Real-time communications methods providing pause and resume and related devices

1. A method of operating a receiver communication device during a real time multiparty conferencing session with another communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session from the other communication device wherein packets of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session include an identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session; and

transmitting a pause request from the receiver communication device to the other communication device wherein the pause request includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a pause request sequence number.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

after transmitting the pause request, receiving a pause acknowledge message from the other communication device wherein the pause acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the pause request sequence number.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising:

after receiving the pause acknowledge message, transmitting a resume request from the receiver communication device to the other communication device wherein the resume request includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a resume request sequence number different than the pause request sequence number; and

after transmitting the resume request, receiving a resume acknowledge message from the other communication device wherein the resume acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the resume request sequence number.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the resume request sequence number is incremented relative to the pause request sequence number.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting the pause request comprises transmitting a first pause request, and wherein the pause request sequence number comprises a first pause request sequence number, the method further comprising:

responsive to expiration of a time out after transmitting the pause request from the receiver communication device, transmitting a second pause request from the receiver communication device to the other communication device wherein the second pause request includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a second pause request sequence number different than the first pause request sequence number; and

after transmitting the second pause request, receiving a pause acknowledge message from the other communication device wherein the pause acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the second pause request sequence number.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the second pause request sequence number is incremented relative to the first pause request sequence number.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session comprises a synchronization source, SSRC, that uniquely identifies the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session within the real time multiparty conferencing session.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the real time multiparty conferencing session comprises a real time multiparty video conferencing session.

9. A method of operating a sender communication device during a real time multiparty conferencing session with another communication device, the method comprising:

transmitting a real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session from the sender communication device to first and second receiver communication devices wherein packets of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session include an identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session; and

receiving a pause request from the first receiver communication device wherein the pause request includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a pause request sequence number.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

responsive to receiving the pause request, pausing transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the first receiver communication device while maintaining the real time multiparty conferencing session; and

responsive to receiving the pause request, transmitting a pause acknowledge message to the first receiver communication device wherein the pause acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the pause request sequence number.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising:

after transmitting the pause acknowledge message, receiving a resume request from the first receiver communication device wherein the resume request includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a resume request sequence number different than the pause request sequence number;

responsive to receiving the resume request, resuming transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the first receiver communication device; and

responsive to receiving the resume request, transmitting a resume acknowledge message to the first receiver communication device wherein the resume acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the resume request sequence number.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the resume request sequence number is incremented relative to the pause request sequence number.

13. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

responsive to receiving the pause request, transmitting a refuse message to the first receiver communication device while continuing transmitting the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the first receiver communication device, wherein the refuse message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the pause request sequence number.

14. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

responsive to receiving the pause request, transmitting a negative-acknowledge, NACK, message to the first receiver communication device while continuing transmitting the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the first receiver communication device, wherein the negative-acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the pause request sequence number.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session comprises a synchronization source, SSRC, that uniquely identifies the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session within the real time real time multiparty conferencing session.

16. The method according to claim 9 , the method further comprising:

responsive to receiving the pause request from the first receiver communication device, pausing transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the first receiver communication device while continuing transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the second receiver communication device.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the pause request is a first pause request and the pause request sequence number is a first pause request sequence number, the method further comprising:

responsive to receiving the pause request from the first receiver communication device, transmitting a first pause acknowledge message to the first receiver communication device while continuing transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the second receiver communication device, wherein the pause acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the pause request sequence number; and

after transmitting the first pause acknowledgment message, receiving a second pause request from the second receiver communication device wherein the second pause request includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a second pause request sequence number; and

responsive to receiving the second pause request from the second receiver communication device, pausing transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the second receiver communication device.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein transmitting the real time media content data stream comprises receiving the real time media content data stream from an endpoint communication device and retransmitting the real time media content data stream to the first and second receiver communication devices, the method further comprising:

responsive to receiving the first and second pause requests from the first and second receiver communication devices, transmitting a third pause request to the endpoint communication device.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the identification comprises a first identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session, wherein receiving the real time media content data stream from the endpoint communication device comprises receiving the real time media content data stream including a second identification, wherein the third pause request includes the second identification and a third pause request sequence number.

