The evolution of packet-switched communications now allows various types of media to be communicated over a common network to devices capable of receiving and processing compatible media. Currently, there exists an eclectic offering of devices capable of supporting data, audio, and video media, alone or in any combination. For example, a personal computer may support all three types of media, whereas a video device may support only video media, a packet-switched telephone may support only audio media, and a personal digital assistant (PDA) may support voice and data. In essence, there are numerous devices having a mixed array of media capabilities.
In an effort to maximize the benefit of having these various media capabilities, users often have a number of devices with various media capabilities. Further, users may have more than one device with a common media capability, but may have a preference of one device over another for a given media capability, depending on quality, venue, or time of communication. Unfortunately, there is no efficient way for a user to manage communications using the various devices in light of their respective media capabilities. To establish a video session between a personal computer and another video device, the user must establish the video session, and if a related audio session should be created between the personal computer and an audio device, the user must control the establishment of a session between the personal computer and the audio device. In order to establish the separate audio and video sessions, the user must establish the respective sessions as if they were unrelated.
As such, there is a need for a way to efficiently manage multiple devices having various media capabilities. There is a further need to automate the establishment of various sessions based on the type of media and the capability of the respective devices. Where multiple devices have a common capability, there is a need for an efficient and automated way to select a preferred one of the devices to establish a media session.