Method and apparatus for automatic conference call invocation based on user presence

• US 20070081651A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Iyer, Radha, Narang, Nidhi
• Application Number:
  US11/239,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20070081651A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. conference server dials participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a plurality of user devices; a presence and availability service configured to monitor presence states of the plurality of user devices; a teleconferencing service configured to permit a scheduling of conferences among the plurality of users; wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke a scheduled teleconference responsive to presence states of the plurality of user devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

scheduling a teleconference;

specifying prospective participants in said teleconference;

determining a presence status of said participants; and

invoking said conference at a scheduled time based on a presence status of prospective participants.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, said invoking comprising calling out to a conference host at the scheduled time.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, said invoking comprising calling out to a conference participant at the scheduled time if at least one other participant has joined the teleconference.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said invoking comprises calling out to prospective participants if their presence states indicate said prospective participants are available.

6. A method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising providing a message to a prospective participant if no prospective participants are available.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising providing an option for a prospective participant to join the teleconference in a standby mode.

5. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising retrying to call a prospective participant after a predetermined interval if said prospective participant was not available.

8. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a plurality of user devices;

a presence and availability service configured to monitor presence states of the plurality of user devices;

a teleconferencing service configured to permit a scheduling of conferences among the plurality of users;

wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke a scheduled teleconference responsive to presence states of the plurality of user devices.

9. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke said teleconference by calling out to a conference host at the scheduled time.

10. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke said teleconference by calling out to a conference participant at the scheduled time if at least one other participant has joined the teleconference.

11. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke said teleconference by calling out to prospective participants if their presence states indicate said prospective participants are available.

12. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to retry to call a prospective participant after a predetermined interval if said prospective participant was not available.

13. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to provide a message to a prospective participant if no prospective participants are available.

14. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a presence and availability service configured to monitor presence states of a plurality of users;

a teleconferencing service configured to permit a scheduling of conferences among the plurality of users;

wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke a scheduled teleconference responsive to presence states of the plurality of users.

15. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke said teleconference by calling out to a conference host at the scheduled time.

16. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke said teleconference by calling out to a conference participant at the scheduled time if at least one other participant has joined the teleconference.

17. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to invoke said teleconference by calling out to prospective participants if their presence states indicate said prospective participants are available.

18. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 17, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to retry to call a prospective participant after a predetermined interval if said prospective participant was not available.

19. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said teleconferencing service is configured to provide a message to a prospective participant if no prospective participants are available.

20. A method, comprising:

invoking a teleconference at a scheduled time based on a presence status of prospective participants.

21. A teleconferencing service configured to invoke a scheduled teleconference responsive to presence states of a plurality of user devices.