METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LAUNCHING A COLLABORATION AMONG TELECONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is related to automatically forming a concurrent collaboration with an existing audio conference. (As used herein, references to the "present invention" or "invention" relate to exemplary embodiments and not necessarily to every embodiment encompassed by the appended claims.) More specifically, the present invention is related to automatically forming a concurrent collaboration with an existing audio conference using a database that associates the audio nodes or parties' audio addresses of a network with their corresponding computing addresses at an instruction of a single audio node or party.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention. The following discussion is intended to provide information to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that statements in the following discussion are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Two common elements of collaboration used in businesses today are conference calls and collaboration software for the sharing of computer based business applications. Conference calls typically rely on a conference bridge, whose function is to mix N number of audio calls into a single stream so that each participant can hear all other participants.

Collaboration software is generally used to share PC desktop applications between users who are geographically separate. Other solutions include emailing electronic files, but the collaboration software allows control of the content and distribution of information, and also allows each user to contribute to a single copy of a document or file.

Collaboration software often now also includes facility for point-to-point or even multipoint audio or audio/video calls. The problems with existing solutions are:

• audio bridges typically do not have a collaboration facility for the sharing and co-development of content

the audio & video portions of a collaboration software solution are based on IP-telephony, which precludes participation by persons who do not have Internet or corporate network access

any solution by a single vendor that might include all the elements above creates a lock for both parts of the solution.

A key element of this invention is that it decouples a unified communications solution (audio/video telephony and collaboration) from the technology used to deliver the capabilities. Collaboration can be initiated with a variety of vendors' offerings and participants using a variety of telephony technologies, even in the same session.

SUMMARY

The present invention pertains to a telecommunications system. The system comprises at least one communications network. The system comprises N audio nodes, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each audio node has a network location. Each audio node produces an audio stream for an audio conference between the N audio nodes through the network. The system comprises M computing nodes, where M is equal to or less than the N nodes. Each computing node has a network location. Each computing node produces a data stream. The system comprises a database having the network locations of the audio nodes and the computing nodes. The system comprises a controller in communication with the N audio nodes and the M computing modes which obtains the N audio node locations and M

computing node locations from each audio node and each computing node, and associates the N audio nodes with the M computing nodes through the database, and at an instruction of a single audio node, automatically forms a collaboration between the M computing nodes having a data stream to and from each computing node.

The present invention pertains to a method for communicating. The method comprises the steps of conducting an audio conference through a communications network between N parties, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer, each party having an audio network location, each party produces an audio stream for the audio conference between the N parties. There is the step of instructing by one of the parties to automatically form a collaboration between M of the parties, where M is equal to or less than the N parties. Each of the parties also has a computing network location. Each of the M parties produces a data stream. There is the step of forming automatically the collaboration between the M parties with a controller in communication with the parties through the network which obtains the N audio network locations and M computing network locations from each party and associates the N audio nodes with the M computing nodes through a database having the audio and computing network locations of the parties. The present invention pertains to a telecommunications system. The system comprises at least one communications network. The system comprises N audio nodes, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each audio node has a network location. Each audio node produces an audio stream for an audio conference between the N audio nodes through the network. The system comprises M computing nodes, where M is equal to or less than the N nodes, each computing node having a network location, each computing node produces a data stream. The system comprises a controller in communication with the N audio nodes and the M computing modes which obtains the N audio node locations and M computing node locations from each audio node and each computing node, and at an instruction of a single audio node, automatically forms a collaboration between the M computing nodes having a data stream from each computing node.

-A-

The present invention pertains to a telecommunications system. The system comprises at least one communications network. The system comprises N audio nodes, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each audio node has a network location. Each audio node produces an audio stream for an audio conference between the N audio nodes through the network. The system comprises M computing nodes, where M is equal to or less than the N nodes, each computing node having a network location, each computing node produces a data stream. The system comprises a database having the network locations of the audio nodes and the computing nodes. The system comprises a controller in communication with the N audio nodes and the M computing modes which obtains the N audio node locations and M computing node locations from the database, and at an instruction of a single audio node, automatically forms a collaboration between the M computing nodes having a data stream from each computing node. The present invention pertains to a telecommunications system. The system comprises at least one communications network. The system comprises N audio nodes, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each audio node has a network location. Each audio node produces an audio stream for an audio conference between the N audio nodes through the network. The system comprises M computing nodes, where M is equal to or less than the N nodes, each computing node having a network location, each computing node produces a data stream. The system comprises means for automatically forming a collaboration between the M computing nodes having a data stream from each computing node concurrently with the audio conference.

The present invention pertains to a method for communicating. The method comprises the steps of conducting an audio conference through a communications network between N parties, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer, each party having an audio network location. Each party produces an audio stream for the audio conference between the N parties. There is the step of instructing by one of the parties a controller to automatically form a collaboration between M of the parties, where M is equal

to or less than the N parties, each of the parties also having a computing network location, each of the M parties produces a data stream. There is the step of obtaining automatically by the controller the computing network locations from the M parties. There is the step of forming automatically the collaboration between the M parties with their data streams with the controller in communication with the parties through the network with the M computing network locations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, the preferred embodiment of the invention and preferred methods of practicing the invention are illustrated in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the present invention. Figure 2 is a system/process diagram of the present invention. Figure 3 is a system/process diagram of the installation and initialization of the application launcher.

Figure 4 is a diagram depicting the creation a database to correlate devices.

Figure 5 is a diagram depicting the creation of the correlating data. Figure 6 is a diagram depicting the passing of audio bridge and collaboration server identities to the launcher application.

Figure 7 is a diagram of where one user on a conference call requests and receives conference call participant information.

Figure 8 is a diagram of where the application launcher requests and receives collaboration session information.

Figure 9 is a diagram of where the application launcher passes call participant and collaboration session information to database, which resolves to PC identities and forwards that same information.

Figure 10 is a diagram of where the application launcher on all PC's initiate collaboration session using predetermined application.

Figure 11 is a system/process diagram of the installation and initialization of the application launcher.

Figure 12 is a diagram depicting the creation a database to correlate devices.

Figure 13 is a diagram depicting the creation of the correlating data.

Figure 14 is a diagram depicting the passing of audio bridge and collaboration server identities to the launcher application.

Figure 15 is a diagram of where one user on a conference call requests and receives conference call participant information.

Figure 16 is a diagram of where the application launcher passes call participant and which resolves PC identities and replies providing that information.

Figure 17 is a diagram of where the application launcher requests and receives collaboration session information.

Figure 18 is a diagram of where the application launcher forwards collaboration session information to PC's correlating to audio participants. Figure 19 is a diagram of where the application launcher on all PC's initiate collaboration session using predetermined application.

Figure 20 is a spreadsheet of the database.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to similar or identical parts throughout the several views, and more specifically to figure 1 thereof, there is shown a telecommunications system 10. The system 10 comprises at least one communications network. The system 10 comprises N audio nodes 14, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each audio node 14 has a network location. Each audio node 14 produces an audio stream for an audio conference between the N audio nodes 14 through the network. The system 10 comprises M computing nodes 16, where M is equal to or less than the N nodes. Each computing node 16 has a network location. Each computing node 16 produces a data stream. The system 10 comprises a database 18 having the network locations of the audio nodes 14 and the computing nodes 16. The system 10 comprises a controller 20 in communication with the N audio nodes 14 and the M computing modes which

obtains the N audio node 14 locations and M computing node 16 locations from each audio node 14 and each computing node 16, and associates the N audio nodes 14 with the M computing nodes 16 through the database 18, and at an instruction of a single audio node 14, automatically forms a collaboration between the M computing nodes 16 having a data stream from each computing node 16. It should be noted that the audio conference could also include video so there is a concurrent audio and video conference occurring with the collaboration session so data in the collaboration session is viewed while the parties are talking with and watching each other. For example, the audio and video conference can use the ViPr sold by Ericsson Inc. See also US patent application 10/114,402, incorporated by reference herein. It also should be noted that a collaboration session is usually a single device producing a data stream and the others receiving. But even the receiving stations of the collaboration session are sending acknowledgements, etc., and so are in fact sending data.

The network can include a first network 12 through which the audio nodes 14 communicate and conduct the audio conference, and a second network 22 through which the computing nodes 16 communicate and conduct the collaboration. Preferably, the controller 20 checks which audio nodes 14 are on the audio conference when the collaboration is formed.

The present invention pertains to a method for communicating. The method comprises the steps of conducting an audio conference through a communications network between N parties, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer, each party having an audio network location, each party produces an audio stream for the audio conference between the N parties. There is the step of instructing by one of the parties to automatically form a collaboration between M of the parties, where M is equal to or less than the N parties. Each of the parties also has a computing network location. Each of the M parties produces a data stream. There is the step of forming automatically the collaboration between the M parties with a controller 20 in communication with the parties through the network which obtains the N audio network locations and M computing network locations from each party and

associates the N audio nodes 14 with the M computing nodes 16 through a database 18 having the audio and computing network locations of the parties.

The present invention pertains to a telecommunications system 10. The system 10 comprises at least one communications network. The system 10 comprises N audio nodes 14, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each audio node 14 has a network location. Each audio node 14 produces an audio stream for an audio conference between the N audio nodes 14 through the network. The system 10 comprises M computing nodes 16, where M is equal to or less than the N nodes, each computing node 16 having a network location, each computing node 16 produces a data stream. The system 10 comprises a controller 20 in communication with the N audio nodes 14 and the M computing modes which obtains the N audio node 14 locations and M computing node 16 locations from each audio node 14 and each computing node 16, and at an instruction of a single audio node 14, automatically forms a collaboration between the M computing nodes 16 having a data stream from each computing node 16.

The present invention pertains to a telecommunications system 10. The system 10 comprises at least one communications network. The system 10 comprises N audio nodes 14, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each audio node 14 has a network location. Each audio node 14 produces an audio stream for an audio conference between the N audio nodes 14 through the network. The system 10 comprises M computing nodes 16, where M is equal to or less than the N nodes, each computing node 16 having a network location, each computing node 16 produces a data stream. The system 10 comprises a database 18 having the network locations of the audio nodes 14 and the computing nodes 16. The system 10 comprises a controller 20 in communication with the N audio nodes 14 and the M computing modes which obtains the N audio node 14 locations and M computing node 16 locations from the database 18, and at an instruction of a single audio node 14, automatically forms a collaboration between the M computing nodes 16 having a data stream from each computing node 16.

The present invention pertains to a telecommunications system 10. The system 10 comprises at least one communications network. The system 10 comprises N audio nodes 14, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each audio node 14 has a network location. Each audio node 14 produces an audio stream for an audio conference between the N audio nodes 14 through the network. The system 10 comprises M computing nodes 16, where M is equal to or less than the N nodes, each computing node 16 having a network location, each computing node 16 produces a data stream. The system 10 comprises means for automatically forming a collaboration between the M computing nodes 16 having a data stream from each computing node 16 concurrently with the audio conference. The means can include a database 18 and a controller 20.

The present invention pertains to a method for communicating. The method comprises the steps of conducting an audio conference through a communications network between N parties, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer, each party having an audio network location. Each party produces an audio stream for the audio conference between the N parties. There is the step of instructing by one of the parties a controller 20 to automatically form a collaboration between M of the parties, where M is equal to or less than the N parties, each of the parties also having a computing network location, each of the M parties produces a data stream. There is the step of obtaining automatically by the controller 20 the computing network locations from the M parties. There is the step of forming automatically the collaboration between the M parties with their data streams with the controller 20 in communication with the parties through the network with the M computing network locations.

In the operation of the invention, when three or more people are in a audio or audio/video teleconference it is often desirable to launch a PC (personal computer) application in order to discuss or illustrate a point. This invention describes a technique for a single conference participant to launch a common (i.e. commercially available) collaboration package among conference users, simplifying the process for establishing such a collaborative session.

The process for one-click (of a mouse, or a key or an input device, for instance) launching of a collaboration session includes one user/party/node activating a launch command on his conference terminal or PC. The command causes a process to execute on the conference bridge, on the user's PC, or on the telephony terminal. The program to be executed:

1. establishes a reservation contact with the collaboration server,

2. requests an immediate virtual meeting place, 3. receives a confirming message containing session identification and login information,

4. parses this information into an executable string of information, and

5. distributes this information to PC's associated with the telephony device.

The PC's belonging to the users in the call then executes the string to establish a collaboration session that corresponds to the users involved in the call in progress. Users without PC's can be excluded, but in general the number of users in this collaboration session includes only users involved in the corresponding audio call.

The method for identifying the association between PC's and telephony devices is accomplished through referral to a database 18 that is compiled to determine associations among computer and telephony devices. Conference participants connect to one another through a conference bridge, whose function is to mix the audio streams so that all participants can be heard amongst each other. The act of joining a conference through a bridge or conference host creates a known, finite list of participants who can be identified through a variety of means:

User Name

Caller ID information from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)

Caller extension for a Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

MAC (Media Access Control) address from a network attached (e.g. Ethernet) device

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) URI (Universal Resource Identifier)

IP (Internet Protocol) address

H.323 Alias • Other alias

Similarly, the users' PC's also contain unique identifiers, such as:

User Name • MAC (Media Access Control) address from a network attached

(e.g. Ethernet) device

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) URI (Universal Resource Identifier)

IP (Internet Protocol) address • H.323 Alias

Other alias

The database 18 containing one or more of these identifiers builds an association among these identifiers and allows a client application on the PC to register the PC as that belonging to a specific user or telephony device.

