Multimedia Session Management via Endpoint Status Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current multimedia conferencing technologies make it difficult to establish impromptu multimedia communication sessions, requiring advance scheduling and complex setup, which hampers spontaneous upgrades or additions of multimedia capabilities and users.
Innovation Solution
A managing module (MM) is integrated into an IP server to facilitate the establishment of multimedia communication sessions by managing user endpoints, buddy lists, and Multipoint Control Units (MCUs), allowing for instant messaging and XML/HTML API communication to manage connections and status updates, enabling easy setup of impromptu conferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If advance scheduling and manual setup procedures are used to establish multimedia conferences, then conference organization and control are improved, but the complexity of establishing impromptu sessions increases and user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing users to automatically establish multimedia conferences without manual scheduling. The endpoint autonomously selects available users from buddy lists, determines connection methods, and manages session establishment based on predefined preferences and real-time availability, eliminating the need for manual conference organization while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Users pre-configure their preferences including buddy lists, connection methods, and fallback options before needing to establish a conference. This preliminary setup enables the system to automatically execute the conference establishment process when triggered, resolving the contradiction between automated convenience and organized control
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple users and multimedia capabilities are added to existing communication sessions, then communication versatility is improved, but the complexity of session management and setup increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts session configurations by automatically detecting user availability and capability changes in real-time. The endpoint continuously monitors buddy list status and dynamically selects appropriate connection methods and participants, allowing versatile multimedia addition without increasing management complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary endpoint that acts as a mediator between users and the network infrastructure. This intermediary automatically manages the complexity of adding multimedia capabilities and users by handling protocol selection, connection establishment, and resource allocation, shielding users from underlying system complexity
3Reliability
If automated status checking and connection management are implemented, then impromptu session establishment success rate is improved, but system processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial status checking by monitoring only essential parameters such as user availability and endpoint status rather than comprehensive system states. This selective monitoring approach maintains high session establishment success rates while minimizing unnecessary processing load on the network and devices
Data Source
AI summary
Multimedia communication systems and methods are disclosed. An exemplary system comprises a server adapted to communicate with two or more multimedia endpoints; and a MCU adapted to communicate with the at least one server and the multimedia endpoints, wherein the server contains a module for instructing the multimedia endpoints to call a dial number for the MCU to establish a multimedia conference in response to a requested list of multimedia endpoints received from one of the multimedia endpoints. An exemplary method for establishing a multimedia conference comprises receiving at a server from a first endpoint a requested list of second endpoints desired to participate in the multimedia session; reviewing at the server the status of the second endpoints; and if the status of a particular second endpoint is an available status, instructing at least some of the available second endpoints to call a dial number for a MCU to participate in the multimedia conference. A further exemplary method allows for a determination to be made whether a multipoint or point-to-point conference is required, and allows a user to leave a message for users who unavailable to participate in the conference.