System and process for mass telephony conference call

• US 8,917,633 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tele-Town Hall LLC
• Original Assignee: Tele-Town Hall LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Rodney A., Smelyansky, Vladimir, Marchevsky, Roman M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Ronald h
• Application Number:
  US13/064,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20110194465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13173 Busy signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

A method of providing conference call connections includes initiating a conference call between multiple conferees using a conferencing controller, placing each of the multiple conferees in a half-duplex listen only mode using the conferencing controller, and receiving a signal at the conferencing controller from at least one of the multiple conferees to actively participate in the conference call. Active participation can be in the form of asking questions, giving comments, or providing a keypress to vote or provide other information. The conference call can also be broadcast to increase participants. Also, after the conference call is initiated, additional potential conferees can be added.

Claims

1. A method for automated conferencing, which initiates a conference call, that reduces conference call setup time, comprising:

using an automated conference call system to assign one of n available parallel connection processes to manage establishment of maintenance of a connection to a selected conferee from a plurality of n selected conferees;

simultaneously initiating connection attempts by outdialing, using said automated conference call system, to said plurality of n selected conferees, wherein each of the connection attempts is routed through a corresponding one of the n available parallel connection processes using separate available parallel telecommunication connection resources selected from a plurality of parallel telecommunication resources of said automated conference call system, so as to carry out a simultaneous, parallel outdialing to n selected conferees, without waiting for connection to a selected conferee before proceeding to out-dialing other of said plurality of n selected conferees;

wherein for each connection attempt resulting in an answered call, using said automated conference call system to determine when the answered call is answered by one of a person, a fax machine, or an answering machine;

using said automated conference call system to automatically initiate the conference call when said automated conference call system has determined that a minimum number of n selected conferees have joined the conference call;

using said automated conference call system to redial failed calls and continue to initiate connections to other n selected conferees during the conference call; and

adding a speaker to the conference call, using said automated conference call system, after said minimum number of n selected conferees have joined said conference call.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising broadcasting the conference call.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

providing a dial-in number for a conferee to attend the conference call via the broadcasting.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the broadcasting is broadcast over a computer network.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the broadcasting is broadcast over radio.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said failed calls include busy and no-answer calls.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein when said answered call is answered by the person, then playing an invitation to the conference call;

wherein when the answered call is answered by the fax machine, then ending the connection attempt; and

wherein when the answered call is answered by the answering machine, then recording a message or ending the connection attempt.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said automated conference call system calls a same number more than twice.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

stopping said redialed calls when one of all redial numbers are called, or a predefined time before an end of the conference call has expired.

10. A method for automated conferencing, which initiates a conference call, that reduces conference call setup time, comprising:

using an automated conference call system to assign one of n available parallel connection processes to manage establishment of maintenance of a connection to a selected conferee from a plurality of n selected conferees;

simultaneously initiating connection attempts by outdialing, using said automated conference call system, to said plurality of n selected conferees, wherein each of the connection attempts is routed through a corresponding one of the n available parallel connection processes using separate available parallel telecommunication connection resources selected from a plurality of parallel telecommunication resources of said automated conference call system so as to carry out a simultaneous, parallel outdialing to n selected conferees, without waiting for connection to a selected conferee before proceeding to out-dialing other of said plurality of n selected conferees;

wherein for each connection attempt resulting in an answered call, using said automated conference call system to determine when the answered call is answered by one of a person, a fax machine, or an answering machine;

using said automated conference call system to automatically initiate the conference call when said automated conference call system has determined that a minimum number of n unlimited selected conferees have joined the conference call;

using said automated conference call system to redial failed calls and continue to initiate connections to other n selected conferees during the conference call;

using said automated conference call system to check when a predefined time for starting dialing said n selected conferees has expired; and

adding a speaker to the conference call, using said automated conference call system, when said minimum number of n selected conferees have joined the conference call, or when said predefined time for starting said dialing said n selected conferees has expired.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said out dialing and redialing steps are completed before the speaker joins said conference call.

12. An automated conferencing call system which initiates a conference call, that reduces conference call setup time, comprising:

a conferencing controller comprising at least one memory containing at least one program; and

a processor for executing the program,

wherein, using the automated conference call system, the processor assigns one of n available parallel connection processes to manage establishment of maintenance of a connection to a selected conferee from a plurality of n selected conferees;

wherein the processor simultaneously initiates connection attempts by outdialing, using the automated conference call system, to said plurality of n selected conferees, wherein each of the connection attempts is routed through a corresponding one of the n available parallel connection processes using separate available parallel telecommunication connection resources selected from a plurality of parallel telecommunication resources of the automated conference call system, so as to carry out a simultaneous, parallel outdialing to n selected conferees, without waiting for connection to a selected conferee before proceeding to out-dialing other of said plurality of n selected conferees;

wherein for each connection attempt resulting in an answered call, the processor determines when the answered call is answered by one of a person, a fax machine, or an answering machine;

wherein the processor automatically initiates the conference call when said automated conference call system has determined that a minimum number of n selected conferees have joined the conference call;

wherein the processor redials failed calls and continues to initiate connections to other n selected conferees during the conference call; and

wherein the processor adds a speaker to the conference call after said minimum number of n selected conferees have joined said conference call.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to execute instructions of a program, the program comprising the steps of:

using an automated conference call system to assign one of n available parallel connection processes to manage establishment of maintenance of a connection to a selected conferee from a plurality of n selected conferees;

simultaneously initiating connection attempts by outdialing, using said automated conference call system used to initiate a conference call, to said plurality of n selected conferees, wherein each of the connection attempts is routed through a corresponding one of the n available parallel connection processes using separate available parallel telecommunication connection resources selected from a plurality of parallel telecommunication resources of said automated conference call system, so as to carry out a simultaneous, parallel outdialing to n selected conferees, without waiting for connection to a selected conferee before proceeding to out-dialing other of said plurality of n selected conferees;

wherein for each connection attempt resulting in an answered call, using said automated conference call system to determine when the answered call is answered by one of a person, a fax machine, or an answering machine;

using said automated conference call system to automatically initiate the conference call when said automated conference call system has determined that a minimum number of n selected conferees have joined the conference call;

using said automated conference call system to redial failed calls and continue to initiate connections to other n selected conferees during the conference call; and

adding a speaker to the conference call, using said automated conference call system, after said minimum number of n selected conferees have joined said conference call.