Method and apparatus of call conferencing in a telephone exchange system

• US 6,035,026 A
• Filed: 06/25/1998
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Ji-Sook
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/104,113
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 379/157, 379/158, 379/160, 379/202, 379/204, 379/205
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• 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 method and apparatus for call conferencing between multiline subscribers in a telephone exchange system, the multiline subscribers having at least one phone number jointly and at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number. A common key of a corresponding joint phone number is pressed to set up a conference call while a multiline subscriber is communicating with or making a conference call to a subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for call conferencing a plurality of multiline subscribers in a telephone exchange system, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one phone number jointly for a plurality of multiline subscribers and at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number;

pressing at least one common key corresponding to a joint phone number to set up a conference call by one multiline subscriber of said plurality of multiline subscribers while another multiline subscriber of said plurality of multiline subscribers is presently communicating with a first subscriber or in the process of making a conference call to the first subscriber;

verifying a service class of the another multiline subscriber and the first subscriber to approve a conference group among the another multiline subscriber, the first subscriber, and the one multiline subscriber;

call conferencing the conference group if approved in the verifying step; and

ignoring a conference call for the conference group if in the verifying step the conference group is not approved.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprised of the conference call for the conference group being ignored when at least one of the another multiline subscriber and the first subscriber is registered for a privacy class.

3. A method for call conferencing in a telephone exchange system, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one phone number jointly for a plurality of multiline subscribers and at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number;

pressing a common key of a first multiline phone number by a second multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers after the second multiline subscriber places a line for a second multiline phone number on hook or places a second subscriber on hold, while a first multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers is presently communicating with a first subscriber or in the process of making a conference call to the first subscriber through the first multiline phone number, the second multiline subscriber presently communicating with the second subscriber through the second multiline phone number in the telephone exchange system;

releasing the line for the second multiline phone number between the second multiline subscriber and the second subscriber; and

forming a conference group among the first multline subscriber, the first subscriber, and the second multiline subscriber.

4. A method for call conferencing in a telephone exchange system, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one phone number jointly for a plurality of multiline subscribers and at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number;

pressing a common key of a first multiline phone number by a second multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers after the second multiline subscriber places a line for a second multiline phone number on hook or places a second subscriber on hold, while a first multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers is presently communicating with a first subscriber or in the process of making a conference call to the first subscriber through the first multiline phone number, the second multiline subscriber presently communicating with the second subscriber through the second multiline phone number in the telephone exchange system; and

forming a conference group among the first multiline subscriber, the first subscriber, and the second multiline subscriber.

5. A method for call conferencing in a telephone exchange system, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one phone number jointly for a plurality of multiline subscribers and at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number;

pressing a common key of a second multiline phone number for a second multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers by a first multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers after the first multiline subscriber makes a hook flash and, alternatively, making a hook flash by a first subscriber, the first multiline subscriber and the first subscriber presently communicating with each other through a first multiline phone number in the telephone change system;

forming a conference group between the second multiline subscriber and one of the first multiline subscriber and the first subscriber; and

ignoring a third multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers pressing a common key of the first multiline phone number, thereby maintaining the conference group formed in the forming step.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprised of a holding tone being additionally sent to the hook-flashed one of the first multiline subscriber and the first subscriber.

7. A method for call conferencing in a telephone exchange system, comprising the steps of:

providing a primary phone number for a first multiline subscriber of a plurality of multiline subscribers in the telephone exchange system;

providing a primary phone number for a second multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers and a primary phone number for a third multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers in the telephone exchange system, the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber jointly holding the primary phone number of the first multiline subscriber as a secondary phone number;

placing off hook a handset of the first multiline subscriber to make a request for a conference, while the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber are presently communicating with each other through the primary phone number of the first multiline subscriber in the telephone exchange system;

verifying a service class of the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber to form a conference group among the first multiline subscriber, the second multiline subscriber, and the third multiline subscriber;

forming the conference group if the verifying step indicates an approval for formation of the conference group; and

ignoring the request for forming the conference group if the verifying step indicates formation of the conference group is not approved.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprised of communication between the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber being maintained if at least one of the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber is registered for a privacy class, and, if not, the conference group being formed in the forming step among the first multiline subscriber, the second multiline subscriber, and the third multiline subscriber.

9. A telephone exchange system, comprising:

a telephone exchange system having a controller for implementing call conferencing in the telephone exchange system, the telephone exchange system providing at least one phone number jointly for a plurality of multiline subscribers; and

a plurality of telephones for the telephone exchange system, at least one of the plurality of telephones having at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number; and

when at least one common key of a corresponding joint phone number to set up a conference call is pressed by one multiline subscriber of said plurality of multiline subscribers while another multiline subscriber of said plurality of multiline subscribers is presently communicating with a first subscriber or in the process of making a conference call to the first subscriber, the controller for the telephone exchange system;

verifying a service class of the another multiline subscriber and the first subscriber to approve a conference group among the another multiline subscriber, the fist subscriber, and the one multiline subscriber,

call conferencing the conference group if the conference group is approved through the verifying of the service class, and

ignoring a conference call for the conference group if the conference group is not approved through the verifying of the service class.

