Method and apparatus for coordinating a point to point data session from an existing voice telephone call

• US 6,778,645 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rao, Vijay M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/183,772
• Time in Patent Office: 2,118 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/93.01, 379/350, 379/100.15, 379/100.16, 379/93.05, 379/93.06, 379/93.07, 379/93.08, 379/93.09, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/93.21, 379/202.01, 370/466, 370/352, 370/351, 370/260
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

A method for coordinating a point-to-point data session includes generating messages to a party at a first end of an existing voice telephone call. The messages instruct the party of what to do with a telephone. Instructions are transmitted to a modem at the first end to allow the modem to support the point-to-point data session on the existing voice telephone call.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating a videoconference session from an existing voice telephone call, comprising:

generating messages to a party at a first end of the existing voice telephone call to instruct the party of what to do with a telephone; and

transmitting instructions to a modem at the first end to allow the modem to support the videoconference session with a session status unit on the existing voice telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating messages to the party at the first end comprises generating a message instructing the party to hang-up the phone after the modem is taken off-hook.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting instructions to the modem at the first end comprises transmitting a first instruction that takes the modem off-hook.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting a second instruction that prompts the modem to send a handshake initiation signal to a modem at the second end of the existing voice telephone call.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the handshake initiation signal is at least one of a calling indicator and a capability request signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a first instruction that prompts the modem to terminate a modem session in response to receiving a signal to stop the videoconference session.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a second instruction that places the modem on-hook.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a message instructing the party to pick-up the phone after a modem session has been terminated.

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions, the sequence of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to coordinate a videoconference session from an existing voice telephone call with a data modem, the coordination comprising:

generating messages to a party at a first end of the existing voice telephone call to instruct the party of what to do with a telephone; and

transmitting instructions to a modem at the first end to allow the modem to support the videoconference session with a session status unit on the existing voice telephone call.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein generating messages to the party at the first end comprises generating a message instructing the party to hang-up the phone after the modem is taken off-hook.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein transmitting instructions to the modem at the first end comprises transmitting a first instruction that takes the modem off-hook.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising transmitting a second instruction that prompts the modem to send a handshake initiation signal to a modem at the second end of the existing voice telephone call.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the handshake initiation signal is at least one of a calling indicator and a capability request signal.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform the steps of transmitting a first instruction that prompts the modem to terminate a modem session in response to receiving a signal to stop the videoconference session.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 further comprising instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform the steps of transmitting a second instruction that places the modem on-hook.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform the steps of generating a message instructing the party to pick-up the phone after a modem session has been terminated.

17. A call control unit, comprising:

a user interface unit that generates messages to a party at a first end of an existing voice telephone call to instruct the party of what to do with a telephone; and

a modem control unit, coupled to the user interface unit, that transmits instructions to a modem at the first end to allow the modem to support a videoconference session with a session status unit on the existing voice telephone call.

19. The call control unit of claim 17, wherein the user interface generates a message instructing the party at the first end to hang-up the phone after the modem is taken off-hook.

20. The call control of claim 17, wherein the modem control unit transmits a first instruction that takes the modem off-hook.

18. A computer system, comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus;

a call control unit, coupled to the bus, including a user interface unit that generates messages to a party at a first end of an existing voice telephone call to instruct the party of what to do with a telephone, and a modem control unit, coupled to the user interface unit, that transmits instructions to a modem at the first end to allow the modem to support a videoconference session with a session status unit on the existing voice telephone call.

21. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the user interface generates a message instructing the party at the first end to hang-up the phone after the modem is taken off-hook.

22. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the modem control unit transmits a first instruction that takes the modem off-hook.

23. A method for coordinating a videoconference session from an existing voice telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:

a step for generating messages to a party at a first end of the existing voice telephone call to instruct the party of what to do with a telephone; and

a step for transmitting instructions to a modem at the first end to allow the modem to support the videoconference session with a session status unit on the existing voice telephone call.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step for generating messages to the party at the first end comprises a step for generating a message instructing the party to hang-up the phone after the modem is taken off-hook.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step for transmitting instructions to the modem at the first end comprises a step for transmitting a first instruction that takes the modem off-hook.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising a step for transmitting a second instruction that prompts the modem to send a handshake initiation signal to a modem at the second end of the existing voice telephone call.

27. A method for converting an existing telephone call into a videoconference session, the method comprising:

generating a message instructing a first party at a first end of the existing telephone call to hang-up a telephone after a modem is taken off-hook, wherein the modem does not support voice calls;

transmitting a first instruction to the modem that takes the modem off-hook;

transmitting a second instruction to the modem that prompts the modem to send a handshake initiation signal to a second modem at a second end of the existing voice telephone call; and

establishing the videoconference session with a session status unit between the first and second modems.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting a third instruction to the modem that prompts the modem to terminate a modem session in response to receiving a signal to stop the videoconference session;

terminating the videoconference session between the first and second modems; and

reestablishing the existing telephone call.