Audio conferencing system and method

• US 20030021400A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deliman, Candace, Jackson, Brandon, Harvey, Dean E., Grandgent, Charles M.
• Application Number:
  US10/135,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20030021400A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• 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 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, the system of the present invention comprises two or more bridge servers; one or more conferencing servers, each of which is configured to communicate with at least one of said bridge servers; and a transaction server, in communication with each conferencing server. The transaction server is configured to manage conferencing resources among the conferencing servers. Each conferencing server is preferably configured to monitor bridge status for each bridge assigned to it and to provide bridge status information to the transaction server. The transaction server and conferencing servers are preferably further configured such that bridge servers assigned to a first conferencing server are subsequently assigned to a second conferencing server by the transaction server if the first conferencing server fails.

Claims

1. A system for providing reliable audio conferencing;

comprising;

two or more bridge servers;

one or more conferencing servers, each of which is configured to communicate with at least one of said bridge servers; and

a transaction server, in communication with each conferencing server, wherein said transaction server is configured to manage conferencing resources among said conferencing servers.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more SS7 servers in communication with said transaction server, wherein each SS7 server is configured to receive data from wireless or wireline service providers.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more Web servers in communication with said transaction server, wherein each Web server is configured to dynamically generate wireless mark up language that can be communicated to wireless devices.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said transaction server is configured to process incoming messages using a thread pool.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said transaction server is configured to assign each conferencing server a list of bridge servers to control.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said transaction server is configured to perform load balancing among the conferencing servers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction server is configured to perform load balancing among bridge servers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each conferencing server is configured to command at least one bridge server to dial a list of telephone numbers.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each conferencing server is configured to implement a DTMF interactive voice response system.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein each conferencing server is configured to monitor bridge status for each bridge assigned to it and to provide bridge status information to the transaction server.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the transaction server and conferencing servers are configured such that bridge servers assigned to a first conferencing server are subsequently assigned to a second conferencing server by the transaction server if the first conferencing server fails.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one Web server is configured to communicate over a computer network with a wireless device configured to display a graphical user interface in accordance with data received from said Web server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said graphic user interface enables a user to enter information to schedule a conference call for a specified future time.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said Web server is configured to receive conference scheduling information from said wireless device.

15. A method for conferencing, comprising:

receiving a request for a conference call;

assigning a first bridge server to said conference call;

assigning a first monitoring server to monitor said bridge server;

setting up said conference call on said first bridge server; and

if said first bridge server or said first monitoring server fails, transferring said conference call to a second bridge server or a second monitoring server.

16. A method for conferencing, comprising:

receiving a telephone call from a caller;

providing an audio prompt asking the caller for information identifying one or more participants in a conference call;

receiving a voice reply from the caller in response to the audio prompt; and

setting up a conference call based on the voice reply.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving spoken date and time information for the conference call from the caller.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving spoken account number and password information from the caller.

19. Software for conferencing, comprising:

software for receiving a telephone call from a caller;

software for providing an audio prompt asking the caller for information identifying one or more participants in a conference call;

software for receiving a voice reply from the caller in response to the audio prompt; and

software for setting up a conference call based on the voice reply.

20. The software of claim 19, further comprising software for receiving spoken date and time information for the conference call from the caller.

21. The software of claim 19, further comprising software for receiving spoken account number and password information from the caller.