Method and system for coordinating and initiating cross-platform telephone conferences

• US 6,275,575 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Right4me.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Right4me.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, Philip L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/481,341
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/203.01, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/93.21, 370/260, 455/415, 455/416, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2088 Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability
• 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 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• 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 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A method and system for remotely accessing a multi-point cross-platform telephone conferencing system for the purpose of coordinating and initiating multi-point telephone conference meetings utilizing intelligent agents and network based software application modules (i.e., contact lists, email, calendars, etc.) to facilitate the setup and initiation of telephone conference calls from locations remote to the cross-platform teleconferencing system. A coordinator, with the assistance of software agents resident on a coordinating server device and menu screens resident on the networked terminal device selects subscribers for inclusion in the telephone conference (with or without information modification), inputs attribute data and contact information for non-subscribers to be included in the telephone conference and inputs descriptive information including an identifier, proposed times and duration for the proposed telephone conference. The software agents analyze the conference information, the subscriber and non-subscriber attribute data (which may include information relating to the various terminal devices associated with particular subscribers/non-subscribers) and the available schedule information and generates/forwards appropriately formatted invitations to those invited. Subscriber/non-subscriber responses to the invitations are forwarded to the coordinating server device and the coordinating server.

Claims

1. In a multi-point telephone conferencing system including storage areas for storing contact information and schedule information for a plurality of participants, a multi-point telephone conference server and access to wireless and wired communication networks, a method for setting up a multi-point telephone conference between a plurality of participants, the method comprising:

receiving scheduling information for a multi-point telephone conference including identification information for a plurality of selected participants and timing information from a coordination terminal device;

matching the received identification information for the plurality of selected participants with the contact information and schedule information storage areas for the selected plurality of participants;

retrieving contact information corresponding to the timing information received for the multi-point telephone conference from the selected participant contact information and schedule information storage areas;

generating and storing a control script for the multi-point telephone conference server; and

forwarding the stored control script to the multi-point telephone conference server.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the coordination terminal device is selected from a group consisting of a wireless communication device, a personal computing device and a POTS-type telephone device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising;

generating invitations containing information relating to the multi-point telephone conference for the plurality of selected participants;

retrieving contact information for forwarding the generated invitations, where the contact information is retrieved from the contact information and schedule information storage areas for the selected plurality of participants; and

forwarding the generated invitations to the plurality of selected participants.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the generated invitations are markup language files.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the markup language files are selected from a group consisting of Wireless Markup Language (WML), Handheld Device markup Language (HDML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Compact Hypertext Markup Language (cHTML).

6. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising;

receiving responses to the invitations forwarded to the plurality of selected participants; and

forwarding the received responses to the invitations to the coordination terminal device.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the responses to the invitations forwarded to the coordination terminal device are markup language files.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the markup language files are selected from a group consisting of Wireless Markup Language (WML), Handheld Device markup Language (HDML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Compact Hypertext Markup Language (cHTML).

9. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising;

receiving responses to the invitations forwarded to the plurality of selected participants; and

forwarding the received responses to the invitations to a pre-designated terminal device associated with the coordination terminal device.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the responses to the invitations forwarded to the coordination terminal device are markup language files.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the markup language files are selected from a group consisting of Wireless Markup Language (WML), Handheld Device markup Language (HDML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Compact Hypertext Markup Language (cHTML).

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the retrieving contact information corresponding to the timing information received for the multi-point telephone conference from the selected participant contact information and schedule information storage areas is accomplished using Lightweight Device Access Protocol (LDAP).

13. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the retrieving contact information for forwarding the generated invitations, where the contact information is retrieved from the contact information and schedule information storage areas for the selected plurality of participants areas is accomplished using Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

14. A server system providing a coordinator with remote access to a multi-point telephone conferencing system including storage areas for storing contact information and schedule information for a plurality of participants, a multi-point telephone conference server and access to wireless and wired communication networks, the system comprising:

a storage means for storing scheduling information for a multi-point telephone conference including identification information for a plurality of selected participants and timing information received from the coordinator;

a memory means for storing a set of program instructions for matching the identification information for the plurality of selected participants with information contained in contact information and schedule information storage areas for the plurality of selected participants;

a processing means connected to the memory means and the storage means and responsive to input received from the coordinator through a communications network, whereby the scheduling information and timing information is used to retrieve time sensitive contact information stored in the contact information and schedule information storage areas for the plurality of selected participants which is then used to generate a script which may be used to control the activities of the multi-point telephone conference server.

15. A server system as recited in claim 14, wherein the communications network is a TCP/IP communications network.

16. A server system as recited in claim 14, wherein the communications network is a wireless communications network.

17. A server system as recited in claim 16, wherein the wireless network is selected from a group consisting of cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, Personal Handy Phone System (PHS) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network.

18. A server system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

program code for generating invitations containing information relating to the multi-point telephone conference for the plurality of selected participants;

program code for retrieving contact information for forwarding the generated invitations, where the contact information is retrieved from the contact information and schedule information storage areas for the selected plurality of participants; and

program code for forwarding the generated invitations to the plurality of selected participants.

19. A server system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

program code for receiving responses to the invitations forwarded to the plurality of selected participants; and

program code for forwarding the received responses to the invitations to the coordination terminal device.

20. A server system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

program code for implementing a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) software module.

21. A server system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

program code for receiving a remote initiation command from a terminal device associated with the coordinator.

22. A computer readable medium on which is encoded computer program code for providing a coordinator with remote access to a multi-point telephone conferencing system including storage areas for storing contact information and schedule information for a plurality of participants, a multi-point telephone conference server and access to wireless and wired communication networks, the system comprising:

computer program code for receiving scheduling information for a multi-point telephone conference including identification information for a plurality of selected participants and timing information from a coordination terminal device;

computer program code for matching the received identification information for the plurality of selected participants with the contact information and schedule information storage areas for the selected plurality of participants;

computer program code for retrieving contact information corresponding to the timing information received for the multi-point telephone conference from the selected participant contact information and schedule information storage areas;

computer program code for generating and storing a control script for the multi-point telephone conference server; and

computer program code for forwarding the stored control script to the multi-point telephone conference server.

23. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

computer program code for generating invitations containing information relating to the multi-point telephone conference for the plurality of selected participants;

computer program code for retrieving contact information for forwarding the generated invitations, where the contact information is retrieved from the contact information and schedule information storage areas for the selected plurality of participants; and

computer program code for forwarding the generated invitations to the plurality of selected participants.

24. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

computer program code for receiving responses to the invitations forwarded to the plurality of selected participants; and

computer program code for forwarding the received responses to the invitations to the coordination terminal device.