Conferencing additional callers into an established voice browsing session

• US 7,187,762 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, Victor S., Celi, Joseph Jr., Jaiswal, Peeyush
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/003,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20030091027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 370/260, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• 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 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• 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 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication

Abstract

A call conferencing method using a voice browser can include establishing a voice browsing session between a calling party and the voice browser. An inbound call from an additional party can be received and the additional party can be conferenced into the voice browsing session. The conference can provide a voice communications link between the calling party and the additional party.

Claims

1. A method of call conferencing using a voice browser comprising:

establishing a voice browsing session between a calling party and the voice browser;

receiving an inbound call from an additional party;

determining based upon a calling signal corresponding to the inbound call whether said inbound call is directed to the voice browser for which the voice browsing session has been established;

determining whether the voice browser is configured to accept inbound calls associated with the calling signal; and

if said inbound call is directed to the voice browser, and if the voice browser is configured to accept inbound calls associated with the calling signal, adding said inbound call to said voice browsing session, said adding providing a voice communications link between said calling party and said additional party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said adding step conferences selected ones of a plurality of additional parties into said voice browsing session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said adding step comprises:

routing said inbound call to the voice browser based upon the calling signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said adding step further comprises:

determining whether the voice browser to which said inbound call is directed is configured for multiple callers.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said adding step further comprises:

aggregating a voice data stream of said additional party with a voice data stream of said calling party into a single voice data stream; and

sending said single voice data stream for processing to the voice browser.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said adding step further comprises:

sending audio from the voice browser to said calling party and said additional party.

7. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

establishing a voice browsing session between a calling party and the voice browser;

receiving an inbound call from an additional party;

determining based upon a calling signal corresponding to the inbound call whether said inbound call is directed to the voice browser for which the voice browsing session has been established;

determining whether the voice browser is configured to accept inbound calls associated with the calling signal; and

if said inbound call is directed to the voice browser, and if the voice browser is configured to accept inbound calls associated with the calling signal, adding said inbound call to said voice browsing session, said adding providing a voice communications link between said calling party and said additional party.

8. The machine-readable storage of claim 7, wherein said adding step conferences selected ones of a plurality of additional parties into said voice browsing session.

9. The machine-readable storage of claim 7, wherein said adding step comprises:

routing said inbound call to the voice browser based upon the calling signal.

10. The machine-readable storage of claim 9, wherein said adding step further comprises:

determining whether the voice browser to which said inbound call is directed is configured for multiple callers.

11. The machine-readable storage of claim 9, wherein said adding step further comprises:

aggregating a voice data stream of said additional party with a voice data stream of said calling party into a single voice data stream; and

sending said single voice data stream for processing to the voice browser.

12. The machine-readable storage of claim 9, wherein said adding step further comprises:

sending audio from the voice browser to said calling party and said additional party.

13. A method of call conferencing using a voice browser comprising:

establishing a voice browsing session between a calling party and the voice browser;

receiving an inbound call from an additional party;

identifying a dialed number identification service (DNIS) within said inbound call;

determining based upon the DNIS whether said inbound call is directed to the voice browser;

determining whether the voice browser is configured to accept inbound calls for the DNIS; and

if said inbound call is directed to the voice browser, and if the voice browser is configured to accept inbound calls for the DNIS, routing said inbound call to the voice browser based upon the DNIS, and adding said inbound call to said voice browsing session, said adding providing a voice communications link between said calling party and said additional party.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said adding step conferences selected ones of a plurality of additional parties into said voice browsing session.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said adding step further comprises:

determining whether the voice browser associated with said inbound call is con figured for multiple callers.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said adding step further comprises:

aggregating a voice data stream of said additional party with a voice data stream of said calling party into a single voice data stream; and

sending said single voice data stream for processing to the voice browser.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said adding step further comprises:

sending audio from the voice browser to said calling party and said additional party.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving another inbound call from another additional party and identifying a DNIS within the other inbound call to determine whether the voice browser is configured to accept inbound calls for the DNIS within the other inbound call.