Granted Patent B2

US 8,340,271 · App. 12/465,548 · Granted Dec 25, 2012

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A method of transferring a communication session from a portable communication device to a local conferencing device during a communication session between the portable communication device and a remote communication device, comprising:

sending a prompt to the portable communication device prompting for a request to transfer the communication session from the portable communication device to the local conferencing device;

receiving from the portable communication device a request to transfer the communication session from the portable communication device to the local conferencing device;

determining contact information for a remote multimedia endpoint associated with the remote communication device; and

in response to the request from the portable communication device, initiating an audio connection between the local conferencing device and the remote multimedia endpoint;

instructing the local conferencing device to escalate the audio connection to a video communication session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable communication device is selected from the group consisting of an IP phone, a portable computer, and a smart phone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local conferencing device is a local multimedia endpoint.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the local multimedia endpoint is communicatively connected to at least one multipoint control unit.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising obtaining contact information of the remote multimedia endpoint at the local multimedia endpoint.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising providing contact information of the remote multimedia endpoint to the multipoint control unit.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein initiating a connection comprises setting up a connection between the multipoint control unit, the local multimedia endpoint, and the remote multimedia endpoint.

8. A method of transferring a communication session from a local conferencing device to a portable communication device during a conference between the local conferencing device and a remote endpoint, comprising:

presenting a prompt to the portable communication device, prompting for a request to transfer the communication session from the local conferencing device to the portable communication device

receiving from the portable communication device a request to transfer the communication session from the local conferencing device to the portable communication device;

determining contact information for the remote endpoint;

providing the contact information to the portable communication device; and

in response to the request from the portable communication device, initiating an audio connection between the portable communication device and the remote endpoint;

instructing the local conferencing device to escalate the audio connection to a video communication session.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising terminating the in progress communication session between the local conferencing device and the remote endpoint.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the portable communication device is selected from the group consisting of an IP phone, a portable computer, and a smart phone.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the conferencing device is a local multimedia endpoint.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein local multimedia endpoint is communicatively coupled to a multipoint control unit.

13. A conferencing device comprising:

a programmable processor programmed to:

receive a signal indicating that a portable communication device is engaged in a communication session with a remote endpoint;

in response to the signal, send a prompt to the portable communication device prompting for a request to transfer the communication session to the conferencing device; and

in response to the request to transfer, transferring the communication session from the portable communication device to the conferencing device determining contact information for a remote multimedia endpoint associated with the remote endpoint; and

in response to the request from the portable communication device, initiating an audio connection between the conferencing device and the remote multimedia endpoint;

instructing the conferencing device to escalate the audio connection to a video communication session.

14. The conferencing device of claim 13 , wherein the portable communication device is selected from the group consisting of an IP phone, a portable computer, and a smart phone.

15. The conferencing device of claim 13 , wherein the conferencing device is a local multimedia endpoint.

16. The conferencing device of claim 15 , wherein the programmable processor is further programmed to initiate a video communications session with a remote multimedia endpoint in response to the request to transfer.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions stored thereon to cause a programmable processor to transfer a communication session from a portable communication device to a local conferencing device during a communication session between the portable communication device and a remote communication device, by causing the programmable processor to:

send a prompt to the portable communication device prompting for a request to transfer the communication session from the portable communication device to the local conferencing device;

receive from the portable communication device a request to transfer the communication session from the portable communication device to the local conferencing device;

determine contact information for a remote multimedia endpoint associated with the remote communication device; and

in response to the request from the portable communication device, initiate an audio connection between the local conferencing device and the remote multimedia endpoint;

instructing the local conferencing device to escalate the audio connection to a video communication session.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions stored thereon to cause a programmable processor to transfer a communication session from a local conferencing device to a portable communication device during a conference between the local conferencing device and a remote endpoint, the computer executable instructions to causing the programmable processor to:

presenting a prompt to the portable communication device, prompting for a request to transfer the communication session from the local conferencing device to the portable communication device

identify a received request from the portable communication device to transfer the communication session from the local conferencing device to the portable communication device;

determine contact information for the remote endpoint;

provide the contact information to the portable communication device; and

in response to the request from the portable communication device, initiate a connection between the portable communication device and the remote endpoint;

instructing the local multimedia endpoint to escalate the audio connection to a video communication session.

Assignments (10)