System and method for call conferencing

• US 5,546,449 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Global Crossing Telecommunications Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Crossing Advanced Card Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Keith E., Hogan, Steven J., Murdock, Douglas R., Feltz, Kristi T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/487,978
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/202, 379/203, 379/204, 379/205, 379/206, 379/207, 379/210, 379/88, 379/89, 379/156, 379/157, 379/158, 379/67, 379/205, 370/62, 348/14, 348/15, 348/16
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• 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 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects

Abstract

A call conferencing system and method includes a conference call controller and a conference bridge. The conference bridge includes a plurality of conference ports, to which conference participant audio is connected. Connection of conference ports in the bridge, bridges together the audio of the participants, thus forming the conference. The call conferencing system receives the initial scheduling request for the conference call, checks resource availability for the scheduled conference date and time, and reserves the required resources for the conference if they are available. To create the conference, conference call controller causes an operator console to be tied to a conference port on the bridge. Conference call controller originates a call to a conference participant via a conference port and ties the participant to the console via the bridge. The console informs the participant of the conference and the conference call controller connects the participant to the conference.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a conference call among a plurality of conference participants, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request from a user to set up a conference call;

(b) allocating resources in a conference bridge to said conference call based on said request;

(c) initiating said conference call on said conference bridge, wherein said step of initiating comprises the steps of;

(1) originating a call to a prospective conference participant, wherein an operator console is connected to a first port on said conference bridge and said prospective conference participant is connected to a second port on said conference bridge, said first and second ports being connected; and

(2) connecting said prospective conference participant to said conference call on said conference bridge if said prospective conference participant informs an operator at said operator console that said prospective conference participant desires to participate in said conference call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises the steps of:

i. receiving schedule information regarding a scheduled time and the number of participants for the conference call;

ii. examining resource availability at said scheduled time to determine whether resources required to support the conference call at the scheduled time are available; and

iii. reserving said required resources for the conference call.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step (b) further comprises the steps of:

iv. receiving participant information for the conference call; and

v. storing said participant information in a participant database.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising a step (d) of connecting an operator console to the conference call to provide operator assistance in response to a request by a conference participant.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step (d) comprises the steps of:

i. receiving a request for operator assistance from a conference participant;

ii. connecting an operator console to an available port on said bridge; and

iii. connecting said available port to the conference call.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of adding an additional conference participant, wherein said step of adding an additional conference participant comprises the steps of:

i. capturing call setup information for the additional participant;

ii. originating a call to the additional participant and connecting the additional participant to an available port on said bridge; and

iii. connecting said available port to the conference call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises the steps of:

an operator console querying said user for schedule information regarding a scheduled time;

said operator console sending said schedule information to a conference call controller;

said conference call controller determining which resources are required to support the conference call and querying an allocation database to determine whether said required resources are available at said scheduled time; and

updating said allocation database to indicate that said required resources are reserved for the conference call.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of querying further comprises the step of providing scripted text to said operator console.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of storing conference information in a conference database, wherein said conference information comprises said scheduled time and said required resources.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of deleting said conference information from said conference database when the conference call is completed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c)(1) comprises the steps of:

allocating an operator console to the conference call and connecting said operator console to a first port on a bridge;

ii. originating a call to a conference participant and connecting call audio of said conference participant to a second port on said bridge;

iii. connecting said first and second ports; and

iv. informing said conference participant that said conference participant will be joining the conference call.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step (c)(2) comprises the steps of:

v. said operator console informing a conference call controller that said conference participant is joining the conference call; and

vi. said conference call controller instructing said bridge to connect said second port to ports of participants in the conference call.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said step (c)(1) further comprises the steps of:

v. retrieving participant information from a participant database for the conference call; and

vi. allocating ports on said bridge as conference ports.

14. A system for connecting a plurality of prospective participants in a conference call, comprising:

a bridge having a plurality of ports; and

a conference call controller coupled to said bridge, said conference call controller comprising;

means for allocating resources of said bridge to the conference call;

means for originating a call to a prospective conference participant, wherein an operator console is connected to a first port on said bridge and said prospective conference participant is connected to a second port on said bridge, said first and second ports being connected; and

means for connecting said prospective conference participant to an existing conference call on said bridge, if said prospective conference participant informs an operator at said operator console that said prospective conference participant desires to participate in said conference call.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said bridge further comprises a digital signal processor for recognizing and generating tone-based messages.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said means for allocating, comprises:

means for receiving schedule information regarding a scheduled time and the number of participants for the conference call;

means for determining which of said bridge resources are resources required to handle the conference call, said determination based on said schedule information;

means for examining availability of said bridge resources to determine whether said required bridge resources are available at the scheduled time; and

means for reserving said required resources for the conference call.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said conference call controller further comprises:

means for receiving participant information for the conference call; and

means for storing said participant information in a participant database.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said means for examining availability of said bridge resources further comprises means for querying an allocation database to determine whether said required resources are available at said scheduled time, and said means for reserving said required resources comprises means for updating said allocation database to indicate that said required resources are reserved for the conference call.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising an operator console coupled to said conference call controller, wherein said operator console comprises:

means for querying said user for said schedule information; and

means for forwarding said schedule information to said conference call controller.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein means for querying further comprises means for querying said user using scripted text.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said conference call controller further comprises means for storing conference information in a conference database, wherein said conference information comprises said scheduled time and said required resources.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said conference call controller further comprises means for deleting said conference information from said conference database when the conference call is completed.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein said means for originating a call to each of said conference participants comprises:

