Abstract: According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for communicating advertisement information. The method includes steps occurring at a packet inspection node. The method also includes monitoring data packets associated with a user. The method further includes detecting a local advertisement request within the data packets. The method further includes redirecting the request to a local advertisement server.

Abstract: The present invention employs scalable video coding (SVC) in a multi-view camera system, which is particularly suited for video conferencing. Multiple cameras are oriented to capture video content of different image areas and generate corresponding original video streams that provide video content of the image areas. An active one of the image areas may be identified at any time by analyzing the audio content originating from the different image areas and selecting the image area that is associated with the most dominant speech activity.

Abstract: The present invention allows a user to customize her personal conference bridge such that conference participants who connect to the bridge are provided conference information selected by the user. In particular, after each conference participant gains access to the personal conference bridge, the conference information is delivered to a terminal of the conference participant. Although the user associated with the personal conference bridge may be a conference participant, delivery of conference information to the user is optional. The conference information may be any type of media content, or information identifying the location of media content to present to the conference participants.

Abstract: Described are a system and method for establishing a communication session between an end user and a communication destination of an interactive voice response (IVR) system. A click-to-call server transmits a web page over a network for display in a browser window at a client system. The web page presents a web menu corresponding to an IVR audio menu of the IVR system and has a link by which the end user of the client system can submit a click-to-call request. The click-to-call server receives a click-to-call request from the client system over the network in response to activation of the link in the web page. The click-to-call server sets up a communication session between a communication device identified by the end user and a communication destination of the IVR system in response to receiving the click-to-call request.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing location sharing sessions are disclosed. One method includes receiving signaling from a first endpoint for establishing a location sharing session. The method also includes signaling at least one second endpoint for establishing the location sharing session and receiving signaling from the at least one second endpoint accepting the establishment of the location sharing session. The method also includes, in response to receiving the signaling from the at least one second endpoint, establishing the location sharing session between the first and the at least one second endpoint such that the first and at least one second endpoint shares location media directly using the location sharing session.

Abstract: The present invention allows calls that are controlled by a multimedia subsystem (MS) to employ bearer paths that are supported in whole or in part by a circuit-switched subsystem (CS). As such, calls controlled by the MS can have a portion of the bearer path provided through the CS when needed or desired. To facilitate such control, a session control signaling path is established between a user element currently supported by the CS and a remote user agent (RUA), which represents the user element in the MS. While a portion of the bearer path for the call is supported by the CS, the session control signaling path extends the reach of the MS to the user element.

Abstract: Where a separate bearer channel is required to be set up in a mobile network to complete a hybrid VoIP call on the mobile network as specified in 3GPP ICS standard TR 23.892, an alerting process may be started after a provisionable delay rather than upon completion of the network call setup. This allows the mobile network user to start responding to the impending call before signaling of the call has been completed, so that the person can answer closer in time to completion of call signaling. Additionally, the person who placed the call may be provided with ringing feedback to make it sound like the call has been completed. The amount of delay between receipt of a SIP invite and the onset of an alerting process may be specified in the mobile handset or may be specified as a header in the SIP invite. The amount of delay may be fixed or adjusted based on feedback.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for enhancing media quality by dynamically inserting a quality enhancement gateway are disclosed. According to one method, steps are performed at a service node. The method includes detecting a condition associated with a session between two endpoints that indicates that the session could benefit from media quality enhancement processing. The method also includes signaling the endpoints to route at least a portion of the session through a quality enhancement gateway (QEG) capable of providing the media quality enhancement processing for the session.

Abstract: The present invention provides enhanced services from a packet network in association with incoming or outgoing POTS calls. These enhanced services may be provided without requiring control over any portion of the PSTN, which supports the POTS line over which the incoming or outgoing POTS calls are provided. A terminal adaptor is used to effectively connect a POTS line, a POTS-based telephone terminal, and the packet network. The terminal adaptor is configured to intercept POTS signaling associated with the incoming or outgoing calls, and send any resultant POTS signaling information to a service node or multimedia client associated with the telephone terminal to initiate the enhanced services via the packet network.

