System and method to improve management during a conference call

• US 10,270,915 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• 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): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seyedvosoghi, Farid
• Application Number:
  US15/177,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20160352911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 37920201, 37920501, 379 9321, 379158, 3792021, 455566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• 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: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A method for managing operations during a first conference call between a first communication device and a plurality of communication devices, comprising the (1) displaying a calendar to identify a set of attributes of at least one conference call (2) scheduling and initiating a second conference call during the ongoing first conference call (3) displaying a participant status of each participant of the conference call; (4) displaying a conference call status of each ongoing conference calls, and a connection interface whereby a participant may selectively join an ongoing conference call; (5) displaying real time data pertaining to each participant of each conference call; and (6) initiating a chat session between at least two communication devices of the plurality of communication devices during the ongoing first conference call, and displaying a chat participant status on the at least two communication devices.

Claims

1. A method for non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions configured to operate with electronic computer hardware to manage operations during a first conference call between a first communication device and a plurality of communication devices, comprising the following steps:

displaying, in real time, a calendar on a display of each of the plurality of communication devices to identify a set of attributes of at least one conference call;

scheduling and initiating a second conference call during the ongoing first conference call, and connecting a participant in the first conference call to the second conference call while the first conference call is in progress;

displaying, in real time, on the display of each of the plurality of communication devices, a set of conference call attributes of each ongoing conference call, and a connection interface whereby a participant may selectively join an ongoing conference call, the set of conference call attributes comprising a conference call date, a conference call time, a conference call duration, a name of file received during the conference call, and a conference call participants list;

displaying real time data pertaining to each participant of each conference call on the display of each of the plurality of communication devices, the real time data comprising;

a participant name, a participant phone number, a participant email address, a participant status and a participant group identification; and

detecting disconnection of a participant from an ongoing conference call and automatically redialing the number of the disconnected participant.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

initiating a third conference call during the ongoing first conference call and the second conference call, and connecting a selected group of participants in the first conference call and the second conference call to the third conference call while the first conference call and the second conference call are in progress.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

initiating a third conference call during the ongoing first conference call and the second conference call, and connecting each participant in the first conference call and the second conference call to the third conference call while the first conference call and the second conference call are in progress.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the set of attributes comprise the conference call date, the conference call time, the conference call duration, and a list of conference call participants.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a participant status of each participant of the conference call further comprising the steps of:

displaying, for each participant connected to the conference call, a connected status on a display of each of the plurality of communication devices; and

displaying, for each participant disconnected from the conference call, a not-connected status on a display of each of the plurality of communication devices.

6. The method as in claim 5, further comprising the step of initiating an outgoing call to establish a communication link with the disconnected participant.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the conference call status of each ongoing conference call on the display of each of the plurality of communication devices, receiving a selection a specific conference call from a participant, and joining the participant in the selected conference call.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a media sharing interface to the conference call participants to share media files with another participant of the conference call in real time.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the media sharing interface is a touch screen number pad.

10. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of providing a reconnection interface for a conference call participant to establish a communication link with a participant who had previously established and subsequently lost a connection to the conference call.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the re-connection interface is a touch screen number pad.

12. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, in real time, a chat session between at least two communication devices of the plurality of communication devices during the ongoing first conference call, and displaying a chat participant status on the at least two communication devices in real time.

13. A system for non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions configured to operate with electronic computer hardware to manage operations during a first conference call between a first communication device and a plurality of communication devices, the system comprising:

a calendar display, on a display of each of the plurality of communication devices to identify a set of attributes of at least one conference call in real time;

a parallel call interface to schedule and initiate a second conference call during the ongoing first conference call, and to connect a participant in the first conference call to the second conference call while the first conference call is in progress;

display in real time, on the display of each of the plurality of communication devices, a set of conference call attributes status of each ongoing conference call, and a connection interface whereby a participant may selectively join an ongoing conference call, the set of conference call attributes comprising a conference call date, a conference call time, a conference call duration, a name of file received during the conference call, and a conference call participants list, wherein the system is configured to detect disconnection of a participant from an ongoing conference call and automatically redial the number of the disconnected participant; and

display real time data pertaining to each participant of each conference call on the display of each of the plurality of communication devices, the real time data comprising;

a participant name, a participant phone number, a participant email address, a participant status and a participant group identification.

14. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

initiate a third conference call during the ongoing first conference call and the second conference call, and connecting each participant in the first conference call and the second conference call to the third conference call while the first conference call and the second conference call are in progress.

15. The system as in claim 14, further comprising:

initiate a third conference call during the ongoing first conference call and the second conference call, and connecting a selected group of participants in the first conference call and the second conference call to the third conference call while the first conference call and the second conference call are in progress.

16. The system as in claim 13, wherein the set of attributes comprise the conference call date, the conference call time, the conference call duration, and a list of conference call participants.

17. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

display for each participant connected to the conference call, a connected status on a display of each of the plurality of communication devices; and

display for each participant disconnected from the conference call, a not-connected status on a display of each of the plurality of communication devices.

18. The system as in claim 17, further comprising

initiate an outgoing call to establish a communication link with the disconnected participant.

19. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

display the conference call status of each ongoing conference call on the display of each of the plurality of communication devices, receive a selection a specific conference call from a participant, and join the participant in the selected conference call.

20. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

a media sharing interface to the conference call participants to share media files with another participant of the conference call in real time.

21. The system as in claim 20, wherein the media sharing interface is a touch screen number pad.

22. The system as in claim 13, further comprising a re-connection interface for a conference call participant to establish a communication link with a participant who had previously established and subsequently lost a connection to the conference call, and wherein the re-connection interface is a touch screen number pad.

23. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

initiate in real time, a chat session between at least two communication devices of the plurality of communication devices during the ongoing first conference call, and display a chat participant status on the at least two communication devices in real time.