The PC client application is a logically separate process whose "job" is to:

register its active availability with the database 18, • listen for incoming calls, and launch collaboration sessions if that process is terminal-based and not centrally located.

Examples of common collaboration software:

Microsoft Live Meeting IBM Lotus Sametime • Adobe Connect

The database 18 is created to correlate the audio devices (N) and the computing devices (M). This database 18 consists of fields for common identifying attributes of both devices (e.g. telephone numbers for audio devices and MAC addresses or IP addresses for computing devices). The database 18 should contain at least one field that allows the correlation of the two devices. In the simplest form, and as an example, the user could register the computing device to the database 18 (allowing the capture of the IP address or MAC address) by entering his telephone number into the launcher application on the computing device, allowing the launcher device to build a record in the database 18 containing the user's telephone number (which in turn would be used to enter into a conference call) and the IP or MAC address of the computer he intends to use for collaboration. A static alternative is to build a database 18 correlating all known possible identifying "addresses" in advance of any call/session. Note: this is in essence what is demonstrated in figure 21 of the database 18, where a username has many possible phone numbers, SIP URI ¹ S, IP addresses, etc. for both the audio devices of the user and the computing devices.

The computing nodes 16 and the audio nodes 14 can be on completely separate networks, as long as the database 18 can communicate on each. This would likely be the case when the phones are on the PSTN and connecting to an audio bridge that can depict the users on a specific conference call through a web browser (this is common). That information can be parsed either from the HTML data or from an XML API, if available. One of the key aspects of this invention is that it decouples a unified communications solution (audio/video telephony and collaboration) from the technology used to deliver the capabilities. Collaboration can be initiated with a

variety of vendors' offerings and participants using a variety of telephony technologies, even in the same session. The term decoupling is the fact that most applications for collaboration, if they include a facility for voice, would offer both as an integrated solution. The decoupling here refers to the fact that this invention provides an association between two applications from two or more different manufacturers.

Figures 4-11 show the process flow for "push" from the database 18 and works access network boundaries.

Figures 12-20 show an alternate flow process for peer-to-peer, with no server activity, just the database 18 only.

The problems with existing solutions are:

audio bridges typically do not have a collaboration facility for the sharing and co-development of content, • the audio & video portions of a collaboration software solution are based on IP-telephony, which precludes participation by persons who do not have Internet or corporate network access, and any solution by a single vendor that might include all the elements above creates a lock for both parts of the solution.

The ViPr system currently sold by Ericsson Inc. provides a portion of this invention. There is a small application that is loaded on the PC that provides the association with a ViPr logged in — the same username and password is used as is used to log into the ViPr terminal. This provides the simple association. One of the additional elements of this invention in one embodiment is the addition of a database 18 of possible matches as described herein.

The database 18 is added either pre-defining known identifies of telephony terminals or by providing those as part of the Application Launcher initialization (startup). The existing ViPr terminal (audio/video telephony) is decoupled from the application running on the PC; however, the launcher here registers the presence of the associated PC with the ViPr Application Server, which serves as the database 18 in the invention discussed herein.

There are three primary elements to the database 18: an indexing field

(such as user name), a series of possible identity fields for telephony devices, and a series of possible identity fields for the computing devices. Only one of each is necessary, but more than one may be used. Many are provided as examples.

The second limitation of the current ViPr solution is that it is limited to launching a single application - Microsoft Netmeeting. The new technique here extends the applications that can be launched to multiple applications. The present invention allows for multiple applications. It allows for multiple applications by virtue of the fact that by choosing the enterprise's "corporate standard" version, the application then knows what commands are used to communicate with it.

