Abstract:
An application service provider (ASP) environment for conferencing makes conference hosting capability available to a wider user audience, at a cost that is economical for less-frequent users. In the ASP environment, users in the form of individuals and/or group customers lease conferencing capability from a host. The host ASP provides the conferencing hardware and software at a remote host site, and provides an interface in the form of standalone software installed on the user computer, or in the form of a web-based environment. Users access the host ASP electronically via dial-in or web-based interface and following an initial registration procedure, can schedule and administer conferences remotely, according to individual needs. Provisions are made for popular instant messenger applications, wherein a user can immediately invite another registered user to participate in a conference. Further optional features include user email, video mail, voice mail and calendar features, as well as wireless capability, including voice participation in a conference via wireless telephone.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    As Internet-based telephony and conferencing applications continue to gain in popularity, there is an ever-increasing demand for affordable conferencing solutions. Currently, hosting a conference involves a large amount of overhead in terms of hardware, software, and support personnel. A powerful server is required, for example one which is capable of handling the extremely high-bandwidth distribution of video and audio data between conference participants. Additionally, sophisticated conferencing software is required at the server for enabling and managing the conference. Further, support personnel are necessary for administering the conference and maintaining the server, with periodic software upgrades as necessary. For these, and other, reasons, the hosting of video conferences has traditionally involved a high financial cost.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for hosting conferences that overcomes the limitations of conventional configurations. In particular, the present invention provides an application service provider (ASP) environment for hosting conferences. In this manner, conferencing is made available to a wider user audience, at a cost that is economical for less-frequent users.  
           [0003]    In the application service provider environment of the present invention, users in the form of individuals and/or group customers lease conferencing capability from a host. The host ASP provides the conferencing hardware and software at a remote host site, and provides an interface in the form of standalone software installed on the user computer, or in the form of a web-based environment. Users access the host ASP electronically via dial-in or web-based interface and following an initial registration procedure, can schedule and administer conferences remotely, according to individual needs. Provisions are made for popular instant messenger applications, wherein a user can immediately invite another registered user to participate in a conference. Additional optional features include user email, voice mail and calendar features, client billing and tracking, as well as wireless capability, including voice participation in a conference via wireless telephone.  
           [0004]    In a first embodiment, the present invention is directed to a system for remote conferencing. The system includes a user interface for transmitting and receiving conferencing data. The conferencing data includes a request for conferencing services. A host in remote communication with the user interface provides for conferencing services. The host includes a bank of conferencing services, and allocates the conferencing services to the user interface in A response to the user request. The host provides the allocated conferencing services to the user interface to enable transmission and reception of the conferencing data.  
           [0005]    In a preferred embodiment, the conferencing data comprises command data and audio/video conferencing data. A first application programmatic interface may be provided at the user interface for generating the command data and a second application programmatic interface may be provided at the host, the first and second application programmatic interfaces being adapted for sending and receiving the command data.  
           [0006]    The user interface may further comprise an instant messenger function for inviting secondary users to participate in a conference, and for receiving invitations from secondary users to participate in a conference. The host may further include an instant messenger function for initiating and managing instant messenger activity between user interfaces registered for such activity.  
           [0007]    The user interface and the host are preferably coupled to, and exchange the conferencing data over, a data transmission medium, for example the Internet. The user interface may comprise a web-based interface including a web page environment generated by the host and provided to the user interface, or, optionally, may comprise a web-based interface including a web page environment generated by a third party and provided to the user interface.  
           [0008]    The host preferably includes a conference service allocator for allocating the conferencing services according to resource demands required for a conference. The host may further include an instant messenger function for managing instant messenger activity between user interfaces registered for such activity. The host may further include a user directory for cataloging registered user interfaces for instant messenger activity. The host may further include service functions selected from the group of service functions consisting of: user calendar; user email; conference service news; and wireless links. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conferencing architecture and method in accordance with the present invention, illustrating the use of a remote application service provider for hosting a conference.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an application service provider for the configuration of FIG. 1, in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is an example web-based user interface, in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]    Sophisticated hardware and software currently exists for providing voice and video communications, conferencing, and infrastructure based on these technologies, to individuals, companies, and service providers. The present invention enables such users to benefit from enhanced communications without incurring the costs associated with the design, infrastructure, and administration of these services. By leveraging the services and infrastructure of a mature conferencing provider, users are able to focus on their core competencies while benefitting from enhanced, integrated communications services.  
         [0014]    With reference to FIG. 1, a distributed conferencing configuration  99  includes a variety of users  100 A- 100 F, including both individual, or personal, users  106 , and group users  108 . The users  100  are preferably interfaced with the Internet  104  for bidirectional communication of conferencing control data (indicated by solid lines  116 ) and audio/video conferencing data (indicated by dashed lines  118 ). Conference hosting hardware and software, referred to herein as conferencing resources  112 , are hosted at, and managed by, a conferencing application service provider  110 , remote to the users  100 , and likewise coupled to the Internet  104  for bidirectional communication of control data  128  and conferencing data  130 .  
