Auto-Dial Connection Into Conference Calls

• US 20100098230A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhow, Gunjan Dhanesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,693,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• 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: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• 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

Methods and systems for dialing into conference calls are presented. A meeting request is received by an attendee, and the dial-in information in the meeting request is stored. A meeting reminder is displayed at the proposed date and time or a predetermined period prior to the proposed date and time, and a conference call confirmation instruction or cancellation instruction is received from the attendee. The conference call dial-in number is automatically dialed at the proposed date and time. A network connection is established and the conference call meeting identification number is transmitted.

Claims

1. A method for dialing into a conference call comprising:

receiving at an attendee computing device a meeting request notification message comprising a meeting request, wherein the meeting request includes a proposed date and time;

opening the meeting request notification message and displaying the meeting request on the attendee computing device;

receiving an accept meeting instruction or a reject meeting instruction;

scanning the contents of the meeting request notification message to identify a conference call dial-in number and a conference call meeting identification number responsive to receiving the accept meeting instruction;

storing the conference call dial-in number and the conference call meeting identification number in a memory at the attendee computing device;

placing the meeting request on a calendaring application at the attendee computing device at the proposed date and time;

displaying a meeting reminder on the attendee computing device at the proposed date and time or a predetermined period prior to the proposed date and time;

receiving a conference call confirmation instruction or cancellation instruction;

automatically calling the conference call dial-in number at the proposed date and time responsive to receiving the conference call confirmation instruction;

establishing a network connection with a remote device; and

transmitting the conference call meeting identification number over the network connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning the contents of a meeting request notification message further comprises identifying a user identification number.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising automatically transmitting the user identification number over the network connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a pre-stored voice signature over the network connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the attendee computing device is a personal computer or a smartphone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically calling the conference call dial-in number comprises automatically initiating a call over an Internet Protocol network, a mobile cellular network, or a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the meeting request notification message is an email or SMS message.

8. A system for dialing into a conference call comprising:

a landline telephone connected to a public switched telephone network

a headset base coupled to the landline telephone; and

a computing device coupled to the headset base and a communications network, the computing device comprising;

a meeting request notification message means for receiving a meeting request notification message comprising a meeting request over the communications network, wherein the meeting request includes a proposed date and time;

a scanning means for scanning the contents of the meeting request notification message to identify a conference call dial-in number and a conference call meeting identification number;

a calendaring means for placing the meeting request on a calendaring application at the computing device at the proposed date and time; and

a dialing means for automatically calling the conference call dial-in number at the proposed date and time though the public switched telephone network, and automatically transmitting the conference call meeting identification number over an established public switched telephone network connection.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the dialing means calls the conference call dial-in number through the headset base and the landline telephone.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the communications network comprises the Internet.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a headset having a don/doff detector, wherein the dialing means automatically calls the conference call dial-in number at the proposed date and time only if it is detected that the headset is donned.

12. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for dialing into a conference call comprising:

receiving at an attendee computing device a meeting request notification message comprising a meeting request, wherein the meeting request includes a proposed date and time;

opening the meeting request notification message and displaying the meeting request on the attendee computing device;

receiving an accept meeting instruction or a reject meeting instruction;

scanning the contents of the meeting request notification message to identify a conference call dial-in number and a conference call meeting identification number responsive to receiving the accept meeting instruction;

storing the conference call dial-in number and the conference call meeting identification number in a memory at the computing device;

placing the meeting request on a calendaring application at the attendee computing device at the proposed date and time;

displaying a meeting reminder on the attendee computing device at the proposed date and time or a predetermined period prior to the proposed date and time;

receiving a conference call confirmation instruction or cancellation instruction;

automatically calling the conference call dial-in number at the proposed date and time responsive to receiving the conference call confirmation instruction;

establishing a network connection with a remote device; and

transmitting the conference call meeting identification number over the network connection.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein scanning the contents of a meeting request notification message further comprises identifying a user identification number.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the method further comprising automatically transmitting the user identification number over the network connection.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, the method further comprising transmitting a pre-stored voice signature over the network connection.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the attendee computing device is a personal computer or a smartphone.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein automatically calling the conference call dial-in number comprises automatically initiating a call over an Internet Protocol network, a mobile cellular network, or a public switched telephone network.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the meeting request notification message is an email or SMS message.

19. A method for dialing into a conference call comprising:

receiving at an attendee computing device a meeting request notification message comprising a meeting request, wherein the meeting request includes a proposed date and time;

opening the meeting request notification message and displaying the meeting request on the attendee computing device;

receiving an accept meeting instruction or a reject meeting instruction;

scanning the contents of the meeting request notification message to identify a conference call dial-in number and a conference call meeting identification number responsive to receiving the accept meeting instruction;

transmitting the conference call dial-in number and the conference call meeting identification number to a first remote device for storage in a memory of the first remote device;

receiving an attendee call-back number input at the attendee computing device;

transmitting the attendee call-back number to the first remote device for storage in the memory of the first remote device;

placing the meeting request on a calendaring application at the attendee computing device at the proposed date and time;

displaying a meeting reminder on the attendee computing device at the proposed date and time or a predetermined period prior to the proposed date and time;

receiving a conference call confirmation instruction or cancellation instruction;

automatically calling the conference call dial-in number using the first remote device at the proposed date and time responsive to receiving the conference call confirmation instruction;

establishing a first network connection between the first remote device and a second remote device;

transmitting the conference call meeting identification number from the first remote device to the second remote device over the first network connection;

automatically calling the attendee call-back number using the first remote device;

establishing a second network connection between the first remote device and an attendee telephone; and

linking the attendee telephone to the second remote device to join a conference call.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein scanning the contents of a meeting request notification message further comprises identifying a user identification number.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically transmitting the user identification number from the first remote device to the second remote device over the first network connection.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising automatically transmitting a pre-stored voice signature from the first remote device to the second remote device over the first network connection.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the attendee telephone is a mobile phone or a landline telephone.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the meeting request notification message is an email or SMS message.