Associating data connections with conference call telephone

• US 6,665,392 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Visible Connections, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spiderphone.com Inc.
• Inventors: Torkelson, Cary T., Goikhman, Arthur A., Dacek, Stephen T., Wellner, Pierre D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/610,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 370/260, 370/261, 370/262, 379/202.01, 379/203.01, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/206.01, 379/900, 379/903, 709/204
• US Class Current: 379/204.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• 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 2203/5027 Dropping a party from a 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: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/903 Password

Abstract

A method operationally associates a participant'"'"'s telephone connection to a conference call system with a data connection via the Internet world wide web from the participant'"'"'s computer screen to the conference call system. The conference call system establishes voice connections between itself and multiple conference call participants. The method comprises the steps of (1) generating a unique temporary code when a data connection is established between the participant and the conference call system, (2) displaying the code over the data connection to the participant on that participant'"'"'s computer screen, and (3) instructing the participant to enter the code over his telephone connection to the conference call system. Four respectively different scenarios based upon the same underlying method include web then dial-in, dial-in then web, dial-out then web, and web then dial-out.

Claims

1. A method of operationally associating a participant'"'"'s telephone connection to a conference call system with a data connection from said participant'"'"'s computer screen to said conference call system, said conference call system establishing voice connections between itself and multiple conference call participants, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a unique temporary code when a data connection is established between said participant and said conference call system;

displaying said code over said data connection to said participant on that participant'"'"'s computer screen; and

instructing said participant to enter said code over his telephone connection to the conference call system.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said temporary code is a PIN (personal identification number) code unique within an individual conference call.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said temporary code is a match code unique across all active conferences and valid only for a limited period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 in which said temporary code is a language password or phrase which may be spoken into said participant'"'"'s telephone and recognized by said system using speech recognition technology.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the operational association between said participant'"'"'s telephone and data connections is accomplished by the steps of:

establishing a data connection between said participant'"'"'s computer screen and the conference system;

receiving a conference access code from said participant for a specific conference call;

generating a PIN (personal identification number) code unique to the specific conference;

sending said PIN code over said participant'"'"'s data connection to said participant'"'"'s computer;

displaying dialing instructions on said participant'"'"'s computer screen explaining to said participant how to enter the conference;

dialing into the conference call according to said displayed dialing instructions;

establishing operational association between said first participant'"'"'s data and telephone connections; and

displaying a conference control web page specific to said participant and said participant'"'"'s telephone connection.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the operational association between said participant'"'"'s telephone and data connections is accomplished by the steps of:

dialing said participant'"'"'s telephone into the conference call using a designated telephone number and conference access code, said system allowing said participant'"'"'s telephone line into the conference call with no operationally associated data connection;

if no personal identification number (PIN) is entered, said system informing said participant with a voice prompt that he can use his computer to see more detailed information about the conference;

said system allowing said participant from the conference web site to click on a specific button in order to view the conference call;

after said participant clicks on a view button, said system generating a temporary match code unique across all conferences for a limited period of time and displaying instructions to said participant on how to use this match code; and

after said participant enters said match code on his telephone line within said limited period of time, then making an operational association between said participant'"'"'s data connection and said participant'"'"'s telephone connection and displaying a conference control web page.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the operational association between said participant'"'"'s telephone and data connections is accomplished by the steps of:

entering a telephone number into the system and commanding the conference call system to dial out to said participant'"'"'s telephone;

instructing said participant from the conference web site to click on a specific button in order to view the conference call;

generating a temporary match code unique across all conferences for a limited period of time and displaying instructions over said participant'"'"'s data connection on how to use said match code; and

after said participant enters said match code on his telephone line in time, then making an operational association between said participant'"'"'s data connection and said participant'"'"'s telephone connection and displaying a conference control web page.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the operational association between said participant'"'"'s telephone and data connections is accomplished by the steps of:

establishing a data connection between said participant'"'"'s computer and said conference call system;

entering a conference access code to authenticate said participant with the system and identify which conference call said participant is attempting to join;

entering said participant'"'"'s own telephone number and commanding the conference call to dial out to his telephone;

after said participant answers his telephone and confirms that he wishes to enter the conference, operationally associating said participant'"'"'s data connection with the telephone connection said participant initiated; and

showing said participant his conference control web page.

9. The method of claim 8 in which upon entering said participant'"'"'s telephone number, if the conference is not yet scheduled to begin, commanding the conference call to dial out to said participant'"'"'s telephone after at least one other participant has joined the conference.