         [0015]    The users  100  are of various types and may utilize any of a number of interfaces. Personal users  106  may comprise individuals with a desire to create private group audio, data and video conferences, without the expense and overhead of owning and maintaining their own conference resources. The group users  108  may comprise customers such as portal sites or community sites that purchase conference resource availability in bulk and maintain responsibility for providing the conferencing interface to, and handling registration and billing of, their own customers. Alternatively, a group user  108  may comprise a corporation or group that rents or leases conference resources from the host in bulk, and make the resources available to employees, either via a corporate-specific interface that keeps track of internal allocation of resources, conference scheduling and billings, or through a web interface provided by the host ASP  110 .  
         [0016]    In a first example, the user may comprise an individual user  100 A using a private, third-party instant messaging server  98 . In this instance, the user  100 A would first register with the host ASP, for example providing contact name and billing information. A particular service is requested, for example a pay-as-you-go or subscriber model service. once registered, the user  100 A is provided a conferencing “add-on” from the host ASP, which provides the user with an application programmatic interface (API)  102  which includes a library of commands necessary for scheduling, initiating, and modifying conferences. The user API  102  provides command data  116  to a similar host API  104  via the Internet  103 . The host ASP  110 , in turn validates the user information, schedules and/or allocates the conferencing resources  112  for the user at the host conference service allocator  114 , and establishes a conferencing data link  130 ,  118  between the conferencing resources  112 , the user  100 A and any invited guests. In the case of the individual user  100 A example using a third party instant messaging server  98 , the invitees may comprise other users of that same third party service.  
         [0017]    In another example, the individual user  100 B may comprise an instant messaging user utilizing instant messaging resources available from the ASP  110  instant messaging utility  122 . In this case, the user  100 B registers for conferencing service, as above, but additionally registers for instant messaging capability with the host ASP  110 . Upon registration, the ASP  110  instant messaging utility  122  provides the host API  102  information and instant messaging plug-ins to the user interface  100 B, in order to make the user&#39;s interface compatible with the ASP  110 . The user  100 B initiates a conference by inviting other instant messaging participants registered with the ASP  110 , and in response, the ASP  110  allocates conferencing resources  112  in accordance with the instant messaging request. In this case, the instant messaging server  122  is located at the ASP, and an instant messaging data link  124 ,  126  is created through the Internet interface  103 .  
         [0018]    In a third example, the individual user  100 C may comprise a user gaining access to the ASP through a web site provided by the host ASP  110 . The web site may prompt a new user  100 C for registration and billing information, and provides login access for registered users. Once registered, a user is provided with an add-on, including an API command interface  102 , as described above. The user  100 C may be provided with a fully supported web page, including conferencing capability built into the page, as shown and described below with reference to FIG. 3, or, at the user&#39;s option, only conferencing information is returned to the user, through the user API  102 , and the conferencing environment type is chosen by the user  100 C.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is an example web-based user interface  146 , illustrating the types of services that may be provided by the host ASP  110  to individual and group users  106 ,  108 , in accordance with the present invention. The web interface  146  includes a user calendar, for example maintained and updated at the ASP  110 , for providing a user with a schedule of upcoming conferences and other user-defined scheduling information. An e-mail  150  and news  152  service may also be provided. A conference window  156  includes video images  158  of conference participants, along with active textual chat  160  and audio data streams transmitted over the computer speakers. Returning to FIG. 1, examples of group users  108  include a web-page-based group user  100 D,  100 E wherein a group customer, such as a portal or corporation, provides access to group members via a web-based interface, in a manner similar to the individual user web interface  100 C described above. In the group-user case, however, depending on the type of service purchased, the group customer, for example user  100 E, may be responsible for creating and maintaining its own web pages. In this case, the group customer  100 E is provided with the API  102  information required for interfacing with the host API  104 . Alternatively, the host ASP  110  may provide the interface for the group  100 D, which may be customized by the group customer to provide the particular group “look and feel” to the group user.  
         [0020]    In another group user example, a group may choose to operate under a third-party conferencing environment  100 F, in which case, the group interfaces with the host ASP through API interfaces  102 ,  104 . The group is responsible for operating and maintaining its own conferencing environment, and the host provides the API interface  102  and allocates conference resources according to the group resource subscription. Alternatively, group users may take the form of ASP-hosted instant messaging applications or third-party instant messaging applications, as described above in the context of individual users.  
         [0021]    The application service provider  110  includes resources related to personal and group communications services, including conference rooms, user tracking services, instant messaging services, optional instant messaging user directory, and a conference service allocator.  
         [0022]    The building blocks of the present ASP configuration, upon which all services are built, are the conference room and the personal and group communications services. A conference room may be public or private, a basic or premium level, “buddy-chat” or “group chat”, for example. The ASP configuration offers these variation in bulk quantities for the end users, which, as described above may include Internet service providers, portals, and corporations.  
