Audio/video-conferencing using content based messaging

• US 7,417,959 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ruggaber, Rainer, Dorner, Elmar
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US10/671,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260
• US Class Current: 370/260
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A content based messaging audio and video conferencing system provides a messaging infrastructure for multimedia and collaborative applications. The audio/video conferencing system may be implemented using a publish/subscribe infrastructure, such as a content-based messaging (CBM) infrastructure and system. Conference participants may exchange audio and/or video data streams using the CBM system. A list of contacts displays the current status of users. For example, the status of a user may be offline, online, and in a conference. The conference system uses the publish/subscribe infrastructure to provide instant state changes in the contact list using published updates to generate state messages for those users subscribing to contacts using the conference system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

assigning users to a set of users that exchange status messages with one another;

registering subscriptions for a conference data stream with a content based messaging (CBM) network to define a sub-set of users of the set of users, the sub-set of users including fewer users than the set of users;

presenting the status messages to every user of the set of users;

generating input data using an input device;

publishing the input data as a conference message that is only received by users of the sub-set of users via the conference data stream;

determining if any users of the sub-set of users are subscribed to the conference data stream;

halting publishing of the conference message via the conference data stream, if it is determined that no users of the sub-set of users are subscribed to the conference data stream;

receiving information that users of the sub-set of users have subscribed to the conference data stream; and

restarting publishing of the conference message that is only received by users of the sub-set of users via the conference data stream based on receiving the information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the conference message includes video data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the conference message includes audio data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the conference message includes audio and video data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising assembling received messages into streaming video data and presenting the streaming video data only to users of the sub-set of users.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising assembling received messages into streaming audio data and presenting the streaming audio data only to users of the sub-set of users.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising assembling received messages into streaming audio and video data and presenting the streaming audio and video data only to users of the sub-set of users.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising converting received messages from a real time transport protocol to a format required by the Java Media Framework (JMF) to present streaming audio and/or video data only to users of the sub-set of users.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a conference by inviting a user connected to the CBM network to join the conference.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a conference by inviting one or more users connected to the CBM network to join the conference and subscribing to the conference data stream of a content based messaging CBM network associated with each user.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein initiating a conference by inviting one or more users connected to the CBM network to join the conference further comprises selecting the one or more users from a contact list of identifiers associated with each user.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising publishing a status of each user to the CBM network.

13. A system comprising:

a user interface configured to;

present status messages to a user every user of a set of users,

generate input data; and

a messaging infrastructure configured to;

assign users to the set of users, the set of users exchanging status messages with one another;

register subscriptions for a conference data stream with a content based messaging (CBM) network to define a sub-set of users of the set of users, the sub-set of users including fewer users than the set of users,

publish the input data as a conference message that is only received by users of the sub-set of users via the conference data stream,

determine if any users of the sub-set of users are subscribed to the conference data stream,

halt publishing of the conference message via the conference data stream, if it is determined that no users of the sub-set of users are subscribed to the conference data stream,

receive information that users of the sub-set of users have subscribed to the conference data stream, and

restart publishing of the conference message that is only received by users of the sub-set of users via the conference data stream based on receiving the information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the conference messages include one of video data, audio data, or a combination of video and audio data.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising two or more client devices configured to generate the subscriptions and to receive the conference messages and present the conference messages to a user of the sub-set of users.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein each client device is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming video data and to present the streaming video data to the user of the sub-set of users.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein each client device is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming audio data and to present the streaming audio data to the user of the sub-set of users.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein each client device is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming audio and video data and to present the streaming audio and video data to the user of the sub-set of users.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein each client device is configured to convert the received conference messages from a real time transport protocol to a format required by the Java Media Framework (JMF) to present streaming audio and video data to the user of the sub-set of users.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein each client device is configured to receive an invitation to join the conference and to subscribe to a conference data stream of a content based messaging (CBM) network associated with each user of the sub-set of users.

21. A computer program products, tangibly embodied in a machine readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when read by a machine, operate to cause a data processing apparatus to cause a processor to:

assign users to the set of users, the set of users exchanging status messages with one another;

register subscriptions for a conference data stream with a content based messaging (CBM) network to define a sub-set of users of the set of users, the sub-set of users including fewer users than the set of users;

present the status messages to every user of the set of users;

generate input data using an input device;

publish the input data as a conference message that is only received by users of the sub-set of users via the conference data stream;

determine if any users of the sub-set of users are subscribed to the conference data stream;

halt publishing of the conference message via the conference data stream, if it is determined that no users of the sub-set of users are subscribed to the conference data stream;

receive information that users of the sub-set of users have subscribed to the conference data stream; and

restart publishing of the conference message that is only received by users of the sub-set of users via the conference data stream based on receiving the information.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the conference messages include video or audio data.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising instructions to assemble the received conference messages into streaming video data for presentation to a user of the sub-set of users.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising instructions to assemble the received conference messages into streaming audio data for presentation to a user of the sub-set of users.

25. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising instructions to assemble the received conference messages into streaming audio and video data for presentation to a user of the sub-set of users.

26. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising instructions to convert received conference messages from a real time transport protocol to a format required by the Java Media Framework (JMF) to present streaming audio and/or video data to a user of the sub-set of users.

27. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising instructions to initiate a conference by inviting a user connected to the CBM network to join the conference.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising instructions to subscribe to a conference data stream of a content based messaging CBM network associated with each user of the sub-set of users.

29. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising instructions to publish conference messages associated with the conference to the CBM network.