Method and system for facilitating multi-point communications

• US 8,369,247 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: I'Anson, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US12/449,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/203.01, 379/204.1, 370/260, 709/204
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2088 Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• 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

Abstract

A conferencing system, method and communication device for facilitating a conference call between a plurality of terminal devices is presented. The conference system comprises: a conference server for establishing the conference call; and re-connection means adapted to detect if a terminal device is disconnected from the conference call and to re-connect a terminal device to the conference call if it is detected that the terminal device is disconnected from the conference call.

Claims

1. A conferencing system for facilitating a conference call between a plurality of terminal devices, the conference system comprising:

a conference server to

receive a scheduling request for the conference call, wherein the scheduling request includes a predetermined time for the conference call and contact information of the plurality of terminal devices;

at the predetermined time of the conference call, transmit a notification message to the plurality of terminal devices to invite participation in the conference call;

establish the conference call with each terminal device accepting the invitation; and

detect if a terminal device, for which the conference call was established, is disconnected from the conference call and re-connect the disconnected terminal device to the conference call,

wherein the notification message transmitted to the plurality of terminal devices further includes a software application to enable the plurality of terminal devices to call the conference server and connect to the conference call.

2. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein, to re-connect the disconnected terminal device to the conference call, the conference server is to transmit a set of instructions to enable a user of the disconnected terminal device to selectively re-connect the disconnected terminal device to the conference call.

3. A conference system according to claim 1, the software application further enables the terminal devices to re-connect to the conference call.

4. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the conference server is to store information relating to proposed participants of the conference call.

5. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the conference server is to store security information relating to verification details required for a connection to the conference call to be established, and to communicate the security information to the plurality of terminal devices.

6. A conference system according to claim 5, wherein the conference server is to utilize the security information to re-connect the disconnected terminal device.

7. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises anyone of a mobile telephone, a POTS-type telephone, a personal computer and a video conferencing device.

8. A conference system according to claim 1, wherein the conference server is further to detect if the disconnected terminal device is involuntarily disconnected from the conference call.

9. A method for facilitating a conference call using a conference system comprising a plurality of terminal devices and a conference server, the method comprising:

receiving, by the conference server, a scheduling request for the conference call, wherein the scheduling request includes a predetermined time for the conference call and contact information of the plurality of terminal devices;

at the predetermined time of the conference call, transmitting, by the conference server, a notification message to the plurality of terminal devices to invite participation in the conference call; and

establishing the conference call with each terminal device accepting the invitation,

wherein the notification message further includes a software application to enable the plurality of terminal devices to call the conference server and connect to the conference call.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

detecting if a terminal device, for which the conference call was established, is disconnected from the conference call; and

transmitting a set of instructions to the disconnected terminal device to provide a user of the disconnected terminal device with an option of reconnecting the disconnected terminal device to the conference call.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing schedule information relating to the predetermined time for establishing the conference call.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the software application further enables the terminal devices to re-connect to the conference call.

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing security information relating to verification details required for a connection to the conference call to be established;

communicating the security information to the plurality of terminal devices.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises anyone of a mobile telephone, a POTS-type telephone, a personal computer and a video conferencing device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions which when executed cause a conference server to facilitate a conference call between a plurality of terminal devices, the computer readable instructions comprising machine readable code to:

receive, by the conference server, a scheduling request for the conference call, wherein the scheduling request includes a redetermined time for the conference call and contact information of the plurality of terminal devices;

at the predetermined time of the conference call, transmit, by the conference server, a notification message to the plurality of terminal devices to invite participation in the conference call; and

establish the conference call with each terminal device accepting the invitation,

wherein the notification message further includes a software application to enable the plurality of terminal devices to call the conference server and connect to the conference call.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein machine readable code to re-connect the at least one terminal device to the conference call includes machine readable code to:

transmit a set of instructions to the disconnected terminal device to enable a user of the disconnected terminal device to selectively re-connect the disconnected terminal device to the conference call.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the software application further enables the terminal devices to re-connect to the conference call.