Method and apparatus for inviting non-rich media endpoints to join a conference sidebar session

• US 20070276908A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Asthana, Aseem, Goel, Vineet, Bangalore, Manjunath S., Ha, Binh Don, Tang, Connie
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

A conferencing system and method includes, during the conference session, invoking an interactive voice response (IVR) routine that provides names of one or more conference participants to a user of an audio-only endpoint device responsive to a request from the user to create a sidebar session. An invitation to join the sidebar session is then communicated to each of one or more participants selected by the user, the invitation being communicated via a private media channel separate from a media stream associated with the conference session. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method of operation involving a plurality of conference participants using a corresponding plurality of endpoint devices, comprising:

during the conference session, receiving a request to allocate a sidebar session from a user of an audio-only endpoint device;

providing, via an interactive voice response (IVR) system, names of one or more conference participants to the user of the audio-only endpoint device responsive to the request; and

communicating an invitation to join the sidebar session to each of one or more participants selected by the user, the invitation being communicated via a private media channel separate from a media stream associated with the conference session.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 wherein providing the names comprises:

providing a roll call listing of all of the conference participants.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a roll call listing of all of the conference participants.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the invitation comprises an IVR prompt.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an invitation acceptance from a first conference participant; and

moving the first conference participant out of the conference session and into the sidebar session.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving an invitation declination from a second conference participant; and

announcing in the sidebar session that the second conference participant has declined the invitation to join the sidebar session.

7. Logic for conducting a conference session, the logic being encoded in one or more media for execution and when executed is operable to:

during the conference session, invoke an interactive voice response (IVR) routine that provides names of one or more conference participants to a user of an audio-only endpoint device responsive to a request from the user to create a sidebar session; and

communicate an invitation to join the sidebar session to each of one or more participants selected by the user, the invitation being communicated via a private media channel separate from a media stream associated with the conference session.

8. The logic of claim 7 wherein the IVR routine comprises a sequence of queries such that the user of the audio-only endpoint device need only make an affirmative response or a negative response to each query.

9. The logic of claim 8 wherein the affirmative response and the negative response are both verbal responses.

10. The logic of claim 7 wherein the media, when executed, is further operable to:

perform a directory search based on a partial spelling or a first or last name of a conference participant.

11. The logic of claim 7 wherein the invitation comprises an IVR prompt.

12. The logic of claim 7 wherein the media, when executed, is further operable to:

receive an invitation acceptance from a first conference participant; and

move the first participant out of the conference session and into the sidebar session.

13. The logic of claim 7 wherein the media, when executed, is further operable to:

receive an invitation declination from a second conference participant; and

announce in the sidebar session that the second conference participant has declined the invitation to join the sidebar session.

14. A system for conferencing a plurality of conference participants in a conference session comprising:

a mixer that mixes audio streams received from two or more of the conference participants, the mixer outputting a mixed audio stream for delivery to the conference participants;

an interactive voice response (IVR) module; and

means responsive to input from a user interface of an endpoint device during the conference session for allocating a sidebar session and for communicating with the endpoint device via a first private channel to obtain names of a subset of the conference participants to be invited to join the sidebar session, the means also for communicating an invitation to join the sidebar session to each of the conference participants in the subset of conference participants, wherein the invitation to at least one of the conference participants comprises an IVR menu prompt provided by the IVR module communicated via a second private channel.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the means is further for moving each of the conference participants who accept the invitation out of the conference session and into the sidebar session.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the user interface comprises a graphical user interface.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the first private channel comprises an Internet protocol (IP) network connection.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the endpoint device comprises a voice over Internet protocol (IP) telephone device having a display screen.

19. An Internet protocol (IP) phone for connecting with a conferencing system via an IP network, comprising:

a display;

a plurality of softkey buttons;

a program that runs on the IP device to produce a user interface that integrates the display and the softkey buttons such that the softkey buttons operate to invoke functions displayed on corresponding icon areas of the display, the user interface providing a user of the IP phone with a first menu option to request the conferencing system to create a sidebar session during a conference session, selection of the first menu option causing the IP phone to present a roll call list of conference participants on the display, the roll call list being downloaded from the conferencing system, the user interface providing the user with the ability to select a subset of the conference participants to be invited to join the sidebar session by the conferencing system.

20. A processor-implemented method for operation in a conference session involving a plurality of conference participants, comprising:

receiving, at a conference server, a push-to-talk (PTT) message sent by a first conference participant, the PTT message being associated with a list of participants selected by the first conference participant, the list of participants being a subset of the plurality of conference participants, the PTT message including an invitation to join a sidebar session;

sending, by the conference server, the PTT message to each of the conference participants included in the list of participants; and

moving each of the conference participants included in the list of participants into the sidebar session upon acceptance of the invitation,

wherein communication of the PTT message between the conferencing server and each of the conference participants occurs on a private media channel separate from a media stream associated with the conference session.

21. The processor-implemented method of claim 20 further comprising:

allocating the sidebar session by the conference server.