10. The telephone exchange system of claim 9, further comprised of the conference call for the conference group being ignored by the controller when at least one of the another multiline subscriber and the first subscriber is registered for a privacy class.

11. A telephone exchange system, comprising:

a telephone exchange system having a controller for implementing call conferencing in the telephone exchange system, the telephone exchange system providing at least one phone number jointly for a plurality of multiline subscribers; and

a plurality of telephones for the telephone exchange system, at least one of the plurality of telephones having at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number; and

when a common key of a first multiline phone number is pressed by a second multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers after the second multiline subscriber places a line for a second multiline phone number on hook or places a second subscriber on hold, while a first multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers is presently communicating with a first subscriber or in the process of making a conference call to the first subscriber through the first multiline phone number, the second multiline subscriber presently communicating with the second subscriber through the second multiline phone number in the telephone exchange system, the controller for the telephone exchange system;

releasing the line for the second multiline phone number between the second multiline subscriber and the second subscriber, and

forming a conference group among the first multiline subscriber, the first subscriber, and the second multiline subscriber.

12. A telephone exchange system, comprising:

a telephone exchange system having a controller for implementing call conferencing in the telephone exchange system, the telephone exchange system providing at least one phone number jointly for a plurality of multiline subscribers; and

a plurality of telephones for the telephone exchange system, at least one of the plurality of telephones having at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number; and

when a common key of a first multiline phone number is pressed by a second multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers after the second multiline subscriber places a line for a second multiline phone number on hook or places a second subscriber on hold, while a first multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers is presently communicating with a first subscriber or in the process of making a conference call to the first subscriber through the first multiline phone number, the second multiline subscriber presently communicating with the second subscriber through the second multiline phone number in the telephone exchange system, the controller for the telephone exchange system forming a conference group among the first multiline subscriber, the first subscriber, and the second multiline subscriber.

13. A telephone exchange system, comprising:

a telephone exchange system having a controller for implementing call conferencing in the telephone exchange system, the telephone exchange system providing at least one phone number jointly for a plurality of multiline subscribers; and

a plurality of telephones for the telephone exchange system, at least one of the plurality of telephones having at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number; and

when a common key of a second multiline phone number for a second multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers is pressed by a first multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers after the first multiline subscriber makes a hook flash and, alternatively, when a hook flash is made by a first subscriber, the first multiline subscriber and the first subscriber presently communicating with each other through a first multiline phone number in the telephone exchange system, the controller for the telephone exchange system;

forming a conference group between the second multiline subscriber and one of the first multiline subscriber and the first subscriber, and

ignoring a third multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers when a common key of the first multiline phone number is pressed by the third multiline subscriber, thereby maintaining the conference group.

14. The telephone exchange system of claim 13, further comprised of a holding tone being additionally sent by the controller to the hook-flashed one of the first multiline subscriber and the first subscriber.

15. A telephone exchange system, comprising:

a telephone exchange system having a controller for implementing call conferencing in the telephone exchange system, the telephone exchange system providing a primary phone number for a first multiline subscriber of a plurality of multiline subscribers in the telephone exchange system, and the telephone exchange system providing a primary phone number for a second multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers and a primary phone number for a third multiline subscriber of the plurality of multiline subscribers in the telephone exchange system, the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber jointly holding the primary phone number of the first multiline subscriber as a secondary phone number in the telephone exchange system; and

a plurality of telephones for the telephone exchange system; and

when a handset of a telephone of the first multiline subscriber of the plurality of telephones is placed off hook to make a request for a conference, while the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber are presently communicating with each other on respective telephones of the plurality of telephones through the primary phone number of the first multiline subscriber in the telephone exchange system, the controller for the telephone exchange system;

verifying a service class of the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber to form a conference group among the first multiline subscriber, the second multiline subscriber, and the third multiline subscriber,

forming the conference group if formation of the conference group is approved through the verifying of the service class, and

ignoring the request for forming the conference group if formation of the conference group is not approved through the verifying of the service class.

16. The telephone exchange system of claim 15, further comprised of the controller maintaining communication between the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber if at least one of the second multiline subscriber and the third multiline subscriber is registered for a privacy class, and, if not, the controller forming the conference group amoung the first multiline subscriber, the second multiline subscriber, and the third multiline subscriber.