Internet conference call bridge management system
First Claim
1. An ICCBM system operably coupled by means of the Internet to an internet appliance of a customer, and to a public switch telephone network, the ICCBM system comprising:
- (a) first output means for prompting the customer from the internet appliance to enter contact information associated with an audio communication device of at least one call-receiving party;
(b) first input means for receiving contact information of at least one call-receiving party from the customer'"'"'s internet appliance;
(c) call enabling means for placing a first telephone call to an audio communication device associated with customer, and a telephone call to each audio communication device of at least one call-receiving party;
(d) bridging means for bridging the first telephone calls to the customer and at least one call-receiving party as a function of the total number of call participants, wherein the customer and one or more call-receiving parties are in audio communication; and
(e) audio file switching means for transmitting an audio file to an audio communication device of one or more call-receiving parties.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention pertains to an Internet conference call bridge management (ICCBM) system and method with which a person (customer) having access to the Internet may efficiently input the contact number of at least one party (call recipient) with whom the customer wants to speak. The ICCBM system then calls the customer, calls the party or parties, and the audio signals are bridged in a manner that optimizes the call signal to noise ratio, minimizes demands placed on computing resources, and provides controls with which the customer may monitor and control the telephonic access of the other participants through the duration of the conference call.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. An ICCBM system operably coupled by means of the Internet to an internet appliance of a customer, and to a public switch telephone network, the ICCBM system comprising:
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(a) first output means for prompting the customer from the internet appliance to enter contact information associated with an audio communication device of at least one call-receiving party; (b) first input means for receiving contact information of at least one call-receiving party from the customer'"'"'s internet appliance; (c) call enabling means for placing a first telephone call to an audio communication device associated with customer, and a telephone call to each audio communication device of at least one call-receiving party; (d) bridging means for bridging the first telephone calls to the customer and at least one call-receiving party as a function of the total number of call participants, wherein the customer and one or more call-receiving parties are in audio communication; and (e) audio file switching means for transmitting an audio file to an audio communication device of one or more call-receiving parties. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A ICCBM system operably coupled by means of the Internet to an internet appliance of a customer, and further coupled to a public switched telephone network, the ICCBM system comprising:
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(a) first output means for prompting the customer from the internet appliance to input a contact number for an audio communication device of at least one call-receiving party;
said contact number being selected from a list of pre-existing contact numbers stored in an account associated with the customer;(b) first input means for receiving contact information of a least one call-receiving party from the customer'"'"'s internet appliance; (c) call enabling means for placing a telephone call to an audio communication device of the customer and a telephone call to each audio communication device of one or more call-receiving parties; (d) bridging means for bridging the telephone call to the audio communication devices of the customer and one or more call-receiving party wherein the customer and one or more call-receiving parties are in audio communication; and (e) audio file switching means for transmitting an audio file to an audio communication device of one or more call-receiving parties. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 38)
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21. A ICCBM system operably coupled by means of the Internet to an internet appliance of a customer, and further coupled to a public switched telephone network, the ICCBM system comprising:
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(a) first output means for prompting the customer from the internet appliance to input; (i) a contact number for an audio communication device of one or more call-receiving party;
said contact number being selected from a list of pre-existing contact numbers stored in an account associated with the customer at the ICCBM system; and(ii) a schedule time representing the time at which the ICCBM system is to call the customer; (b) first input means for receiving the contact number of one or more call-receiving party from the customer'"'"'s internet appliance, and schedule time; (c) call enabling means for placing a telephone call to an audio communication device of the customer and a telephone call to each audio communication device of one or more call-receiving parties; (d) bridging means for bridging the telephone call to the customer'"'"'s audio communication device and to each audio communication device of each call-receiving party;
wherein the customer and one or more call-receiving parties are in audio communication;(e) call controlling means including a conference call interface, accessible from the customer'"'"'s internet appliance, for monitoring the status of the calls to each call-receiving party; and (f) audio file switching means for transmitting an audio file to the audio communication device of one or more call-receiving parties. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A ICCBM system operably coupled by means of the Internet to an internet appliance of a customer, and further coupled to a public switched telephone network, the ICCBM system comprising:
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(a) first output means for prompting the customer from the internet appliance to input audio communication device contact numbers for at least two call-receiving parties;
said contact numbers being selected from a list of pre-existing contact numbers stored at the ICCBM system, and organized into one or more groups in an account associated with the customer;
