Conferencing and meeting implementations with advanced features

• US 9,008,107 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Narayanaswamy, Ramprakash
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US14/454,491
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• 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 3/561 by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0042 where the data service is a text-based messaging service H04M7/0054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 where the data service is a multimedia messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service

Abstract

Meeting and conferencing systems and methods are implemented in a variety of manners. Consistent with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for operating an audio conference system that includes at least one logic circuit and a caller interface involves receiving incoming telephony calls at the caller interface. A logic circuit is used to authenticate incoming telephony calls. Menu options are provided to authenticated, incoming telephony calls. In response to a selection of the menu options, an incoming telephony call is prompted to select a callback number. The logic circuit monitors for a trigger event. A participant is called back using the selected call back number in response to detecting the trigger event. The called-back participant is then placed into a conference.

Claims

1. An audio conference system comprising:

a caller interface circuit configured to receive incoming telephony calls;

a computer processor circuit configured to

authenticate the incoming telephony calls for access to a particular audio conference;

provide menu options to the authenticated incoming telephony calls and, in response to a selection of the menu options, process an incoming telephony call to select a callback number;

monitor for a trigger event corresponding to a selection of the menu options via the incoming telephony call;

in response to an indication of a trigger event selected by at least one of the authenticated incoming telephony calls and corresponding to a new participant to the particular audio conference, callback a participant using the selected callback number; and

place the called-back participant into the particular audio conference; and

an interface circuit configured to receive sharable information in the form of at least one of the following, for sharing in the particular audio conference;

video data, documents, text-based or email-based communications, and desktop information; and

wherein the computer processor circuit is further configured to place multiple participants in the particular audio conference, allow at least one specified participant to call back the multiple participants in response to a specified participant calling into the audio conference system, and distribute the sharable information for reception by the multiple participants.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface circuit is configured to receive sharable information in the form of video data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface circuit is configured to receive sharable information in the form of documents.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the incoming telephony calls are received at a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interface, and further including a messaging interface circuit configured to receive text-based messages and wherein the computer processor circuit is further configured to respond to a receipt of a text-based message at the messaging interface by providing an indication of the text-based message to participants of an in-progress audio conference.

5. The system of claim 1, further including a messaging interface circuit configured to receive text-based messages, and wherein the computer processor circuit is further configured to respond to a receipt of a text-based message at the messaging interface by storing the text-based message and providing an indication of the text-based message to a subsequent incoming telephony call.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a messaging interface circuit configured to receive text-based messages, and wherein the computer processor circuit is further configured to authenticate the text-based messages by searching content of the messages for an authentication code.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a messaging interface circuit that is configured to receive email and text messages, and wherein the trigger event is an entrance of a specific participant or a group of participants into the particular audio conference.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger event is a successful authentication of a subsequent telephony call.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger event is an entrance of any other participant into the particular audio conference.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the caller interface circuit includes a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interface, the system further including a messaging interface configured to receive text-based messages and to identify participants in the particular audio conference that are to receive the text-based messages.

11. An audio conference system comprising:

a caller interface circuit configured to receive incoming telephony calls; and

a computer processor circuit configured to

authenticate the incoming telephony calls for access to a particular audio conference;

provide menu options to the authenticated incoming telephony calls and, in response to a selection of the menu options, process an incoming telephony call to select a callback number;

monitor for a trigger event corresponding to a selection of the menu options via the incoming telephony call;

in response to an indication of a trigger event selected by at least one of the authenticated incoming telephony calls and corresponding to a new participant to the particular audio conference, callback a participant using the selected callback number; and

place the called-back participant into the particular audio conference, wherein the computer processor circuit is further configured to

place multiple participants in the particular audio conference;

allow at least one specified participant to call back the multiple participants in response to a specified participant calling into the audio conference system, and distribute sharable information for reception by the multiple participants; and

receive email and text messages, and wherein the trigger event is an entrance of a specific participant or a group of participants into the particular audio conference.

12. A method for operating an audio conference system that includes at least one computer processor circuit and a caller interface circuit, the method comprising:

receiving incoming telephony calls at the caller interface circuit;

using the computer processor circuit to

authenticate the incoming telephony calls for access to a particular audio conference;

provide menu options to the authenticated incoming telephony calls and, in response to a selection of the menu options, process an incoming telephony call to select a callback number;

monitor for a trigger event corresponding to a selection of the menu options via the incoming telephony call;

in response to an indication of a trigger event selected by at least one of the authenticated incoming telephony calls and corresponding to a new participant to the particular audio conference, callback a participant using the selected callback number; and

place the called-back participant into the particular audio conference;

receiving sharable information in the form of at least one of the following for sharing in the particular audio conference;

video data, documents, text-based or email-based communications, and desktop information; and

using the computer processor circuit to place multiple participants in the particular audio conference, allow at least one specified participant to call back the multiple participants in response to a specified participant calling into the audio conference system, and distribute the sharable information for reception by the multiple participants.

13. The method of claim 12, further including receiving sharable information in the form of documents.

14. The method of claim 12, further including receiving sharable information in the form of video data.

15. The method of claim 12, further including providing a messaging interface circuit and using the messaging interface circuit to receive text-based messages, and wherein the computer processor circuit responds to a receipt of a text-based message at the messaging interface circuit by providing an indication of the text-based message to participants of an in-progress audio conference.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the incoming telephony calls are received at a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interface, and further including receiving text-based messages and identifying participants in the particular audio conference that are to receive the text-based message.