METHOD FOR MANAGING A CONFERENCE CALL IN A TELEPHONE NETWORK

• US 20100035593A1
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Cotevino, Agostino, Sampo, Marcello, Franco, Dario
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5027 Dropping a party from a conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5072 Multiple active speakers conducting a computer conference, e.g. Admission detection H04L12/1822
• 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: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call

Abstract

A method of managing, in a telephone network, a conference call among a first terminal and a plurality of terminals, includes: setting up at least one voice channel for activating the conference call among the first terminal and the plurality of terminals; and causing deactivation of a microphone of at least one terminal of the plurality of terminals.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A method of managing, in a mobile telephone network, a conference call among a first terminal and a plurality of terminals, comprising:

setting up at least one voice channel for activating said conference call among said first terminal and said plurality of terminals; and

causing deactivation of a microphone of at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals,

wherein setting up at least one voice channel is performed by sending a conference call activation request by said first terminal and comprises sending said conference call activation request to a conference call server through a signaling channel, thereby avoiding interference with said at least one voice channel.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said conference call server sends a voice channel set up command for setting up said voice channel among said first terminal and said plurality of terminals, based on said conference call activation request.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein said causing deactivation of the microphone of at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals comprises sending a microphone deactivation command from said conference call server to said at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein said causing deactivation of microphone of at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals comprises sending a microphone deactivation command from said first terminal to said at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein said sending a microphone deactivation command is performed before setting up said voice channel among said first terminal and said plurality of terminals.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein said sending a microphone deactivation command is performed after setting up said voice channel among said first terminal and said plurality of terminals.

38. The method according to claim 32, wherein said setting up at least one voice channel among said first terminal and said plurality of terminals is performed at a conference call activation date and at a conference call activation time.

39. The method according to claim 32, wherein at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals having its microphone deactivated sends an intervention request, wherein said intervention request is processed, and wherein the microphone of said at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals is activated in case said intervention request is accepted.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein said intervention request is processed by comparing it with an intervention end message previously sent by a terminal having its microphone activated.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein said intervention request is processed at said conference call server and wherein said conference call server causes activation of the microphone of said at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals.

42. The method according to claim 32, wherein said intervention request is processed by said first terminal and wherein said first terminal causes activation of the microphone of said at least one terminal of said plurality of terminals.

43. The method according to claim 32, further comprising a step of sending a participant list to said plurality of terminals and to said first terminal, said participant list comprising identifiers of users of said plurality of terminals which are connected to said at least one voice channel.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein said participant list comprises an identifying marker for identifying a current speaker.

45. The method according to claim 32, wherein said conference call activation request comprises an identifier of at least one cell of the mobile telephone network.

46. The method according to claim 45, further comprising, before performing said step of setting up said at least one voice channel among said first terminal and said plurality of terminals, checking which of said plurality of terminals is located in said at least one cell.

47. The method according to claim 45, further comprising, after having performed said step of setting up at least one voice channel, a step of checking whether terminals of said plurality of terminals which were not located in said at least one cell before setting up said voice channel, enter said at least one cell, and, if so, a step of connecting said terminals to said at least one voice channel.

48. The method according to claim 32, further comprising sending an image file to at least one of said plurality of terminals.

49. The method according to claim 32, wherein said first terminal is enabled to have an active microphone.

50. A computer program comprising computer program code portions adapted to perform the steps of claim 32, when said program is capable of being run on a computer.

51. A conference call server comprising the computer program of claim 50.

52. A terminal of a mobile telephone network adapted to participate in a conference call between a first terminal and a plurality of terminals, comprising:

a receiver module for receiving, through a signaling channel, a microphone deactivation command or for receiving, through a signaling channel, a microphone activation command from a conference call server of the mobile telephone network; and

an executing module for executing said microphone deactivation command or said microphone activation command.

53. The terminal according to claim 52, wherein said executing module is adapted to enable a mute function of said terminal upon reception of said microphone deactivation command and is further adapted to disable said mute function of said terminal function reception of said microphone activation command.

54. The terminal according to claim 52, comprising a transmitter module which further adapts said terminal to transmit an intervention request, and a transmitter which further adapts said terminal to transmit an intervention end message.

55. The terminal according to claim 52, wherein said terminal comprises a memory for storing a list of identifiers of said plurality of terminals which are to be connected to said conference call, and a list of identifiers associated with said list.

56. The terminal according to claim 52, wherein said receiver module is further adapted to receive a participant list, said participant list comprising identifiers of terminals connected to said conference call.