Seamless multimedia conferencing system using enhanced endpoint devices

Claim 1

An enhanced endpoint device for use in a multimedia conferencing system having a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including a second endpoint device and a third endpoint device, the enhanced endpoint device comprising: point-to-point communications link establishment means adapted for establishing a point-to-point communication link between the enhanced endpoint device and the second endpoint device; a data transceiver for transmitting and receiving electronic data signals; processing means comprising a microprocessor, the processing means being coupled to the data transceiver and to the communications link establishment means; multipoint communications link establishment means, coupled to the multimedia server, for establishing a multipoint communications link between the enhanced endpoint device, the second endpoint device, and the third endpoint device, such that the processing means after initial action by a user automatically transforms the point-to-point communications link into a multipoint communications link as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, wherein the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference between the enhanced and second endpoint devices, and wherein, from a participant's viewpoint, the preexisting conference is not substantially interrupted at the enhanced endpoint device, thereby providing a seamless conference as perceived by participants at the enhanced endpoint device; memory means coupled to the processing means; and a user interface coupled to the processing means for accepting user input and converting the user input into electronic data signals.

Claim 5

A method of establishing a multimedia conference between a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including an enhanced endpoint device, a second endpoint device, and a third endpoint device, the method including the steps of: (a) the enhanced device establishing a point-to-point communications link between the enhanced endpoint device and the second endpoint device; and (b) the enhanced endpoint device establishing a multipoint communications link between the multimedia server, the enhanced endpoint device, the second endpoint device, and a third endpoint device, such that the point-to-point communications link after initial action by a user is automatically transformed into a multipoint communications link as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, wherein the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference between the enhanced and second endpoint devices, and wherein, from a participant's viewpoint, the preexisting conference is not substantially interrupted at the enhanced endpoint device, thereby providing a seamless conference as perceived by participants at the enhanced endpoint device.

Claim 6

A method of establishing a multimedia conference between a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including an enhanced endpoint device, a second endpoint device, and a third endpoint device, the method including the steps of: (a) the enhanced device establishing a point-to-point communications link between the enhanced endpoint device and the second endpoint device; and (b) the enhanced endpoint device establishing a multipoint communications link between the multimedia server, the enhanced endpoint device, the second endpoint device, and a third endpoint device, such that the point-to-point communications link after initial action by a user is automatically transformed into a multipoint communications link as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, wherein the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference between the enhanced and second endpoint devices, and wherein, from a participant's viewpoint, the preexisting conference is not substantially interrupted at the enhanced endpoint device, thereby providing a seamless conference as perceived by participants at the enhanced endpoint device.

Claim 7

A method of establishing a multimedia conference between a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including a first enhanced endpoint device, a second enhanced endpoint device, and a third endpoint device, the method including the steps of: (a) the first enhanced endpoint device establishing a point-to-point communications link between the first enhanced endpoint device and the second enhanced endpoint device; and (b) the first enhanced endpoint device establishing a multipoint communications link between the multimedia server, the first enhanced endpoint device, the second enhanced endpoint device, and the third endpoint device, such that the point-to-point communications link is, after initial action by a user, automatically transformed into a multipoint communications link as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, wherein the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices, and wherein the preexisting conference between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices is not substantially interrupted from a viewpoint of participants, thereby providing a seamless conference as perceived by the participants between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices.

Claim 8

A method of establishing a multimedia conference between a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including a first enhanced endpoint device, a second enhanced endpoint device, and a third endpoint device, the method including the steps of: (a) the first enhanced endpoint device establishing a point-to-point communications link between the first enhanced endpoint device and the second enhanced endpoint device; and (b) the first enhanced endpoint device establishing a multipoint communications link between the multimedia server, the first enhanced endpoint device, the second enhanced endpoint device, and the third endpoint device, such that the point-to-point communications link is, after initial action by a user, automatically transformed into a multipoint communications link as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, wherein the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices, and wherein the preexisting conference between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices is not substantially interrupted from a viewpoint of participants, thereby providing a seamless conference as perceived by the participants between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices.

Claim 9

A method of establishing a multimedia conference between a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including: (i) a first enhanced endpoint device having a memory adapted to store one or more telephone numbers, each telephone number corresponding to a respective endpoint device, and a user interface coupled to the memory for selecting a telephone number stored in the memory, (ii) a second enhanced endpoint device, and (iii) a third endpoint device; the method including the steps of: (a) the first enhanced endpoint device establishing a point-to-point communications link between the first enhanced endpoint device and the second enhanced endpoint device; (b) the user interface of the first enhanced endpoint device selecting a telephone number corresponding to the third endpoint device; (c) the first enhanced endpoint device establishing a communications link with the multimedia server; (d) the first enhanced endpoint device downloading a telephone number, network address, and/or LAN specification corresponding to the third endpoint device to the multimedia server; (e) in response to step (d), the multimedia server downloading a dial-in telephone number to the first enhanced endpoint device; (f) the first enhanced endpoint device downloading the dial-in telephone number to the second enhanced endpoint device; (g) the first enhanced endpoint device instructing the second enhanced endpoint device to terminate the point-to-point communications link, and instructing the second enhanced endpoint device to dial the dial-in number downloaded by the multimedia server; (h) the first enhanced endpoint device and the second enhanced endpoint device each dialing the dial-in number, thereby establishing a multimedia communications link between the first enhanced endpoint device, the second enhanced endpoint device, and the multimedia server; and (i) the multimedia server dialing the third endpoint device, thereby establishing a multimedia, multipoint communications link between the first enhanced endpoint device, the second enhanced endpoint device, and the third endpoint device; wherein steps (c)-(i) are performed as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, such that the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices, and such that, from a participant's viewpoint, the preexisting conference between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices is not substantially interrupted, thereby providing a seamless conference, as perceived by participants, between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices.

