Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/02—Details
  • H04L12/16—Arrangements for providing special services to substations
  • H04L12/18—Arrangements for providing special services to substations for broadcast or conference, e.g. multicast
  • H04L12/1813—Arrangements for providing special services to substations for broadcast or conference, e.g. multicast for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/01—Protocols
  • H04L67/02—Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/34—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications involving the movement of software or configuration parameters 
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
  • H04L69/30—Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
  • H04L69/32—Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
  • H04L69/322—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
  • H04L69/329—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus for making multi-party connections in an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
• IP Internet Protocol
• IP networks such as the Internet or corporate networks based on the same protocols, commonly referred to as Intranets
• Intranets there is a demand for group commimication tools which are easy to use.
• a program connecting a multi-party conference unit (MCU) with a web page in such a way that visitors to the web page will become members of a group meeting handled by the MCU.
• the program must be written in a programming language which enables the programming of interactive HTML applications.
• One such language available today is Java.
• a Java program run on the Internet is commonly referred to as a Java applet.
• the solution according to the invention offers the following advantages: - a user-friendly tool for establishing web meetings, which allows the inclusion of ordinary telephones connected through the Public Services Telephone Network
• Figure 1 shows a group meeting with three participants according to the invention.
• Figure 2A is a flow chart of the actions to be taken by a user who wishes to connect to a group meeting according to the invention using a computer.
• Figure 2B is a flow chart of the actions to be taken by a user who wishes to connect to a group meeting according to the invention using a telephone.
• Figure 3 is a flow chart carried out by the computer program used to establish the group meeting. Detailed Description of Embodiments
• FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a group meeting according to the invention.
• the group meeting may be implemented in the Internet or in another IP based network.
• the network is referred to as the Internet in this document, with the understanding that the invention is not limited to the Internet.
• a PSTN network 1 is connected to an IP network 3 via a voice gateway 5.
• the IP network may be the Internet, a company Intranet or another type of network based on the Internet Protocol.
• a Personal Computer (PC) 7 is connected through a telephone line via a call-up connection to the IP network 3.
• Another PC 9 is connected directly to the IP network 3.
• Other computer types, such as workstations may be connected as well, in similar ways, which are common in the art.
• To join a group meeting the computers must have a microphone, and a headset or a loudspeaker.
• An ordinary telephone 11, connected to the PSTN network 1, may also be used to join the group meeting.
• IP network there are a number of web pages 13, to which each of the terminals 7, 9, 11 may connect.
• One web page 13 is adapted to connect whoever opens the web page to a multi-party conference unit 15.
• This web page 13 contains a computer program 17, which may be transmitted to the user's computer, designed to connect the user to a group meeting set up in the multi-party conference unit 15.
• the voice gateway 5 looks up the location of the multi-party conference unit 15 in the register unit 19 and establishes the connection this unit 15 through the IP network 3.
• a multi-party connection between the three terminals in Figure 1 is indicated by the dotted lines.
• the participants may communicate over the Internet.
• the computer users 7, 9 leave the web page.
• the telephone users 11 replace the hook on the telephone.
• a web meeting may take place in a number of different ways, for example by e-mail.
• Another solution is to store information about web meetings, time and date, and who is to participate, in a web page.
• This web page may also include the hyperlink to the web page 13 containing the program, for example the Java applet, which will be downloaded to the user's computer 7, 9 and connect the user to the multi-party conference unit 15.
• Information about ongoing conferences, for example a list of participants, may also be presented on a web page.
• Figure 2A is a flow chart of the actions to be taken by a computer user who wishes to join a group meeting according to the invention.
• Step S21 The user opens an Internet browser on the computer. Any Internet browser may be used, for example Netscape or Internet Explorer.
• Step S23 The user opens the web page specified for the meeting. This may be done in different ways. For example all concerned users may be informed about the address of the page by e-mail or a special web page may be designed to hold information about group meetings and hyperlinks to the appropriate web pages.
• Step S25 When the user wishes to leave the group meeting, he/she leaves the web page and automatically exits from the meeting.
• Figure 2B shows the actions taken when a telephone user wishes to join a group meeting according to the invention.
• Step S27 The user dials the telephone number specified for the group meeting.
• Step S28 The user is connected via the voice gateway to the multi-party conference unit for the meeting.
• Step S29 When the user wishes to leave the meeting, he/she hangs up on the telephone in the normal way.
• Figure 3 shows the actions taken by the computer program when a computer user opens the web page for the group meeting.
• Step S31 The program retrieves the user address, that is, the IP address or port number of the user. How to do this is well known in the art.
• Step S33 The program connects the user to the multi-party conference unit for the meeting.
• Step S35 When the user leaves the web page, the connection is automatically ended. This function is comprised as a plug in module in the web page, and is a standard procedure in browsers such as MS Internet Explorer and Netscape.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=20407465

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (13)

Citations (5)

• 1997
  • 1997-06-23 SE SE9702383A patent/SE514330C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1998
  • 1998-06-22 WO PCT/SE1998/001203 patent/WO1998059461A2/en active Application Filing
  • 1998-06-22 AU AU79498/98A patent/AU7949898A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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