Displaying images of conference call participants

• US 8,265,253 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: D'Amora, Bruce D., Johns, Charles R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US12/172,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20080267380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 370/261, 709/204
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for displaying images of conference call participants. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes receiving a call from a user to join a conference call, obtaining a phone number of the user, matching the phone number to a stored graphical representation, and distributing and displaying the matching graphical representation to a predetermined set of users. A voice identification/recognition process can also be used to match the user to a stored graphical representation.

Claims

1. A method for displaying images of conference call participants, comprising:

receiving a call from a user to join a conference call;

obtaining a phone number of the user;

matching the phone number to at least one stored graphical representation, wherein, in the case that the phone number of the user corresponds to a group of users, the matching further comprises matching a stored graphical representation of each user in the group of users with the phone number;

distributing and displaying all of the matching graphical representations to a predetermined set of users;

wherein when a plurality of users are participating in the conference call, the method further comprising;

obtaining a phone number of each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call;

matching the phone number of each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call to a stored graphical representation; and

distributing and displaying each matching graphical representation to a predetermined set of users.

2. The method of claim 1, the obtaining the phone number of the user further comprising:

determining the phone number of the user using a caller identification system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing at least one of the graphical representations to a registered application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the plurality of users participating in the conference call; and

updating the distributed graphical representations when a user enters or exits the conference call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking at least one of;

an identity of each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call, a location from which each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call is calling from, and a time of participation of each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call; and

logging results of the tracking.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a plurality of graphical representations with the phone number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying an identity of the user using a voice key.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

querying the user to speak the voice key in response to receiving the call from the user to join the conference call; and

comparing the spoken voice key against a plurality of stored voice keys to find a matching voice key.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating each of the plurality of stored voice keys with a different user; and

if a matching voice key is found, identifying the user as the user associated with the matching voice key.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating a graphical representation with each of the plurality of stored voice keys; and

distributing and displaying the graphical representation associated with the matching voice key to the predetermined set of users.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying a moderator of the conference call that an unidentified user is attempting to join the conference call if the matching step is unable to match the phone number to a stored graphical representation.

12. A system for displaying images of conference call participants, comprising:

a system for receiving a call from a user to join a conference call;

a system for obtaining a phone number of the user;

a system for matching the phone number to at least one stored graphical representation, wherein, in the case that the phone number of the user corresponds to a group of users, the matching further comprises matching a stored graphical representation of each user in the group of users with the phone number;

a system for distributing and displaying all of the matching graphical representations to a predetermined set of users;

wherein when a plurality of users are participating in the conference call, the system further comprising;

a system for obtaining a phone number of each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call;

a system for matching the phone number of each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call to a stored graphical representation; and

a system for distributing and displaying each matching graphical representation to a predetermined set of users.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a caller identification system for determining the phone number of the user.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a system for tracking at least one of;

an identity of each user participating in the conference call, a location from which each user participating in the conference call is calling from, and a time of participation of each user participating in the conference call; and

a system for logging results of the tracking.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a system for notifying a moderator of the conference call that an unidentified user is attempting to join the conference call if the system for matching is unable to match the phone number to a stored graphical representation.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a system for verifying an identity of the user using a voice key.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a system for querying the user to speak the voice key in response to receiving the call from the user to join the conference call;

a system for comparing the spoken voice key against a plurality of stored voice keys to find a matching voice key;

a system for associating each of the plurality of stored voice keys with a different user; and

a system for identifying the user as the user associated with the matching voice key, if the system for comparing finds a matching voice key.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a system for associating a graphical representation with each of the plurality of stored voice keys; and

a system for distributing and displaying the graphical representation associated with the matching voice key to the predetermined set of users.

19. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for displaying images of conference call participants when executed by a computer device, the computer readable medium comprising program code for performing a method, comprising:

receiving a call from a user to join a conference call;

obtaining a phone number of the user;

matching the phone number to at least one stored graphical representation, wherein, in the case that the phone number of the user corresponds to a group of users, the matching further comprises matching a stored graphical representation of each user in the group of users with the phone number;

distributing and displaying all of the matching graphical representations to a predetermined set of users;

wherein when a plurality of users are participating in the conference call, the method further comprising;

obtaining a phone number of each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call;

matching the phone number of each of the plurality of users participating in the conference call to a stored graphical representation; and

distributing and displaying each matching graphical representation to a predetermined set of users.