Managing bandwidth over a computer network having a management computer that allocates bandwidth to client computers upon request

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system, comprising:

(a) a management computer; and

(b) two or more client computers, wherein:

the management computer and the client computers are electrically interconnected over a packet-switched computer network;

a first client computer requests an allocation of a specific amount of transmission bandwidth from the management computer for transmissions over the network with a second client computer;

the management computer determines whether to grant permission to the first client computer and if so the management computer allocates transmission bandwidth for the first client computer, wherein the allocated transmission bandwidth is less than the requested transmission bandwidth;

the management computer informs the first client computer of the allocated transmission bandwidth; and

the first client computer initiates transmissions over the network with the second client computer based on the allocated transmission bandwidth.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the management computer is a local management computer of a local computer network;

the client computers are local client computers of the local computer network; and

the system further comprises an external computer network comprising an external management computer and one or more external client computers, wherein:

the local computer network and the external computer network are electrically interconnected;

the local management computer allocates transmission bandwidth for the local computer network; and

the external management computer allocates transmission bandwidth for the external computer network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmissions are for audio/video conferences between the client computers.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the client computers comprise a caller and a callee, wherein:

(a) the caller requests bandwidth from the management computer for a conference with the callee;

(b) the management computer determines an allocation of bandwidth for the conference; and

(c) the caller initiates a conference with the callee in accordance with the allocation of bandwidth, wherein:

(b)(1) the management computer queries the callee regarding the callee's conferencing status;

(b)(2) the management computer determines the allocation of bandwidth for the conference based on the callee's conferencing status; and

(b)(3) the management computer informs the caller of the allocation of bandwidth.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

(c)(1) the caller initiates a conference call to the callee in accordance with the allocation of bandwidth;

(c)(2) the callee requests permission from the management computer for the conference;

(c)(3) the management computer determines whether to grant the permission to the callee for the conference; and

(c)(4) the callee proceeds with the conference call with the caller in accordance with the permission from the management computer.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the computer system further comprises an external management computer;

the caller is associated with the management computer; and

the callee is associated with the external management computer, wherein:

(c)(1) the caller initiates a conference call to the callee in accordance with the allocation of bandwidth;

(c)(2) the callee requests permission from the external management computer for the conference;

(c)(3) the external management computer determines whether to grant the permission to the callee for the conference; and

(c)(4) the callee proceeds with the conference call with the caller in accordance with the permission from the external management computer.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein:

(b)(2) the management computer determines the allocation of bandwidth for the conference based on the identity of the management computer associated with the callee.

8. A computer-implemented process for transmissions between a caller and a callee of a packet-switched computer network, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a request from the caller to a caller's manager of the computer network for a specific amount of bandwidth for transmissions between the caller and the callee;

(b) granting an allocation of bandwidth for the transmissions by the caller's manager, wherein the allocation of bandwidth is less than the requested amount of bandwidth; and

(c) initiating the transmissions with the callee by the caller in accordance with the allocation of bandwidth.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein:

said step (b) comprises the steps of:

(1) querying the callee by the caller's manager regarding the callee's conferencing status;

(2) determining the allocation of bandwidth for a conference by the caller's manager based on the callee's conferencing status; and

(3) informing the caller by the caller's manager of the allocation of bandwidth; and

said step (c) comprises the steps of:

(1) initiating a conference call to the callee by the caller in accordance with the allocation of bandwidth;

(2) requesting permission for the conference from a callee's manager of the computer system by the callee;

(3) determining whether to grant the permission to the callee for the conference by the callee's manager; and

(4) proceeding with the conference call with the caller by the callee in accordance with the permission from the callee's manager.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the caller's manager is different from the callee's manager.

11. The process of claim 9, wherein:

said step (b)(1) comprises the step of initiating a ManagementQuery protocol by the caller's manager; and

said step (c)(2) comprises the step of initiating a CalleeRequest protocol by the callee.

12. The process of claim 9, wherein said step (b)(2) comprises the step of determining the allocation of bandwidth for the conference based on the identity of the callee's manager.

13. The process of claim 8, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of initiating a CallerRequest protocol by the caller.

14. A computer system, comprising:

(a) a local packet-switched computer network, comprising:

(1) a local management computer; and

(2) one or more local client computers, electrically connected to the local management computer; and

(b) an external packet-switched computer network, electrically connected to the local computer network, comprising:

(1) an external management computer; and

(2) one or more external client computers, electrically connected to the external management computer, wherein:

the local management computer allocates transmission bandwidth for the local computer network;

the external management computer allocates transmission bandwidth for the external computer network;

a local client computer requests an allocation of transmission bandwidth from the local management computer for transmissions with an external client computer;

the local management computer queries the remote client computer to determine how to allocate transmission bandwidth to the local client computer;

the local management computer allocates transmission bandwidth based on the query of the external client computer;

the local management computer informs the local client computer of the allocated transmission bandwidth; and

the local client computer initiates transmissions with the external client computer based on the allocated transmission bandwidth.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the external client computer requests an allocation of transmission bandwidth from the external management computer for transmissions with the local client computer; and

the external management computer allocates transmission bandwidth to the external client computer.

16. A computer-implemented process for transmissions over a packet-switched computer network, comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting an allocation of transmission bandwidth by a local client computer from the local management computer for transmissions with an external client computer;

(b) querying the remote client computer by the local management computer to determine how to allocate transmission bandwidth to the local client computer;

(c) allocating transmission bandwidth by the local management computer based on the query of the external client computer;

(d) informing the local client computer of the allocated transmission bandwidth by the local management computer; and

(e) initiating transmissions by the local client computer with the external client computer based on the allocated transmission bandwidth.

17. The process of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

(f) requesting by the external client computer an allocation of transmission bandwidth from the external management computer for transmissions with the local client computer; and

(g) allocating transmission bandwidth by the external management computer to the external client computer.

18. A computer system, comprising:

(a) a management computer;

(b) two or more client computers, wherein:

the management computer and the client computers are electrically interconnected over a packet-switched computer network;

a first client computer requests an allocation of transmission bandwidth from the management computer for transmissions over the network with a second client computer;

the management computer queries the second client computer to determine how to allocate transmission bandwidth to the first client computer;

the management computer allocates transmission bandwidth for the first client computer based on the query of the second client computer;

the management computer informs the first client computer of the allocated transmission bandwidth; and

the first client computer initiates transmissions over the network with the second client computer based on the allocated transmission bandwidth.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the second client computer requests an allocation of transmission bandwidth from the management computer for transmissions with the first client computer;

the management computer allocates no more transmission bandwidth to the second client computer; and

the second client computer continues transmissions over the network with the first client computer.

20. A computer-implemented process for transmissions over a packet-switched computer network, comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting an allocation of transmission bandwidth by a first client computer from the management computer for transmissions with a second client computer;

(b) querying the second client computer by the management computer to determine how to allocate transmission bandwidth to the first client computer;

(c) allocating transmission bandwidth by the management computer based on the query of the second client computer;

(d) informing the first client computer of the allocated transmission bandwidth by the management computer; and

(e) initiating transmission by the first client computer with the second client computer based on the allocated transmission bandwidth.

21. The process of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

(f) requesting by the second client computer an allocation of transmission bandwidth from the management computer for transmissions with the first client computer;

(g) allocating transmission bandwidth by the management computer to the second client computer; and

(h) continuing transmissions by the second client computer over the network with the first client computer.