Abstract: The present invention dynamically determines whether call control for a call from a user element should be anchored in a multimedia subsystem (MS) or in a circuit-switched subsystem (CS) based on the location of the user element. Calls may be anchored in the MS regardless of whether the user element is currently served by a cellular network of the CS or a WLAN of the MS. In particular, the anchoring decision is based on whether the user element is within an MS anchoring zone, which defines an area or areas where calls for the user element should be anchored in the MS. Accordingly, when the user element is outside of the MS anchoring zone, calls for the user element are not anchored in the MS. When the user element is within the MS anchoring zone, calls for the user element are anchored in the MS.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing multimedia services includes receiving from a first user a request for engaging in multimedia services with a second user, generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), transmitting the URL to an address associated with the second user, enabling voice communication between the first user and the second user, and enabling multimedia services between the first user and the second user in response to receiving an indication that the second user has accessed the URL.

Abstract: The present invention allows a user to customize her personal conference bridge such that conference participants who connect to the bridge are provided conference information selected by the user. In particular, after each conference participant gains access to the personal conference bridge, the conference information is delivered to a terminal of the conference participant. Although the user associated with the personal conference bridge may be a conference participant, delivery of conference information to the user is optional. The conference information may be any type of media content, or information identifying the location of media content to present to the conference participants.

Abstract: A flow admission control module for IP traffic types monitors network topology and usage. A new flow is not admitted if it is determined that the flow would push the utilization of available bandwidth reserved for the traffic type on a link in the associated path beyond a predetermined threshold. The admission control module may, as a result of dynamic changes to network topology capacity, re-compute the link utilization for effected active flows The admission control module may also account for protection regimes in flow admission calculations.

Abstract: In a click-to-call (C2C) communication environment, a web client of a computing terminal is configured to initiate a C2C call when a user selects a call tag provided in a web page being presented to the user. The call is intended to be established between a remote endpoint associated with the call tag and one of either the computing terminal or another terminal associated with the user. If the C2C call is directed to an automated system and placed in a queue or on hold, the present invention allows supplemental content intended for the user to be delivered to the web client from which the C2C call was initiated. The web client may present the supplemental content to the user.

Abstract: The present invention allows individual providers to be assigned to one or more roles. A role corresponds to a function, service, or action that can be fulfilled by the provider who is assigned to the role. A media session may be initiated by sending a session request from a requester toward a given role instead of being initiated directly to a particular provider. The media session may include a voice or video call, instant messaging session, file transfer session, application sharing session, or the like. The session request is routed to a role server, which may direct the session request to the provider who is assigned to the corresponding role. Once a decision is made to route the session request to a particular provider, provider routing rules may further control how the session requests are routed to the provider terminals of the particular provider.

Abstract: The present invention provides participants in a conference and any other authorized users access to recorded content from the conference. In one embodiment, the conference output is continuously buffered to provide the recorded content as the conference progresses. At any time while the conference is in progress, a conference participant or other authorized user may access the recorded content to review the audio or other media information that has been recorded so far in the recorded content. In another embodiment, after the conference is over, the recorded content may be archived and made accessible to the conference participants and others via the conference system, which will keep track of the location of the recorded content and conference with which it is associated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing communication between participants in a virtual environment enables the participants to elect to automatically connect with each other via a preferred communication mechanism, manually connect with each other, or choose not to connect with each other. The connection may be point-to-point between two participants or may include multiple participants. Establishment of a connection, or the ability to establish a connection, may be based on the proximity of the participants, or the Avatars representing the participants, in the virtual environment. Once the connection is established, the connection may be managed so that the connection is maintained while the Avatars remain proximate each other and is automatically severed once the Avatars move away from each other. Environmental noise and other audio aspects may be included in the connection to simulate a real-world conversation.

Abstract: The present invention allows individual providers to be assigned to one or more roles. A role corresponds to a function, service, or action that can be fulfilled by the provider who is assigned to the role. A media session may be initiated by sending a session request from a requester toward a given role instead of being initiated directly to a particular provider. The media session may include a voice or video call, instant messaging session, file transfer session, application sharing session, or the like. The session request is routed to a role server, which may direct the session request to the provider who is assigned to the corresponding role. Once a decision is made to route the session request to a particular provider, provider routing rules may further control how the session requests are routed to the provider terminals of the particular provider.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a query from an external entity for information about a call between a first user and a second user, determining a call identifier associated with the call and providing the call identifier to the external entity. Subsequently, when a request to alter the call and comprising the call identifier is received from the external entity, the call is altered the call in accordance with the request.

Abstract: A method for performing configurable actions based upon the detection of one or more mobile devices includes receiving from a detection point an identifier for each of one or more mobile devices detected within a detection perimeter associated with the detection point. The identifiers are then filtered to determine a change in status for each of the one or more mobile devices. An action is then performed based upon at least one of the determined changes in status for each of the one or more mobile devices.