Patent ID: 7882176

Claim:
A computer-readable storage device containing instructions that when executed by a computing system having a memory and a processor cause the computing system to perform a method for controlling a first endpoint to join a first session by a method comprising: receiving from a second endpoint an invitation sent via a parallel invitation protocol to establish a dialog that has not yet been established, wherein the second endpoint is configured to, send invitations via the parallel invitation protocol to a plurality of endpoints, wherein each invitation sent via the parallel invitation protocol includes a first field indicating that the invited endpoint must support the parallel invitation protocol in order to accept the invitation, after receiving the invitation sent via the parallel invitation protocol, sending to the second endpoint an acceptance of the invitation, wherein the second endpoint is further configured to, in response to receiving from one of the plurality of endpoints an acceptance of the invitation sent via the parallel invitation protocol, indicate that the endpoint from which the acceptance was received is now a participating endpoint with which a dialog of the multiparty session has been established, and send to the endpoint from which the acceptance was received an acknowledgement including an indication of participating endpoints with which the second endpoint has already established a dialog of the multiparty session, receiving from the second endpoint acknowledgement indicating other endpoints in the first session, wherein the received acknowledgement includes endpoints in the first session that were not indicated in the received invitation sent via the parallel invitation protocol, and sending to each of the other endpoints in the first session a triggered invitation to establish a dialog of the first session between the first endpoint and the other endpoint, wherein the other endpoints are configured to, in response to receiving the triggered invitation, send to the first endpoint an acceptance of the triggered invitation to establish the dialog of the first session between the first endpoint and the other endpoint.