Abstract:
An integrated video-telephony system is provided. The system allows a video communication session to be established to complement an audio communication session when communication devices or endpoints associated with the audio communication session are also video communication enabled. By coordinating the establishment of separate audio and video communication channels, integrated video-telephone communication sessions can be provided, without requiring the use of specialized communication servers or dedicated video telephone devices.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/558,637, filed Mar. 31, 2004, entitled “Video-Telephony Integration”, the inventors being David R. Burritt, Matt Jerome Stevens, and Roger L. Toennis, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to integrating audio and video communications. In particular, the present invention relates to providing integrated video-telephony capabilities, without requiring modifications to a conventional telephony server or switch. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Telephony systems allowing voice communications between remote users have been available for many years, and provide a common means of communication. Communications systems that provide video capabilities have also been developed. For example, systems that allow voice and video data to be transmitted using conventional telephone lines have been developed. Furthermore, with the development of high speed Internet connections, video communications systems using Internet Protocol (IP) communication channels have been developed. However, the actual use of such systems has been limited. 
     Systems allowing video and audio data to be transmitted across conventional telephone lines require that the communication end points each have compatible video telephone devices. In addition, the private branch exchange (PBX) or public switched telephone network (PSTN) end office switch used for such communications must be upgraded as compared to conventional audio only switches, in order to handle combined video and audio data streams. Accordingly, specialized infrastructure is required. In addition, the video telephones required have been expensive, and the quality of the video component has been limited. 
     Video telephones that make use of Internet connections, rather than the public switched telephone network, have also been developed. Like video telephones that make use of the PSTN, video telephones for use in connection with the Internet require that all of the endpoints to a communication have compatible equipment. In addition, such devices have typically been personal computer based, and require that a caller provide the Internet address of the endpoint being contacted. Accordingly, such systems are not as convenient for a user as conventional audio telephones, and have been difficult to set up and use. 
     More recently, systems that use an IP type connection for transmitting integrated audio and video and that allow connections to be established using a telephone number have been developed. According to such systems, a user can initiate audio-video communications by dialing the telephone number associated with an endpoint having integrated video-telephony capabilities. However, communications servers used in connection with such systems must be specially equipped to handle combined audio-video communications. In addition such combined audio and video IP telephony systems have been difficult to set up. Accordingly, deployment of such systems has been limited by the complexity and cost involved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to solving these and other problems and disadvantages of the prior art. According to embodiments of the present invention, an integrator application is provided as part of a user device to integrate the operation of a telephone with the operation of a video device. Accordingly, the operation of a conventional telephone can be integrated with the operation of video communication facilities, without requiring the use of specialized telephony switches. 
     In accordance with further embodiments of the present invention, the integrator application associated with an endpoint may operate automatically to establish video communications in connection with the establishment of an audio communication channel with another endpoint having video communication capabilities. In particular, the integrator application may have access to or be provided with information indicating that an endpoint in audio communication with a telephone of the endpoint associated with the integrator application has video capabilities. The integrator application may then operate to establish video communications. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, information related to the capabilities of a dialed endpoint may be obtained by querying a central dial plan server, or by querying a table stored locally. In accordance with further embodiments of the present invention, information regarding the video capabilities of a dialed endpoint may be provided through the initiating endpoint in response to the establishment of audio communications between the endpoints. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, endpoints to a video-telephony communication session include a telephone, a video camera, and a video display. In addition, an endpoint includes an integrator application running on a platform that is integrated with or interconnected to the telephone, video camera, and video display. The telephone may comprise a stand alone telephone providing a computer telephony integration (CTI) interface, a stand alone IP soft phone, or an IP soft phone implemented through or in connection with a computer platform. The video camera may be provided as a peripheral to a computing platform. Similarly, the video display may be provided as a peripheral to a computing platform. In a typical implementation, the integration application is provided as software running on a computing platform, such as the platform to which the video camera and video display are interconnected. 
     A system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention makes use of one or more communications networks. In particular, the audio portions of a communications session may be carried by a communication channel established across a communications network between audio gateways or switches local to the communication endpoints. Similarly, video communications may be carried over a video channel established across a communications network between network routers and/or switches local to each of the video-enabled communication endpoints. The separate audio and video communication channels may be established over the same communications network or over different communication networks. 
     Additional aspects of embodiments of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, particularly when taken together with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting components of a communication system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram depicting a communication endpoint in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a screenshot of an integration application initialization screen in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference now to  FIG. 1 , a communication system  100  in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is depicted. The communication system  100  generally includes a number of communication devices or endpoints  104  (e.g., first communication endpoint  104   a  and second communication endpoint  104   b ). Each communication device  104  may be interconnected to a network contact point  108 , allowing communication devices  104  to communicate with one another across one or more communication networks  112 . 
     In general, each communication device  104  may include an audio communication device  116  and a video communication device  120 . In addition, one or both of the communication devices  104  may include an integrator application  124 . As will be described in greater detail elsewhere herein, the integrator application  124  associated with a communication device  104  generally functions to coordinate the operation of an audio device or system  116  with the operation of an otherwise separate video device or system  120 . In particular, the integrator application  124  operates to provide integrated video telephony functionality to a communication device  104 . 
     The communication network contact points  108  may each include a number of separate contact points for interconnecting to different communication networks  112  and/or for use with different types of communication channels. For example, a communication network contact point  108  may include an audio contact point  128 , a data contact point  132 , and a video contact point  136 . In general, a communication network contact point  108  may provide different routers and/or switches necessary to support communications or the exchange of data by devices or applications associated with a local communication device  104 . Accordingly, where an audio device  116  associated with a communication device  104  is part of a private branch exchange (PBX), an audio contact point  128  comprising a private branch exchange server may be provided. As a further example, where an audio device  116  associated with a communication device  104  comprises a conventional switched circuit telephone, the audio contact point  128  may comprise a telephone company end office switch. As still another example, the audio contact point  128  may comprise a gateway between a local area network to which an associated audio device  116  is interconnected, and a communication network  112  comprising a wide area network, such as the Internet. Similarly, the data contact point  132  may be determined by the type of communication network  112  over which data is transmitted. Accordingly, a data contact point  132  may comprise an IP network router. Similarly, the video contact point  136  local to a video device  120  may be determined by the network over which video communications or data is transmitted. Accordingly, an exemplary video contact point  136  comprises an IP network router. As can be appreciated by one of skill in the art from the description provided herein, the functions of the individual contact points  128 ,  132  and/or  136  described herein can be combined in one or more shared devices. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, a communication device  104  using an audio device  116  comprising a telephone that is part of a private branch exchange, a video device  120  running on a general purpose computer, and an integration application  124  that makes use of data stored on a central dial plan server may operate in connection with a network contact point  108  that includes an audio contact point  128  comprising a private branch exchange server and a data contact point  132  and video contact point  136  that are both implemented as part of a single IP network router. 
     The communications network  112  may comprise one or more networks of one or more types. For example, the communications network  112  may comprise a packet data network, or a combination of packet data and switched circuit networks. As a further example, the communication network  112  may comprise the Internet, an intranet, or a combination of one or more intranets and the Internet. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , a number of communication and data channels may be established across the communications network or networks  112 . In particular, separate audio  140  and video  144  communication channels may be established across the communications network or networks  112 . In addition, a communications network  112  may include or be interconnected to a central authority, such as a dial plan server  148 . Furthermore, the communications network or networks  112  may support transfers of data between an integrator application  124 , and the dial plan server  148  over a data channel  152  as will be described in greater detail elsewhere herein. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 2 , components of a communication device or endpoint  104  in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are depicted. In general, a communication device  104  may include a processor  204  capable of executing program instructions. Accordingly, the processor  204  may include any general purpose programmable processor or controller for executing application programming. Alternatively, the processor  204  may comprise a specially configured application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor  204  generally functions to run programming code implementing various of the functions performed by the communication device  104 , including telephony, video communications, and video-telephony integrator applications as described herein. 
     A communication device  104  may additionally include memory  208  for use in connection with the execution of programming by the processor  204 , and for the temporary or long term storage of data or program instructions. The memory  208  may comprise solid state memory, such as DRAM and SDRAM. Where the processor  204  comprises a controller, the memory  208  may be integral to the processor  204 . In addition, a communication device  104  may include various input devices. For example, input devices  212  may include a keyboard and a pointing device. The communication device  104  may also include various output devices. For example, the communication device  104  may include a video display. 
     A communication device  104  may also include data storage  220  for the storage of application programming and data. For example, operating system software  224  may be stored in the data storage  220 , as well as a telephony application  228 . In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the telephony application  228  may operate to provide voice telephony functions. For example, the telephony application  228  may comprise an IP soft phone implemented in connection with hardware provided by the communication device  104 . As another example, the telephony application  228  may comprise an application for monitoring the operating status of a telephone  260  interconnected to the communication device  104  and for obtaining information from the telephone  260 , such as a dialed number. A video application  232  that is separate from the telephony application  228  may also be stored in data storage  220 . In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the video application  232  operates in connection with a video camera  252  and video display  216  provided by the communication device  104  to send and receive video communications. Furthermore, an integrator application  124  may be stored in the data storage  220 . The integrator application  124  generally functions to monitor the operation of the telephony application  228 , and to initiate the operation of the video application  232  so as to provide video communications when video is supported by another communication endpoint or device  104  in communication with the endpoint  104  on which the integrator application  124  is installed. The data storage  220  may comprise a magnetic storage device, a solid state storage device, an optical storage device, a logic circuit, or any combination of such devices. It should further be appreciated that the programs and data that may be maintained in the data storage  220  can comprise software, firmware or hardwired logic, depending on the particular implementation of the data storage  220 . 
