Software based single agent multipoint conference capability

• US 7,075,900 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: DB Zwirn Finance LLC
• Inventors: Peters, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US09/902,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20030012148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370/262, 370/263, 370/264, 370/265, 370/266, 370/267, 370/268, 370/269, 370/352, 370/259, 370/353, 370/354, 370/270, 370/271, 709/204
• US Class Current: 370/260
• 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: 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: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for providing a three-party connection among a first, second and third call participant during a voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) telephone call. The method includes the steps of providing a respective first and second port within a transceiving terminal for receiving VoIP voice information of the VoIP telephone call from the first and second call participants, mixing the VoIP information from the ports of the first and second call participants and transferring the mixed VoIP information to the third call participant.

Claims

1. A method of providing a three-party connection within a personal computer among a first call participant, a second call participant and a third call participants through a personal computer during a telephone call, such method comprising:

providing a first port within a protocol stack of the personal computer for voice information of the first participant, a second port within the protocol stack the personal computer for voice information of the telephone call of the second participant and a third port within the protocol stack of the personal computer for voice information of the third call participant;

receiving a connection instruction from the first participant through a keyboard of the first participant;

forming a software mixer in response to the instruction;

mixing the voice information from the ports of at least two of the group consisting of the first, the second and the third call participants within the formed software mixer of the personal computer; and

transferring the mixed voice information from the personal computer to at least one of the group consisting of the first call participant working at the personal computer, the second participant and the third participant.

2. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 1 further comprising defining the telephone call as being a VoIP call and determining an identity of a call originator of the VoIP telephone call based upon a source IP address delivered to the personal computer along with the VoIP call.

5. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 1 further comprising coupling a recorder to the third port of the personal computer to record voice information received through the third port.

6. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 5 further comprising mixing VoIP information from the first and second participants.

7. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 6 further comprising recording the mixed information in the recorder coupled to the third port.

8. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 1 further comprising coupling the third participant to the personal computer through the local area network.

9. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 1 further comprising the first participant entering a telephone number of the third participant through a keypad of the personal computer.

10. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 9 further comprising the personal computer outdialing the entered telephone number.

11. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 10 further comprising the personal computer activating a set of conference mixers to conference in the third participant.

3. A method of providing a three-party connection within a personal cornputer among a first call participant working at the personal computer through a local area network and second and third call participants during a voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) telephone call, such method comprising:

determining an identify of a call originator of the VoIP telephone call based upon a source IP address delivered to the personal computer along with the VoIP call;

providing a first port within the personal computer for voice information of the first participant, a second port within the personal computer for voice information of the VoIP telephone call of the second participant and a third port within the personal computer for voice information of the third call participant;

mixing the voice information from the ports of at least two of the group consisting of the first, the second and the third call participants within the personal computer; and

transferring the mixed voice information from the personal computer to at least one of the group consisting of the first call participant working at the personal computer, the second participant and the third participant

selecting a message to be played for the benefit of the first participant based upon the determined identity of the second participant where the selected message is heard only by the first participant and not by the second participant.

4. The method of providing a three-party connection as in claim 3 further comprising an interactive voice response unit playing the selected message unit through the third port.

12. An apparatus for providing a three-party connection within a personal computer among a first call participant, a second call participant and a third call participants during a telephone call, such apparatus comprising:

means for providing a first port within a protocol stack of the personal computer for voice information of the first participant, a second port within the protocol stack of the personal computer for voice information of the telephone call of the second participant and a third port within the protocol stack of the personal computer for voice information of the third call participant;

means for receiving a connection instruction from the first participant through a keyboard of the first participant;

means for forming a software mixer in response to the instruction;

means for mixing the voice information from the ports of the protocol stack from at least two of the group consisting of the first, the second and the third call participants; and

means for transferring the mixed information from the personal computer to at least one of the group consisting of the first call participant working at the personal computer, the second call participant and the third call participant.

13. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 12 further comprising defining the telephone call as a VoIP telephone call and means for determining an identity of a call originator of the VoIP telephone call based upon a source IP address delivered to the personal computer along with the VoIP call.

16. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 12 further comprising means for coupling a recorder to the third port of the personal computer for recording information.

17. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 16 further comprising means for mixing voice information from the first and second participants.

18. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 17 further comprising means for recording the mixed information in the recorder coupled to the third port.

19. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 12 further comprising means for coupling the third participant to the personal computer through a local area network.

20. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 19 further comprising means for entering a telephone number by the first participant of the third participant through a keypad of the personal computer.

21. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 12 further comprising means within the personal computer for outdialing the entered telephone number.

22. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 12 further comprising means within the personal computer for activating a set of conference mixers to conference in the third participant.

14. An apparatus for providing a three-party connection within a personal computer among a first call participant working at the personal computer through a local area network and second and third call participants during a voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) telephone call, such apparatus comprising:

means for determining an identify of a call originator of the VoIP telephone call based upon a source IP address delivered to the personal computer along with the VoIP call;

means for providing a first port within the personal computer for voice information of the first participant, a second port within the personal computer for voice information of the VoIP telephone call of the second participant and a third port within the personal computer for voice information of the third call participants;

means for mixing the voice information from the ports of at least two of the group consisting of the first, the second and the third call participants;

means for transferring the mixed information from the personal computer to at least one of the group consisting of the first call participant working at the personal computer, the second call participant and the third call participant; and

means for selecting a message to be played for the benefit of the first participant based upon the determined identity of the second participant where the selected message is heard only by the first participant and not by the second participant.

15. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 14 further comprising means for playing the selected message by a interactive voice response unit as the third call participant through the third port.

23. An apparatus for providing a three-party connection within a personal computer among a first call participant, a second participant and a third call participants during a telephone call, such apparatus comprising:

a first port within a protocol stack of the personal computer adapted to exchange voice information with the first participant working at the personal computer;

a second port within the rotocol stack of the computer terminal adapted to exchange voice information of the telephone call with the second call participant;

a third port within the protocol stack of the personal computer adapted to exchange voice information with the third participant;

a keyboard coupled to the personal computer through which the first participant may enter connection instruction;

a central processing unit within the personal computer that forms a software mixer in response to the entered connection instruction;

the software mixer adapted to mix the voice information from the ports of at least two of the group consisting of the first, the second and the third call participants; and

a communication processor adapted to transfer the mixed voice information to at least one of the group consisting of the first, the second and the third call participant.

24. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 23 further comprising defining the telephone call as being a VoIP telephone call and a central processing unit adapted to determine an identity of a call originator of the VoIP telephone call based upon a source IP address delivered to the personal computer along with the VoIP call.

26. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 23 further comprising an interactive voice response unit under control of the central processing unit adapted to play the selected message through the third port.

27. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 23 further comprising a recorder coupled to the third port of the personal computer that records mixed voice information of the first and second participants.

28. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 23 further comprising the third participant coupled to the personal computer through a local area network.

29. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 23 further comprising a keypad coupled to the personal computer adapted to allow the first participant to enter a telephone number of the third participant through the keypad into a central processing unit of the personal computer.

30. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 29 further comprising the central processing unit within the personal computer being further adapted to outdial the entered telephone number.

31. The apparatus for providing a three-party connection as in claim 30 further comprising a set of conference mixers within the personal computer adapted to conference in the third participant.

25. An apparatus for providing a three-party connection within a personal computer among a first call participant working at the personal computer through a local area network and second and third call participants during a voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) tele hone call, such apparatus comprising:

a central processing unit adapted to determine an identity of a call originator of the VoIP telephone call based upon a source IP address delivered to the personal computer along with the VoIP call;

a first port within the personal computer adapted to exchange vQice information with the first participant working at the personal computer through the local area network;

a second port within the computer terminal adapted to exchange voice information of the VoIP telephone call with the second call participant;

a third port within the personal computer adapted to exchange voice information with the third participant;

a mixer adapted to mix the voice information from the ports of at least two of the group consisting of the first, the second and the third call participants; and

a communication processor adapted to transfer the mixed voice information to at least one of the group consisting of the first, the second and the third call participant the central processing unit being further adapted to select a message to be played for the benefit of the first participant based upon the determined identity of the second participant where the selected message is heard only by the first participant and not by the second participant.