Method and system for managing conference resources

• US 8,296,361 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Christenson, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US10/754,963
• Time in Patent Office: 3,211 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/226, 709/227, 709204-207, 379/202.01, 379/158
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2088 Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2272 Subscriber line supervision circuits, e.g. call detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method for managing conference resources includes hosting a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of resources. The plurality of participants use a plurality of endpoints to communicate on the conference. The method includes reserving a sufficient amount of the first amount of resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference. The method also includes reclaiming the sufficient amount of resources upon one of the following: receiving an indication that the first participant will not rejoin the conference or expiration of a predetermined amount of time after the first participant disconnects from the conference.

Claims

1. A method for managing conference resources, comprising:

hosting a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of resources, the plurality of participants using a plurality of endpoints to communicate on the conference;

reserving a sufficient amount of the first amount of resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference; and

reclaiming the sufficient amount of resources upon the following;

receiving, after the first participant disconnects from the conference, an indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from the first participant that the first participant will rejoin the conference if disconnected from the conference.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference is received through one of the following:

web, e-mail, dual tone multi-frequency or spoken command via adaptive speech recognition (ASR) communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the resources comprise at least one of bandwidth, communication ports and DSP resources for transcoding or mixing available at a multipoint conference unit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of resources with the first participant using a user id, password or calling number of the first participant.

6. A system for managing conference resources, comprising:

a multipoint conference unit operable to host a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of resources;

a plurality of participant endpoints coupled to each other and to the multipoint conference unit, the plurality of participant endpoints used by the plurality of participants to communicate on the conference; and

the multipoint conference unit comprising a processor operable to;

reserve a sufficient amount of the first amount of resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference; and

reclaim the sufficient amount of the first amount of resources upon the following;

receipt at an interface of the multipoint conference unit, after the first participant disconnects from the conference, of the multipoint conference unit of an indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the interface is operable to receive an indication from the first participant that the first participant will rejoin the conference if disconnected from the conference.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the interface is operable to receive the indication that the first participant will not rejoin the conference through one of the following:

web, e-mail, dual tone multi-frequency or spoken command via adaptive speech recognition (ASR) communication.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the resources comprise at least one of bandwidth, communication ports and DSP resources for transcoding or mixing available at a multipoint conference unit.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further operable to associate the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of resources with the first participant using a user id, password or calling number of the first participant.

11. A system for managing conference resources, comprising:

means for hosting a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of resources, the plurality of participants using a plurality of endpoints to communicate on the conference;

means for reserving a sufficient amount of the first amount of resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference; and

means for reclaiming the sufficient amount of resources upon the following;

receiving, after the first participant disconnects from the conference, an indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for receiving an indication from the first participant that the first participant will rejoin the conference if disconnected from the conference.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference is received through one of the following:

web, e-mail, dual tone multi-frequency or spoken command via adaptive speech recognition (ASR) communication.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the resources comprise at least one of bandwidth, communication ports and DSP resources for transcoding or mixing available at a multipoint conference unit.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for associating the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of resources with the first participant using a user id, password or calling number of the first participant.

16. Software embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the tangible computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

host a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of resources, the plurality of participants using a plurality of endpoints to communicate on the conference;

reserve a sufficient amount of the first amount of resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference; and

reclaim the sufficient amount of resources upon the following;

receipt, after the first participant disconnects from the conference, of an indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the code is further operable to receive an indication from the first participant that the first participant will rejoin the conference if disconnected from the conference.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference is received through one of the following:

web, e-mail, dual tone multi-frequency or spoken command via adaptive speech recognition (ASR) communication.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the resources comprise at least one of bandwidth, communication ports and DSP resources for transcoding or mixing available at a multipoint conference unit.

20. The medium of claim 16, wherein the code is further operable to associate the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of resources with the first participant using a user id, password or calling number of the first participant.

21. A method for managing conference resources, comprising:

hosting a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of communication ports and a second amount of DSP resources of a multipoint conference unit, the plurality of participants using a plurality of endpoints to communicate on the conference;

reserving a sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and a sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference;

associating the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and the reserved sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources with the first participant using a user id, password or calling number of the first participant; and

reclaiming for use by another conference the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and the reserved sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources upon the following;

receiving, after the first participant disconnects from the conference, an indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference.

22. A system for managing conference resources, comprising:

a multipoint conference unit operable to host a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of communication ports and a second amount of DSP resources of the multipoint conference unit, the plurality of participants using a plurality of endpoints to communicate on the conference;

the multipoint conference unit comprising a processor operable to;

reserve a sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and a sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference;

associate the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and the reserved sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources with the first participant using a user id, password or calling number of the first participant; and

reclaim for use by another conference the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and the reserved sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources upon the following;

receiving, after the first participant disconnects from the conference, an indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference.

23. Software embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the tangible computer readable medium comprising code operable to

host a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of communication ports and a second amount of DSP resources of a multipoint conference unit, the plurality of participants using a plurality of endpoints to communicate on the conference;

reserve a sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and a sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference;

associate the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and the reserved sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources with the first participant using a user id, password or calling number of the first participant; and

reclaim for use by another conference the reserved sufficient amount of the first amount of communication ports and the reserved sufficient amount of the second amount of DSP resources upon the following;

receive, after the first participant disconnects from the conference, an indication from the first participant that the first participant will not rejoin the conference.