication client to take an action in association with the communication session, wherein the session request is created to include the action information.

27. A method comprising:

a) receiving a session request comprising admission information configured to authorize establishment of a communication session, the session request originating from a first communication client;

b) determining whether the communication session is authorized based on the admission information; and

c) effecting establishment of the communication session with the first communication client in response to the session request, if the communication session is authorized.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein effecting establishment of the communication session comprises sending a response to the first communication client and facilitating communications with the first communication client.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein effecting establishment of the communication session comprises instructing the first communication client to establish the communication session between the first communication client and a second communication client.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the communication session is part of a conference with a plurality of communication clients.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein effecting establishment of the communication session comprises sending a response to the first communication client to establish the communication session and the method further comprises establishing additional communication sessions with a plurality of communication clients and bridging the communication sessions to facilitate a conference.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the admission information comprises authentication information.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the admission information comprises identification information.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein the admission information comprises a password.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein the admission information comprises a conference access code.

37. The method of claim 27 wherein the admission information comprises a conference identification code.

38. The method of claim 27 wherein action information is included in the session request and the method further comprises taking an action in association with the communication session.

31. The method of claim 31 wherein at least one of the plurality of communication clients supports the conference.

39. A system comprising:

a) a communication interface; and

b) a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

i) receive a session request comprising admission information configured to authorize establishment of a communication session, the session request originating from a first communication client;

ii) determine whether the communication session is authorized based on the admission information; and

iii) effect establishment of the communication session with the first communication client in response to the session request, if the communication session is authorized.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein to effect establishment of the communication session, the control system is further adapted to send a response to the first communication client and facilitate communications with the first communication client.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein to effect establishment of the communication session, the control system is further adapted to instruct the first communication client to establish the communication session between the first communication client and a second communication client.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the communication session is part of a conference with a plurality of communication clients.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein at least one of the plurality of communication clients supports the conference.

44. The system of claim 39 wherein to effect establishment of the communication session, the control system is further adapted to send a response to the first communication client to establish the communication session, the control system further adapted to establish additional communication sessions with a plurality of communication clients and bridge the communication sessions to facilitate a conference.

45. The system of claim 39 wherein the admission information comprises authentication information.

46. The system of claim 39 wherein the admission information comprises identification information.

47. The system of claim 39 wherein the admission information comprises a password.

48. The system of claim 39 wherein the admission information comprises a conference access code.

49. The system of claim 39 wherein the admission information comprises a conference identification code.

50. The system of claim 39 wherein action information is included in the session request and the control system is further adapted to take an action in association with the communication session.