System and Method for Collaborative Call Management

• US 20090319920A1
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kortum, Philip Ted, White, P. David
• Application Number:
  US12/552,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319920A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/755
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for collaborative call management are disclosed. A particular method includes displaying a host graphical user interface (GUI) on a device associated with a call host of a collaborative call. The host GUI includes a listing of names of call participants of the collaborative call and one or more controls. The method also includes updating the host GUI after at least one other call participant indicates a desire to speak during the collaborative call by displaying an indicator next to the name of the at least one other call participant.

Claims

1. A collaborative call method, the method comprising:

receiving a request to join a collaborative call from a particular call participant of the collaborative call;

determining an identity of the particular call participant;

determining that the particular call participant is a call host;

providing a host graphical user interface (GUI) element from a presentation engine to a device associated with the particular call participant, wherein the host GUI element includes a listing of names of call participants and at least one call control not available through a participant GUI element for one or more call participants who are not call hosts; and

updating the host GUI element in response to a change in a status of one or more of the call participants, the updating including displaying an indicator next to a name of a call participant desiring to speak in the listing of names of call participants.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to join a collaborative call from a second particular call participant of the collaborative call;

determining an identity of the second particular call participant;

determining the second particular call participant is not a call host; and

providing the participant GUI element from the presentation engine to a second device associated with the second particular call participant.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

announcing to the call participants the presence of the second particular call participant, and

updating the listing of names of call participants to reflect the second particular call participant.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a collaborative call report at an end of the call, the collaborative call report including a list of individual call participants, a time-in for each of the call participants, and a time out for each of the call participants.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the collaborative call report includes a transcript of the call.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the collaborative call report comprises a task list for one or more of the call participants.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the particular call participant comprises using information from a caller identification service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the particular call participant comprises comparing a voice signal of the particular call participant to one or more voice signature files.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the particular call participant is the call host comprises using a security engine to authenticate the particular call participant.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one call control not available through the participant GUI element includes a terminate call icon that allows a unilateral ending of the collaborative call.

11. A method comprising:

displaying a host graphical user interface (GUI) on a device associated with a call host of a collaborative call, wherein the host GUI includes a listing of names of call participants of the collaborative call and one or more controls; and

updating the host GUI after at least one other call participant indicates a desire to speak during the collaborative call by displaying an indicator next to the name of the at least one other call participant.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating a current speaker indication of the host GUI when the current speaker changes.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising adding a name of a new call participant to the listing of names of call participants when the new call participant joins the collaborative call.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the name of the new call participant from a caller identification service.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more controls include at least one control not present on a participant GUI provided to a device associated with a call participant who is not a call host.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one control not present on the participant GUI includes a terminate call icon that allows a unilateral termination of the collaborative call by the call host.

17. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory that includes computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to;

initiate presentation of a participant graphical user interface (GUI) in connection with a collaborative call to a device associated with a call participant, wherein the participant GUI includes a first listing of names of call participants;

initiate presentation of a host GUI to a device associated with a call host, wherein the host GUI includes at least one call control not available through the participant GUI and a second listing of names of call participants;

receive a request to speak from the call participant through the participant GUI; and

update the second listing of the host GUI by displaying an indicator next to a name of the call participant requesting to speak.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising additional program instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

receive an indication that a second particular call participant has joined the collaborative call; and

update the second listing to reflect a name of the second particular call participant and a time when the second particular call participant joined the collaborative call.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising additional program instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

receive an indication that a second particular call participant has disconnected from the collaborative call; and

update the second listing to reflect a time when the second particular call participant disconnected from the collaborative call.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the participant GUI includes an icon to send a request to speak.