METHODS AND APPARATUS TO MANAGE CONFERENCE CALL ACTIVITY WITH INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) NETWORKS

• US 20080181140A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reynolds, Douglas F., Brandt, Jeffrey, Bangor, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 9,325,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to monitor conference call activity with Internet protocol (IP) networks are disclosed. An example method comprises monitoring a network for a first conference call participant connection request, prompting the first conference call participant for authentication credentials, and when the first conference call participant is authorized based on the credentials, associating an Internet protocol (IP) address with the first conference call participant for use in place of the authentication credentials.

Claims

1. ) A method comprising:

monitoring a network for a first conference call participant connection request;

prompting the first conference call participant for authentication credentials; and

when the first conference call participant is authorized based on the credentials, associating an Internet protocol (IP) address with the first conference call participant for use in place of the authentication credentials.

2. ) A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first conference call participant connection request is from at least one of a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a VoIP gateway, a personal computer (PC), or a WiFi IP phone.

3. ) A method as defined in claim 1, wherein prompting the first conference call participant comprises at least one of prompting for a voice signature, prompting for a caller IP address, or prompting for an access code.

4. ) A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising receiving the authentication credentials, wherein the received authentication credentials comprise at least one of an audio signal representative of the first conference call participant reciting one or more words, or a voice signature stored in a memory of a VoIP enabled device.

5. ) A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising comparing the received audio signal to a database to determine if the first conference call participant is authorized.

6. ) A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising comparing the received IP address to a lookup table to determine if the first conference call participant is authorized.

10. ) A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving an action item voice command from the authorized first conference call participant.

11. ) A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising sending an identity of the authorized first conference call participant to a second authorized conference call participant for display on a voice over IP (VoIP) enabled device.

13. ) A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising excluding the first conference call participant when the authentication credentials are not authorized.

7-9. -9. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

14-21. -21. (canceled)

22. ) A conference call manager comprising:

a call receiver to receive a conference call request from a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) enabled device;

an Internet protocol (TP) address authorization table to authorize an IP address of the VoIP enabled device; and

a voice print server to authorize a voice print received from the VoIP enabled device.

23. ) A conference call manager as defined in claim 22, further comprising a voice print database to store a plurality of voice signatures associated with authorized conference call participants.

24. ) A conference call manager as defined in claim 22, wherein the call received by the call receiver comprises at least one of a voice command, an input from the VoIP enabled device, or an authorization request.

25. ) A conference call manager as defined in claim 24, further comprising a voice command server to receive the voice command from the call receiver, the voice command server to execute a command associated with the voice command.

29. ) A conference call manager as defined in claim 22, further comprising a communication server to publish conference call activity to at least one of a web page, selected recipients, or a plurality of conference call participants via e-mail.

30. ) A conference call manager as defined in claim 29, wherein the communication server publishes the conference call activity as at least one of a text document, an image document, or a sound file.

26-28. -28. (canceled)

31. ) An apparatus comprising:

a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) processor to initiate a VoIP session with a conference call manager; and

a conference call client to provide conference call participant authentication credentials to the conference call manager.

32. ) An apparatus as defined in claim 31, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a VoIP phone, a VoIP residential gateway, a personal computer (PC), or a WiFi phone.

33. ) An apparatus as defined in claim 31, further comprising a display device to communicate conference call participant activity.

34. ) An apparatus as defined in claim 31, further comprising an input device to provide the conference call manager with input data from the conference call participant.

35. ) An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein the input device is at least one of a button, a key, or a soft key.

36. ) An apparatus as defined in claim 31, wherein the conference call participant authentication credentials comprise a voice signature stored in a memory, the conference call client transmitting the stored voice signature in response to an authorization request from the conference call manager.

37. ) An apparatus as defined in claim 31, wherein the conference call participant authentication credentials comprise an Internet protocol (TP) address of the apparatus, the conference call client transmitting the IP address in response to an authorization request from the conference call manager.

38. ) An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

monitor a network for a first conference call participant connection request;

prompt the first conference call participant for authentication credentials; and

when the first conference call participant is authorized based on the credentials, associate an internet protocol (IP) address with the first conference call participant for use in place of the authentication credentials.

39. ) An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to monitor at least one of a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a VoIP gateway, a personal computer (PC), or a WiFi IP phone.

40. ) An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to prompt for a voice signature, prompt for a caller IP address, or prompt for an access code.

41. ) An article of manufacture as defined in claim 40, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive the authentication credentials, wherein the authentication credentials comprise at least one of an audio signal representative of the first conference call participant reciting one or more words, or a voice signature stored in a memory of a VoIP enabled device.

43. ) An article of manufacture as defined in claim 40, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to compare the LP address to a lookup table to determine if the first conference call participant is authorized.

46. ) An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive an action item voice command from the first conference call participant.

47. ) An article of manufacture as defined in claim 46, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to send an identity of the first conference call participant to a second conference call participant for display on a voice over TP (VoIP) enabled device.

42. (canceled)

44-45. -45. (canceled)

48-53. -53. (canceled)