Merging of calls

• US 6,304,652 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wallenius, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/101,505
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 379/230, 379/231, 379/232, 379/234, 379/235, 379/236, 379/202, 379/203, 379/204, 379/205, 379/206, 379/207
• US Class Current: 379/230
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0037 involving call modelling techniques, e.g. modifications to the basic call state model [BCSM]

Abstract

Conference call set-up is conventionally controlled with special keys # and * of a telephone set. Today these functions are performed by means of intelligent network technology. A problem with standard CS-1 and CS-2 intelligent network architectures is that they do not allow merging of call segments initiated by a Service Control Point (SCP). According to the invention: in response to the messages from the service control function (SCF), the service switching point (SSP) creates a separate call segment for each B subscriber; in response to the creation of a call segment (CS1-CS3), the service switching point (SSP) sends a message about this to the service control function (SCF); in response to a message confirming the creation of at least two call segments (CS1-CS3), the service control function (SCF) orders the service switching point (SSP) to merge the call segments created.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a conference call with a plurality of called subscribers in a telecommunications network including a service control point (SCP) and a service switching point (SSP), the method comprising:

in response to messages from the service control point (SCP), the service switching point (SSP) creates a separate call segment to each of the plurality of called subscribers of said conference call;

in response to the creation of said call segment, the service switching point (SSP) sends a message relating to the creation of said call segment to the service control point (SCP); and

in response to a message confirming the creation of at least two call segments, the service control point (SCP) orders the service switching point (SSP) to merge the call segments created for each said called subscriber of said conference call.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service control point orders the service switching point (SSP) to merge the call segments when the service switching point has received a message indicating creation of call segments for each called subscriber of said conference call.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service switching point (SSP) produces an audio announcement to the called subscribers before merging call segments.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call segments are merged two at a time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein all the call segments are merged by the same operation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said call segments may comprise actual connections to real subscribers and surrogate legs, said merging of at least two of the call segments comprising transferring the actual connections from a source call segment to a target call segment and deleting the surrogate legs of the source call segment, leaving a single surrogate leg in the target call segment.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message from the service control point (SCP) to the service switching point (SSP) for merging said call segments is a MergeCallSegments message.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message from the service control point (SCP) to the service switching point (SSP) for merging call segments is a MergeCallSegments message.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

14. A method according to claim 2, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

16. A method according to claim 3, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

18. A method according to claim 4, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

20. A method according to claim 5, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

22. A method according to claim 6, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

24. A method according to claim 7, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

26. A method according to claim 8, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

9. An arrangement for merging call segments of several receiving subscribers of a conference call initiated in a telecommunication network comprising a service control point (SCP) and a service switching point (SSP), the arrangement comprising:

the service switching point (SSP) is arranged to create a separate call segment for each of the receiving subscribers, in response to messages from the service control point (SCP);

the service switching point (SSP) is arranged to send a message to the service control point (SCP) in response to the creation of a call segment; and

the service control point (SCP) is arranged to command the service switching point (SSP) to merge the call segments created in response to a message informing of the creation of at least two call segments.

28. A method according to claim 9, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

10. A method of merging call segments to set-up a conference call between an originating subscriber and a plurality of receiving subscribers, the method comprising:

creating a separate call segment by a service switching point in a telecommunications network for each of the receiving subscribers, the creating being in response to a message sent to the service switching point from a service control point;

transmitting a plurality of messages from the service switching point to the service control point in the telecommunications network, each of the plurality of messages (i) corresponding to one of the subscribers and (ii) indicating successful creation of the call segment; and

ordering the service switching point to merge the call segments created when the message from the service switching point indicates at least two call segments have been created.

11. The method of claim 10, further including producing an audio announcement, from the service switching point, to the receiving subscribers before merging call segments.

30. A method according to claim 10, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.

32. A method according to claim 11, further comprising collecting all information necessary for establishing said conference call at said SCP before creating any of said call segments.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein at a point in time during collection of said information, the SCP spontaneously begins to establish said conference call.