Moderation control method for participants in a heterogeneous conference call

• US 9,020,119 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Colbert, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US13/285,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20130108034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.21, 379/157, 379/158, 379/201.01, 379/202.01, 379/207.01, 370/259, 370/260, 370/261, 370/262, 455/414.1, 455/416
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/566 relating to a participants right to speak arrangements for multi-party communication with floor control, e.g. for conferences, H04L65/4038, H04L65/4046, H04L65/4053

Abstract

Presented are systems and methods for providing moderator control in a heterogeneous conference including acquiring a merge control to merge a first conference with a second conference to create a single heterogeneous conference, wherein the first conference and the second conference utilize different types of conference hosting systems. The system sends the merge control to a server, wherein the server is configured to establish conference connections with the first conference and the second conference. The system then merges the first conference with the second conference to create the heterogeneous conference and determines a moderator for the heterogeneous conference. The system automatically transfers one or more moderator controls to the moderator of the heterogeneous conference.

Claims

1. A method implemented by one or more processors, the method comprising:

acquiring a merge control, by one or more processors, to merge a first conference with a second conference to create a single heterogeneous conference, wherein the first conference and the second conference utilize different types of conference hosting systems and the first conference has an associated first pre-merge moderator and the second conference has an associated second pre-merge moderator;

merging, by one or more processors, the first conference with the second conference to create the heterogeneous conference;

determining a moderator for the heterogeneous conference; and

automatically transferring, by one or more processors, moderator controls over each of the participants in the heterogeneous conference from the first pre-merge moderator and/or second pre-merge moderator to the moderator of the heterogeneous conference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the types of hosting systems are selected from the group consisting of a mobile bridge, an intermediate conference server, and a conference bridge.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically transferring one or more moderator controls to a moderator device associated with the moderator of the heterogeneous conference includes transferring conference information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the merge control to a server, wherein the server is configured to establish conference connections with the first conference and the second conference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the moderator for the heterogeneous conference includes sending a prompt to the first and second pre-merge moderators asking who will assume moderator control over the heterogeneous conference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the moderator for the heterogeneous conference includes automatically selecting the first pre-merge moderator or the second pre-merge operator based on who initiated the merge of first and second conferences as the moderator of the heterogeneous conference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the moderator for the heterogeneous conference includes automatically selecting the first pre-merge moderator or the second pre-merge moderator based on which of the first conference or the second conference has a larger number of participants.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the moderator for the heterogeneous conference is the first pre-merge moderator, further comprising:

selecting the second pre-merge moderator as a sub-group moderator.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of the participants of the heterogeneous conference to transfer moderator control;

sending a request, by a moderator device, to transfer moderator control; and

transferring moderator control, by the moderator device, to the selected participant.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exercising moderator control over a participant of the heterogeneous conference, wherein exercising moderator control includes;

selecting the participant from a list of participants;

selecting a control from a list of moderator controls associated with the participant; and

sending the control to the server.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying which of the first conference and the second conference the participant is using to connect to the heterogeneous conference; and

formatting the control such that it is recognized by the identified conference hosting system.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, the program code being operable, when executed by a computer system, to cause the mobile device to perform a method, the method comprising:

acquiring a merge control to merge a first conference with a second conference to create a single heterogeneous conference, wherein the first conference and the second conference utilize different types of conference hosting systems and the first conference has an associated first pre-merge moderator and the second conference has an associated second pre-merge moderator;

merging the first conference with the second conference to create the heterogeneous conference;

determining a moderator for the heterogeneous conference; and

automatically transferring moderator controls over each of the participants in the heterogeneous conference from the first pre-merge moderator and/or second pre-merge moderator to the moderator of the heterogeneous conference.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the types of hosting systems are selected from the group consisting of a mobile bridge, an intermediate conference server, and a conference bridge.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein automatically transferring one or more moderator controls to a moderator device associated with the moderator of the heterogeneous conference includes transferring conference information.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the moderator for the heterogeneous conference includes sending a prompt to the first and second pre-merge moderators asking who will assume moderator control over the heterogeneous conference.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the moderator for the heterogeneous conference includes automatically selecting the first pre-merge moderator or the second pre-merge operator based on who initiated the merge of first and second conferences as the moderator of the heterogeneous conference.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the moderator for the heterogeneous conference includes automatically selecting the first pre-merge moderator or the second pre-merge moderator based on which of the first conference or the second conference has a larger number of participants.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the moderator for the heterogeneous conference is the first pre-merge moderator, further comprising:

selecting the second pre-merge moderator as a sub-group moderator.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting one of the participants of the heterogeneous conference to transfer moderator control;

sending a request, by a moderator device, to transfer moderator control; and

transferring moderator control, by the moderator device, to the selected participant.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

exercising moderator control over a participant of the heterogeneous conference, wherein exercising moderator control includes;

selecting the participant from a list of participants;

selecting a control from a list of moderator controls associated with the participant; and

sending the control to the server.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

identifying which conference hosting system the participant is using to connect to the heterogeneous conference; and

formatting the control such that it is recognized by the identified conference hosting system.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising sending the merge control to a server, wherein the server is configured to establish conference connections with the first conference and the second conference.

23. A server comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions;

one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions such that the server is configured to;

acquire a merge control to merge a first conference with a second conference to create a single heterogeneous conference, wherein the first conference and the second conference utilize different types of conference hosting systems;

merge the first conference with the second conference to create the heterogeneous conference;

determine a moderator for the heterogeneous conference; and

automatically transfer moderator controls over each of the participants in the heterogeneous conference to a moderator device of the heterogeneous conference.

24. The server of claim 23, wherein the types of hosting systems are selected from the group consisting of a mobile bridge, an intermediate conference server, and a conference bridge.

25. The server of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions such that the server is further configured to:

receive a control from the moderator to be exercised over a participant of the heterogeneous conference;

identify which conference hosting system the participant is using to connect to the heterogeneous conference;

format the control such that it is recognized by the identified conference hosting system; and

send the formatted control to the identified system.

26. The server of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions such that the server is further configured to:

receive a request to add a participant to the heterogeneous conference;

determine if a participant limit has been reached for the heterogeneous conference;

connect with an additional conference hosting system, if the participant limit is reached, to create an expanded heterogeneous conference;

add the participant to the expanded heterogeneous conference via the additional conference hosting system;

notify the moderator device that the participant has been added; and

send to the moderator device updated moderator controls that correspond to the added participant.

27. The server of claim 26, wherein the additional hosting system is selected from the group consisting of a mobile bridge, an intermediate conference server, and a conference bridge.

28. The server of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions such that the server is further configured to establish conference connections with the first conference and the second conference.

29. A mobile device comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions;

one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions such that the mobile device is configured to;

acquire a merge control to merge a first conference with a second conference to create a single heterogeneous conference, wherein the first conference and the second conference utilize different types of conference hosting systems;

merge the first conference with the second conference to create the heterogeneous conference;

determine the identity of the moderator of the heterogeneous conference; and

automatically transfer moderator controls over each of the participants in the heterogeneous conference to the moderator of the heterogeneous conference.

30. The mobile device of claim 29, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions such that the mobile device is further configured to:

receive a request to add a participant to the heterogeneous conference;

determine if a participant limit has been reached for the heterogeneous conference;

send a request to the server to connect an additional conference hosting system, if the participant limit is reached, to create an expanded heterogeneous conference;

acquire notification that the participant is added to the heterogeneous conference; and

update moderator controls corresponding to the added participant.

31. The mobile device of claim 29, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions such that the mobile device is further configured to send the merge control to a server, wherein the server is configured to establish conference connections with the first conference and the second conference.