Apparatus and method for restoring a conference connection to a cellular telephone

• US 20070232284A1
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mason, Andrew, Staemmer, Zeno
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2088 Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• 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 telecommunication system has capabilities for managing conference telephone calls. Cellular telephones may be registered to the system and may be used as contact devices in setting up conference telephone calls. When a cellular telephone is participating in a conference telephone call and drops out because, e.g., of lost signal, the system may automatically initiate a call back to re-connect the cellular telephone to the conference telephone call.

Claims

1. A method of operating a conference telephone call system, the method comprising:

establishing a conference telephone call, the conference telephone call having at least three participants, one of the participants participating in the conference telephone call via a cellular telephone;

during the conference telephone call, detecting that a signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken; and

the system automatically responding to the detecting that the signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken by initiating a re-connect telephone call to the cellular telephone to re-connect the cellular telephone to the conference telephone call.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the establishing includes presenting to said one of the participants an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be automatically called back to re-connect to the conference telephone call if the signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the automatically responding is performed after a pre-determined delay period following the detecting step, and only if at least two participants remain connected to the conference telephone call at an end of the pre-determined delay period.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after initiating the re-connect telephone call, presenting to said one of the participants an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be re-connected to the conference telephone call.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the establishing of the telephone conference call;

registering the cellular telephone with the system;

indicating to the system that the cellular telephone is a cellular telephone; and

indicating to the system that said one of the participants is to be contacted via the cellular telephone.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a request to include a participant in a conference telephone call;

determining that the participant is to be reached via a cellular telephone;

initiating a connect telephone call to the cellular telephone;

detecting that the connect telephone call is answered; and

presenting to the participant an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be automatically called back to re-connect to the conference telephone call if a signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said option is presented to the participant only after the participant indicates that the participant wishes to participate in the conference call.

8. A system comprising:

conference means for establishing a conference telephone call, the conference telephone call having at least three participants, one of the participants participating in the conference telephone call via a cellular telephone;

detecting means, responsive to the conference means, for detecting that a signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call; and

re-connect means, responsive to the detecting means, for automatically initiating a re-connect telephone call to the cellular telephone to re-connect the cellular telephone to the conference telephone call.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the conference means includes means for presenting to said one of the participants an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be automatically called back to re-connect to the conference telephone call if the signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the re-connect means initiates the re-connect telephone call after a pre-determined delay period following the detecting means detecting that the signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken, and only if at least two participants remain connected to the conference telephone call at an end of the pre-determined delay period.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein said re-connect means includes means for presenting to said one of the participants an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate in response to said re-connect telephone call that the cellular telephone is to be re-connected to the conference telephone call.

12. A system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for registering the cellular telephone with the system;

means for indicating to the system that the cellular telephone is a cellular telephone; and

means for indicating to the system that said one of the participants is to be contacted via the cellular telephone.

13. A system comprising:

means for receiving a request to include a participant in a conference telephone call;

means for determining that the participant is to be reached via a cellular telephone;

means for initiating a connect telephone call to the cellular telephone;

means for detecting that the connect telephone call is answered; and

means for presenting to the participant an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be automatically called back to re-connect to the conference telephone call if a signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said option is presented to the participant only after the participant indicates that the participant wishes to participate in the conference call.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions to cause the processor to;

establish a conference telephone call, the conference telephone call having at least three participants, one of the participants participating in the conference telephone call via a cellular telephone;

during the conference telephone call, detect that a signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken; and

automatically respond to the detecting that the signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken by initiating a re-connect telephone call to the cellular telephone to re-connect the cellular telephone to the conference telephone call.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the processor establishing the conference telephone call includes the processor presenting to said one of the participants an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be automatically called back to re-connect to the conference telephone call if the signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the processor initiates the re-connect telephone call after a pre-determined delay period following the detecting step, and only if at least two participants remain connected to the conference telephone call at an end of the pre-determined delay period.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein, after initiating the re-connect telephone call, the processor presents to said one of the participants an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be re-connected to the conference telephone call.

19. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions to cause the processor to;

receive a request to include a participant in a conference telephone call;

determine that the participant is to be reached via a cellular telephone;

initiate a connect telephone call to the cellular telephone;

detect that the connect telephone call is answered; and

present to the participant an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be automatically called back to re-connect to the conference telephone call if a signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said option is presented to the participant only after the participant indicates that the participant wishes to participate in the conference call.

21. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for managing a telephone conference call, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for establishing a conference telephone call, the conference telephone call having at least three participants, one of the participants participating in the conference telephone call via a cellular telephone;

computer readable program code means for detecting that a signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call; and

computer readable program code means for automatically responding to the detecting that the signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken by initiating a re-connect telephone call to the cellular telephone to re-connect the cellular telephone to the conference telephone call.

22. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for managing a telephone conference call, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for receiving a request to include a participant in a conference telephone call;

computer readable program code means for determining that the participant is to be reached via a cellular telephone;

computer readable program code means for initiating a connect telephone call to the cellular telephone;

computer readable program code means for detecting that the connect telephone call is answered; and

computer readable program code means for presenting to the participant an option by which said participant is permitted to indicate that the cellular telephone is to be automatically called back to re-connect to the conference telephone call if a signal channel to the cellular telephone is broken during the conference telephone call.