Method and system for mobile call conferencing

• US 20100216443A1
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: iSkoot Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, Sarah, Guedalia, Isaac David, Guedalia, Jacob, Jacobstein, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42034 Calling party identification service
• 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 providing conference calls in a client-server environment is described. In some aspects, conference calling is made possible and efficient for mobile users, including mobile hosts of the conference call who may arrange and set up the conference call easily from a mobile device with the assistance of an application server and/or a call conference server. Also, other mobile users may easily participate in such conference calls from their mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method for providing a call conference in a mobile client-server environment, comprising:

a mobile call conference host party selecting one or more invitee parties to a conference from a list of contacts on the host'"'"'s mobile device;

providing notification to said invitee parties of the call conference sufficient to inform the invitees as to a time of said call conference and a dial-in number for said call conference;

receiving calls from said invitees substantially at the time of said call conference at said dial-in number;

verifying an identity of said invitees who call in to the dial-in number against a list of authorized invitees stored in a database at a server; and

permitting the authorized invitees to join the call conference.

2. The method of claim 1, said mobile call conference host party selecting comprising selecting one or more contacts to invite to the call conference from a list of contacts on said mobile host'"'"'s device.

3. The method of claim 1, providing notification comprising sending a text or SMS message to the one or more invitees at corresponding one or more mobile devices of the invitees.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of call conference invitations to the one or more invitees.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising facilitating transfer of a given invitee from one call conference to another call conference of the plurality of call conferences.

6. A system for mobile client-server call conferencing, comprising:

an application server adapted to receive a call conference request from a mobile host device and adapted for delivering a plurality of text messages to a corresponding plurality of invitee devices, said text messages including respective dial-in and time information for the call conference;

a database coupled to said application server for storing a plurality of invitee identifying information corresponding to the plurality of invitee devices or users thereof; and

a conferencing server coupled to said database and adapted for establishing a mobile client-server call conference between said mobile host device and a plurality of invitee mobile devices, said invitee mobile devices corresponding to respective entries in said database corresponding to respective invitees.

7. The system of claim 6, said application server and said conferencing server being implemented in different server apparatus.

8. The system of claim 6, said application server and said conferencing server being implemented in a same server apparatus.