Patent ID: 7573498
Filing Date: 2009-08-11
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for enabling a television-service subscriber to participate in a video-communication session, the method comprising: receiving a command in a television host device to participate in a video-communication session; and based on the command, transmitting a request through a television-service-provider network to a first network entity, said first network entity being operable to receive a plurality of requests to participate in a video-communication session from a plurality of video-communication endpoints, wherein at least one of the video-communication endpoints is the television host device communicating through a television-service-provider network and at least one of the video-communication endpoints communicates through a video-conference-service-provider network separate from the television-service-provider network, wherein the first network entity forwards the request to a second network entity, and wherein the request causes the second network entity to establish a video-communication session between the television host device and at least one video-communication endpoint communicating via the video-conference-provider network separate from the television-service-provider network.