Group Communication System and Method

Abstract

A method is described for providing voice conferencing between a plurality of users over a communications network. A host user initiates a voice conference using a host user terminal, where pluralities of user terminals join the voice conference. On joining the voice conference, each participant user terminal displays a participant user interface, and the host user terminal displays a host user interface. At least one participant user activates a request control on the participant user interface which, in turn, transmits a request to the host user to speak in the voice conference. The host user can then activate a selection control to select from among participant users who transmitted the request, the speech of the at least one selected user being transmitted to all of the plurality of users.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of managing a voice conference in which a plurality of users are connected to a first network entity, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to add a new user to a voice conference at a control node;   the control node analyzing a conference load on the first network entity and if the conference load exceeds a threshold, selecting another network entity and transmitting the request to said another network entity;   receiving the request from the control node at the another network entity, and determining whether the another network entity is currently included in the voice conference; and   if the another network entity is not currently included in the voice conference, creating a bridging connection between the another network entity and the first network entity, connecting the new user to the another network entity, and adding the new user to the voice conference via said bridging connection.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the analyzing the conference load further comprises:
 determining whether the first network entity can support the new user;   responsive to determining the first network entity cannot support the new user, checking whether a further network entity is currently included in the voice conference;   responsive to determining the further network entity is currently included in the voice conference, determining whether the further network entity can support the new user; and   responsive to determining that the further network entity is not currently included in the voice conference or cannot support the new user, selecting the another network entity.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the selecting the another network entity further comprises selecting the least loaded available network entity. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the analyzing the conference load further comprises determining the CPU load. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the analyzing the conference load further comprises determining the number of users connected to the first network entity. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of connecting the new user to the another network entity further comprises authenticating the new user prior to adding the new user to the voice conference. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the control node accessing a database; and   determining whether a queried network entity has contacted the database within a predetermined time period, whereby, if the queried network entity has not contacted the database within the predetermined time period, the control node ceases to transmit requests to said queried network entity.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the creating a bridging connection further comprises:
 determining whether the creation of the bridging connection has failed; and   responsive to determining the creation of the bridging connection has failed, substituting the another network entity for the first network entity.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring the bridging connection between the another network entity and the first network entity;   responsive to the monitoring the bridging connection observing that the connection has failed, determining whether the first network entity has been substituted; and   responsive to determining the first network entity has not been substituted, substituting the another network entity for the first network entity.   
     
     
         10 . A system for managing a voice conference in which a plurality of users are connected to a first network entity, the system comprising:
 a control node configured to:
 receive a request to add a new user to a voice conference; 
 analyze a conference load on the first network entity; 
 select another network entity if the conference load exceeds a threshold; and 
 transmit the request to said another network entity; and 
 another network entity configured to: 
 receive the request from the control node; 
 determine whether the another network entity is currently included in the voice conference; 
 create a bridging connection between the another network entity and the first network entity, if the another network entity is not currently included in the voice conference; 
 connect the new user to the another network entity; and 
 add the new user to the voice conference via said bridging connection. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein to analyze the conference load, the control node is further configured to:
 determine whether the first network entity can support the new user;   check whether a further network entity is currently included in the voice conference if the first network entity cannot support the new user;   determine whether the further network entity can support the new user if a further network entity is currently included in the voice conference; and   select the another network entity if the further network entity is not currently included in the voice conference or cannot support the new user.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein to select another network entity, the control node is further configured to select the least loaded available network entity. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein to analyze the conference load, the control node is further configured to determine the CPU load. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein to analyze the conference load, the control node is further configured to determine the number of users connected to the first network entity. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein to connect the new user to the another network entity, the another node is further configured to authenticate the new user prior to adding the new user to the voice conference. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the control node is further configured to:
 access a database; and   determine whether a queried network entity has contacted the database within a predetermined time period, wherein, if the queried network entity has not contacted the database within the predetermined time period, the control node ceases to transmit requests to said queried network entity.   
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein to create a bridging connection, the another network entity is further configured to determine whether the creation of the bridging connection has failed, and if so, substitute the another network entity for the first network entity. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the another network entity is further configured to:
 monitor the bridging connection between the another network entity and the first network entity;   determine whether the first network entity has been substituted if the monitoring observes that the connection has failed; and   substitute the another network entity for the first network entity if the first network entity has not been substituted.   
     
     
         19 . One or more computer-readable storage memory devices embodying one or more processor-executable instructions which, responsive to execution by at least one processor, perform a method of managing a voice conference in which a plurality of users are connected to a first network entity, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to add a new user to a voice conference at a control node;   the control node analyzing a conference load on the first network entity and if the conference load exceeds a threshold, selecting another network entity and transmitting the request to said another network entity;   receiving the request from the control node at the another network entity, and determining whether the another network entity is currently included in the voice conference; and   if the another network entity is not currently included in the voice conference, creating a bridging connection between the another network entity and the first network entity, connecting the new user to the another network entity, and adding the new user to the voice conference via said bridging connection.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more computer-readable storage memory devices according to  claim 19 , wherein the analyzing the conference load further comprises:
 determining whether the first network entity can support the new user;   responsive to determining the first network entity cannot support the new user, checking whether a further network entity is currently included in the voice conference;   responsive to determining the further network entity is currently included in the voice conference, determining whether the further network entity can support the new user; and   responsive to determining that the further network entity is not currently included in the voice conference or cannot support the new user, selecting the another network entity.