Many current collaboration applications have API's available for developers, for instance, Adobe (for Acrobat Connect). It contains specific step- by-step instructions for requesting, receiving, parsing and then launching of their browser-based solution by third-party applications. In order for the present invention to extend it is necessary for the Application to contain the communications instructions for each different collaboration system 10 to be supported. Since there is no standard for this, each one is individually defined within the Application. Then when the administrator installing the database 18 application identifies the vendor's collaboration solution used in his enterprise, the proper communication protocols are used. These are likely to change over time, so some amount of ongoing maintenance will be required as enterprises upgrade their software tools. The third limitation of current solutions (including ViPr) is that the telephony portion of the solution relating to this invention is limited to IP telephony. The invention extends this to include several other telephony types and allows diverse types to be used simultaneously. The method for identifying diverse telephony types is one of the purposes of the database 18 application which contains the multiple fields for identification. This is a one-way communication, since once the telephony units' identity is known in some form, neither the database 18 nor the application on the PC's needs to communicate

further with the audio bridge. This can work better or worse depending on the ability of the audio bridge to identify conference participants, but that identification is well known in the art - it is a capability inherent in the third party applications and is usually available to users in various forms, such as HTML code for a web application (user interface) or XML for computer-to- computer communications.

Conference bridges can identify callers and provide that information to participants in a variety of methods, including a readout of the participants (phone numbers.) This information can be used by the PC application to resolve the participants to their PC's.

The elements of the database 18 are as follows.

1. Fields for identification of the audio bridge host and collaboration host so that these can be centrally configured and passed to the Application during initialization between the Application and the database 18.

2. A database 18 providing a correlation of audio devices and computing devices. These can be pre-made or can be built dynamically by initializing the Application against the database 18 and providing audio device identifying elements and computing device identifying elements at that time. 3. In a server-driven application the database 18 server device must also be capable (a) of receiving audio conference participant data and collaboration session information from the Application on the PC initiating the collaboration session; (b) parsing that information into a message for the PCs associated with audio call participants; (c) sending the instruction containing collaboration session information to the Application on those PC's.

The essential elements of the Application:

1. Application is installed on PC's for the purpose of launching data collaboration. This data collaboration is a third party application and may be browser-based or a dedicated application.

2. Application is initialized and seeks entry of identifying information. This information may be manually entered or may be available on the PC (e.g. login credentials or IP address can be queried from the system 10). Manual entry may include the telephone identity (e.g. telephone number, PBX extension, or SIP URI) to be used in audio conference. By providing at least one identifying element from each the audio device and the computing device, a correlation can be established on the database 18.

3. Identifying information is transmitted to, and entered into, the database 18. 4. Bridge sends, and Application receives, the identification of the audio bridge host and collaboration host.

5. Application contains an executable command that initiates a query to the audio bridge for the identities of conference participants.

5a. Application contains instructions for retrieving this information from the audio bridge based on supplying proper information to identify the specific conference that it wants information about.

6. Application parses the information received and puts it into a query sent to the database 18.

7. Application contains an executable command that requests then receives collaboration session information from the collaboration server.

8. Application sends a query to the database 18 containing the audio conference participant data (and in a server-based model also the collaboration session information).

9. In a peer-to-peer model, the application receives the response from the database 18 and parses information about the computing devices correlating to devices in the audio conference into individual messages.

9a. In a peer-to-peer model, the application sends a message to the other PC's associated with audio call participants containing collaboration session information. 10. Applications receiving collaboration session information uses stored instructions for which collaboration session to launch as well as how to launch a collaboration session.

11. Application runs in "standby" mode while not in use, and responds to instruction from server or peer applications in order to launch collaboration sessions.

The advantages of the approach taken by this invention are:

Creates an association between a voice or voice/video conference and a collaboration session

Works with a variety of conference bridges and telephony technology

Vendor independent for the collaboration software used Eliminates the need to schedule a collaboration session in advance

Eliminates the need to manually distribute collaboration session information or to wait for the collaboration server to distribute the session information via email

Allows an initiator to start a collaboration session with one click and requires no action on the part of the receivers (unless login authentication is required for security purposes)

This order of events is the antithesis of some features commonly included in commercially available collaboration software that allows a collaboration event to be scheduled and launched, and then subsequently begins an audio or audio/video dialog.

Abbreviations

PC - Personal computer. Used to generally describe a platform used for computing applications and not necessary x86 platforms

PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network Caller ID - Caller Identification information showing originating caller's phone number and sometimes name

PBX- Private Branch Exchange

MAC address - Media Access Control address SIP - Session Initiation Protocol IP - Internet Protocol

H.323 Alias - Unique common name assigned to devices used in H.323- signalled calls

Although the invention has been described in detail in the foregoing embodiments for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be described by the following claims.