     A communication device  104  may also include one or more interfaces. For example, a communication device  104  may include a communications network interface  240  through which an interconnection between the communication device  104  and one or more communications networks  112  may be established, for example via a network contact point  108 . Accordingly, a communications network interface or interfaces  240  may be of a type required by an interconnected contact point  108  or by the communications network  112  itself. Other interfaces may be provided for interconnecting the communication device  104  to peripheral devices. For example, a video interface  248  may be provided for interconnecting a communication device  104  to a video camera  252 . As can be appreciated by one of skill in the art, a video interface  248  may comprise a standardized interface, such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface or an IEEE 1394 interface. An audio interface  256  may also be provided for interconnecting a communication device  104  to a telephone  260 . For example, where the telephone  260  is a full featured, conventional telephone, the audio interface  256  may comprise a computer telephony integration (CTI) interface. As a further example, where the telephone  260  is implemented as part of soft telephone features provided by the communication device  104 , the audio interface  256  may comprise the sound card for sending and receiving analog audio data to the speaker and from the microphone of the telephone  260  hand set. As yet another example, the audio interface  256  may comprise a standardized interface, such as a USB or IEEE 1394 interface. An internal bus  264  is generally provided to permit the exchange of instructions and data between the various components of the communication device  104 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 3 , the operation of a system providing video-telephony integration in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is illustrated. Initially, at step  300 , a telephone call is initiated by a user of a first communication device  104   a  and an audio communication channel  140  is established. The user may initiate a telephone call to a second communication device  104   b  by, for example, entering the telephone number of the second communication device  104   b  using a telephone  260  associated with the first communication device  104   a . As another example, where a telephony function is provided as part of a soft telephone, the user may initiate a telephone call by entering a telephone number using an input device  212  associated with the first communication device  104   a . At step  304 , a determination is made as to whether the call has been answered. If the call is not answered, the process ends. 
     If the call is answered, the integrator application  124   a  running on the first communication device  104   a  contacts the video dial plan server  148  and reports the dialed number (step  308 ). In particular, the integrator application  124   a  may establish a connection with the dial plan server  148  through a data contact point  132   a . As can be appreciated by one of skill in the art from the description provided herein, the integrator application  124   a  may obtain the dialed number from data passed to it by the telephony application  228 . At step  312 , a determination is made as to whether the dialed number is associated with a video capable endpoint  104 . That is, the dial plan server  148  performs a lookup using the telephone number provided by the integrator application  124   a , to determine whether that number is associated with a video capable endpoint or communication device  104 . If the called number is not associated with a video capable communication device, the video dial plan server  148  signals the integrator application  124   a  that the dialed endpoint is not video capable (step  316 ). The telephone call then proceeds normally (i.e., as an audio only communication) (step  320 ). Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the functioning of the integrator application  124   a  with respect to the telephone call then in progress can end once a signal from the video dial plan server  148  indicating that the contacted communication endpoint is not video capable has been received. 
     If the dialed number is associated with a video capable endpoint or communication device  104 , the video dial plan server  148  signals the integrator application  124   a  that video communications can be enabled (step  324 ). The integrator application  124   a  then instructs the video application  232  associated with the first communication device  104   a  to set up a video communication channel  144  (step  328 ). In order to set up a video communication channel  144 , the integrator application  124   a  may pass an IP address associated with the video capabilities of the second communication device  104   b  to the video application  232  running on the first communication device  104   a . In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the IP address for video communications with the second communication device  104   b  may be provided by the dial plan server  148  as part of the signal provided to the integrator application  124   a  indicating that video communications are supported. When a video call placed by the first communication device  104   a  is received at the second communication device  104   b , the integrator application  124   b  running on the second communication device  104   b , may answer the video call. For example, in response to receiving a video call or a request to establish a video call, the integrator application  124   b  may activate the video device  120   b  to enable video communications and to establish a video communication channel  144 . After the video communication channel  144  has been established, video signals may be exchanged between the communication devices  104 . Accordingly, the user of the first communication device  104   a  receives a video signal from the video device  120   b  associated with the second communication endpoint  104   b , together with an audio signal from the audio device  116   b  associated with the second communication endpoint  104   b . Similarly, the user of the second communication device  104   b  receives a video signal from the video device  120   a  associated with the first communication device  104   a  together with the audio signal from the audio device  116   a  associated with the first communication device  104   a . Furthermore, as described herein, the audio signals are carried by an audio communication channel  140 , and the video signals are carried by a video communication channel  144  that is separate from the audio communication channel  140 . Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide an integrated video-telephone communication session using separate audio  140  and video  144  communication channels. 
