Method and system for providing a private conversation channel in a video conference system

• US 7,656,824 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Richardson, John William, Cahnbley, Jens, Wang, Charles Chuanming
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi; Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US10/498,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,608 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370/352, 370/354, 370/389, 370/262, 370/235, 379/88.22, 379201-206, 379/202.01, 379214-216, 379242-245, 379/206.01, 345/733, 345/734, 709204-207, 709214-215, 709221-229, 715/753, 348/E7.083, 375/344, 375/345
• US Class Current: 370/262
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• 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 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method for providing a private conversation channel in a videoconference session between at least three participants includes the steps of providing an ability to receive a private acceptance in response to the private invitation and providing an ability to exclude non-parties to the private conversation from receiving private messages corresponding to the private conversation.

Claims

1. A method for providing a private conversation channel in a videoconference session between at least three participants, comprising the steps of:

providing an ability to send a private invitation to join a private conversation to a subset of the at least three participants of the videoconference session;

providing an ability to receive a private acceptance in response to the private invitation;

providing an ability to exclude non-parties to the private conversation from receiving private messages corresponding to the private conversation;

providing an ability to determine respective locations of each of the at least three participants;

providing an ability to allow the videoconference session to be initiated when a network link between the respective locations has a bandwidth above a pre-specified minimum bandwidth;

providing an ability to evaluate a policy on videoconference sessions when the network link between the respective locations has the bandwidth not above the pre-specified minimum bandwidth; and

providing an ability to reject the private invitation when an initiation of the videoconference session contravenes the policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing the ability to exclude comprises the step of providing an ability to transmit a private message from one of the parties directly to at least one other of the parties.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an ability to exchange the private messages only between the parties to the private conversation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an ability to add an additional party to the private conversation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of providing the ability to add the additional party comprises the step of providing an ability to send an update message to the parties that indicates that the additional party is to join the private conversation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the update message comprises at least an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the additional party.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the update message comprises at least a user identifier of the additional party.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the private invitation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the private acceptance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy specifies a number of sessions that can take place at a specified maximum bit rate.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the policy specifies a number of sessions that can take place at a specified maximum bit rate.

11. A system for providing a private conversation channel in a videoconference session between at least three participants, comprising:

means for sending a private invitation to join a private conversation to a subset of the at least three participants of the videoconference session;

means for sending a private acceptance in response to the private invitation; and

means for excluding non-parties to the private conversation from receiving private messages corresponding to the private conversation.

means for determining respective locations of each of the at least three participants;

means for allowing the videoconference session to be initiated when a network link between the respective locations has a bandwidth above a pre-specified minimum bandwidth;

means for evaluating a policy on videoconference sessions when the network link between the respective locations has the bandwidth not above the pre-specified minimum bandwidth; and

means for rejecting the private invitation when an initiation of the videoconference session contravenes the policy.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for excluding comprises means for transmitting a private message from one of the parties directly to at least one other of the parties.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing an ability to exchange the private messages only between the parties to the private conversation.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for adding an additional party to the private conversation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said means for adding comprises means for sending an update message to the parties that indicates that the additional party is to join the private conversation.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the update message comprises at least an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the additional party.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the update message comprises at least a user identifier of the additional party.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for displaying the private invitation.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for displaying the private acceptance.