Fengyuan Y Zhou

US Patent:

20060077958, Apr 13, 2006

Filed:

Oct 8, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/962234

Inventors:

Satya Mallya - San Jose CA, US
Fengyuan Zhou - Cupertino CA, US

International Classification:

H04Q 11/00

US Classification:

370352000, 370261000

Abstract:

An embodiment of a method of group communication employs a first step of receiving registrations and un-registrations from a pool of potential users which registers and un-registers users over time. The method employs a second step of establishing a voice communication path (e.g., a passive path) between each registered user and a server. The method continues with a third step of occasionally notifying each registered user of other registered users that are within a contact list for the registered user. In a fourth step, the method receives the voice communication from a particular user who has selected a group of users to receive the voice communication. In a fifth step, the method forwards the voice communication to registered users of the group. An embodiment of a system for group communication comprises a signaling server and a media server. The registration and media servers are coupled to users by way of a packet switching network. In operation, the signaling server receives registrations and un-registrations from the users and occasionally updates a contact list for each registered user with an indication of registration status of a pre-selected subset of the users. The registration status indicates which of the pre-selected subset of the users are registered. The signaling server directs the media server to establish voice communication paths between the media server and the registered users. The media server receives a voice communication from a particular user and forwards the voice communication to a group of the users who are within the pre-selected subset for the particular user.