Claim 10

A method of establishing a multimedia conference between a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including: (i) a first enhanced endpoint device having a memory adapted to store one or more telephone numbers, each telephone number corresponding to a respective endpoint device, and a user interface coupled to the memory for selecting a telephone number stored in the memory, (ii) a second enhanced endpoint device, and (iii) a third endpoint device; the method including the steps of: (a) the first enhanced endpoint device establishing a point-to-point communications link between the first enhanced endpoint device and the second enhanced endpoint device; (b) the user interface of the first enhanced endpoint device selecting a telephone number corresponding to the third endpoint device; (c) the first enhanced endpoint device establishing a communications link with the multimedia server; (d) the first enhanced endpoint device downloading a telephone number, network address, and/or LAN specification corresponding to the third endpoint device to the multimedia server; (e) in response to step (d), the multimedia server downloading a dial-in telephone number to the first enhanced endpoint device; (f) the first enhanced endpoint device downloading the dial-in telephone number to the second enhanced endpoint device; (g) the first enhanced endpoint device instructing the second enhanced endpoint device to terminate the point-to-point communications link, and instructing the second enhanced endpoint device to dial the dial-in number downloaded by the multimedia server; (h) the first enhanced endpoint device and the second enhanced endpoint device each dialing the dial-in number, thereby establishing a multimedia communications link between the first enhanced endpoint device, the second enhanced endpoint device, and the multimedia server; and (i) the multimedia server dialing the third endpoint device, thereby establishing a multimedia, multipoint communications link between the first enhanced endpoint device, the second enhanced endpoint device, and the third endpoint device; wherein steps (c)-(i) are performed as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, such that the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices, and such that, from a participant's viewpoint, the preexisting conference between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices is not substantially interrupted, thereby providing a seamless conference, as perceived by participants, between the first and second enhanced endpoint devices.

Claim 11

A method of establishing a multimedia conference between a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including: (i) a first, enhanced endpoint device having a memory adapted to store one or more telephone numbers, each telephone number corresponding to a respective endpoint device, and a user interface coupled to the memory for selecting a telephone number stored in the memory, (ii) a second nonenhanced endpoint device, and (iii) a third endpoint device; the method including the steps of: (a) the first endpoint device establishing a point-to-point communications link between the first endpoint device and the second endpoint device, the point-to-point communications link including a voice channel; (b) the user interface of the first endpoint device selecting a telephone number corresponding to the third endpoint device; (c) the first endpoint device establishing a communications link with the multimedia server; (d) the first endpoint device downloading a telephone number, network address, and/or LAN specification corresponding to the third endpoint device to the multimedia server; (e) in response to step (d), the multimedia server downloading a dial-in telephone number to the first endpoint device; (f) the first endpoint device providing the dial-in telephone number to the second endpoint device over the voice channel; (g) the first endpoint device, over the voice channel, instructing the second endpoint device to terminate the point-to-point communications link, and instructing the second endpoint device, over the voice channel, to dial the dial-in number; (h) the first endpoint device and the second endpoint device each dialing the dial-in number, thereby establishing a multimedia communications link between the first endpoint device, the second enhanced endpoint device, and the multimedia server; and (i) the multimedia server dialing the third endpoint device, thereby establishing a multimedia, multipoint communications link between the first endpoint device, the second endpoint device, and the third endpoint device; wherein steps (c)-(i) are performed by the first enhanced endpoint device and the multimedia server as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, such that the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference occurring between the first and second endpoint devices, and such that, from a participant's viewpoint, the preexisting conference is not substantially interrupted at the first endpoint device, thereby providing a seamless conference, as perceived by participants, at the first endpoint device.

Claim 12

A method of establishing a multimedia conference between a multimedia server and a plurality of endpoint devices including: (i) a first, enhanced endpoint device having a memory adapted to store one or more telephone numbers, each telephone number corresponding to a respective endpoint device, and a user interface coupled to the memory for selecting a telephone number stored in the memory, (ii) a second nonenhanced endpoint device, and (iii) a third endpoint device; the method including the steps of: (a) the first endpoint device establishing a point-to-point communications link between the first endpoint device and the second endpoint device, the point-to-point communications link including a voice channel; (b) the user interface of the first endpoint device selecting a telephone number corresponding to the third endpoint device; (c) the first endpoint device establishing a communications link with the multimedia server; (d) the first endpoint device downloading a telephone number, network address, and/or LAN specification corresponding to the third endpoint device to the multimedia server; (e) in response to step (d), the multimedia server downloading a dial-in telephone number to the first endpoint device; (f) the first endpoint device providing the dial-in telephone number to the second endpoint device over the voice channel; (g) the first endpoint device, over the voice channel, instructing the second endpoint device to terminate the point-to-point communications link, and instructing the second endpoint device, over the voice channel, to dial the dial-in number; (h) the first endpoint device and the second endpoint device each dialing the dial-in number, thereby establishing a multimedia communications link between the first endpoint device, the second enhanced endpoint device, and the multimedia server; and (i) the multimedia server dialing the third endpoint device, thereby establishing a multimedia, multipoint communications link between the first endpoint device, the second endpoint device, and the third endpoint device; wherein steps (c)-(i) are performed by the first enhanced endpoint device and the multimedia server as a substantially continuous operation in the perception of an enhanced endpoint device user, such that the third endpoint device is added to a preexisting conference occurring between the first and second endpoint devices, and such that, from a participant's viewpoint, the preexisting conference is not substantially interrupted at the first endpoint device, thereby providing a seamless conference, as perceived by participants, at the first endpoint device.