         [0023]    The ASP structure of the present invention serves to map high-level services onto low-level technology resources, for example a permanent public video chat room may be mapped onto a configured conference, or a permanent personal conference identification may be mapped onto a dynamic conference or a messaging service. It is this infrastructure that manages allocation and configuration of resources such as conference servers and ports, messaging services, streaming services, gateways, and the like, for example by conference service allocator  114 . Such management may be static, allocating permanent resources, or alternatively dynamic, allocating resources for a designated time period. Resource allocation methods may operate with singular services, or bulk services.  
         [0024]    Initially, a user may register for service, for example using customer administration tools loaded on a stand-alone computer, or a web-based system, as described above. Registration information may include the following: company name and address, contact information, billing information, authorized monthly charge limit, and an administrative password. Purchasing may be accomplished via a generic web page that requests the customer account number and password and displays available services and purchase-time options. Notification of purchase services may be sent via email.  
         [0025]    Conference rooms may be rented on a long term basis, for example monthly, on-demand as needed, or by schedule, for example at a specified time, date, and duration. Conference rooms may be published or unpublished, and may be designated “open”, where any registered user may join in the conference, or “protected”, where only certain invited users may participate. A conference room publishing service may provide a sign up sheet for scheduling and publishing of available conferences. The conference room service is capable of supporting layered ASP services, for example instant messaging, as described above, and further supports personal communications that extend the conferencing environment to include traditional telephony capabilities. For example, incoming conference calls can be dynamically routed to a user&#39;s personal computer, telephone, or wireless device via gatekeepers, gateways, IP/PBXs, and directory services. Enhanced features such as call forwarding, caller ID and filtering, and call merging may be further provided.  
         [0026]    In a preferred embodiment, the ASP offers many or all of these pre-configured high-level services for the conferencing environment. Most options are selected at the time of purchase of the service, therefore dynamic configuration is minimal. Purchase-time options may include the video chat room name and size, the video chat room password for access to the chat rooms&#39; schedule and reservations, the chat room bandwidth, environment, and video and sound quality of the conference.  
         [0027]    Conference room services may permit users to establish small group conferences and collaborative conferences on-demand. Designated conference participants are notified by the ASP, and connected to scheduled conferences at start time. Streaming services are preferably available for conference recording and playback, and for live broadcast of conferences. Services include, for example, whiteboarding (simultaneous modification of a graphic or textual presentation), application sharing (simultaneous operation of a shared singe instance of an application), web touring (concurrent navigation of web pages), moderation (moderator determines when and how participants interact with the conference), and group polling (real-time question and answer sessions).  
         [0028]    A publishing service is preferably provided to the ASP customer including a mechanism for reserving and viewing reservations of a conference room rented by the customer. The service is preferably provided via a password-protected URL specific to the customer in the conference room. First and second tiers of authentication protect first, access to the conference room from access by other ASP customers, and second, ensures that only authorized end-users enter a reserved conference.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a host ASP  110 . The ASP  110  preferably provides for personal services  140  and group services  142  for the benefit of individual and group users, as described above. Conferencing commands are received at an API interface  120  via command lines  128 , coupled to the Internet  103 . The personal and group services  140 ,  142  include associated conferencing resources  112 , which are allocated by a conference service allocator  114 , based on the command data. Once established, a conference utilizing the conferencing resources communicates conference data to participants over the Internet  103 , via a conference data link  130 .  
         [0030]    The host ASP  110  further includes an instant messaging service  160  for providing audio, video, and textual instant messaging capabilities, as described above. An instant messaging data link  124  communicates instant messaging command data to and from users via the Internet  103 . The instant messaging service  160  further communicates with the personal and group services  140 ,  142  and resources  112 , to ensure instant messaging support by the host resources  112 .  
         [0031]    A user directory  162  is provided to assist users in locating other users, events and conferences, and to manage calls and events. User registration information is maintained and updated, user profile information is maintained, and presence information related to whether a given user is online or offline is stored. Further capabilities for user-specified buddy lists, search capabilities involving conferences, and search capabilities to locate users and events are also made available to users. Personal services such as user-defined automated calling and scheduling, for example using personal information managers and online calendar services enhance the user experience. Further services, such as authentication of users, usage tracking and billing, and conference schedule publishing ensure system security and profitability.  
         [0032]    By distributing the conferencing architecture to remove the expense and overhead involved in operating and maintaining the conferencing server software and hardware, a novel conferencing configuration is achieved, in a manner that makes audio, video, and textual conferencing, as well as other communication tools, such as voice mail, video mail, email, etc., available to a wider audience of users. The conferencing system and method of the present invention are flexible according to user needs, as they allow individual users to have access to conferencing capability on an as-needed basis, and allows group users to lease conferencing resources on a bulk basis, according to each customer&#39;s needs. Full-service conferencing capabilities are thus achieved in a manner that is economical for both user and host ASP.  
         [0033]    While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.