VOIP conferencing

Abstract

A VoIP-based conferencing system readily handles different protocols, load balance media resources and deals with fail-over situations. The VOIP conferencing system has a gateway coupled to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). A Voice Server Director (VSD) is coupled to the gateway and performs the control function of the conferencing system. The VSD has a back-to-back user agent. The VSD controls a media server, which mixes the audio (signals), and the media server receives the data portion of a conference call from the gateway. The media server is coupled to a bridge that controls an on-going conference.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a VOIP conferencing system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a distributed VOIP conferencing system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a distributed conference using a distributed VOIP conferencing system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a call flow diagram for a typical PSTN conference participant in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a call flow diagram for a typical native VOIP conference participant in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A conferencing system, comprising: a conference control system;a media server mixing a plurality of media data streams and controlled by the conference control system; anda plurality of conference participants creating the plurality of media data streams, wherein the plurality of conference participants have at least two different initial media data formats.

2. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the at least two different initial media format include a public switched telephone network format and a voice over internet protocol format.

3. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the conference control system includes a voice services director having a back-to-back user agent and is in communication with the media server.

4. The conferencing system of claim 3, wherein the conference control system includes a gateway that is coupled to the public switched telephone network and converts a public switch telephone format into a control data format and a media data format, wherein the control data format is coupled to the voice services director.

5. The conferencing system of claim 4, wherein there are a plurality of media servers.

6. The conferencing system of claim 5, wherein the conference control system performs a load balancing routine among the plurality of media servers.

7. A method of operating a conferencing system, comprising the steps of: a) dividing an incoming conference call into a control data stream and a media data stream;b) terminating the control data stream at a first user agent of a voice services director; andc) originating a second control data stream at a second user agent of the voice services director.

8. The method of claim 7, further including the steps of: d) directing the media data stream to a media server;e) directing the second control data stream to the media server.

9. The method of claim 8, further including the steps of: f) receiving a passcode from the incoming conference call at the voice service director;g) checking if the passcode is valid with the dialog database server.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of: h) when the passcode is valid, redirecting the first control data stream to a first user agent of a bridge.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the step of: i) connecting a second user agent of the bridge to the media server.

12. The method of claim 10, further including the step of: i) connecting a second user agent of the bridge to a second media server.

13. The method of claim 8, further including the steps of: f) determining if the media server is in a failure mode;g) when the media server is in the failure mode, rerouting the second control data stream to a second media server.

14. A conferencing system, comprising: a network; anda plurality of VoIP conferencing centers coupled to the network.

15. The system of claim 14, further including a gateway coupling to the public switched telephone network to the network.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of VoIP conferencing centers has a proxy server.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of VoIP conferencing centers has a plurality of media servers.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of VoIP conference centers has a plurality of bridges.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of VoIP conference centers has a plurality of voice service directors.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of voice service directors has a back-to-back user agent.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of bridges has a back-to-back user agent.

22. The system of claim 14, further including a back office coupled to the network.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of VoIP conferencing centers has a software distributed cache.

24. A method of operating a conferencing system, comprising the steps of: a) dividing an incoming conference call into a control data stream and a media data stream; andb) playing a specific greeting, based on a customer defining code.