Systems and methods for implementing internet video conferencing using standard phone calls

Abstract

A video conferencing system ( 100 ) includes a switch ( 125 ), a server ( 140 ), a telephony device ( 152 ), and a node ( 102 ) in a packet-switched network ( 135 ). The switch ( 125 ) establishes a circuit-switched connection between a calling party number and a called party number. The server ( 140 ) associates first and second network addresses in a packet-switched network ( 135 ) with each of the called party and calling party numbers. The telephony device ( 152 ) transmits audio data via the circuit-switched connection. The node ( 102 ) in the packet-switched network ( 135 ) transmits packetized video between the first and second network addresses responsive to establishment of the circuit-switched connection.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A method comprising:
 establishing, by a device, a video conference between a first user and a second user, wherein establishing the video conference includes:
 initiating a first connection via a communication network, wherein the first connection is between a first device associated with the first user and a second device associated with the second user, and 
 initiating a second connection via a data network, wherein the second connection is between a third device associated with the first user and a fourth device associated with the second user, and wherein a video portion associated with the video conference is forwarded via the second connection; 
   detecting, by the device, a termination of the second connection; and   forwarding, by the device and to the communication network, a message associated with the termination of the second connection, wherein the communication network terminates the first connection based on receiving the message.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first device and the second device include telephone devices, and the third device and fourth device include computing devices. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein an audio portion associated with the video conference is forwarded via the first connection. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first connection is established between a first communication network address associated with the first user and a second communication network address associated with the second user, and
 wherein initiating the second connection via the data network includes:
 determining, based on the first communication network address, a first data network address associated with the first user; 
 determining, based on the second communication network address, a second data network address associated with the first user; and 
 initiating the second connection based on the first data network address and the second data network address. 
   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the first communication network address includes a first telephone number associated with the first user and the second communication network address includes a second telephone number associated with the second user. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the first data network address includes a first internet protocol address associated with the first user and the second data network address includes a second internet protocol address associated with the second user. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first connection is associated with a first frequency band, and the second connection is associated with a second frequency band. 
     
     
         45 . A system comprising:
 a memory configured to store data identifying:
 circuit-switched addresses associated with users, wherein a first circuit-switched address is associated with a first user of the users and a second circuit-switched address is associated with a second user of the users, and 
 packet-switched addresses associated with the users, wherein a first packet-switched address is associated with the first user and a second packet-switched address is associated with the second user; and 
   a device configured to:
 initiate a circuit-switched connection between the first circuit-switched address and the second circuit-switched address, 
 initiate a packet-switched connection based on the first packet-switched address and the second packet-switched address, 
 initiate a video conference between the first user and the second user using the circuit-switched connection and the packet-switched connection, 
 detect a termination of the packet-switched connection during the video conference, and 
 cause the circuit-switched connection to be terminated based on detecting the termination of the packet-switched connection. 
   
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the device, when causing the circuit-switched connection to be terminated based on detecting the termination of the packet-switched connection, is further configured to:
 forward a notification of the termination of the packet-switched connection to a network associated with the circuit-switched connection, wherein the network terminates the circuit-switched connection based on receiving the notification.   
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the circuit-switched connection is between a first device associated with the first user and a second device associated with the second user, and wherein the packet-switched connection is between a third device associated with the first user and a fourth device associated with the second user. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the first device and the second device include communication devices, and the third device and fourth device include computing devices. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the device, when initiating the packet-switched connection, is further configured to:
 forward information identifying the second packet-switched address to the first device, wherein the first device forwards the second packet-switched address to the third device, and   forward information identifying the first packet-switched address to the second device, wherein the second device forwards the second packet-switched address to the fourth device.   
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the device, when accessing the memory to obtain the first packet-switched address and the second packet-switched address based on detecting the circuit-switched connection, is further configured to:
 identify the first packet-switched address based on the first circuit-switched address, and   identify the second packet-switched address based on the second circuit-switched address.   
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the device is further configured to:
 determine whether the circuit-switched connection is terminated during the video conference, and   cause the packet-switched connection to be terminated when the circuit-switched connection is terminated during the video conference.   
     
     
         52 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium to store instructions comprising:
 one or more instruction that cause a device to:
 initiate a first connection via a communication network, wherein the first connection is between a first device associated with a first user and a second device associated with a second user, 
 initiate a second connection via a data network, wherein the second connection is between a third device associated with the first user and a fourth device associated with the second user. 
 establish a video conference using the first connection and the second connection, 
 detect a termination of the second connection; and 
 forward, to the communication network, a notification of the termination of the second connection, wherein the communication network terminates the first connection based on receiving the notification. 
   
     
     
         53 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 52 , wherein the first device and the second device include communication devices, and the third device and fourth device include computing devices. 
     
     
         54 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 52 , wherein the instructions, when causing the device to initiate the first connection and the second connection via the data network, further include:
 one or more instructions that cause the device to:
 identify a first communication network address associated with the first user and a second communication network address associated with the second user, 
 initiate the first connection using the first communication network address associated with the first user and the second communication network address, 
 determine, based on the first communication network address associated with the first user and the second communication network address, a first data network address associated with the first user and a second data network address associated with the second user, and 
 initiate the second connection based on the first data network address and the second data network address. 
   
     
     
         55 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 54 , wherein the first communication network address includes a first telephone number associated with the first user and the second communication network address includes a second telephone number associated with the second user. 
     
     
         56 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 52 , wherein the instructions, when causing the device to establish the video conference via the first connection and the second connection, further include:
 one or more instructions that cause the device to:
 forward an audio portion associated with the video conference via the first connection, and 
 forward a video portion associated with the video conference via the second connection. 
   
     
     
         57 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 52 , wherein the instructions, when causing the device to establish the video conference via the first connection and the second connection, further include:
 one or more instructions that cause the device to:
 forward an audio portion and a video portion associated with the video conference via the second connection.