System and method for distributed multipoint conferencing with automatic endpoint address detection and dynamic endpoint-server allocation

A multipoint conferencing system, comprising:

• a plurality of conference servers coupled to a network, wherein one or more of the plurality of conference servers are distributed across the network;
• a plurality of conference endpoints coupled to different ones of the conference servers via the network, wherein one or more of the plurality of conference endpoints are distributed across the network;
• and
• a link manager coupled to the network, wherein the link manager is configured to set up an impromptu multipoint conference involving the conference endpoints without requiring prior knowledge of an endpoint identification of at least one of the conference endpoints, and wherein the link manager is configured to instruct each of the plurality of conference servers to transmit separate media streams for the conference endpoints involved in the impromptu multipoint conference and, in response to receiving the separate media streams from the conference endpoints involved in the impromptu multipoint conference, at least one of mix, manage, and redistribute the received separate media streams at each of the plurality of conference servers.

A method of setting up an impromptu multipoint conference in a multipoint conferencing system that has a plurality of conference servers, wherein one or more of the plurality of conference servers are distributed across the network, comprising:

• receiving a request to participate in a multipoint conference from a conference endpoint, wherein one or more participating conference endpoints are served by a first one of the conference servers, the one or more participating conference endpoints being distributed across the network;
• in response to at least in part information carried by the request, communicating at least a first control signal to a second one of the conference servers to establish a server-endpoint relationship between the conference endpoint and the second conference server;
• and
• communicating at least a second control signal to the first conference server and the second conference server to establish a communication link between the conference servers through which data captured at the conference endpoint is sent to the one or more participating endpoints, wherein the second control signal comprises one or more commands to the second conference server to transmit separate media streams for the conference endpoint and the participating conference endpoints with the server-endpoint relationship and, in response to receiving the separate media streams from each of the participating conference endpoints, at least one of mix, manage, and redistribute the received separate media streams at the second conference server.

A link manager for a multipoint conferencing system, comprising:

• means for receiving a request to participate in a multipoint conference from a conference endpoint, wherein one or more conference endpoints being distributed across the network, the one or more conference endpoints participating in the multipoint conference are served by a first one of the conference servers, one or more of the conference servers being distributed across the network;
• means for communicating, in response to at least in part information carried by the request, at least a first control signal to a second one of the conference servers to establish a server-endpoint relationship between the conference endpoint and the second conference server;
• and
• means for communicating at least a second control signal to the first conference server and the second conference server to establish a communication link between the conference servers through which data captured at the conference endpoint is sent to the one or more participating endpoints, wherein the second control signal comprises one or more commands to the second conference server to transmit separate media streams for the conference endpoint and the participating conference endpoints with the server-endpoint relationship and, in response to receiving the separate media streams from each of the participating conference endpoints, at least one of mix, manage, and redistribute the received separate media streams at the second conference server.

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer device, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embodied therein that, upon execution by the computer device, enables the computer device to perform a method of setting up impromptu multipoint conferences hosted by a plurality of conference servers, the method comprising:

• receiving a request to participate in a multipoint conference from a conference endpoint, wherein one or more participating conference endpoints are served by a first one of the conference servers, the one or more participating conference endpoints being distributed across the network;
• in response to at least in part information carried by the request, communicating at least a first control signal to a second one of the conference servers to establish a server-endpoint relationship between the conference endpoint and the second conference server;
• and
• communicating at least a second control signal to the first conference server and the second conference server to establish a communication link between the conference servers through which data captured at the conference endpoint is sent to the one or more participating endpoints, wherein the second control signal comprises one or more commands to the second conference server to transmit separate media streams for the conference endpoint and the participating conference endpoints with the server-endpoint relationship and, in response to receiving the separate media streams from each of the participating conference endpoints, at least one of mix, manage, and redistribute the received separate media streams at the second conference server.