Patent ID: 7181526
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. A method of announcing a description of one or more of a plurality of media stream connections for a media session over a communication network, the method using a modular description system which is capable of providing a distributed announcement containing links available to a user to other portions of the announcement which have not vet been transmitted, said method comprising: generating a session description comprising media oriented data necessary for a user to receive at least one media stream of a media session, said media oriented data identifying one or more application program components or requirements for one or more application programs or configurations of application program components necessary to participate in said media session; and, announcing the media session by making the session description available to potential recipients of the media session; wherein said media oriented data necessary for a user to receive each media stream is generated in one or more respective media modules within the session description; generating a first base module having a first data structure comprising user oriented data relevant to said plurality of media stream connections of the media session; generating a plurality of media modules each having a second data structure and comprising media oriented data necessary for a user to receive a respective media stream of said plurality of media stream connections of the media session, said data including a network address for the respective stream connection; providing links between the first base module and the media modules; and, announcing the media session by making at least the first base module available to users who are potential recipients of the media session, wherein the link between the first base module and the media module permits a user to request at least one media module and wherein said method includes, upon request from a user for one of said linked media modules, sending the requested media module to the requesting user, said user utilizing the stream address contained in said linked media module to subsequently receive the media stream.