means for allocating an operator console to the conference call and connecting said operator console to a first conference port;

means for originating a call to a conference participant and connecting call audio of said conference participant to a second conference port on said bridge; and

means for instructing said bridge to connect said first and second ports so that said operator console can inform said conference participant that the conference call is beginning.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said conference call controller further comprises:

means for retrieving participant information from a participant database for the conference call; and

means for allocating ports on said bridge as conference ports.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said conference call controller further comprises means for connecting an operator console to the conference call to provide operator assistance in response to a request by a conference participant.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said means for connecting an operator console comprises:

means for receiving a request for operator assistance from a conference participant;

means for connecting said operator console to an available port on said bridge; and

means for connecting said available port to the conference call.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said conference call controller further comprises means for adding a conference participant, wherein said means for adding a conference participant comprises:

means for capturing call setup information for the additional participant;

means for originating a call to the additional participant via an available port on said bridge; and

means for connecting said available port to the conference call.

28. A method for setting up a conference call among a plurality of conference participants, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request from a user to set up the conference call;

(b) allocating resources in a conference bridge to the conference call based on said request;

(c) initiating the conference call on said conference bridge by simultaneously originating a telephone call to each of a plurality of prospective conference participants, wherein each of said prospective conference participants is connected to a separate port on said conference bridge; and

(d) connecting said separate ports of said prospective conference participants that are willing to participate in the conference call.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said step (b) comprises the steps of:

i. receiving schedule information regarding a scheduled time and the number of participants for the conference call;

ii. examining resource availability at said scheduled time to determine whether resources required to support the conference call at the scheduled time are available; and

iii. reserving said required resources for the conference call.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said step (b) further comprises the steps of:

iv. receiving participant information for the conference call; and

v. storing said participant information in a participant database.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said step (b) comprises the steps of:

an operator console querying said user for said scheduling information;

said operator console sending said schedule information to a conference call controller;

said conference call controller determining which resources are required to support the conference call and querying an allocation database to determine whether said required resources are available at said scheduled time; and

updating said allocation database to indicate that said required resources are reserved for the conference call.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said step of querying further comprises the step of providing scripted text to said operator console.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said step (b) further comprises the step of storing conference information in a conference database, wherein said conference information comprises said scheduled time and said required resources.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of deleting said conference information from said conference database when the conference call is completed.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein said step (c) comprises the steps of:

allocating a plurality of operator consoles to the conference call and for each one of said plurality of operator consoles performing the following steps;

i. connecting an operator console to a first available port on a bridge;

ii. originating a call to a conference participant and connecting call audio of said conference participant to a second available port on said bridge;

iii. connecting said first and second available ports; and

iv. informing said conference participant that said conference participant will be joining the conference call.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said step (c) further comprises the steps of:

v. retrieving participant information from a participant database for the conference call; and

vi. allocating ports on said bridge as conference ports.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said step (d) comprises the step of connecting said second port to the conference call.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said step (d) comprises the steps of:

v. said operator console informing a conference call controller that said conference participant is joining the conference call; and

vi. said conference call controller instructing said bridge to connect said second port to ports of participants in the conference call.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising a step (e) of connecting an operator console to the conference call to provide operator assistance in response to a request by a conference participant.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said step (e) comprises the steps of:

i. receiving a request for operator assistance from a conference participant;

ii. connecting an operator console to an available port on said bridge; and

iii. connecting said available port to a conference port.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of adding an additional conference participant, wherein said step of adding an additional conference participant comprises the steps of:

i. capturing call setup information for the additional participant;

ii. originating a call to the additional participant and connecting the additional participant to a first port on said bridge; and

iii. connecting said first port to said participant ports.

42. A method for adding a conference participant to an existing conference call on a conference bridge, comprising the steps of:

(a) originating a call to a prospective conference participant, wherein an operator console is connected to a first port on said conference bridge and said prospective conference participant is connected to a second port on said conference bridge, said first and second ports being connected; and

(b) connecting said prospective conference participant to an existing conference call on said bridge, if said prospective conference participant informs an operator at said operator console that said prospective conference participant desires to participate in said conference call.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said step (a) comprises the steps of:

i. allocating an operator console to the conference call and connecting said operator console to a first port on a bridge;

ii. originating a call to a conference participant and connecting call audio of said conference participant to a second port on said bridge;

iii. connecting said first and second ports; and

iv. informing said conference participant that said conference participant will be joining the conference call.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said step (b) comprises the steps of:

v. said operator console informing a conference call controller that said conference participant is joining the conference call; and

vi. said conference call controller instructing said bridge to connect said second port to said existing conference call.

45. A system for connecting a conference participant to an existing conference call, comprising:

a bridge having a plurality of ports, said bridge supporting the existing conference call; and

a conference call controller coupled to said bridge, said conference call controller comprising;

means for originating a call to a prospective conference participant, wherein an operator console is connected to a first port on said bridge and said prospective conference participant is connected to a second port on said bridge, said first and second ports being connected; and

means for connecting said prospective conference participant to the existing conference call on said bridge, if said prospective conference participant informs an operator at said operator console that said prospective conference participant desires to participate in said conference call.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein said means for originating a call a prospective conference participant comprises:

means for allocating an operator console to the conference call and connecting said operator console to a first conference port;

means for originating a call to a conference participant and connecting call audio of said conference participant to a second conference port on said bridge; and

means for instructing said bridge to connect said first and second ports so that said operator console can inform said conference participant that the conference call is beginning.