the first output means including group-click means whereby a customer may simultaneously select all of the contact numbers of a single group;(b) first input means for receiving the contact number of at least one call-receiving party from the customer'"'"'s internet appliance; (c) call enabling means for placing a telephone call to an audio communication device of the customer and a telephone call to each audio communication device of one or more call-receiving parties; (d) bridging means for bridging the telephone call to each audio communication device of one or more call-receiving party;
wherein the customer and one or more call-receiving parties are in audio communication; and(e) means for allowing a customer to select and the system to telephonically transmit a pre-existing audio file to the call-receiving parties. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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39. A ICCBM method for bringing a customer with an internet appliance into telephonic communication with at least one call-receiving party having an audio communication device, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) outputting to the internet appliance of the customer a list of pre-existing contact numbers; (b) receiving from a customer, by means of the internet appliance, the contact number of the audio communication device of one or more call-receiving party; (c) receiving from the customer, by means of the internet appliance, the contact number for the audio communication device of the customer; (d) placing a telephone call to an audio communication device of the customer; (e) placing a telephone call to the audio communication device of each call-receiving party; (f) bridging the calls to each call receiving party with the call to the customer; wherein the customer and a single call-receiving party are brought in telephonic communication by; (i) directing an encoded audio signal associated with the customer to the call-receiving party; and (ii) directing an encoded audio signal associated with the call-receiving party to the customer; wherein the customer and two or more call-receiving parties are brought into telephonic communication by; (iii) generating decoded audio signals by decoding the input encoded audio signal associated with each of the participants; (iv) generating mixed audio signals by summing the decoded audio signals such that each participant hears the audio signals associated with the other participants; and (v) generating output encoded audio signals by encoding each of the mixed audio signals associated with each participant, prior to transmission, (g) transmitting a pre-existing audio file to an audio communication device to at least one of the call-receiving parties. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A ICCBM method for bringing a customer with an internet appliance and audio communication device into telephonic communication with at least one call-receiving party having an audio communication device, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) outputting to the internet appliance of the customer a list of pre-existing, customer-defined contact numbers retrieved from the ICCBM system; (b) receiving from a customer, by means of the internet appliance, the contact number for the audio communication device of one or more call-receiving party; (c) receiving from the customer, by means of the internet appliance, the contact number for the audio communication device of the customer; (d) receiving from the customer, by means of the internet appliance, a schedule time representing the time at which the ICCBM system is to place the call to the customer; (e) placing a telephone call to the audio communication device of the customer at the time prescribed by the schedule time; (f) placing a telephone call to the audio communication device associated with each call-receiving party; (g) bridging the calls to each call receiving party with the call to the customer;
wherein the customer and one or more call-receiving party are brought in telephonic communication; and(h) transmitting a pre-existing audio file to an audio communication device of at least one of the call-receiving parties. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
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48. A ICCBM method for bringing a customer with an internet appliance and audio communication device into telephonic communication with at least one call-receiving party having an audio communication device, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) outputting to the internet appliance of the customer a list of pre-existing, customer-defined contact numbers;
the contact numbers being organized into one or more contact groups;(b) receiving from the customer, by means of the internet appliance, a selection of a contact group representing one or more call-receiving parties;
the selection in response to the activation of a single hyperlink made available by the ICCBM system;(c) placing a telephone call to the audio communication device of the customer; (d) simultaneously placing a telephone call to the audio communication device associated with each call-receiving party, including the selected group; (e) bridging the calls to each call receiving party with the call to the customer; wherein the customer and one or more call-receiving party, including all contacts within a contact group, are brought in telephonic communication; and (f) transmitting a pre-existing audio file to an audio communication device of at least one of the call-receiving parties. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
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51. A ICCBM method for bringing a customer with an internet appliance and audio communication device into telephonic communication with at least one call-receiving party having an audio communication device, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) outputting to the internet appliance of the customer a list of pre-existing, customer-defined contact information including contact numbers; (b) receiving from a customer, by means of the internet appliance, the contact number for the audio communication device of one or more call-receiving party; (c) receiving from the customer, by means of the internet appliance, the contact number for the audio communication device of the customer; (d) placing a telephone call to the audio communication device of the customer; (e) outputting to the internet appliance of the customer a control panel interface with which the customer monitors the status of each telephone call to the audio communication device associated with each call-receiving party; (f) placing a telephone call to the audio communication device associated with each call-receiving party; (g) bridging the calls to each call receiving party with the call to the customer; wherein the customer and one or more call-receiving party are brought in telephonic communication; and (h) transmitting a pre-existing audio file to an audio communication device of at least one of the call-receiving parties. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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Specification