Conferencing with a calling party

• US 6,269,159 B1
• Filed: 04/15/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johanson, James A., Cannon, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/060,373
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/93.04, 379/202, 379/203, 379/204, 379/205, 379/206, 379/215, 379/218, 379/142, 379/35
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party-service or three-way-call computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• 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: H04Q 1/45 using multi-frequency signalling H04Q1/46 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus to provide three way conferencing which allows a third party caller to call into an existing telephone call at a single line of a called party'"'"'s telephone. In one embodiment, the called party may accept the conferencing of the third party caller based on a review of received call related information, e.g., Caller ID information. The acceptance may be by flashes of the telephone line and/or by entry of a predetermined DTMF code. The telephone apparatus and/or the central office may maintain a directory of accepted third party callers which are allowed to automatically enter an existing telephone call at a called party, unless refused by the called party within a predetermined amount of time. Each entry in the directory of accepted third party callers contains a portion or all of call related information such as a telephone number and/or a household name.

Claims

1. A telephone conferencing control apparatus comprising:

a Caller ID receiver;

a memory in customer premises equipment adapted to receive at least one entry relating to call related information regarding a third party caller allowed to enter an existing voice telephone call; and

a processor in said customer premises equipment to compare Caller ID information received by said Caller ID receiver to said at least one entry in said memory, and to allow a third party caller regarding said Caller ID information to enter said existing voice telephone call if a match is determined by said comparison, without requiring intervention by a party to said existing voice telephone call.

2. The telephone conferencing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said call related information includes a telephone number.

3. The telephone conferencing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said call related information includes a household name.

4. A method of conferencing a third party caller into an existing voice telephone call between a first party and a second party, said method comprising:

providing Caller ID information of a telephone call from a third party caller to the first party;

storing in customer premises equipment at least one entry relating to call related information regarding a third party caller allowed to enter an existing voice telephone call;

comparing in said customer premises equipment Caller ID information regarding said third party caller to said at least one entry in said memory; and

adding said third party caller to said existing voice telephone call without requiring intervention by said first party if said Caller ID information regarding said third party caller matches said at least one entry in said memory.

5. The method of conferencing a third party caller into an existing voice telephone call according to claim 4, wherein:

said Caller ID information includes at least a portion of a telephone number.

6. The method of conferencing a third party caller into an existing voice telephone call according to claim 4, wherein:

said Caller ID information includes at least a portion of a household name.

7. Apparatus for conferencing a third party caller into an existing voice telephone call, comprising:

means for providing Caller ID information of a telephone call from a third party caller to a called first party already engaged in an existing voice telephone call with a second party;

means in customer premises equipment for storing at least one entry relating to call related information regarding a third party caller allowed to enter an existing voice telephone call;

means in said customer premises equipment for comparing Caller ID information regarding said third party caller to said at least one entry in said memory; and

means in said customer premises equipment for adding said third party caller to said existing voice telephone call at said first party without requiring intervention by said first party if said Caller ID information regarding said third party caller matches said at least one entry in said memory.

8. The apparatus for conferencing a third party caller into an existing voice telephone call according to claim 7, wherein:

said Caller ID information includes at least a portion of a telephone number.

9. The apparatus for conferencing a third party caller into an existing voice telephone call according to claim 7, wherein:

said Caller ID information includes at least a portion of a household name.