Method, device and system for implementing multi-party conference call by using set top box

• US 9,686,589 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Jianchun, Zhang, Jidong, Hou, Liang, Liu, Guangchao
• Primary Examiner(s): SWEET, LONNIE V
• Application Number:
  US14/394,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20150078210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method, device, and system for implementing a multi-party conference call by using a set-top box. The method includes: in a conferencing state, the set-top box sending a network server that manages the conference a request message for adding another specified set-top box into the conference where the set-top box is located; and after the set-top box receives an acknowledgment message fed back by the network server for indicating that the specified set-top box has joined in the conference, distributing audio and/or video signals to be transmitted by the set-top box to other members of the conference through the network server.

Claims

1. A method for a set-top box implementing a multi-party conference call, comprising:

in a conferencing state, a first set-top box sending to a network server that is used to manage a conference a request message for adding a second set-top box into a conference where the first set-top box is located;

the first set-top box receiving an acknowledgement message fed back by said network server for indicating that said second set-top box has joined the conference;

said first set-top box sending an HTTP message to said network server to request to add a third set-top box into the conference;

said network sever sending a join-in conference request to said third set-top box;

said third set-top box returning a join-in conference acknowledgement message to said network server;

said network server returning the join-in conference acknowledgement message to said first set-top box, meanwhile notifying said second set-top box that said third set-top box newly joins in the conference where said second set-top box is located; and

sending audio and/or video signals to be transmitted by said first set-top box to said network server which converts the audio and/or video signals into multiple-channel parallel signals and distributes the multiple-channel parallel signals to other members of said conference by HTTP connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the conferencing state, if another set-top box receives a notification message pushed by said network server for indicating that said another set-top box is in a multi-party conferencing state, also sending the audio and/or video signals to be transmitted by said another set-top box to said network server which converts the audio and/or video signals into multiple-channel parallel signals and distributes the multiple-channel parallel signals to members of said conference by HTTP connection.

3. A method for a network server processing a multi-party conference call of set-top boxes, comprising:

after the network server receives a request message sent by a first set-top box for adding a second set-top box into a conference where the first set-top box is located, forwarding said request message to said second set-top box;

said network server receiving a join-in conference acknowledgement message sent by said second set-top box, adding said second set-top box into recorded member information of said conference, and notifying said join-in conference acknowledgement message to said first set-top box that sends said request message;

said network server receiving an HTTP message sent by said first set-top box to request to add a third set-top box into the conference;

said network sever sending a join-in conference request to said third set-top box;

said network server receiving a join-in conference acknowledgement message returned by said third set-top box;

said network server returning the join-in conference acknowledgement message to said first set-top box, meanwhile notifying said second set-top box that said third set-top box newly joins in the conference where said second set-top box is located; and

after said network server receives audio and/or video signals sent by said first set-top box, converting said audio and/or video signals into multi-channel parallel signals and distributing said multi-channel parallel signals to other members of said conference where said set-top box is located by HTTP connection.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

after said network server receives said join-in conference acknowledgement message sent by said second set-top box, in addition to notifying said join-in conference acknowledgement message to said first set-top box that sends said request message, pushing a notification message to members of said conference other than the first set-top box that sends said request message, for indicating that the members are in a multi-party conferencing state.

5. A set-top box for implementing a multi-party conference call, comprising:

a first multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module, and an audio and video signal transmitting module, wherein,

said first multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module is configured to;

exchange messages with a network server;

when said set-top box is in a conferencing state, send to a network server that manages a conference a request message for adding a second set-top box into a conference where said set-top box is located, and receive a join-in conference acknowledgment message fed back by said network server for indicating that said second set-top box has joined the conference;

after receiving a conferencing request message sent by said network server, send the join-in conference acknowledgement message to said network server;

said first multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module is further configured to send an HTTP message to said network server to request to add a third set-top box into the conference;

wherein said network sever sends a join-in conference request to said third set-top box, said third set-top box returns a join-in conference acknowledgement message to said network server, and said network server returns the join-in conference acknowledgement message to said first multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module in said set-top box, meanwhile notifies said second set-top box that said third set-top box newly joins in the conference where said second set-top box is located;

said first multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module is further configured to, after receiving the join-in conference acknowledgment message, notify said audio and video signal transmitting module; and

said audio and video signal transmitting module is configured to;

after receiving a notification from said first multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module, when about to transmit audio and/or video signals, send to-be-transmitted audio and/or video signals to said network server which converts the audio and/or video signals into multiple-channel parallel signals and distributes the multiple-channel parallel signals to other members of said conference where said set-top box is located by HTTP connection.

6. The set-top box of claim 5, wherein,

said first multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module is further configured to:

when said set-top box is in the conferencing state, receive a notification message pushed by said network server for indicating that said set-top box is in a multi-party conferencing state, and notify said audio and video signal transmitting module.

7. A network server for implementing a multi-party conference call, comprising:

a second multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module, a conference information recording module, an audio and video signal distributing module, and a processor, wherein,

said second multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module is implemented by the processor and configured to;

exchange messages with a first set-top box;

after receiving a request message sent by said first set-top box for adding a second set-top box into a conference where said first set-top box is located, forward said request message to said second set-top box;

after receiving a join-in conference acknowledgement message sent by said second set-top box, notify said join-in conference acknowledgement message to said first set-top box that sends said request message as well as said conference information recording module;

said conference information recording module is implemented by the processor and configured to;

after receiving the notification from said second multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module, add said second set-top box into recorded member information of said conference;

said second multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module is further configured to;

receive an HTTP message sent by said first set-top box to request to add a third set-top box into the conference, send a join-in conference request to said third set-top box, and after said third set-top box returns a join-in conference acknowledgement message to said network server, notify the join-in conference acknowledgement message to said first set-top box as well as said conference information recording module, meanwhile notify said second set-top box that said third set-top box newly joins in the conference where said second set-top box is located;

said conference information recording module is further configured to;

after receiving the notification from said second multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module, add said third set-top box into the recorded member information of said conference;

said audio and video signal distributing module is implemented by the processor and configured to;

after receiving audio and/or video signals sent by said first set-top box, search said conference information recording module for other members of the conference where said first set-top box that transmits said audio and/or video signals is located, and convert said audio and/or video signals into multi-channel parallel signals and distribute said multi-channel parallel signals to said other members by HTTP connection.

8. The network server of claim 7, wherein,

said second multi-party conference message transmitting and receiving module is further configured to:

after receiving the join-in conference acknowledgment message sent by said second set-top box, push a notification message to members of said conference other than said first set-top box that sends said request message, for indicating that the members are in a multi-party conferencing state.