Call me conference call system

• US 6,754,322 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bushnell, William Jackson
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/386,729
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.11, 379/88.18, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/93.23, 379/202.01, 379/203.01, 379/206.01, 379/221.09, 379/265.09, 379/158, 379/205.01
• 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 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• 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 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• 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 “Call Me” conference call system includes a multiport conference unit (MCU) interconnected with the public switched telecommunications network (PSTN), a telecommunications switching system also interconnected with the PSTN, a service control point (SCP) or other intelligent network control component having at least a signaling connection to the switching system, a Call Me conference bridge reservation system interconnected with the SCP and the MCU, and suitable facilities interconnecting these components. When a conference reservation is made, information regarding the conference is distributed to the SCP and MCU. A “Called Party Busy” trigger is applied to the conference host'"'"'s line. To join the conference, the host and participants alike simply call the host'"'"'s telephone number. The switching system, finding the host'"'"'s line busy, queries the SCP, which instructs it to redirect the call to the MCU. The MCU associates the call with a reserved conference by matching the called number with a host'"'"'s telephone number in reservation records. This advantageously avoids the need for hosts to distribute, and participants to receive a special conference bridge telephone number or access code.

Claims

1. A multiple-party telephone conferencing system comprising:

conference bridge connected with a telecommunications network;

conference bridge reservation system that stores information defining a telephone conference call, said information including at least a host telephone number associated with a host of said conference call and a scheduled time for a telephone conference call, said host telephone number being the normal telephone directory number of the host;

switch that serves a host subscriber line having the host telephone number;

a services circuit point coupled to the switch;

called party busy trigger facility associated with the switch that launches a first query to said services control point for instructions regarding treatment to be applied to an incoming call made to the host telephone number when the host telephone is busy;

services circuit point generating a second query seeking said information stored in the conference bridge reservation system relating to the conference call associated with the host;

services circuit point determining if the incoming call to the host telephone number is being made during said scheduled time;

the services circuit point transmitting a message to the switch instructing the switch to redirect the incoming call for the host to said conference bridge upon the services circuit point determining that the incoming call to the host telephone number is being made during said scheduled time; and

said conference bridge being responsive to said redirected call from said host telephone number to join said redirected call to said conference call.

2. A method for establishing a multiple-party telephone conference call for a host supported by a switch comprising the steps of:

storing information defining a telephone conference call in a conference bridge reservation system, said information including at least a host telephone number associated with a host of said conference call and a scheduled time for a telephone conference call, said host telephone number being the normal telephone directory number of the host;

receiving at the switch an incoming call to the host telephone number;

determining that the host telephone line is busy;

using a called party busy trigger facility associated with the switch to launch a first query to a services control point for instructions regarding treatment to be applied to the incoming call to the busy host telephone number;

generating a second query from the services circuit point seeking said information stored in the conference bridge reservation system relating to the conference call associated with the host;

determining by the services circuit point if the incoming call to the host telephone number is being made during said scheduled time;

transmitting from the services circuit point a message to the switch instructing the switch to redirect the incoming call for the host to said conference bridge upon the services circuit point determining that the incoming call to the host telephone number is being made during said scheduled time;

redirecting, by the switch, the incoming call to the conference bridge; and

the conference bridge responding to said redirected call from said host telephone number and joining said redirected call to said conference call.