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A device is dedicated to managing multimedia communications via an asynchronous network (IPN) and a telephone network (TDMN) between firstly a first audio communications terminal (T1) with a first video communications terminal (PC1), and secondly a second audio communications terminal (T2) with a se

A device is dedicated to managing multimedia communications via an asynchronous network (IPN) and a telephone network (TDMN) between firstly a first audio communications terminal (T1) with a first video communications terminal (PC1), and secondly a second audio communications terminal (T2) with a second video communications terminal (PC2). The device comprises management means (MG) serving to order link means (ML) to set up a telephone link (L1) between the audio communications terminals (T1, T2) via the traditional telephone network (TDMN) on receiving a request to set up a multimedia call between the first and second video communications terminals (PC1, PC2) via the asynchronous network (IPN).

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The invention claimed is: 1. A management apparatus for managing multimedia calls set up at least via one of an asynchronous network or a traditional telephone network between a first video communications terminal associated with a first audio communications terminal and a second video communicatio

The invention claimed is: 1. A management apparatus for managing multimedia calls set up at least via one of an asynchronous network or a traditional telephone network between a first video communications terminal associated with a first audio communications terminal and a second video communications terminal associated with a second audio communications terminal, comprising: management means for receiving a request to set up a telephone link between said first and second audio communications terminals via said traditional telephone network when the first and second video communications terminals request to set up a multimedia link to transmit at least video data via the asynchronous network; means for automatically providing first and second respective identifiers of the first and second audio communications terminals upon receiving the request to set up the telephone link; and link means for receiving the first and second identifiers and setting up the telephone link via the traditional telephone network. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for automatically providing the first and second identifiers comprise: first means for sending to the second video communications terminal the first identifier of the first audio communications terminal and receiving the second identifier of the second audio communications terminal; second means for sending the second identifier to the first audio communications terminal and receiving from the first video communications terminal the first identifier of the first audio communications terminal; and means for instructing the link means to set up the telephone link between the first and second audio communications terminals, wherein the first and second identifiers are provided by at least one of the first or second communications terminal. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for automatically providing the first and second identifiers comprise: means for searching for the first and second identifiers of the first and second audio communications terminals in a centralized directory; and means for instructing the link means to set up the telephone link between the first and second audio communications terminals by using the first and second identifiers located in the centralized directory. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said management means is arranged, on receiving the request to set up the telephone link between said first and second audio communications terminals: to order said link means to set up the telephone link between said first and second audio communications terminals to exchange audio data; and to apply to said audio data exchanged via said telephone link a transmission delay to compensate at least in part for a difference in transmission duration between said audio data exchanged via said telephone link, and the video data exchanged between said first and second video communications terminals via the multimedia link set up via said asynchronous network. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said management means is arranged to apply to the audio data the transmission delay of a predetermined duration. 6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said management means is arranged to determine a duration of the transmission delay to be applied to the audio data. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said management means is arranged to determine said transmission duration as a function of an auxiliary data. 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further including: management interface means for delivering said auxiliary data. 9. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that wherein said link means is arranged to establish signaling links with said first and second video communications terminals via said asynchronous network for receiving said auxiliary data sent by said first and second video communications terminals. 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each video communications terminal includes: a microphone which picks up signals representative of audio data delivered by a user of the associated audio communications terminal; and auxiliary modules each coupled to a respective microphone of one of said first or second video communications terminal and arranged to determine a difference in the transmission duration of the audio data transmitted over an audio multimedia link set up via the asynchronous network between said first and second video communications terminals and over said telephone link and generate the auxiliary data representative of said difference. 