METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING MULTI-POINT COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20100027775A1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: I'Anson, Colin
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2088 Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference 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

Abstract

A conferencing system, method and communication device for facilitating a conference call between a plurality of terminal devices is presented. The conference system comprises: a conference server for establishing the conference call; and re-connection means adapted to detect if a terminal device is disconnected from the conference call and to re-connect a terminal device to the conference call if it is detected that the terminal device is disconnected from the conference call.

Claims

1. A conferencing system for facilitating a conference call between a plurality of terminal devices, the conference system comprising:

a conference server for establishing the conference call; and

re-connection means adapted to detect if a terminal device is disconnected from the conference call and to re-connect a terminal device to the conference call if it is detected that the terminal device is disconnected from the conference call,

wherein the re-connection means comprises a set of instructions to be used within the terminal device.

2. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the set of instructions enables a user of a disconnected terminal device to selectively re-connect the terminal device to the conference call.

3. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the conference server is adapted to provide the set of instructions to the plurality of terminal devices.

4. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the conference server is adapted to store scheduling information relating to a proposed time for establishing the conference call, and to communicate with at least one of the terminal devices when it is time to establish the conference call.

5. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the conference server is adapted to store information relating to proposed participants of the conference call.

6. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the conference server is adapted to store security information relating to verification details required for a connection to the conference call to be established, and to communicate the security information to at least one of the terminal devices.

7. A conference system according to claim 6, wherein the conference server is adapted to provide the security information to the re-connect applet.

8. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises anyone of a mobile telephone, a POTS-type telephone, a personal computer and a video conferencing device.

9. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the re-connection means is further adapted to detect if a terminal device is involuntarily disconnected from the conference call.

10. A method for facilitating a conference call using a conference system comprising a plurality of terminal devices and a conference server, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting if a terminal device is disconnected from the conference call; and

reconnecting a terminal device to the conference call if it is detected that the terminal device is disconnected from the conference call,

wherein the steps of detecting and reconnecting are completed in at least one of the terminal devices.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of reconnecting a terminal device comprises providing a user of the disconnected terminal device with the option of reconnecting the terminal device to the conference call.

12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

storing schedule information relating to a proposed time for establishing the conference call; and

communicating with at least one of the terminal devices when it is time to establish the conference call.

13. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of storing information relating to proposed participants of the conference call.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

storing security information relating to verification details required for a connection to the conference call to be established;

communicating the security information to at least one of the terminal devices.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises anyone of a mobile telephone, a POTS-type telephone, a personal computer and a video conferencing device.

17. A computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to perform all of the steps of claim 10, when the computer program is run on a computer.

18. A computer program as claimed in claim 17 embodied on a computer readable medium.

16. An electronic communication device for participating in a conference call comprising re-connection means adapted to detect if the electronic communication device is disconnected from the conference call and to re-connect the electronic communication device to the conference call if it is detected that the terminal device is disconnected from the conference call.