Multi-media communication management system with multicast messaging capabilities

• US 7,177,412 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Inventors: Lewis, Calvin E., Ross, Rodney A., Berlyoung, Danny L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui; Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/079,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20030058858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.11, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/202.01, 379/203.01, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/206.01, 379/908
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• 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: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

The multi-media communication management system comprises a controller that interfaces with a plurality of communication space stations and with one or more communication medium service providers. The controller provides for multicasting or real time voice communications to selected recipients. To provide such multicasting, the controller receives a recipient list of subscribers to include in the multicast session. The controller identifies a communication space station serving a subscriber device associated with each recipient and invites such communication space station to the multicast session. If a recipient'"'"'s subscriber device is not served by a communication space station, the multicast message is packaged as an audio file and sent to the recipient by e-mail.

Claims

1. A multi-media communication management system for operation with a plurality of subscriber stations, the multi-media communication management system comprising:

a network communication circuit for multi-media communication with said plurality of subscriber stations;

a control module for establishing a communication session with each of the subscriber stations through the network communication circuit, the control module comprising;

means for receiving an indication of a plurality of recipients to receive a multicast message;

means for identifying a plurality of recipient subscriber stations, each recipient subscriber station being one of the subscriber stations that is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of recipients;

means for transmitting a message to each one of the recipient subscriber stations to participate in a session group;

means for multicasting a voice message to the recipient subscriber stations that are participating in said session group

means for identifying a plurality of recipients that are not associated with any of the subscriber stations; and

means for sending an audio file comprising the voice mail message to a plurality of e-mail address, each email address being associated with one of the plurality of recipients that are not associated with any of the subscriber stations.

2. A multi-media communication management system for operation with a plurality of subscriber stations, the multi-media communication management system comprising:

a network communication circuit for multi-media communication with said plurality of subscriber stations;

a control module for establishing a communication session with each of the subscriber stations through the network communication circuit, the control module comprising;

means for receiving an indication of a plurality of recipients to receive a multicast message;

means for identifying a plurality of recipient subscriber stations, each recipient subscriber station being one of the subscriber stations that, is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of recipients;

means for transmitting a message to each one of the recipient subscriber stations to participate in a session group;

means for multicasting a voice message to the recipient subscriber stations that are participating in said session group

means for identify those of the plurality of the subscriber stations invited to the session group that do not receive the voice message; and

means for sending an audio file comprising the voice mail message to a plurality of e-mail address, each email address being associated with one of the plurality of recipients that are not associated with any of the subscriber stations.

3. A method of multicasting a voice message to selected subscribers to a multimedia communication management system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a plurality of recipients to receive a multicast message;

identifying a plurality of recipient subscriber stations, each recipient subscriber station being a subscriber stations that is associated with a recipient of the multicast message;

inviting each one of the recipient subscriber stations to a session group;

multicasting a voice message to the session group

identifying a plurality of recipients that are not associated with any of the subscriber stations;

sending an audio file comprising the voice mail message to a plurality of e-mail addresses, each email address being associated with one of the plurality of recipients that are not associated with any of the subscriber stations.

4. A method of multicasting a voice message to selected subscribers to a multimedia communication management system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a plurality of recipients to receive a multicast message;

identifying a plurality of recipient subscriber stations, each recipient subscriber station being a subscriber stations that is associated with a recipient of the multicast message;

inviting each one of the recipient subscriber stations to a session group;

multicasting a voice message to the session group

identifying those of the plurality of the subscriber stations invited to the session group that do not receive the voice message; and

sending an audio file comprising the voice mail message to a plurality of e-mail address, each email address being associated with one of the plurality of recipients that are associated with one of those subscriber stations invited to the session group that did not receive the voice message.