11. A management apparatus for managing multimedia calls set up at least via one of an asynchronous network and a traditional telephone network between a first video communications terminal associated with a first audio communications terminal and a second video communications terminal associated with a second audio communications terminal, comprising; management means for receiving a request to set up a telephone link between the first and second audio communications terminals via the traditional telephone network when the first and second video communications terminals request to set up a multimedia link to transmit at least video data via the asynchronous network; means for automatically providing first and second respective identifiers of the first and second audio communications terminals upon receiving the request to set up the telephone link; and link means for receiving the first and second identifiers, setting up the telephone link via the traditional telephone network between the first and second audio communications terminals to exchange audio data and establishing signaling links with the first and second video communications terminals via the asynchronous network to receive auxiliary data, each video communications terminal comprising; a microphone which picks up signals representative of audio data delivered by a user of the associated audio communications terminal, and auxiliary modules each coupled to a respective microphone of one of the first or second video communications terminal and arranged to determine a difference in the transmission duration of the audio data transmitted over an audio multimedia link set up via the asynchronous network between the first and second video communications terminals and over the telephone link, each auxiliary module comprising; processor means arranged, on receiving said audio data: i) to extract a portion therefrom; ii) to constitute a primary packet with the audio data of said portion; iii) to synchronize said primary packet with the exchanged video stream; and iv) to transmit said primary packet to the auxiliary module implanted in the video communications terminal with which their own video communications terminal has set up the multimedia link via said asynchronous network; and calculation means arranged, on receiving the primary packet; v) to apply a date and time stamp to said primary packet vi) to compare the audio data portion contained in said stamped primary packet to the stamped telephone audio data previously received via said audio communications terminal and said microphone; vii) when said portion is identical to some of said telephone audio data, to determine the difference in audio data transmission duration over the multimedia link set up via the asynchronous network between said first and second video communications terminals and over said telephone link viii) to generate auxiliary data representative of said difference; and ix) to transmit said auxiliary data to said link module via a corresponding signaling link, wherein the management means determines the transmission duration as a function of the auxiliary data and applies a transmission delay to the audio data exchanged via the telephone link to compensate at least in part for a difference in the transmission duration between the audio data exchanged via the telephone link and the video data exchanged between the first and second video communications terminals via the multimedia link set up via the asynchronous network. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said processor means is arranged, on receiving audio data and before transmitting said primary packet, to; make up a secondary packet and to synchronize it with the exchanged audio stream, transmit said secondary packet to the calculation module implanted in the video communications terminal with which their own video communications terminal has set up a multimedia link via said asynchronous network, and wherein said calculation means is arranged, on receiving the secondary packet, to order storage and date and time stamping of the telephone audio data coming from said audio communications terminal via said microphone. 13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each video communications terminal includes; a microphone to pick up signals representative of audio data delivered by a loudspeaker of a respective audio communications terminal ; and an auxiliary module coupled to the microphone of the respective first or second video communications terminal, and wherein said management means is arranged, after said telephone link has been set up, to transmit simultaneously a message defining an initial instant to said first and second video communications terminals via the telephone link respective loudspeakers and microphones, and wherein the auxiliary modules are arranged to determine the transmission duration of video data over the multimedia link based on the received message and generate the auxiliary data representative of said transmission duration of the video data. 14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each auxiliary module comprises: date and time stamping means for ,on receiving said messages, triggering a time counter of a respective first or second video communications terminal, adding a send time mark representative of a time duration elapsed since said triggering of the respective time counter to each video packet stream to be transmitted from the respective first or second video communications terminal on receiving the marked video packet stream by one of the first or second video communications terminal, adding to said received video packet stream a receive time mark representative of a time duration elapsed since said triggering of the respective time counter; and ii) calculation means arranged to determine the transmission duration of the video data over the multimedia link based on a difference between the send and receive time marks generate the auxiliary data representative of said transmission duration, and transmit said auxiliary data to said link module via a corresponding signaling link. 15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said management means is arranged to determine a real transmission duration of the video data over the multimedia link by adding the determined transmission duration to a difference between a first transmission duration between said management means and the auxiliary module of the second video communications terminal and a second transmission duration between said management means and the auxiliary module of the first video communications terminal. 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said management means is arranged to determine said first and second transmission durations by an acoustic echo technique. 17. A node for a traditional telephone network, comprising means for receiving a signal indicating that a multimedia link is to be set up between a first video communications terminal and a second video communications terminal via an asynchronous network (IPN); means for initiating an automatic search of identifiers of first and second audio communications terminals in a centralized directory upon receiving the signal, the first and second audio communications terminals being associated respectively with the first and second video communications terminals; and means for instructing link means to set up a telephone link between the first and second audio communications terminals based on the identifiers located in the centralized directory as identified in this way. 18. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first and second identifiers are included in the request to set up the telephone link.