Method for conducting an audio and/or video conference
AssigneeRingCentral, Inc.
InventorKarl Klaghofer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for conducting audio and/or video conference, in which one of the terminals that is coupled to a central conference unit takes on the role of a media server, and this occurs under the control of said central conference control unit.
Claims9
A method for conducting a conference, in which multiple terminals are coupled via a data network with a central conference control, the method comprising:
- using a conferencing-enabled browser for transmitting to the central conference control, information indicating that a first terminal of the multiple terminals and associated with the conferencing-enabled browser is running an application that enables the first terminal to support local browser conferences;
- determining that the conferencing-enabled browser is capable of assuming a role of a media server, wherein the determination that the conferencing-enabled browser is capable of assuming the role of a media server is based on a conference type, a conference mode, supported codecs, and conference credentials for authentication;
- receiving, by the conferencing-enabled browser of the first terminal, a confirmation from the central conference control that the conferencing-enabled browser of the first terminal can assume the role of a media server;
- receiving, by the conferencing-enabled browser of the first terminal, audio and/or video data streams from conferencing-enabled browsers of other terminals of the multiple terminals based on control commands from the central conference control;
- performing, by the conferencing-enabled browser of the first terminal, one of:
- mixing the received audio and/or video data streams and sending the mixed audio and/or video data streams back to the conferencing-enabled browsers of the other terminals, or
- selecting at least one audio and/or video stream received from at least one of the conferencing-enabled browsers of the other terminals and sending the selected at least one audio and/or video data stream to the conferencing-enabled browsers of the other terminals.
A non-transitory computer readable medium having an application stored thereon that is executable by a computer device associated with a first terminal, the application enabling the computer device to initiate a conference and defining a method performed by the computer device when a processor of the computer device runs the application, the method comprising:
- using a conferencing-enabled browser for transmitting to the central conference control, information indicating that the first terminal associated with the conferencing-enabled browser is running an application that enables the first terminal to support local browser conferences;
- determining that the conferencing-enabled browser is capable of assuming a role of a media server, wherein the determination that the conferencing-enabled browser is capable of assuming the role of a media server is based on a conference type, a conference mode, supported codecs, and conference credentials for authentication;
- receiving, by the conferencing-enabled browser of the first terminal, a confirmation from the central conference control that the conferencing-enabled browser of the first terminal can assume the role of a media server;
- receiving, by the conferencing-enabled browser of the first terminal, audio data and/or video data from conferencing-enabled browsers of one or more communication terminals to which the computer device is connectable;
- and
- performing, by the conferencing-enabled browser of the first terminal, one of:
- mixing the audio data and/or video data received with audio data and/or video data of the communication device to relay the mixed audio and/or video data to conferencing-enabled browsers of the communication terminals, or
- processing a selection of the audio and/or video data received and the audio and/or video data of the communication device to relay the selection to the conferencing-enabled browsers of the communication terminals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.