System and method for conference call line drop recovery

• US 20040203677A1
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winters, Scott Lee, Moore, Victor S., Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, McIntyre, Joseph Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 7,003,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2088 Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• 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 system and method for identifying users dropped from a conference call and rejoining the user to the call upon reconnection. Users can participate in the conference by connecting through different types of networks using a device having one or more types of communication lines. When a user is disconnected before the end of the conference (due to a bad mobile phone connection, for example), a bookmark is placed in the recording indicating the disconnection point. When the user rejoins the conference, the user is given the option to begin listening to the conference at the point where the user was disconnected. The user can issue playback-type requests, such as play, rewind, fast forward, etc., to review missed information. Other users are alerted by a characteristic tone when a user disconnects from the conference and by another characteristic tone when the disconnected user rejoins the conference.

Claims

1. A method of connecting telephone participants to a telephone call, said method comprising:

initiating a telephone call between a plurality of participants;

receiving a plurality of voice inputs from the participants, wherein the voice inputs include voice data;

storing the voice data in a memory area;

receiving a join request from a new participant requesting to join the telephone call;

retrieving a portion of the voice data from the memory area that was stored before receiving the join request; and

transmitting the retrieved portion of the voice data to the new participant.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a disconnection of the line connecting one of the participants to the telephone call;

identifying the disconnected participant;

retrieving a disconnection address from to the storage location in the memory area that corresponds to the time of the disconnection; and

storing the disconnected participant and the disconnection address, wherein the retrieving the portion of the voice data further includes selecting voice data commencing at the disconnection address.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the transmitting further comprises:

retrieving an accelerated transmission speed;

adjusting the transmission rate based upon the accelerated transmission speed; and

connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone call upon completion of the transmission.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

providing an audible signal to the participants that a join request has been received from the new participant.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a skip transmission request from the new participant;

stopping the transmitting in response to the receipt of the skip transmission request; and

connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone upon stopping the transmission.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving one or more playback requests from the new participant during transmission of the retrieved portion, wherein the playback requests are selected from the group consisting of a rewind request, a fast forward request, a pause request, a query request, a stop request and a bookmark request; and

executing the playback requests against the retrieved portion.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a rejoin request from one of the participants;

providing an audible signal to the new participant to join the telephone call;

receiving a skip transmission request from the new participant;

stopping the transmitting in response to the receipt of the skip transmission request; and

connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone upon stopping the transmission.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory area accessible by the processors for storing telephone call data;

a transmitter for transmitting voice input received over a data network;

a receiver for receiving voice data from the data network; and

a connection tool for joining telephone participants to a telephone call, the connection tool including;

means for initiating a telephone call between a plurality of participants over the data network;

means for receiving a plurality of voice inputs from the participants, wherein the voice inputs include voice data;

means for storing the voice data in the memory area;

means for receiving a join request from a new participant requesting to join the telephone call;

means for retrieving a portion of the voice data from the memory area that was stored before receiving the join request; and

means for transmitting the retrieved portion of the voice data to the new participant over the data network.

9. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for identifying a disconnection of the line connecting one of the participants to the telephone call;

means for identifying the disconnected participant;

means for retrieving a disconnection address from to the storage location in the memory area that corresponds to the time of the disconnection; and

means for storing the disconnected participant and the disconnection address, wherein the retrieving the portion of the voice data further includes selecting voice data commencing at the disconnection address.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the means for transmitting further comprises:

means for retrieving an accelerated transmission speed;

means for adjusting the transmission rate based upon the accelerated transmission speed; and

means for connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone call upon completion of the transmission.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for providing an audible signal to the participants that a join request has been received from the new participant.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for receiving a skip transmission request from the new participant;

means for stopping the transmitting in response to the receipt of the skip transmission request; and

means for connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone upon stopping the transmission.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for receiving one or more playback requests from the new participant during transmission of the retrieved portion, wherein the playback requests are selected from the group consisting of a rewind request, a fast forward request, a pause request, a query request, a stop request and a bookmark request; and

means for executing the playback requests against the retrieved portion.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for receiving a rejoin request from one of the participants;

means for providing an audible signal to the new participant to join the telephone call;

means for receiving a skip transmission request from the new participant;

means for stopping the transmitting in response to the receipt of the skip transmission request; and

means for connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone upon stopping the transmission.

15. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media for joining telephone participants to a telephone call, said computer program product comprising:

means for initiating a telephone call between a plurality of participants;

means for receiving a plurality of voice inputs from the participants, wherein the voice inputs include voice data;

means for storing the voice data in a memory area;

means for receiving a join request from a new participant requesting to join the telephone call;

means for retrieving a portion of the voice data from the memory area that was stored before receiving the join request; and

means for transmitting the retrieved portion of the voice data to the new participant.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for identifying a disconnection of the line connecting one of the participants to the telephone call;

means for identifying the disconnected participant;

means for retrieving a disconnection address from to the storage location in the memory area that corresponds to the time of the disconnection; and

means for storing the disconnected participant and the disconnection address, wherein the retrieving the portion of the voice data further includes selecting voice data commencing at the disconnection address.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the means for transmitting further comprises:

means for retrieving an accelerated transmission speed;

means for adjusting the transmission rate based upon the accelerated transmission speed; and

means for connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone call upon completion of the transmission.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for providing an audible signal to the participants that a join request has been received from the new participant.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving a skip transmission request from the new participant;

means for stopping the transmitting in response to the receipt of the skip transmission request; and

means for connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone upon stopping the transmission.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving one or more playback requests from the new participant during transmission of the retrieved portion, wherein the playback requests are selected from the group consisting of a rewind request, a fast forward request, a pause request, a query request, a stop request and a bookmark request; and

means for executing the playback requests against the retrieved portion.

21. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving a rejoin request from one of the participants;

means for providing an audible signal to the new participant to join the telephone call;

means for receiving a skip transmission request from the new participant;

means for stopping the transmitting in response to the receipt of the skip transmission request; and

means for connecting the new participant with the other participants in the telephone upon stopping the transmission.