METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIP ACCESS TO MEDIA AND CONFERENCES

1 . A method for providing media services comprising:

receiving a request for media services from an initiating client device at a Media Server;

determining, at the Media Server, a type of media resource needed to service the request and selecting a Resource Server based on the determined type of media resource; and

establishing, by the Media Server, a media service connection between at least the initiating client device and the selected Resource Server to provide the requested media service, wherein the established media service connection does not include the Media Server.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of the requested media service comprises at least one of an audio service, a video service, an audio/video service, an image service, a fax service, and a conference service.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected Resource Server comprises at least one of an audio server, a video server, an audio/video server, an image server, a fax server, and a conference server.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Media Server is implemented as a subset or feature of a proxy server, or the Media Server is implemented as a self-contained package.

5 . A computer program product for providing media services comprising a computer readable storage medium and computer program instructions, recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor, for performing the steps of:

receiving a request for media services from an initiating client device at a Media Server;

determining, at the Media Server, a type of media resource needed to service the request and selecting a Resource Server based on the determined type of media resource; and

establishing, by the Media Server, a media service connection between at least the initiating client device and the selected Resource Server to provide the requested media service, wherein the established media service connection does not include the Media Server.

6 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the type of the requested media service comprises at least one of an audio service, a video service, an audio/video service, an image service, a fax service, and a conference service.

7 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the selected Resource Server comprises at least one of an audio server, a video server, an audio/video server, an image server, a fax server, and a conference server.

8 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the Media Server is implemented as a subset or feature of a proxy server, or the Media Server is implemented as a self-contained package.

9 . A Media Server for providing media services comprising a processor operable to execute computer program instructions, a memory operable to store computer program instructions executable by the processor, and computer program instructions stored in the memory and executable to perform the steps of:

receiving a request for media services from an initiating client device;

determining a type of media resource needed to service the request and selecting a Resource Server based on the determined type of media resource; and

establishing a media service connection between at least the initiating client device and the selected Resource Server to provide the requested media service, wherein the established media service connection does not include the Media Server.

10 . The Media Server of claim 1 , wherein the type of the requested media service comprises at least one of an audio service, a video service, an audio/video service, an image service, a fax service, and a conference service.

11 . The Media Server of claim 1 , wherein the selected Resource Server comprises at least one of an audio server, a video server, an audio/video server, an image server, a fax server, and a conference server.

12 . The Media Server of claim 1 , wherein the Media Server is implemented as a subset or feature of a proxy server, or the Media Server is implemented as a self-contained package.

13 . A method for providing conference services comprising:

accepting connection, at a Media Server, from a calling client device;

establishing, at the Media Server, an inbound leg of a media stream with the calling client device;

connecting, from the Media Server, to at least one called client device;

establishing, at the Media Server, an outbound leg of the media stream with the at least one called client device;

determining, at the Media Server, that at least one called client device has accepted connection to the media stream;

completing, at the Media Server, a connection between the calling client device and the at least one called client device, the connection including the inbound leg of the media stream and the outbound leg of the media stream; and

waiting, at the Media Server, a predetermined amount of time, then releasing the media stream by establishing a media stream between the calling client device and the at least one called client device that does not include the Media Server.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Media Server is implemented as a subset or feature of a proxy server, or the Media Server is implemented as a self-contained package.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein before establishing the inbound leg of a media stream, the Media Server authenticates the calling client device.

16 . A computer program product for providing conference services comprising a computer readable storage medium and computer program instructions, recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor, for performing the steps of:

accepting connection, at a Media Server, from a calling client device;

establishing, at the Media Server, an inbound leg of a media stream with the calling client device;

connecting, from the Media Server, to at least one called client device;

establishing, at the Media Server, an outbound leg of the media stream with the at least one called client device;

determining, at the Media Server, that at least one called client device has accepted connection to the media stream;

completing, at the Media Server, a connection between the calling client device and the at least one called client device, the connection including the inbound leg of the media stream and the outbound leg of the media stream; and

waiting, at the Media Server, a predetermined amount of time, then releasing the media stream by establishing a media stream between the calling client device and the at least one called client device that does not include the Media Server.

17 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the Media Server is implemented as a subset or feature of a proxy server, or the Media Server is implemented as a self-contained package.

18 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein before establishing the inbound leg of a media stream, the Media Server authenticates the calling client device.

19 . A Media Server for providing conference services comprising a processor operable to execute computer program instructions, a memory operable to store computer program instructions executable by the processor, and computer program instructions stored in the memory and executable to perform the steps of:

accepting connection, at a Media Server, from a calling client device;

establishing, at the Media Server, an inbound leg of a media stream with the calling client device;

connecting, from the Media Server, to at least one called client device;

establishing, at the Media Server, an outbound leg of the media stream with the at least one called client device;

determining, at the Media Server, that at least one called client device has accepted connection to the media stream;

completing, at the Media Server, a connection between the calling client device and the at least one called client device, the connection including the inbound leg of the media stream and the outbound leg of the media stream; and

waiting, at the Media Server, a predetermined amount of time, then releasing the media stream by establishing a media stream between the calling client device and the at least one called client device that does not include the Media Server.

20 . The Media Server of claim 1 , wherein the Media Server is implemented as a subset or feature of a proxy server, or the Media Server is implemented as a self-contained package.

21 . The Media Server of claim 1 , wherein before establishing the inbound leg of a media stream, the Media Server authenticates the calling client device.