20. The method according to claim 9 wherein the real time multiparty conferencing session comprises a real time multiparty video conferencing session.

21. A receiver communication device comprising:

a network interface configured to provide network communications over a network with another communication device during a real time real time multiparty conferencing session; and

a processor coupled to the network interface, wherein the processor is configured to receive a real time media content data stream of the real time real time multiparty conferencing session from the other communication device through the network interface with packets of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session including an identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session, and to transmit a pause request through the network interface to the other communication device with the pause request including the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a pause request sequence number.

22. The receiver communication device according to claim 21 wherein the processor is further configured to receive a pause acknowledge message from the other communication device after transmitting the pause request, wherein the pause acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the pause request sequence number.

23. The receiver communication device according to claim 22 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a resume request through the network interface to the other communication device after receiving the pause acknowledge message wherein the resume request includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a resume request sequence number different than the pause request sequence number, and to receive a resume acknowledge message from the other communication device through the network interface after transmitting the resume request wherein the resume acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the resume request sequence number.

24. The receiver communication device according to claim 21 wherein the real time multiparty conferencing session comprises a real time multiparty video conferencing session.

25. A sender communication device comprising:

a network interface configured to provide network communications over a network with first and second receiver communication devices during a real time real time multiparty conferencing session; and

a processor coupled to the network interface, wherein the processor is configured to transmit a real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session through the network interface to the first and second receiver communication devices with packets of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session including an identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session, and to receive a pause request from the first receiver communication device through the network interface with the pause request including the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a pause request sequence number.

26. The sender communication device according to claim 25 wherein the processor is further configured to pause transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the first receiver communication device while maintaining the real time multiparty conferencing session responsive to receiving the pause request, and to transmit a pause acknowledge message to the first receiver communication device through the network interface responsive to receiving the pause request with the pause acknowledge message including the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the pause request sequence number.

27. The sender communication device according to claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to receive a resume request from the first receiver communication device through the network interface after transmitting the pause acknowledge message with the resume request including the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a resume request sequence number different than the pause request sequence number, to resume transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session responsive to receiving the resume request, and to transmit a resume acknowledge message to the first receiver communication device through the network interface responsive to receiving the resume request with the resume acknowledge message including the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the resume request sequence number.

28. The sender communication device according to claim 25 , wherein the processor is further configured to pause transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the first receiver communication device while continuing transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the second receiver communication device responsive to receiving the pause request from the first receiver communication device.

29. The sender communication device according to claim 28 , wherein the pause request is a first pause request and the pause request sequence number is a first pause request sequence number, wherein the processor is further configured to,

transmit a first pause acknowledge message to the first receiver communication device while continuing transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the second receiver communication device responsive to receiving the pause request from the first receiver communication device, wherein the pause acknowledge message includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and the pause request sequence number,

receive a second pause request from the second receiver communication device after transmitting the first pause acknowledgment message, wherein the second pause request includes the identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session and a second pause request sequence number, and

pause transmission of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session to the second receiver communication device responsive to receiving the second pause request from the second receiver communication device.

30. The sender communication device according to claim 29 , wherein the processor is further configured to

transmit the real time media content data stream responsive receiving the real time media content data stream from an endpoint communication device, and

transmit a third pause request to the endpoint communication device responsive to receiving the first and second pause requests from the first and second receiver communication devices.

31. The sender communication device according to claim 30 , wherein the identification comprises a first identification of the real time media content data stream of the real time multiparty conferencing session, wherein the processor is further configured to,

receive the real time media content data stream including a second identification, wherein the third pause request includes the second identification and a third pause request sequence number.

32. The sender communication device according to claim 25 wherein the real time multiparty conferencing session comprises a real time multiparty video conferencing session.