Methods and apparatus for automatically adding a media component to an established multimedia collaboration session

• US 8,775,511 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Vernon, Todd, Jones, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheema, Umar
• Application Number:
  US10/776,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,801 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/227, 715/733, 715/753
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A multimedia collaboration system that facilitates more efficient, free-flowing collaboration sessions. In order to make addition of new participants, media components, and or network access device to a collaboration session more efficient, client devices associated with each participant can store endpoint address information that can be automatically obtained by the multimedia collaboration system. The endpoint address information can then be used to add the new participants, media components, and or network access device.

Claims

1. A multimedia collaboration system for facilitating a multimedia collaboration session between a plurality of participants, comprising a plurality of client devices associated with each of the plurality of participants, each of the plurality of client devices configured to store endpoint address information associated with an associated participant, the multimedia collaboration system configured to:

automatically obtain the endpoint address information from each of the plurality of client devices;

associate a plurality of endpoint addresses associated with a participant of the plurality of participants with a network and with a media type, wherein the endpoint address is any end point that can communicate including a website, a session initiation protocol telephone, a telephone, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, and any other type of media component that can communicate;

select an appropriate endpoint address of the plurality of endpoint addresses assigned to the participant from the participant'"'"'s client device in response to a request to join the multimedia collaboration session, the network and the media type, the plurality endpoint addresses being assigned priorities; and

automatically attempt to connect to at least one client device and an associated endpoint at the selected end point address based on a priority assigned to the end point,

wherein the endpoint address information is automatically obtained at same time that the multimedia collaboration system automatically attempts to connect to the at least one client device and the associated endpoint.

2. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia collaboration session comprises a plurality of media components, and wherein the endpoint address information is used to add a new media component to the multimedia collaboration session.

3. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the endpoint address information for each participant comprises endpoint address information for a plurality of endpoints.

4. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 3, wherein priority can be assigned to the plurality of endpoints for each participant.

5. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 3, wherein a hierarchy can be assigned to the plurality of endpoints for each participant.

6. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, wherein the new media component is an audio conferencing component.

7. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 6, wherein the addition of the audio conferencing component includes the addition of telephonic conferencing via a telephonic network.

8. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 7, wherein the multimedia collaboration session occurs over a network that is separate from the telephonic network.

9. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 7, wherein the multimedia collaboration session occurs over one network and the added media component is associated with a second network.

10. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 9, wherein the two networks use separate access devices.

11. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 9, wherein the two networks use different addressing schemes.

12. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, wherein the multimedia collaboration system is further configured to facilitate the addition of a new media component to the collaboration session by automatically storing the endpoint address information for each of the plurality of participants as each participant joins the multimedia collaboration session.

13. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, wherein the multimedia collaboration system is further configured to facilitate the addition of a new media component to the multimedia collaboration session upon receipt of a query from a new participant.

14. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, wherein the multimedia collaboration system is configured to facilitate the addition of a new media component to the multimedia collaboration session upon receipt of a query from an existing participant.

15. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the endpoint address information comprises a telephone number.

16. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the endpoint address information includes a list of addresses for the associated participant.

17. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 16, wherein the list of addresses corresponds to multiple client devices.

18. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 16, wherein the multimedia collaboration system is further configured to automatically attempt to connect via each of addresses in the list of addresses until it achieves a successful connection.

19. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 18, wherein the endpoint address information includes multiple phone numbers for the associated participant.

20. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 19, wherein the multimedia collaboration system is further configured to automatically dial each of the multiple phone numbers until it achieves a successful audio connection.

21. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia collaboration system is further configured to enable each participant to edit the participant'"'"'s associated endpoint address information using the participant'"'"'s associated client device.

22. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the endpoint address information comprises an internet protocol address for a client device.

23. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia collaboration system is further configured to distribute the endpoint address information obtained to each participant.

24. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 23, wherein the endpoint address information distributed by the multimedia collaboration system can be stored on each of the participant'"'"'s associated client device.

25. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein endpoint address information is automatically collected from each client device when an associated participant joins the multimedia collaboration session using the client device.

26. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, wherein the new media component is a video stream component.

27. The multimedia communication system of claim 26, wherein the endpoint address information obtained by the multimedia collaboration system can be distributed to client device associated with participants that wish to share video streams, and wherein the client devices can use the endpoint address information distributed to the client device to exchange the video streams between the client device.

28. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 27, wherein the client devices sharing the video streams share the video streams in a peer-to-manner using the distributed endpoint address information.

29. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of central servers, wherein each of the plurality of central servers is configured to handle a different media component.