Methods and Systems for Providing Location Sensitive Conference Calling

• US 20140321334A1
• Filed: 07/05/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanson, Karrie, Karam, Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 9,473,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• 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 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing location based conference calling services on communications networks. Location information relating to a device is passed to a location sensitive conference calling system. The location sensitive conference calling system uses the location information to identify a conference calling system, or a conference bridge associated with a conference calling system, to which to connect the device. The device is connected with the conference calling system, or a conference bridge associated with the conference calling system.

Claims

1. A location-sensitive conference-data-session system, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by way of a peer-to-peer data session between a location-sensitive conference-data-session system and a mobile communication device, and directly from the mobile communication device, a communication comprising geographic-location information, indicating a geographic location of the mobile communication device, and user information comprising data identifying the mobile communication device;

identifying, using the geographic-location information received, a conference-data-session system component to which to connect the communication; and

initiating, using the geographic-location information and the user-information received, establishment of a second data session, to use voice over Internet protocol, between the mobile communication device and a conference-data-session system component identified.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise establishing the peer-to-peer data session between the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and a mobile communication device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a route database configured to store database information associating location data with multiple conference-data-session system components, including the conference-data-session system component, the route database being accessible by the processor; and

the operation of identifying the conference-data-session system component comprises identifying the conference-data-session system component, of the multiple conference-data-session system components, by querying the route database using the geographic-location information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor and the computer-readable storage medium are part of a location-based conference-data-session router.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the location-based conference-data-session router further comprises a network interface; and

the location-based conference-data-session router is associated with a device identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the conference-data-session system component comprises:

transmitting the geographic-location information to a route database in communication with the location-based conference-data-session router; and

receiving, by the location-based conference-data-session router, data identifying the conference-data-session system component.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating at least one query for the geographic-location information and the user information; and

transmitting the query, by way of the peer-to-peer data session, to the mobile communication device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations of receiving the communication including the geographic location of the mobile communication device comprises receiving, by way of the peer-to-peer data session, using voice over internet protocol, audio user input indicating the geographic location of the mobile communication device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation of receiving the communication including the geographic location of the mobile communication device comprises receiving global-positioning-service data generated by a global-positioning system associated with the mobile communication device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the operation of receiving the communication comprises receiving the geographic-location communication from the mobile communication device by way of the peer-to-peer data session without interposition of a data server; and

the operation of receiving the user information directly from the mobile communication device comprises receiving the user information from the mobile communication device by way of the peer-to-peer data session without interposition of such data server.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a location-sensitive conference-data-session system comprising and using a processor, by way of a peer-to-peer data session between a location-sensitive conference-data-session system and a mobile communication device, and directly from the mobile communication device, a communication comprising geographic-location information, indicating a geographic location of the mobile communication device, and user information comprising data identifying the mobile communication device;

identifying, by the system, using the geographic-location information received, a conference-data-session system component to which to connect the communication; and

initiating, by the system, using the geographic-location information and the user-information received, establishment of a second data session, to use voice over internet protocol, between the mobile communication device and a conference-data-session system component identified.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise establishing the peer-to-peer data session between the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and a mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the system further comprises a route database configured to store database information associating location data with multiple conference-data-session system components, including the conference-data-session system component, the route database being accessible by the processor; and

the operation of identifying the conference-data-session system component comprises identifying the conference-data-session system component, of the multiple conference-data-session system components, by querying the route database using the geographic-location information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the processor and the computer-readable storage medium are part of a location-based conference-data-session router;

the location-based conference-data-session router further comprises a network interface; and

the location-based conference-data-session router is associated with a device identifier.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the conference-data-session system component comprises:

transmitting the geographic-location information to a route database in communication with the location-based conference-data-session router; and

receiving, by the location-based conference-data-session router, data identifying the conference-data-session system component.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating at least one query for the geographic-location information and the user information; and

transmitting the query, by way of the peer-to-peer data session, to the mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the operations of receiving the communication including the geographic location of the mobile communication device comprises receiving, by way of the peer-to-peer data session, using voice over internet protocol, audio user input indicating the geographic location of the mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the operation of receiving the communication including the geographic location of the mobile communication device comprises receiving global-positioning-service data generated by a global-positioning system associated with the mobile communication device,

19. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the operation of receiving the communication comprises receiving the geographic-location communication from the mobile communication device by way of the peer-to-peer data session without interposition of a data server; and

the operation of receiving the user information directly from the mobile communication device comprises receiving the user information from the mobile communication device by way of the peer-to-peer data session without interposition of such data server.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, for use in a location-sensitive conference-data-session system, comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by way of a peer-to-peer data session between a location-sensitive conference-data-session system and a mobile communication device, and directly from the mobile communication device, a communication comprising geographic-location information, indicating a geographic location of the mobile communication device, and user information comprising data identifying the mobile communication device;

identifying, using the geographic-location information received, a conference-data-session system component to which to connect the communication; and

initiating, using the geographic-location information and the user-information received, establishment of a second data session, to use voice over Internet protocol, between the mobile communication device and a conference-data-session system component identified.