Methods, systems, and products for monitoring conferences

• US 20080159509A1
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Whitfield, Lloyd, Bedingfield, James Carlton
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• 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 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for monitoring a conference. A first bridging function is established that bridges together signals received from all conference participants. A second bridging function is established that bridges together signals received from i) a subset of the conference participants, ii) an output of the first bridging function, and iii) a monitor of the conference. The second bridging function isolates the monitor'"'"'s signals from the conference such that only the subset of the conference participants may communicate with the monitor during the conference.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a conference, comprising:

establishing a first bridging function that bridges together signals received from all conference participants; and

establishing a second bridging function that bridges together signals received from i) a subset of the conference participants, ii) an output of the first bridging function, and iii) a monitor of the conference,

wherein the second bridging function isolates the monitor'"'"'s signals from the conference such that only the subset of the conference participants may communicate with the monitor during the conference.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first bridging function bridges together video signals.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first bridging function bridges together audio signals.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing feedback to the subset of the conference participants, the feedback indicating the second bridging function is properly established.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring the first bridging function for a request to establish the second bridging function.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising processing the signals received from the monitor to distinguish the monitor from the other participants.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving inputs from a user interface that control the conference.

8. A system for monitoring a conference, comprising:

a conferencing application stored in memory; and

a processor communicating with the memory and executing the conferencing application,

the conferencing application instructing the processor to establish a first bridging function that bridges together signals received from all conference participants and to establish a second bridging function that bridges together signals received from i) a subset of the conference participants, ii) an output of the first bridging function, and iii) a monitor of the conference,

wherein the second bridging function isolates the monitor'"'"'s signals from the conference such that only the subset of the conference participants may communicate with the monitor during the conference.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the conferencing application instructs the processor to bridge together video signals.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the conferencing application instructs the processor to bridge audio signals.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein the conferencing application instructs the processor to provide feedback to the subset of the conference participants, the feedback indicating the second bridging function is properly established.

12. A system according to claim 8, wherein the conferencing application instructs the processor to monitor the first bridging function for a request to establish the second bridging function.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein the conferencing application instructs the processor to process the signals received from the monitor to distinguish the monitor from the other participants.

14. A system according to claim 8, wherein the conferencing application instructs the processor to receive inputs from a user interface that control the conference.

15. A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions for performing:

establishing a first bridging function that bridges together signals received from all conference participants; and

establishing a second bridging function that bridges together signals received from i) a subset of the conference participants, ii) an output of the first bridging function, and iii) a monitor of the conference,

wherein the second bridging function isolates the monitor'"'"'s signals from the conference such that only the subset of the conference participants may communicate with the monitor during the conference.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for bridging together video signals.

17. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for bridging together audio signals.

18. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for providing feedback to the subset of the conference participants, the feedback indicating the second bridging function is properly established.

19. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for monitoring the first bridging function for a request to establish the second bridging function.

20. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for processing the signals received from the monitor to distinguish the monitor from the other participants.