SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MERGING VOICE CALLS BASED ON TOPICS

• US 20110150198A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concert Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Grandios Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Walsh, Richard J., Issa, Alfredo C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference
• 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: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference

Abstract

A system and method for merging a first voice call and a second voice call. A first topic discussed during the first voice call is compared to a second topic discussed during the second voice call. If the first topic matches the second topic, the first voice call may be merged with the second voice call. A semantic analysis may be performed on the first topic and the second topic to determine if the first topic and the second topic match one another. Filter criteria may be defined by participants of the first voice call and the second voice call that identify criteria that may preclude merger of the first voice call and the second voice call.

Claims

1. A method for merging a first voice call and a second voice call, comprising:

receiving, by a processing node, a first topic being discussed between a first participant and a second participant in the first voice call;

receiving, by the processing node, a second topic being discussed between a third participant and a fourth participant in the second voice call occurring at least in part concurrently with the first voice call;

determining, by the processing node, if the first topic matches the second topic; and

if the first topic matches the second topic, merging the first voice call and the second voice call, wherein the first participant, the second participant, the third participant, and the fourth participant can talk with one another.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an approval request to the first participant and the second participant that requests approval to merge the first voice call and the second voice call, receiving a first approval authorization from the first participant and a second approval authorization from the second participant, and wherein the first voice call and the second voice call are merged after receipt of the first approval authorization and the second approval authorization.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the approval request identifies the third participant and the fourth participant.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the approval request identifies the second topic.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the approval request identifies a plurality of topics discussed between the third participant and the fourth participant during the second voice call, and wherein the plurality of topics includes the second topic.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, over a duration of the second voice call, a plurality of second topics being discussed between the third participant and the fourth participant in the second voice call, and wherein determining if the first topic matches the second topic further comprises determining if the first topic matches any of the plurality of second topics and, if so, merging the first voice call and the second voice call.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing the plurality of second topics and a plurality of timestamps in a storage, wherein each of the plurality of timestamps corresponds to one of the plurality of second topics and identifies a time during the second voice call that the corresponding one of the plurality of second topics was being discussed by the third participant and the fourth participant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the first topic matches the second topic comprises performing a semantic analysis on the first topic and the second topic, and if the first topic is semantically related to the second topic, determining that the first topic matches the second topic.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining at least one filter criterion associated with the first participant, and merging the first voice call and the second voice call based at least in part on the at least one filter criterion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one filter criterion identifies at least one participant, and wherein the at least one participant is one of the third participant and the fourth participant.

11. A computing device comprising:

a communications interface adapted to communicate with a network; and

a control system coupled to the communications interface and adapted to;

receive a first topic being discussed between a first participant and a second participant in a first voice call;

receive a second topic being discussed between a third participant and a fourth participant in a second voice call occurring at least in part concurrently with the first voice call;

determine if the first topic matches the second topic; and

if the first topic matches the second topic, effect a merger of the first voice call and the second voice call, wherein the first participant, the second participant, the third participant, and the fourth participant can talk with one another.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the control system is further adapted to send an approval request to the first participant and the second participant that requests approval to merge the first voice call and the second voice call, receive a first approval authorization from the first participant and a second approval authorization from the second participant, and wherein the control system effects the merger of the first voice call and the second voice call after receipt of the first approval authorization and the second approval authorization.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the approval request identifies the third participant and the fourth participant.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the approval request identifies the second topic.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the control system is further adapted to obtain at least one filter criterion associated with the first participant, and merge the first voice call and the second voice call based at least in part on the at least one filter criterion.

16. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for merging a first voice call and a second voice call, comprising:

receiving a first topic being discussed between a first participant and a second participant in the first voice call;

receiving a second topic being discussed between a third participant and a fourth participant in the second voice call occurring at least in part concurrently with the first voice call;

determining if the first topic matches the second topic; and

if the first topic matches the second topic, merging the first voice call and the second voice call, wherein the first participant, the second participant, the third participant, and the fourth participant can talk with one another.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises sending an approval request to the first participant and the second participant that requests approval to merge the first voice call and the second voice call, receiving a first approval authorization from the first participant and a second approval authorization from the second participant, and wherein the first voice call and the second voice call are merged after receipt of the first approval authorization and the second approval authorization.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the approval request identifies the third participant and the fourth participant.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the approval request identifies the second topic.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises obtaining at least one filter criterion associated with the first participant, and merging the first voice call and the second voice call based at least in part on the at least one filter criterion.