Method for automatically setting up and/or controlling a telecommunication conference

• US 8,428,634 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwagmann, Norbert, Schmidt, Andreas, Schmidt, Holger, Benthin, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HAI V
• Application Number:
  US11/264,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,731 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 370/260, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• 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: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A conference condition file is used to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met, which indicates a condition regarding a participant'"'"'s setup of and/or participation in the telecommunication conference. If at least one condition is met then the conference is set up or the participant is added to the conference.

Claims

1. A method for automatically setting up and/or controlling a telecommunication conference with at least three participants, where an electronic conference condition file stores at least one user-defined conference condition, which is defined by a participant, for setting up the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants, the method comprising:

storing the at least one user-defined electronic conference condition file in at least one of a participant terminal belonging to the participant and a telecommunication conference server device;

using the electronic conference condition file to check, by the participant terminal, a plurality of telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants to determine whether the telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants meet the at least one user-defined conference condition; and

if the telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants do meet the at least one user-defined conference condition, generating a conference setup request message to automatically set up the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants, or a conference joining message to automatically notify that the participant terminal is joining the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is used in a multimedia telecommunication conference.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is used in an Internet-based landline telecommunication conference, or in a cell-based mobile radio telecommunication conference.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is used in a UMTS mobile radio telecommunication conference.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is used in a Push-to-Talk over Cellular mobile radio telecommunication conference of a type selected from the group consisting of an ad-hoc mobile radio telecommunication conference, a prearranged mobile radio telecommunication conference, and a chat mobile radio telecommunication conference.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting status information about the telecommunication conference to a participant terminal; and

performing the check by the participant terminal using the received status information.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising transmitting the status information about the telecommunication conference to the participant terminal when a prescribed event occurs.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising transmitting the status information about the telecommunication conference to the participant terminal when a change of status in the telecommunication conference occurs.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants is received from a telecommunication conference server device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one user-defined conference condition taken into account is one or more of the following conference conditions:

a minimum number and/or a maximum number of participants with an interest in taking part in the telecommunication conference;

an identity of participants with an interest in taking part in the telecommunication conference;

a time at which the telecommunication conference is set up;

a time at which the telecommunication conference is terminated;

a duration of the telecommunication conference;

content of the telecommunication conference; and

proportion of time spent talking and/or the frequency with which a participant authorized to speak changes.

11. A telecommunication conference terminal, comprising:

a telecommunication conference unit configured to communicate with other telecommunication conference terminals and/or with a telecommunication conference server device in a telecommunication conference with at least three participants;

a memory configured to store an electronic conference condition file, which contains at least one user-defined conference condition, which is defined by a participant, for setting up the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants;

a telecommunication conference checking unit which is coupled to the memory and which is configured to use the conference condition file to check a plurality of telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants to determine whether the telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants meet the at least one user-defined conference condition; and

a telecommunication conference message generator unit which is configured such that if the telecommunication conference message generator unit receives from the telecommunication conference checking unit a piece of information indicating that the telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants do meet the at least one user-defined conference condition, then the telecommunication conference message generator unit generates a conference setup request message, which automatically requests that a telecommunication conference with the at least three participants be set up, or a conference joining message, which automatically notifies that the telecommunication conference terminal is joining the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants.

12. A computer program having a program code for performing the method for automatically setting up and/or controlling a telecommunication conference with at least three participants, where an electronic conference condition file stores at least one user-defined conference condition, which is defined by a participant, for setting up the telecommunication conference and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference, comprising:

using the conference condition file to check, by a participant terminal, a plurality of telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants to determine whether the telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants meet the at least one user-defined conference condition; and

if the telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants do meet the at least one user-defined conference condition, then automatically setting up the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants and/or automatically adding the participant(s) to the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants,

when the computer program runs on a computer.

13. A telecommunication conference terminal, comprising:

a telecommunication conference means for communicating with other telecommunication conference terminals and/or with a telecommunication conference server means in a telecommunication conference with at least three participants;

a memory means for storing an electronic conference condition file, which contains at least one user-defined conference condition, which is defined by a participant, for setting up the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants;

a telecommunication conference checking means, which is coupled to the memory, for using the conference condition file to check a plurality of telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants to determine whether the telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants meet the at least one user-defined conference condition; and

a telecommunication conference message generating means, if the telecommunication conference message generating means receives from the telecommunication conference checking means a piece of information indicating that the telecommunication conference requests sent by other participants do meet the at least one user-defined conference condition, for generating a conference setup request message, which automatically requests that a telecommunication conference with the at least three participants be set up, or a conference joining message, which automatically notifies that the telecommunication conference terminal is joining the telecommunication conference with the at least three participants.