摘要:
A multimedia telecommunications network provides telephone service which may involve one or more of audio, video, and data communications. In one example of the invention, the multimedia telecommunications network contains a virtual meeting services complex which provides multimedia telecommunications service to subscribers of the network. Multimedia telephone calls can be completed automatically by the virtual meeting services complex in a manner similar to that now used to complete conventional audio telephone calls. The multimedia telecommunications network containing this virtual meeting services complex is able to connect together users having diverse equipment and is able to handle integrated and nonintegrated network access mechanisms.
摘要:
Real time delivery of multimedia information accessed either through the Internet, or otherwise, simultaneously, or sequentially time delayed to one more users, is enabled by delivering the multimedia information over a switched network via a multipoint control unit. A client establishes a connection with a server, or other remote location where desired multimedia information is resident, identifies the desired multimedia information and provides client information identifying the locations of the users. The client information may include the telephone numbers or other access numbers of each of the multiple users. The multimedia information is then delivered by a multimedia server to a bridging apparatus through a switched network guaranteeing high quality of service, secure connection and billing control. Connecting one or more users to a live agent is also made possible by providing the telephone numbers of the users and the live agent directly to the multipoint control unit. The delivery of the multimedia information can be secured by comparing the client information to a segmented "to call" list to determine whether the client is authorized to receive the requested multimedia information. Alternatively, or in addition, security can be implemented by mounting a video camera at the client's endpoint and connecting a database running face recognition software to the multimedia server. The multimedia server's call to the user triggers the camera to take a picture of the user. The selected content is restricted to authorized users by comparing the picture to pictures of authorized faces stored in the database.
摘要:
A method and system is disclosed for handling multimedia messages when the intended recipient is unavailable. The telecommunication based method and system allows a party to leave a greeting message which will be furnished to a caller when the party is unavailable. The method and system further allows a caller to leave a multimedia message for the unavailable intended recipient. The method and system further alerts the party that a multimedia message has been recorded and allows the party to retrieve the multimedia message.
摘要:
Cross-service connectivity between use of the telephone network and use of an e-mail data network is provided by enabling a recipient of an e-mail message to receive e-mail messages through an alias e-mail address which is directly associated with the recipient's telephone number. Thus, the alias e-mail address consists of the recipient's telephone number as the recipient name at a well-known and publicized common domain name server. A sender therefore addresses an e-mail message to the recipient to that alias e-mail address using the recipient's alias telephone number name. A message addressed to the alias e-mail address is sent to a translation server at that known domain name, where the alias telephone number-recipient name is translated to the actual e-mail address comprising the recipient's actual name and associated domain name server, and the message is then forwarded to that recipient at that actual e-mail address. Such aliasing capabilities are effected through a registration process in which the recipient registers for such a service and provides to the translation server his or her actual e-mail address and associated telephone number to which senders of messages to that recipient can use to address e-mail messages.
摘要:
In a multicast capable IP network implemented over an ATM network, each client terminal on a multimedia conference, for each media type it transmits, is assigned a multicast IP address and a port number (together known as a socket) on which to transmit packets, wherein each assigned multicast IP address is unique and different than the multicast IP address assigned to any other client for any media type. Each client terminal then selects, for each media type, which clients on the conference it wants to receive packets from. Only packets that are in fact requested by a client are routed over the multicast IP network to the requesting client. A single special purpose Multicast Address Resolution System (MARS) server is associated with the conference when the conference is established. Each client terminal uses that MARS server, whether on the same or different IP sub-networks, but on a common ATM network, for purposes of mapping the multicast IP addresses used in the conference into a set of unicast ATM endpoint addresses used by the ATM-connected client terminals. Similarly, when a specific conference uses a Multicast Server, a single special purpose Multicast Server is used for all clients on the conference, whether on the same or different IP sub-networks, for purposes of establishing point-to-multipoint ATM connections to the conference endpoints.
摘要:
We have realized that for a connection over a large data network, such as an Internet connection that couples a web access device to a terminal server connected to an applications server, delays associated with the process of downloading large data files over such a connection, occur primarily in the leg of the connection that couples the applications server to a terminal server while little congestion is typically observed in the leg of the connection that couples the Internet access device to the terminal server. The aforementioned delay is reduced by establishing a separate connection from the applications server to the Point Of Presence server outside or independently of the backbone of the large data network thereby allowing users to receive enhanced grade of service for file transfer operations.
摘要:
Real-time multimedia services are transmitted over a hybrid network including a nonguaranteed quality of service packet switched local area network and a circuit switched ISDN wide area network having a centralized multimedia bridge located within the wide area network. The local area networks and multimedia bridge are interconnected via ISDN routers. An algorithm executed by the multimedia bridge receives signals from the packet switched network and detects the absence of properties needed for real-time audio visual services. The data signals are processed to compensate for the absence of the properties and then are transmitted over the wide area network to enable real-time audio visual services.
摘要:
In a multicast capable IP network, each client terminal on a multimedia conference, for each media type it transmits, is assigned a multicast IP address and a port number (together known as a socket) on which to transmit packets, wherein each assigned multicast IP address is unique and different than the multicast IP address assigned to any other client for any media type. Each client terminal then selects, for each media type, which clients on the conference it wants to receive packets from. Only packets that are in fact requested by a client are routed over the multicast IP network to the requesting client. When a conference originator establishes the conference, a number of multicast IP addresses are allocated for later assignment to the clients during the conference. As each client joins the conference, it is assigned a multicast IP address from the allocated group for each media type it will transmit. Those assigned addresses are then marked as unavailable for assignment to any other client that subsequently joins the conference. When the original client later exits the conference, its assigned multicast IP address(es) is (are) marked as available for assignment to a later joining client. At the conclusion of the conference, all multicast IP addresses allocated to the conference are marked as available for use in another conference.
摘要:
A system and method allow an Internet user to act as a broadcast session conductor by assembling audiovisual information in a multimedia document, and broadcasting that information to a predetermined group for simultaneous viewing. During the network broadcast, members of the predetermined group can interact with the Internet conductor using a standard telephone or other audio connection. The broadcast information may be used for such sessions as on-line training/teaching seminars, telemarketing, teleshopping and other multimedia events.
摘要:
Enhanced performance of a WAN is achieved by allowing devices to move from LAN to LAN and have the move be transparent to end user applications. This is accomplished by allowing devices to move, with no action being taken in response to a move. Instead, notice is taken of the LANE Emulation Client (LEC) address at which a device can be reached when the device that moved chooses to communicate with some other device. In such a device initiates communication, a table is updated in a LAN Emulation Server (LES), which is an entity maintained by the WAN that interconnects a number of LECs. A similar table is maintained in each LEC, and the table of each LEC is updated whenever a connection is made between one of its devices and some other device. At times, of course, a LEC would have an incorrect address of a sought destination device. In such a case, the LEC sends a query to the LES, and the LES provides what the LES believes to be the correct LEC address. When the LES cannot resolve an address, a message is broadcast to the LES entities of other “emulated LANs,” or ELANs, which contains their own LES entities, and those LES entities have an opportunity to provide the correct address.