System and method of an improved conference call service feature in a telecommunications network
First Claim
1. An electronic conference call system comprising the elements of:
- a plurality of communication stations, operated by a plurality of subscribers, for participating in at least one conference call provided by a conference call service in such a manner that each of the plurality of communication stations is able to communicate with a the plurality of communication stations participating in at least one conference call;
at least one communication station having the functionality of conference call line operated by at least one subscriber having the capability of a conference call host in order to enable the setting up, establishment, performance, and management of at least one conference call associated with the at least one communication station to enable participation of a plurality of conference call service subscribers in the at least one conference call;
at least one communication network having network equipment for interconnecting the plurality of communication stations, to a conference call service;
a conference call service comprising the elements of;
a subscriber database to store the operational information related to at least one conference call, the functional definition of a plurality of communication stations serving a plurality of conference call service subscribers, and the functional definitions of the at least one communication station with the functionality of the conference call line operated by the at least one conference call host;
a conference call server for the providing at least one communication station with conference call line functionality and providing at least one subscriber of at the least one communication station with conference call host capability, to enable the setting up, establishment, management, and performance of the conference call, the conference call server comprising the elements of;
a database component to handle subscriber information, conference host information, communication stations information, and conference call information;
a connection component to connect at least one subscriber desirous of participating in a conference call to the conference call line;
a disconnection component to disconnect at least one subscriber desirous of withdrawing from the conference call from the conference call line; and
a network interface component to enable proper communication between the conference call service and the communications network;
wherein when a communication station requests the functionality of conference call line the conference call service provides conference call line status to the requesting station, when the station with conference call line status issues requests for the setting up, establishment and management of a conference call the conference call service responds to the requests, when requests are introduced from a plurality of a communication stations to participate in the established conference call, the conference call service connect the stations to the conference call line;
whereby each and every communication station connected to the communications network is enabled to operate optionally as a conference call line, and the subscribers associated with the communication stations are allowed to operate as conference call hosts.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for an enhanced and improved conference call service is disclosed. A plurality of communication stations connected to a communications network is provided with conference call line functionality by requests. Consequently the communication stations are operative in setting up conference calls, defining conference call parameters, and participating in conference calls. The conference calls are accessible by a pre-defined sub-set of a plurality of communication stations across the network. When a first station dials a second station having conference call functionality the system provides a selection of options concerning the mode of the dialed call for the first station.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An electronic conference call system comprising the elements of:
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a plurality of communication stations, operated by a plurality of subscribers, for participating in at least one conference call provided by a conference call service in such a manner that each of the plurality of communication stations is able to communicate with a the plurality of communication stations participating in at least one conference call;
at least one communication station having the functionality of conference call line operated by at least one subscriber having the capability of a conference call host in order to enable the setting up, establishment, performance, and management of at least one conference call associated with the at least one communication station to enable participation of a plurality of conference call service subscribers in the at least one conference call;
at least one communication network having network equipment for interconnecting the plurality of communication stations, to a conference call service;
a conference call service comprising the elements of;
a subscriber database to store the operational information related to at least one conference call, the functional definition of a plurality of communication stations serving a plurality of conference call service subscribers, and the functional definitions of the at least one communication station with the functionality of the conference call line operated by the at least one conference call host;
a conference call server for the providing at least one communication station with conference call line functionality and providing at least one subscriber of at the least one communication station with conference call host capability, to enable the setting up, establishment, management, and performance of the conference call, the conference call server comprising the elements of;
a database component to handle subscriber information, conference host information, communication stations information, and conference call information;
a connection component to connect at least one subscriber desirous of participating in a conference call to the conference call line;
a disconnection component to disconnect at least one subscriber desirous of withdrawing from the conference call from the conference call line; and
a network interface component to enable proper communication between the conference call service and the communications network;
wherein when a communication station requests the functionality of conference call line the conference call service provides conference call line status to the requesting station, when the station with conference call line status issues requests for the setting up, establishment and management of a conference call the conference call service responds to the requests, when requests are introduced from a plurality of a communication stations to participate in the established conference call, the conference call service connect the stations to the conference call line;
whereby each and every communication station connected to the communications network is enabled to operate optionally as a conference call line, and the subscribers associated with the communication stations are allowed to operate as conference call hosts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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6. An electronic conference call method comprising the steps of:
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accepting the request of a subscriber associated with a communication station concerning the setting up of the communication station of as a conference call line;
assigning a conference call-specific data structure to the requesting communication station and establishing the conference call-specific data structure;
maintaining conference call-specific parameters in the conference call data in accordance with the requests introduced by the subscriber of the communication station associated with the conference call data structure;
receiving requests of a plurality of subscribers associated with a plurality of communication stations concerning the participation thereof in the conference call associated with a conference call data structure;
connecting to the conference call line subscribers participating in a conference call associated with a conference call data structure; and
disconnecting from the conference line subscribers desirous of withdrawing from a conference call associated with a conference call data structure. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification