Method and system for blocking communication within a conference service

• US 7,940,705 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Jennings, Cullen F., Shaffer, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/937,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,434 Days
• Field of Search: 37920201-20701, 379/93.21, 379/158, 379/88.13, 379/215.01, 370260-269, 370/352, 370/468, 370/202.01, 348/14.01, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 455/426.1, 455/509, 709/204, 709/231, 709/217, 709/208, 434/350
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• 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 method for providing a conference service includes hosting a conference between a plurality of endpoints and communicating at least one media stream received from at least one of the plurality of endpoints to the remaining plurality of endpoints. The method also includes receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints and blocking communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a conference service executable on a processor, comprising:

hosting a conference between a plurality of endpoints;

communicating at least one media stream received from at least one of the plurality of endpoints to the remaining plurality of endpoints;

receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints;

blocking communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint; and

wherein

the first endpoint comprises an interactive voice response (IVR) system;

a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints is used by an agent;

a third endpoint of the plurality of endpoints is used by a caller; and

receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint comprises receiving a request from the agent to block communication of the at least one media stream to the IVR system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the caller to block communication to the agent of a media steam of the caller.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the blocked at least one media stream comprises confidential information of the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the IVR system to block communication to an endpoint of a media stream of the IVR, the request transmitted from the IVR system as a result of a script.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises receiving a request through a dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) signal to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises receiving a request through speech to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises receiving a web request to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises receiving a request through instant messaging (IM) to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

9. A system for providing a conference service, comprising:

a conference unit operable to host a conference between a plurality of endpoints;

the conference unit operable to communicate at least one media stream received from at least one of the plurality of endpoints to the remaining plurality of endpoints;

the conference unit operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints;

the conference unit comprising at least one control module operable to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint; and

wherein;

the first endpoint comprises an interactive voice response (IVR) system;

a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints is used by an agent;

a third endpoint of the plurality of endpoints is used by a caller; and

the conference unit operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises the conference unit operable to receive a request from the agent to block communication of the at least one media stream to the IVR system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the conference unit is operable to receive a request from the caller to block communication of the at least one media stream to the agent.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the blocked at least one media stream comprises confidential information of the caller.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the conference unit is operable to receive a request from the IVR system to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint, the request transmitted from the IVR system as a result of a script.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the conference unit operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises the conference unit operable to receive a request through a dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) signal to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the conference unit operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises the conference unit operable to receive a request through speech to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the conference unit operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises the conference unit operable to receive a web request to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the conference unit operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises the conference unit operable to receive a request through instant messaging (IM) to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

17. A system for providing a conference service, comprising:

means for hosting a conference between a plurality of endpoints;

means for communicating at least one media stream received from at least one of the plurality of endpoints to the remaining plurality of endpoints;

means for receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints;

means for blocking communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint; and

wherein;

the first endpoint comprises an interactive voice response (IVR) system;

a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints is used by an agent;

a third endpoint of the plurality of endpoints is used by a caller; and

means for receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint comprises means for receiving a request from the agent to block communication of the at least one media stream to the IVR system.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for receiving a request from the caller to block communication of the at least one media stream to the agent.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the blocked at least one media stream comprises confidential information of the caller.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for receiving a request from the IVR system to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint, the request transmitted from the IVR system as a result of a script.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein means for receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises means for receiving a request through a dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) signal to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein means for receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises means for receiving a request through speech to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein means for receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises means for receiving a web request to block communication of the at means for least one media stream to the first endpoint.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein means for receiving a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises means for receiving a request through instant messaging (IM) to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

25. Software embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

host a conference between a plurality of endpoints;

communicate at least one media stream received from at least one of the plurality of endpoints to the remaining plurality of endpoints;

receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints;

block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint; and

wherein;

the first endpoint comprises an interactive voice response (IVR) system;

a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints is used by an agent;

a third endpoint of the plurality of endpoints is used by a caller; and

code operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint comprises receiving a request from the agent to block communication of the at least one media stream to the IVR system.

26. The medium of claim 25, further comprising code operable to receive a request from the caller to block communication of the at least one media stream to the agent.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the blocked at least one media stream comprises confidential information of the caller.

28. The medium of claim 25, further comprising code operable to receive a request from the IVR system to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint, the request transmitted from the IVR system as a result of a script.

29. The medium of claim 25, wherein code operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises code operable to receive a request through a dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) signal to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

30. The medium of claim 25, wherein code operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises code operable to receive a request through speech to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

31. The medium of claim 25, wherein code operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises code operable to receive a web request to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.

32. The medium of claim 25, wherein code operable to receive a request to block communication of the at least one media stream to a first endpoint comprises code operable to receive a request through instant messaging (IM) to block communication of the at least one media stream to the first endpoint.