Multiple subscriber videoconferencing system

• US 9,154,734 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Margalla Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Margalla Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Jang, Saqib, Kent, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US13/865,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20130235148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• 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 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 : Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 : Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 : Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13335 : Simulation, emulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 : Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13339 : Ciphering, encryption, security
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 : Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 : Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 : Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system, method, and device for use in videoconferencing. The method typically includes installing a videoconferencing services switch at an access point to an IP network, and registering a plurality of subscribers for videoconferencing services. Each subscriber typically has a plurality of endpoints. The method further includes receiving subscriber-specific settings to be applied to multiple videoconferencing calls from the plurality of endpoints associated with each subscriber. The method further includes storing the subscriber-specific settings at a location accessible to the switch, and configuring the switch to connect calls from the plurality of endpoints at each subscriber based on the corresponding subscriber-specific settings.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

videoconferencing services switches adapted for deployment across a service provider Internet Protocol (IP) network, each videoconferencing services switch adapted to be linked to at least one other videoconferencing services switch and comprising;

a call control module providing control of videoconferencing calls, the call control module configured to perform call set-up operations, to manage call data streams, and to perform call tear-down operations;

a security module configured to provide firewall services for videoconferencing calls, the security module further comprising;

a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) firewall module configured to use firewall settings on a per-subscriber basis to allow a subscriber-specific firewall that is custom-implemented for traffic from each subscriber; and

a tunneling services module configured to provide a virtual private network (VPN) between the videoconferencing services switch and a subscriber IP network.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual router that routes call data between one or more subscriber IP networks and the call control module, and that segments call data for each subscriber; and

a virtual private network (VPN) module configured to create virtual private networks for traffic between two videoconferencing services switches.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the call control module further comprises:

a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy module for controlling the videoconferencing calls placed with the SIP protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a policy engine that enforces policies on the videoconferencing calls based on subscriber-specific settings.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the subscriber-specific settings comprise subscriber-wide settings that apply to all calls from a subscriber and user-specific settings that apply to a particular terminal of the subscriber.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the subscriber-specific settings are selected from the group consisting of:

outbound/inbound calling privileges, encryption policies, bandwidth policies, priority among users'"'"' policies, participation privileges, inbound/outbound calling restrictions, time-of-day restrictions, audio or video restrictions.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the subscriber-specific settings include firewall settings.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the subscriber-specific settings include network address translation (NAT) settings.

9. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 1, wherein the security module is further configured to provide network address translation services for videoconferencing calls, and wherein each videoconferencing services switch is adapted for deployment at an access point of the service provider IP network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the videoconferencing services switches direct the videoconferencing calls from each of the participants to the closest service provider network access point.

11. A videoconferencing services switch adapted for deployment in a service provider Internet Protocol (IP) network and capable of processing a videoconferencing call between an origination terminal and a destination terminal, the origination and destination terminals being located on one or more subscriber IP networks, the videoconferencing services switch comprising:

a call control module capable of performing call set-up and tear-down operations and managing call data streams for the videoconferencing call;

a quality of service module capable of being configured to guarantee quality of service for the videoconferencing call placed via the switch according to the subscriber-specific settings;

a security module configured to provide firewall services for the videoconferencing call, the security module further comprising a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) firewall module configured to use firewall settings on a per-subscriber basis to allow a subscriber-specific firewall that is custom-implemented for traffic from each subscriber;

a tunneling services module configured to provide a virtual private network (VPN) between the videoconferencing services switch and a subscriber IP network; and

a policy engine capable of being configured to enforce policies on the videoconferencing call based on subscriber-specific or user-specific settings.

12. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 11, wherein the subscriber-specific settings are selected from the group consisting of:

calling privileges, encryption, bandwidth, priority, participation, and restriction policies.

13. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 11, wherein the quality of service module comprises:

a call bandwidth management module.

14. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 11, wherein the quality of service module comprises:

a call Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) traffic engineering module.

15. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 11, wherein the quality of service module comprises:

a call Differentiated Services (Diff Serv) capabilities module.

16. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 11, wherein the security module further comprises:

a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Network Address Translation (NAT) module configured to provide network address translation services for videoconferencing calls placed with the SIP protocol.

17. The videoconferencing services switch of claim 11, wherein the security module is further configured to provide network address translation services for videoconferencing calls, and wherein each videoconferencing services switch is adapted for deployment at an access point of the service provider IP network.

18. A method for providing videoconferencing services using videoconferencing services switches adapted for deployment across a global Internet Protocol (IP) network, comprising:

receiving call control data and call set-up information from call origination and destination videoconferencing endpoints in subscriber IP networks;

receiving encrypted real-time audio and video data streams from the call origination and destination videoconferencing endpoints in subscriber IP networks;

managing transfer of the encrypted real-time audio and video data streams between the videoconferencing services switches and subscriber IP networks; and

enforcing policies on videoconferencing calls based on subscriber-specific settings, wherein the subscriber-specific settings comprise subscriber-wide settings that apply to all calls from a subscriber and user-specific settings that apply to a particular terminal of the subscriber.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the subscriber-specific settings are selected from the group consisting of:

calling privileges, encryption, bandwidth, priority, participation, and audio/video restriction policies.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the subscriber-specific settings are globally configurable.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the subscriber-specific settings include firewall settings.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the subscriber-specific settings include NAT settings.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein managing transfer of the real-time audio and video data streams further comprises:

managing call bandwidth.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein each videoconferencing services switch maintains a repository of subscriber-specific settings.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the videoconferencing services switches are adapted for deployment at access points in a service provider IP network.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

routing the encrypted real-time audio and video data streams through network address translation (NAT) devices in the subscriber IP networks.

27. A system for use in videoconferencing, comprising:

videoconferencing services switches adapted for deployment across a global IP network, each videoconferencing services switch configured to provide control of videoconferencing calls from videoconferencing terminals in one or more subscriber IP networks, based on subscriber- specific settings; and

to manage transfer of encrypted real-time audio and video data streams between the videoconferencing services switches and subscriber IP networks, wherein the subscriber-specific settings comprise subscriber-wide settings that apply to all calls from a subscriber and user-specific settings that apply to a particular terminal of the subscriber.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the videoconferencing service switches are adapted for deployment at service provider IP network access points to process the videoconferencing calls from terminals of each of the subscriber IP networks.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the videoconferencing services switches direct the videoconferencing calls from each of the participants to the closest service provider network access point.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the encrypted real-time audio and video data stream traffic is routed through network address translation (NAT) devices in the subscriber IP networks.