Call Manager VoIP Gateway for Conferencing Cost Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for implementing telephone call back in multimedia conferencing platforms, such as Cisco's WebEx, are more expensive due to the involvement of telephony networks, making it costly for users to join audio conferences using telephone calls.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes a call manager function, like Cisco Unified Call Manager, to dynamically assign phone numbers to VoIP phones, allowing the meeting client to act as a gateway between the IP phone and the audio/video server, reducing the need for enterprise edge routers and lowering server computing power requirements, thereby decreasing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional telephony network is used for call back, then users can easily join audio conferences using telephone calls, but the operational costs become significantly higher
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional telephony network (PSTN) with a VoIP-based network system. The call manager and media server work together to establish voice connections over IP networks instead of conventional telephone networks, thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining ease of use for end users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a call manager as an intermediary component that dynamically assigns phone numbers and coordinates the connection process between users and the media server. This intermediary enables the system to manage VoIP connections efficiently, reducing costs while preserving the simple user experience of traditional call back.
2Power
If call manager dynamically assigns phone numbers to VoIP phones, then server computing power requirements are reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct functional components: a call manager responsible for dynamic phone number assignment and a media server responsible for audio processing. This segmentation distributes the computational load and allows each component to specialize, reducing overall server computing power requirements while managing complexity through clear separation of duties.
Solution Approach 2:
The call manager dynamically assigns phone numbers to VoIP phones based on current system state and user needs, rather than using static number assignments. This dynamic approach optimizes resource utilization and reduces computing power requirements on the media server, while the automation of the assignment process manages the inherent complexity.
3Device complexity
If meeting client acts as gateway between IP phone and audio/video server, then enterprise edge routers are no longer needed, but the client device burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The meeting client is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as a gateway between the IP phone and the media server, handles protocol translation, and manages connection coordination. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate enterprise edge routers, simplifying the network infrastructure while concentrating processing requirements in the client software rather than hardware appliances.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is described and in one embodiment includes receiving a request to participate in a web-based conferencing session using an IP phone, wherein the web-based conferencing session is hosted by a server; establishing an encrypted connection to the server; requesting network routing information for the IP phone from a call manager; receiving from the call manager the requested routing information; and establishing a connection with the IP phone using the received routing information. The method may further include embodiments in which the request to participate in the web-based conferencing session is initiated by a user via a client application executing on a computer device and in which the encrypted connection is established over an Internet.