Patent ID: 6782413
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for creating a set of connections for a distributed conference bridge, including a first conference bridge and a physically distinct second conference bridge, joining a set of participants in a single conference, the method comprising the steps of:configuring a communications controller for an internal communications system, the configuring step comprising identifying the second conference bridge; connecting participants to the first conference bridge until a threshold of connected participants is reached; establishing a conference connection between the first conference bridge and the second conference bridge; issuing a redirection command causing conference participants to be directed to the second conference bridge; and providing a terminal abstraction, interposed between functional resources of a conference bridge application and end-devices, to provide the functional resources in a manner tailored to individual ones of a variety of user interfaces, including graphical and voice user interfaces, the terminal abstraction comprising: a graphical user interface terminal abstraction component interposed between the functional resources and a first end-device supporting a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface terminal abstraction component transforming messages from the first end-device to a generic format expected by the functional resources, the graphical user interface terminal abstraction component further transforming messages from the functional resources to a first end-device format expected by the first end-device; and a voice user interface terminal abstraction component interposed between the functional resources and a second end-device supporting a voice user interface, the voice user interface terminal abstraction component transforming messages from the second end-device to a generic format expected by the functional resources, the voice user interface terminal abstraction component further transforming messages from the functional resources to a second end-device format expected by the second end-device.