     After an integrated video-telephone communication session has been established at step  328 , or after an audio only telephone call has been established at step  320 , a determination is made as to whether the call has been placed on hold (step  332 ). If the call has been placed on hold, the video connection or communication channel  144  (if any) is torn down and the audio is muted (step  336 ). In particular, if the integrator application  124  receives a signal indicating that the call is on hold, for example in response to a hold button being pushed on a telephone  260  or a hold command being entered through a keyboard  212 , the integrator application  124  will signal the video application  232  to tear down the video connection, if one was established. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the telephony application  228  (or the telephone  260  if implemented as a hard phone) will receive the mute indication directly, and provide an indication of the mute to the integrator application  124 . A determination is then made as to whether the hold has been discontinued (step  340 ). If the hold has not been discontinued, the process may idle at step  340 . If it is determined that the hold has been discontinued, any video communication channel may be reestablished, and audio functions are again enabled (step  344 ). 
     After determining that the call has not been placed on hold at step  332 , or after reestablishing audio and any video functions at step  344 , a determination is made as to whether the call has been terminated (step  348 ). If the call has not been terminated, it may be continued, and the process may return to step  332 . If the call has been terminated, the audio connection and any video connection is torn down (step  352 ) and the process ends. As can be appreciated by one of skill in the art from the description provided herein, various of the steps described in connection with  FIG. 3  can be performed at different times and/or in different orders. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 4 , a screenshot of an integrator application  124  initialization screen  404  is illustrated. The integrator application  124  initialization screen  404  allows a user of a communication device  104  to report information regarding the video capabilities of the communication device  104  to a central dial plan server  148 . Accordingly, the setup screen  404  provides a field for entering the telephone number  408  of the audio device  116  associated with the communication device  104 . A telephone extension field  412  may also be provided. A video dial plan URL field  416  may be provided so that a user can specify the dial plan server  148  that is to receive the information. In order to enable video communications, and in particular video communications initiated by a video device  120  associated with another communication device  104 , an IP address field  420  is provided. Bandwidth preference selector buttons  424  may be provided to allow a preferred bandwidth for communications involving the communication device  104 . After entering information or making selections in the various fields  408 - 424 , a user may select the connect button  428  to send the information to the indicated dial plan server  148 . Upon receiving information, the dial plan server  148  may create a record (or update an existing record) for the communication device  104 . The provided information may be used to indicate to other communication devices  104  that the communication device  104  associated with the information is video capable. The video communication device  104  may be identified by the associated phone number entered in the phone number field  408 . In particular, the phone number of the communication device  104  may be submitted to the dial plan server  148  as part of a query for information regarding the video capabilities of the communication device  104 . In response to a query with respect to a communication device  104  that is video capable and whose information has been stored in the video dial plan server  148 , the IP address for the communication device  104  is returned. Accordingly, a separate video communication channel  144  may be established in addition to the audio communication channel  140 , creating an integrated video-telephone communication session. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the information maintained by the video dial plan server  148  may be changed as the capabilities associated with the telephone number of a communication device  104  change. For instance, where the telephone number of a communication device  104  relates to a cellular telephone, video capabilities provided by a user&#39;s desktop computer may not always be available. Accordingly, the stored information related to the capabilities of the communication device  104  may be updated as the availability of video capabilities change. 
     Although certain described embodiments of the present invention operate such that video communications between video-capable communication devices are established after an audio call is answered, the present invention is not so limited. For example, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a video communication session can be established as soon as a query to a dial plan server  148  indicates that the contacted communication device  104  is video enabled. In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, prior to initiating an audio communication session, a video communication session can be established. For instance, a user could initiate a video communication session to see if the party to be contacted is at their video enabled communication device  104 . If the party is present, an audio communication session could then be established. In accordance with still other embodiments of the present invention, information regarding the video capabilities of communication devices  104  may be stored locally with respect to an initiating communication device  104 . 
     The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Further, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings, within the skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain the best mode presently known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such or in other embodiments and with various modifications required by their particular application or use of the invention. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include the alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.