System and method to improve management during a conference call

• US 10,257,360 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Onsolve, LLC
• Original Assignee: SWN Communications Incorporated (Onsolve, LLC)
• Inventors: Schmitz, Anthony, Tsepetis, Alexandros
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seyedvosoghi, Farid
• Application Number:
  US15/259,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20170142259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5081 Inform conference party of participants, e.g. of change of participants conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection, H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A method to operate with electronic computer hardware to manage operations during simultaneous conference calls, the method comprising: processing each ongoing conference call by iteratively performing at a given time integral the following steps for a given conference call; identifying a set of attributes of the given conference call from a conference call database, the set of attributes comprising: an end time, a set of participants, and a set of participant devices of the given conference call; displaying, in real time, a calendar on the display of each device from the set of participant devices; initiating an auto dial procedure for a subsequent conference call after reviewing the calendar to determine if a subsequent call is scheduled for the given time integral; and terminating the given conference call if the end time of the given conference call is scheduled at the given time integral.

Claims

1. A method configured to operate with a mobile phone to manage operations during simultaneous conference calls, the method comprising:

processing via a conference call server, each ongoing conference call by iteratively performing at a given time integral the following steps for a given conference call;

identifying a set of attributes of the given conference call from a conference call database, the set of attributes comprising;

an end time, a set of participants, and a set of participant devices of the given conference call;

displaying, in real time, a calendar on the display of each device from the set of participant devices;

modifying from the displayed calendar, the set of participants upon adding or removing participants modifying the set of participants;

initiating an auto dial procedure for a subsequent conference call after reviewing the calendar to determine if a subsequent call is scheduled for the given time integral;

monitoring a connection status of each device from the set of participant devices and displaying the monitored connection status on the set of participant devices;

identifying a set of disconnected devices from the set of participant devices, wherein the disconnected device is previously connected but currently disconnected from the given conference call; and

modifying the connection status of each disconnected device from the set of disconnected devices after performing an auto redial procedure for reconnecting each disconnected device with the given conference call; and

terminating the given conference call if the end time of the given conference call is scheduled at the given time integral.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the autodial procedure comprises the steps of:

ascertaining an identity, contact information and a preferred mode of communication of an organizer of the given conference call via an organizer database;

ascertaining an identity, contact information and a preferred mode of communication of the each invitee of the conference call via a participant database;

presenting a conference call invitation to each invitee of the conference call after connecting the organizer with the conference call;

receiving a response to the conference call invitation from each invitee of the conference call;

adding each invitee sending an acceptance response to the conference call invitation to generate a list of participants; and

establishing a conference call connection between the organizer and each participant in the list of participants.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the auto redial procedure comprises the steps of:

verifying that the disconnected device sent an acceptance response to the invitation;

ascertaining an identity, contact information and a preferred mode of communication of the disconnected device via the participant database;

presenting a second conference call connection invitation to the disconnected device;

receiving a second response to the second conference call invitation from disconnected device; and

establishing a conference call connection between the participants of the given conference call and the disconnected device if the second response is an acceptance response.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a set of records in the conference call database, each record comprising;

a conference call identifier, a date, a start time, an end time, a list of intended participant identifiers, a list of actual participants, a set of media files exchanged, and a status;

maintaining a set of records in the participant database, each record comprising;

a participant identifier, a list of devices associated with each participant, a preferred mode of communication, and a participation history; and

maintaining a set of records in the organizer database, each record comprising;

an organizer identifier, a list of devices associated with each organizer, a preferred mode of communication, and a participation history indicating at least one conference call identifier.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying the calendar to schedule a subsequent conference call.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the subsequent conference call is a future conference call and wherein the step of displaying the calendar comprises the steps of:

selecting a future date, a start time, and a set of invitees for the subsequent conference call; and

performing on the future date, the auto dial procedure for each participant from the list of participants to connect each participant to the subsequent conference call.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

adding each participant sending a rejection response to the invitation to a do not call database.

