Conferencing that bridges virtual world and real-world meeting places

US8457019B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Edward F. Bonkowski · Wheaton, US
• William S. Carter · Round Rock, US
• Thomas E. Cook · South Burlington, US
• Neil A. Katz · Coral Springs, US
• Robert S. Smart · Rue Basse-Henne, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 28, 2010
• Grant date: Jun 4, 2013
• Expiry date: Mar 8, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L12/1822
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for conference call communication in a virtual world environment. The mechanisms establish a hybrid conference call by establishing a hybrid conference call communication connection between a data based communication conference call server, that handles data based communications with client computing devices, and a telephone conference call server, that handles telephone protocol communications with telephone devices external to the virtual world environment. Communications between client computing devices and telephone devices are converted from data based communications to telephone protocol communications and vice versa using a data based communication conference call server and a telephone conference call server.