Teleconferencing system and method

• US 20010053213A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Duponchel, Yann, Truong, Hong Linh, Graf, Marcel, Liver, Beat, Heusler, Lucas S.
• Application Number:
  US09/855,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053213A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/432 Arrangements for calling a subscriber at a specific time, e.g. morning call service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A teleconferencing system comprised of one or more telecommunication systems; two or more subscriber terminals connected to the telecommunication systems; an electronic computing means connected any telecommunication system of the teleconferencing system. The electronic computing means, e.g. a server-type computer runs a conference initiating program; and a means for providing an availability signal associated with each subscriber terminal. The availability signal is accessible to the server and any participating telecommunication system is capable of cooperating with program for initiating a conference between the subscriber terminals; program initiates a conference between the subscriber terminals by attempting transmission of a conference call when such call is requested by any of the subscriber terminals; the conference call is transmitted to each subscriber terminal as soon as its associated availability signal indicates availability of that terminal.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing system comprising:

at least one telecommunication system;

at least a first and a second subscriber terminal connected to said telecommunication system;

an electronic computing means connected to said at least one telecommunication system, and

a means for providing an availability signal associated with each of said first and said second subscriber terminal,

said electronic computing means being provided with a conference initiating program, said availability signal being accessible to said electronic computing means, said telecommunication system being capable of cooperating with said conference initiating program for initiating a conference between said subscriber terminals, and said conference initiating program being designed;

to process availability signals of a requesting terminal, and of any and all requested terminals, whenever a conference call is requested by any of said subscriber terminals; and

to initiate a conference call as soon as said availability signals indicate availability of said requesting terminal and of said requested terminals.

2. The system of

claim 1

, comprising a plurality of telecommunication systems and a multiplicity of subscriber terminals.

3. The system of

claim 2

, wherein said terminals are connected to different telecommunication systems and wherein said conference initiating program is designed to:

process availability signals of a requesting terminal and of any and all requested terminals whenever a conference call is requested by any of said subscriber terminals; and

to initiate a conference call as soon as said availability signals indicate availability of said requesting terminal and of said requested terminals,

said requesting terminal and said requested terminals being connected to the same telecommunication system.

4. The system of

claim 1

, comprising a gateway between any two telecommunication systems for mutual interconnection, and wherein said subscriber terminals are connected to different but inter-operable telecommunication systems.

5. The system of

claim 4

, wherein said conference initiating program is designed to:

process availability signals of a requesting terminal, and of any and all requested terminals, whenever a conference call is requested by any of said subscriber terminals; and

to initiate a conference call as soon as said availability signals indicate availability of said requesting terminal and of said requested terminals,

said requesting terminal and said requested terminals being connected to telecommunication systems that are connected by said gateway.

6. A teleconferencing method for use in at least one telecommunication system connected with at least a first and a second subscriber terminal;

said at least one telecommunication system being connected to an electronic computing means provided with a conference initiating program;

each of said subscriber terminals being associated with an availability signal;

wherein a conference call initiated by one of said first and said second subscriber terminal is relayed to any other subscriber terminal as soon as said availability signal indicates availability of any and all of said subscriber terminals.

7. The method of

claim 6

, for use in a plurality of telecommunication systems and with a multiplicity of subscriber terminals wherein at least one of said telecommunication systems is capable of transmitting data streams of differing media, e.g. sound and video.

10. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing teleconferencing, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of

claim 6

.

8. A conference initiating program for use in a teleconferencing system comprising:

at least one telecommunication system;

at least a first and a second subscriber terminal connected to said system;

an electronic computing means connected to said at least one telecommunication system;

said electronic computing means being provided with said conference initiating program;

an means for providing an availability signal associated with each of said first and said second subscriber terminal;

said availability signal being accessible to said electronic computing means;

said conference initiating program being accessible to said subscriber terminals and being designed;

to process availability signals of a requesting terminal, and of any and all requested terminals whenever a conference call is requested by any of said subscriber terminals; and

to initiated a conference call as soon as said availability signals indicate availability of said requesting terminal and of said requested terminals.

9. The program of

claim 8

, said program being designed for accessibility to a plurality of differing telecommunication systems and a multiplicity of subscriber terminals wherein at least one of said telecommunication systems is capable of transmitting data streams of differing media, e.g. sound and video.