Patent ID: 6671262
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
In an (IP) telephony network, a method for dynamically assigning conference call resources comprising the steps of:receiving from a terminal a request for access to an existing conference call utilizing conference call resources of a first server; receiving a first stream of a first plurality of IP packets from the terminal and a second stream of a second plurality of packets from a second terminal, each of the first and second streams utilizing an amount of bandwidth; combining the first plurality of IP packets with the second plurality of IP packets to generate a third plurality of IP packets; outputting the third stream of IP packets as a third stream of the third plurality of IP packets, the third stream utilizing an amount of bandwidth no greater than the amount of bandwidth utilized by either of the first and second streams; determining whether the first server has sufficient conference call resources to process a future internet protocol (IP) packet stream from the terminal in connection with the conference call; if the first server does not have sufficient conference call resources as determined in the step of determining, polling a second server to determine whether the second server has sufficient conference call resources to process the third IP packet stream from the first and second terminals in connection with the conference call; and if the second server has sufficient conference call resources as determined in the step of polling, instructing the terminal to direct the third IP packet stream to the second server, and instructing the first server and the second server to interwork with each other, thereby enabling the first and second terminals to be included in the existing conference call, and thereby eliminating a need for the conference call resources to be pre-scheduled.