8. The method of claim 5, the step of displaying the calendar further comprises the following steps if the subsequent conference call is scheduled on a present day:

selecting a start time for the subsequent conference call; and

performing the autodial procedure for each participant from the list of participants to connect each participant to the subsequent call.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

presenting a visual indication of the automatic redial to the conference call organizer after performing the auto redial procedure.

10. A system configured to operate with a mobile phone to manage operations during simultaneous conference calls, the system comprising:

a conference call management system comprising a conference call server for processing each ongoing conference call by iteratively processing a given conference call at a given time integral, the conference call management system comprising;

a calendar controller to identify a set of attributes of the given conference call from a conference call database, the set of attributes comprising;

an end time, a set of participants, and a set of participant devices of the given conference call;

a calendar interface to display, in real time, a calendar interface on the display of each device from the set of participant devices;

a participant modify interface displayed on the calendar interface, to modify the set of participants;

an autodial handler to initiate an auto dial procedure for a subsequent conference call after reviewing the calendar to determine if a subsequent call is scheduled for the given time integral;

a status monitoring system communicatively coupled to the conference call management system to monitor a connection status of each device from the set of participant devices;

a display controller to display the monitored connection status on the set of participant devices;

a conference call participant status handler to identify a set of disconnected devices from the set of participant devices, wherein the disconnected device is previously connected but currently disconnected from the given conference call; and

a connection handler to modify the connection status of each disconnected device from the set of disconnected devices after performing an auto redial procedure for reconnecting each disconnected device with the given conference call; and

a connection handler to terminate the given conference call if the end time of the given conference call is scheduled at the given time integral.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the connection handler is configured to:

ascertain an identity, contact information and a preferred mode of communication of an organizer of the given conference call via an organizer database;

ascertain an identity, contact information and a preferred mode of communication of each invitee of the conference call via a participant database;

present a conference call invitation to each invitee of the conference call after connecting the organizer with the conference call;

receive a response to the conference call invitation from each invitee of the conference call;

add each invitee sending an acceptance response to the conference call invitation to generate a list of participants; and

establish a conference call connection between the organizer and each participant in the list of participants.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the conference call participant status handler is further configured to:

verify that the disconnected device sent an acceptance response to the invitation;

ascertain an identity, contact information and a preferred mode of communication of the disconnected device via the participant database;

present a second conference call connection invitation to the disconnected device;

receive a second response to the second conference call invitation from disconnected device; and

establish a conference call connection between the participants of the given conference call and the disconnected device if the second response is an acceptance response.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a data monitoring unit configured to:

maintain a set of records in the conference call database, each record comprising;

a conference call identifier, a date, a start time, an end time, a list of intended participant identifiers, a list of actual participants, a set of media files exchanged, and a status;

maintain a set of records in the participant database, each record comprising;

a participant identifier, a list of devices associated with each participant, a preferred mode of communication, and a participation history; and

maintain a set of records in the organizer database, each record comprising;

an organizer identifier, a list of devices associated with each organizer, a preferred mode of communication, and a participation history indicating at least one conference call identifier.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the display controller is further configured to display the calendar to schedule a subsequent conference call.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the subsequent conference call is a future conference call and wherein the display controller is further configured to:

select a future date, a start time, and a set of invitees for the subsequent conference call; and

cause the conference call management system to perform on the future date, the auto dial procedure for each participant from the list of participants to connect each participant to the subsequent conference call.

16. The system of claim 15, further configured to add each participant sending a rejection response to the invitation to a do not call database.

17. The system of claim 14, further configured to perform the following operations if the subsequent conference call is scheduled on a present day:

select a start time for the subsequent conference call; and

perform the autodial procedure for each participant from the list of participants to connect each participant to the subsequent call.

18. The system of claim 14, further configured to perform the following operations:

present a visual indication of the automatic redial to the conference call organizer after performing the auto redial procedure.