Reverse call forking

Abstract

A technique for merging conference session dialogs allows presenting content and media streams from a non-Skype endpoint to a Skype multipoint control unit (MCU), so that they present a single caller in a conference with both media and content. A signaling adapter intercepts session dialogs and merges or other modifies. When adding the non-Skype endpoint, requests from a content server are dropped while requests from the MCU handling non-Skype media streams are forwarded to the Skype MCU. Responses to the request from the MCU are also forwarded to the content server. When creating subscription dialogs, requests from the content server are modified to appear as if they came from the MCU, while responses go back to the proper requester. Conference notifications are forked to go to both the content server and the MCU. Because Skype uses separate media and content dialogs, merging of audio/video and content dialogs may be omitted. By merging dialogs, user experience is improved.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 intercepting, by a signaling adapter, a first subscription request for information from a first device to a second device;   forwarding, by the signaling adapter, the intercepted first subscription request to the second device;   intercepting, by the signaling adapter, a response to the first subscription request from the second device;   forwarding, by the signaling adapter, the intercepted response to the first subscription request to the first device;   intercepting, by the signaling adapter, a second subscription request for conference information from a third device to the second device;   modifying, by the signaling adapter, the second subscription request to appear as if the second subscription request is from the first device;   sending, by the signaling adapter, the modified second subscription request to the second device;   intercepting, by the signaling adapter, a response to the second subscription request from the second device; and   forwarding, by the signaling adapter, the response to the second subscription request to the third device instead of the first device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 intercepting, by the signaling adapter, notifications related to a subscription request from the second device; and   sending, by the signaling adapter, the intercepted notifications to the first device and the third device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is a conferencing method, the first device is a first multipoint control unit, the second device is a second multipoint control unit and the third device is a content server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 intercepting, by the signaling adapter, notifications related to a subscription request from the second multipoint control unit; and   sending, by the signaling adapter, the intercepted notifications to the first multipoint control unit and the content server.   
     
     
         5 . A method comprising:
 intercepting, by a signaling adapter, a first subscription request for information from a first device to a second device;   forwarding, by the signaling adapter, the intercepted first subscription request for information to the second device;   intercepting and storing, by the signaling adapter, an information response related to the first request for information from the second device to the first device;   forwarding, by the signaling adapter, the intercepted conference information response to the first device;   intercepting, by the signaling adapter, a second subscription request for information from a third device to the second device;   dropping, by the signaling adapter, the second subscription request; and   responding, by the signaling adapter, to the second subscription request with the stored information response.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 intercepting, by the signaling adapter, notifications related to a subscription request from the second device; and   sending, by the signaling adapter, the intercepted notifications to the first device and the third device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method is a conferencing method, the first device is a first multipoint control unit, the second device is a second multipoint control unit and the third device is a content server. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 intercepting, by the signaling adapter, notifications related to a subscription request from the second multipoint control unit; and   sending, by the signaling adapter, the intercepted notifications to the first multipoint control unit and the content server.   
     
     
         9 . A signaling adapter comprising:
 a hardware processing element; and   software for connecting endpoints of one type to a conference of another type, stored on a memory connected to the hardware processing element, comprising instructions that when executed cause the hardware processing element to:   intercept a first subscription request for information from a first device to a second device;   forward the intercepted first subscription request to the second device;   intercept a response to the first subscription request from the second device;   forward the intercepted response to the first subscription request to the first device;   intercept a second subscription request for conference information from a third device to the second device;   modify the second subscription request to appear as if the second subscription request is from the first device;   send the modified second subscription request to the second device;   intercept a response to the second subscription request from the second device; and   forward the response to the second subscription request to the third device instead of the first device.   
     
     
         10 . The signaling adapter of  claim 9 , the software further comprising instructions that when executed cause the hardware processing element to:
 intercept notifications related to a subscription request from the second device; and   send the intercepted notifications to the first device and the third device.   
     
     
         11 . The signaling adapter of  claim 9 , wherein the first device is a first multipoint control unit, the second device is a second multipoint control unit and the third device is a content server. 
     
     
         12 . The signaling adapter of  claim 11 , the software further comprising instructions that when executed cause the hardware processing element to:
 intercept notifications related to a subscription request from the second multipoint control unit; and   send the intercepted notifications to the first multipoint control unit and the content server.   
     
     
         13 . A signaling adapter comprising:
 a hardware processing element; and   software for connecting endpoints of one type to a conference of another type, stored on a memory connected to the hardware processing element, comprising instructions that when executed cause the hardware processing element to:
 intercept a first subscription request for information from a first device to a second device; 
 forward the intercepted first subscription request for information to the second device; 
 intercept and store an information response related to the first request for information from the second device to the first device; 
 forward the intercepted conference information response to the first device; 
 intercept a second subscription request for information from a third device to the second device; 
 drop the second subscription request; and 
 respond to the second subscription request with the stored information response. 
   
     
     
         14 . The signaling adapter of  claim 13 , the software further comprising instructions that when executed cause the hardware processing element to:
 intercept notifications related to a subscription request from the second device; and   send the intercepted notifications to the first device and the third device.   
     
     
         15 . The signaling adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the first device is a first multipoint control unit, the second device is a second multipoint control unit and the third device is a content server. 
     
     
         16 . The signaling adapter of  claim 15 , the software further comprising instructions that when executed cause the hardware processing element to:
 intercept notifications related to a subscription request from the second multipoint control unit; and   send the intercepted notifications to the first multipoint control unit and the content server.