Conference call

• US 6,577,721 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Raiha, Keijo, Pelkonen, Sakari A, Pussinen, Arto, Vainio, Aimo
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/302,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/204.01, 379/207.01, 379/205.01, 455/433, 455/445, 455/456, 455/519, 455/560
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• 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 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A telephone for setting up a conference call, the telephone comprising a memory for storing data relating to a first and second user; control means for retrieving said data from the memory and originating a call to the first user the control means being responsive to a signal indicating that the first call has been established originates a call to the second user.

Claims

1. A telephone for setting up a conference call, the telephone comprising a memory for storing data relating to a first and second user;

control means for retrieving said data from the memory and originating a call to the first user, the control means being responsive to a signal indicating that the first call has been established to originate a call to the second user.

2. A telephone according to claim 1 wherein the control means requests that the call to the first user is placed on hold in response to a signal indicating that the first call has been established.

3. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein the control means requests that the call to the first user is joined with the call to the second user in response to a signal indicating that the second call has been established.

4. A telephone according to claim 1 further comprising a keypad wherein the request to place the call to the first user on hold is made in response to a key selection by a user.

5. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein the user data includes a user name and telephone number.

6. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein the stored data comprises a list of users linked to form a group.

9. The telephone of claim 1 wherein the signal indicating that the first call is established is received from a telecommunications network.

10. The telephone of claim 1 wherein the control means is adapted to retrieve the data from memory and originate a call to the first user in response to a command by an operator of the telephone, and wherein the control means automatically originates the call to the second user without further intervention by the operator.

11. The telephone of claim 1 wherein the telephone is adapted to establish the conference call between a plurality of users and wherein only an initial input command by an operator to retrieve the data from memory and establish a conference call is required.

15. The telephone of claim 1 wherein the memory for storing data is integrated into the telephone.

16. The telephone of claim 1 wherein the control means is integrated into the telephone and includes a conference call function adapted to be activated by the user to initiate the conference call.

7. A method of operating a telephone to set up a conference call, the method comprising using a control means to retrieve data from a memory for storing data in the telephone relating to a first and second user and establish a first call with the first user and then establish a second call with the second user in response to a signal received by the control means indicating that the first call has been established.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the first user is placed on hold in response to a signal indicating that the first call has been established.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of receiving a signal that the first call is established from a telecommunications network associated with the first user.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of an operator activating a conference call function of a telephone and selecting a group of conference call participants, wherein the conference call is established without further manual intervention by the operator.

14. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of establishing the conference call between a plurality of users and between one or more telecommunication networks, wherein an operator activates an initial conference call set up command and selects a conference call group including the plurality of users, and wherein the conference call is automatically established without further intervention by the operator.