Methods for cluster-based multi-party conferencing in ad-hoc networks

• US 7,460,508 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Glitho, Roch, Dssouli, Rachida, Fu, Chunyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Creighton H
• Application Number:
  US10/999,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/913, 370/328, 370/254, 370/255, 370/449, 370/457
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Methods for establishing a cluster-based multi-party conference and for carrying on the conference as participants join or leave the conference are provided. First, two or more terminals participating to the conference are joined in a cluster, wherein one of them is elected as a super member of the cluster. The other terminal is updated with the identity of the super member terminal, the identification of the conference, and with cluster parameters including a split value Sv indicative of a maximum number of terminals that may be part of the cluster, wherein when the split value Sv is reached during the conference, the cluster is split; and a merge value Mv indicative of a minimum number of terminals that may be part of the cluster, wherein when the merge value Mv is reached during the conference, the cluster is merged with another cluster. A method for splitting the cluster, and a method for merging two clusters are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a communications conference at least between a first and a second terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

a. one of the first and second terminals inviting the other one of the first and second terminals to join the conference;

b. the first terminal creating a first cluster of terminals including the first and second terminals, wherein step b. comprises the steps of;

b.1. electing a super member terminal for the first cluster;

b.2. sending to the second terminal a message comprising an indication of the identity of the super member terminal, an identification of the conference, and cluster parameters including;

a split value Sv indicative of a maximum number of terminals that may be part of the cluster, wherein when the split value Sv is reached during the conference, the cluster is split; and

a merge value Mv indicative of a minimum number of terminals that may be part of the cluster, wherein when the merge value Mv is reached during the conference, the cluster is merged with another cluster; and

c. establishing a communications session between the first terminal and the second terminal.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein step b.1. comprises electing the first terminal as the super member terminal for the first cluster, and wherein the first terminal comprises a super user agent and the second terminal comprises a user agent.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

d. storing an identity of the cluster and the conference identity in the user agent of the second terminal; and

e. storing the identity of the cluster and the conference identity in the super user agent of the first terminal acting as a super member of the first cluster.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the communications session is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session, and wherein the first and second terminals are SIP-based terminals.

5. The method claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

f. inviting a third terminal to join the conference and establishing a communications session between the first terminal acting as a super member and the third terminal; and

g. updating a cluster member list of the super user agent of the first terminal with an identity of the third terminal;

wherein the third terminal is added to the first cluster.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

h. the first terminal deciding to leave the conference;

i. electing a new super member for the cluster;

j. informing the second and third terminal of an identity of the new super member of the cluster;

k. establishing communications sessions between the new super member and each of the participants to the cluster; and

k. dropping the communications sessions involving the first terminal.

7. A method for splitting a cluster of a plurality of terminals involved in an ongoing multi-party conference, a super member terminal being part of the cluster of terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving an indication that a new terminal is about to joint the multi-party conference;

b. detecting that with an addition of the new terminal, a total number of terminals of the cluster reaches a split value Sv associated with the cluster;

c. electing a super member for a new cluster to be formed;

d. choosing a terminal from the plurality of terminals as a split candidate to be assigned to the new cluster; and

e. informing the super member of the new cluster and the chosen terminal that they belong to the new cluster.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

f. updating the super member terminal to reflect a change in a membership of the cluster.

9. A method for merging a first and a second cluster of terminals involved in a multi-party conference, the method comprising the steps of:

a. detecting that a terminal of the first cluster leaves the multi-party conference;

b. determining that the total number of terminals of the first cluster is about to reach a merge value Mv associated with the first cluster;

c. electing a new super member terminal for the remaining participants to the first cluster, the new super member terminal being a super member terminal of the second cluster;

d. informing the new super member terminal that the remaining participants to the first cluster become members of the second cluster.