Subscription and paired authorization code based access to a meet-me conferencing service
First Claim
1. In a telecommunications network including a plurality of switching systems, one or more of which having one or more conference bridges, a method of accessing a conferencing service to effect a conference, comprising the steps of:
- maintaining subscription information including predetermined primary authorization codes associated with respective subscribers;
receiving, from a first call, an input subscriber identification;
providing, responsive to correlating the input subscriber identification to a particular subscriber identified from the maintained subscription information, a secondary authorization code to the first call;
maintaining an association pairing the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber with the secondary authorization code;
receiving, from a second call, an input primary code;
selecting an available bridge from the one or more bridges;
maintaining, responsive to correlating the input primary code to the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, an association between the selected bridge and the particular subscriber;
connecting the second call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the second call initiates a conference;
receiving, from a third call, an input secondary code; and
connecting, responsive to correlating the input secondary code to the secondary authorization code paired with the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, the third call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the third call joins the initiated conference.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention manifests a secure, on-demand meet-me conferencing service embodied within a telephone network having an advanced intelligent network (AIN) infrastructure. Centralized control of conferencing bridges located in network switches is effected at a service control point (SCP) in the AIN telephone network. Users of the service first subscribe to it, and are assigned a primary authorization code, a code assignment directory number (DN) and a conference DN at that time. Before a conference, a subscriber calls the code assignment DN, provides the primary authorization code, and receives a secondary authorization code for distribution to persons who will be participants of the conference call. At the time of the conference, the subscriber dials the conference DN and provides the primary authorization code to the conferencing service to initiate the conference call. The participants then dial the conference DN and use the secondary authorization code to access the conference.
128 Citations
32 Claims
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1. In a telecommunications network including a plurality of switching systems, one or more of which having one or more conference bridges, a method of accessing a conferencing service to effect a conference, comprising the steps of:
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maintaining subscription information including predetermined primary authorization codes associated with respective subscribers; receiving, from a first call, an input subscriber identification; providing, responsive to correlating the input subscriber identification to a particular subscriber identified from the maintained subscription information, a secondary authorization code to the first call; maintaining an association pairing the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber with the secondary authorization code; receiving, from a second call, an input primary code; selecting an available bridge from the one or more bridges; maintaining, responsive to correlating the input primary code to the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, an association between the selected bridge and the particular subscriber; connecting the second call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the second call initiates a conference; receiving, from a third call, an input secondary code; and connecting, responsive to correlating the input secondary code to the secondary authorization code paired with the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, the third call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the third call joins the initiated conference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a telecommunications network including a plurality of switching systems, one or more of which having one or more conference bridges, a system for effecting a conferencing service, comprising:
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means for maintaining subscription information including predetermined primary authorization codes associated with respective subscribers; means for receiving, from a first call, an input subscriber identification; means for providing, responsive to correlating the input subscriber identification to a particular subscriber identified from the maintained subscription information, a secondary authorization code to the first call; means for maintaining an association pairing the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber with the secondary authorization code; means for receiving, from a second call, an input primary code; means for selecting an available bridge from the one or more bridges; means for maintaining, responsive to correlating the input primary code to the primary authorization of the particular subscriber, an association between the selected bridge and the particular subscriber; means for connecting the second call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the second call initiates a conference; means for receiving, from a third call, an input secondary code; and means for connecting, responsive to correlating the input secondary code to the secondary authorization code paired with the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, the third call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the third call joins the initiated conference. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification