Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-30
2004-02-17
Eng, David Y. (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06694351
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to a method and system to be utilized in at least one data communications network wherein conference calls are established.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
A data communications network is the interconnection of two or more communicating entities (i.e., data sources and/or sinks) over one or more data links. A data communications network allows communication between multiple communicating entities over one or more data communications links.
A data communications network can be used to support a conference call. With reference now to
FIG. 1
, shown is a data communications network in a conference call configuration. Depicted are three humans A, B, and D interacting with application programs on computers
102
,
104
, and
106
in order to participate in a conference call. The interaction with the application programs typically involves the utilization of microphones, speakers, keyboards, and/or graphical user interfaces on computers
102
,
104
, and
106
(e.g., when a user speaks into a microphone and listens to a speaker of a computer where an application program is resident and running). For sake of clarity, only conferenced-in computer
102
is explicitly shown as having application programs
100
,
101
, and
103
, but it is to be understood that similar application programs are present on computers
104
and
106
, although such additional application programs are not shown.
For sake of illustration, the discussion herein depicts and describes logical entities as if they are application programs running on computers. For example, multipoint controller
118
and multipoint processor
120
are depicted and described as if they are subprograms of conferencing engine
126
which is itself depicted and described as a program resident within and running on network computer
110
; participant A client application program
100
, media transport part
101
of terminal entity A, and signaling part
103
of terminal entity A are depicted and described as if they are programs resident within and running on computer
102
; and user C client application program
132
, media transport part
133
of terminal entity C, and signaling part
135
of terminal entity C are depicted and described as if they are programs resident within and running on computer
134
. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such treatment is merely illustrative and that the logical entities depicted and described herein may be implemented as hardware or any combination of hardware and software (e.g., in one implementation multipoint processor
120
is actually a stand-alone processor). In addition to the foregoing, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the fact that media transport channels are depicted herein as passing through signalling parts of terminals (e.g., signalling part
103
of terminal A) prior to terminating on media transpart parts of terminals (e.g., media transport part
101
of terminal entity A) as an indication that such channels are generally physically transmitted through network interface cards.
Illustrated is that media (e.g., audio or visual data presented to human users A, B, and D through their respective applications programs) exchanged between the application programs of conference call participants A, B, and D are carried by media transport channels
112
,
114
, and
116
. As used herein, media transport channels refer to channels sufficient to meet defined media data transmission needs for individual conference calls. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the definition of such media data transmission needs can be pre-set by a particular data communications system, or can be set and/or reset by one or more conference call participants at call initiation and/or during a conference call. That is, as used herein the term “media transport channel” refers to a data communications channel sufficient to substantially meet such user media transmission requirements.
Media transport channels
112
,
114
, and
116
respectively connect individual media transport parts of terminal entities, resident on computers
102
,
104
, and
106
, with multipoint processor
120
. However, for sake of clarity only media transport part
101
of terminal entity A of computer
102
is shown, but it is to be understood that similar media transport parts are present on computers
104
and
106
, although such media transport parts are not shown. Multipoint processor
120
is a conferencing engine
126
component that ensures that data is appropriately mixed and sent to various participants engaging in the conference call (e.g., data received over media transport channel
112
is mixed and sent out over media transport channels
114
and
116
).
The establishment of media transport channels such as media transport channels
112
,
114
, and
116
is managed by call manager
108
. Call manager
108
establishes and tears down media transport channels in response to call management signals sent to call manager
108
by multipoint controller
118
, and signaling parts of terminal entities located within computers
102
,
104
, and
106
. For ease of illustration, only one signaling part of a terminal entity (i.e., signaling part
103
of terminal entity A resident within computer
102
) is shown, but it is to be understood that similar signaling parts are present on computers
104
and
106
, although such signaling parts are not shown.
With reference now to
FIG. 2
, shown is event
300
wherein, in response to dial tone presented by call manager
108
, human user C inputs (e.g., by a numeric keypad of computer
134
) the previously-assigned (in meet-me conference calls, the human user typically knows the phone number and the password associated with the meet-me conference in advance) telephone number of the conference call service maintained by multipoint controller
118
, into user C client application program
132
. In response, user C client application program
132
causes signaling part
133
of terminal entity C to send message
302
to call manager
108
wherein call manager
108
is informed of the telephone number of the conference call service maintained by multipoint controller
118
. In response, call manager
108
sends message
304
, over call management signaling channel
128
, to multipoint controller
118
directing that multipoint controller
118
accept a media transport channel originating from media transport part
133
of terminal entity C.
Depicted is that, in response to message
304
, media transport channel
144
is established with multipoint controller
118
. Subsequent to the establishment of media transport channel
144
, illustrated is event
310
of multipoint controller
118
answering (e.g., via human speech created by a speech synthesizer) “please enter your conference call password.” In response, shown is event
312
of user C client application program
132
answering back with the previously-assigned password for the conference call, which is typically entered by human user C via one or more input devices of computer
134
.
With reference now to
FIG. 3
, depicted is that, assuming the conference call associated with receipt of the password entered by human user C is still ongoing, in response to the entered password, call manager
108
communicates
500
with multipoint controller
118
and establishes a media transport channel between the appropriate port of multipoint processor
120
and the media transport part
135
of terminal entity C. Consequently, in response to communication
500
, shown is that media transport channel
144
is established with multipoint processor
120
. Note that in the event that the conference call associated with the password entered by human user C is no longer ongoing, multipoint controller
118
tells human user C, via communication over media transport channel
144
and through terminal C, that the conference call is no longer ongoing.
Those having skill in the art will recognize that significant “cost” (as used herein, the term “cost” can reflect
Bedard Charles J.
Shaffer Shmuel
Campbell Stephenson Ascolese LLP
Cisco Technology Inc.
Eng David Y.
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