Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for transferring a collaboration session

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a collaboration server, a session request addressed to a user ID of a user from a first multimedia endpoint;
• determining at least a handheld device and a second multimedia endpoint associated with the user ID in a user database;
• attempting to establish a first session with the second multimedia endpoint, and upon failing to establish the first session with the second multimedia endpoint, establishing the first session between said first multimedia endpoint and the handheld device associated with said user ID in the user database;
• providing, to the second multimedia endpoint, one or more of session data associated with the first session or at least one computer executable instruction, said providing including encoding the one or more of session data associated with the first session or the at least one computer executable instruction into a barcode image, transmitting the barcode image to the handheld device to be displayed on a display of the handheld device, and retrieving and decoding the barcode image as captured by the second multimedia endpoint using a camera associated with the second multimedia endpoint;
• and
• relaying a session request from the second multimedia endpoint to the first multimedia endpoint based on the decoded one or more of the session data associated with the first session or the at least one computer executable instruction.

A collaboration server comprising:

• a memory that stores a user database that associates user IDs with handheld devices and endpoints;
• a processor;
• a session management module configured to receive, in conjunction with the processor, a session request, addressed to a user ID, from a first multimedia endpoint, and to attempt to establish a first session with an endpoint associated with the user ID, and upon failing to establish the first session with the endpoint associated with the user ID, establish the first session between the first multimedia endpoint and a handheld device associated with the user ID based on the user database;
• and
• a barcode management module configured to encode, in conjunction with the processor, the user ID and at least one of session data associated with the first session or at least one computer executable instruction into a barcode image, and distribute said barcode image to the handheld device on an occurrence of a predefined event.

A multimedia endpoint comprising:

• a processor;
• at least one camera;
• and
• a barcode reader configured to:
• analyze images from said camera to detect a barcode image displayed on a handheld device,
• decode said barcode image to extract at least one of session data or an instruction, and
• send a barcode image detection message to a collaboration server when a barcode image is detected and decoded, said barcode image detection message including at least parts of the barcode data and the address of the multimedia endpoint, wherein
• when an establish session instruction is detected in the barcode image, the barcode reader instructs the processor to establish a session with another multimedia endpoint identified in said session data, and
• said barcode reader is further configured to instruct the processor to enable a one-time auto answer setting when an auto answer instruction is detected when the barcode reader decodes the barcode image.