Methods and systems for providing location sensitive conference calling

• US 9,473,642 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanson, Karrie, Karam, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US14/324,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20140321334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 836 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• 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 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing location based conference calling services on communications networks. Location information relating to a device is passed to a location sensitive conference calling system. The location sensitive conference calling system uses the location information to identify a conference calling system, or a conference bridge associated with a conference calling system, to which to connect the device. The device is connected with the conference calling system, or a conference bridge associated with the conference calling system.

Claims

1. A location-sensitive conference-data-session system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving, by way of a peer-to-peer data session between the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and a mobile communication device, and directly from the mobile communication device, a communication comprising

geographic location information that indicates a geographic location of the mobile communication device, and

user information comprising data that identifies the mobile communication device,

identifying, using the geographic location information received, a conference-data-session system component to which to connect the communication, and

initiating, using the geographic location information and the user-information received, establishment of a second data session, to use voice over internet protocol, between the mobile communication device and the conference-data-session system component identified.

2. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise establishing the peer-to-peer data session between the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and the mobile communication device.

3. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 1, further comprising:

a route database configured to store database information associating location data with multiple conference-data-session system components including the conference-data-session system component, the route database being accessible by the processor, wherein identifying the conference-data-session system component comprises querying the route database using the geographic location information.

4. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 1, wherein the processor and the computer-readable storage medium are part of a location-based conference-data-session router.

5. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 4, wherein the location-based conference-data-session router further comprises a network interface, and wherein the location-based conference-data-session router is associated with a device identifier.

6. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 4, wherein identifying the conference-data-session system component comprises:

transmitting the geographic location information to a route database in communication with the location-based conference-data-session router; and

receiving, by the location-based conference-data-session router, data identifying the conference-data-session system component.

7. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a query for the geographic location information and the user information; and

transmitting the query, by way of the peer-to-peer data session, to the mobile communication device.

8. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 1, wherein receiving the communication including the geographic location of the mobile communication device comprises receiving, by way of the peer-to-peer data session and using the voice over internet protocol, audio user input that indicates the geographic location of the mobile communication device.

9. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 1, wherein receiving the communication including the geographic location of the mobile communication device comprises receiving global positioning system data generated by a global positioning system device associated with the mobile communication device.

10. The location-sensitive conference-data-session system of claim 1, wherein receiving the communication comprises receiving the communication comprising the geographic location information from the mobile communication device by way of the peer-to-peer data session without interposition of a data server, and wherein receiving the user information directly from the mobile communication device comprises receiving the user information from the mobile communication device by way of the peer-to-peer data session without interposition of the data server.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a location-sensitive conference-data-session system comprising and using a processor, by way of a peer-to-peer data session between the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and a mobile communication device and directly from the mobile communication device,

a communication comprising geographic location information that indicates a geographic location of the mobile communication device, and

user information comprising data identifying the mobile communication device;

identifying, by the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and using the geographic location information received, a conference-data-session system component to which to connect the communication; and

initiating, by the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and using the geographic location information and the user-information received, establishment of a second data session, to use voice over internet protocol, between the mobile communication device and the conference-data-session system component identified.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising establishing the peer-to-peer data session between the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and the mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the location-sensitive conference-data-session system comprises a route database configured to store database information associating location data with multiple conference-data-session system components including the conference-data-session system component, the route database being accessible by the processor, and wherein identifying the conference-data-session system component comprises querying the route database using the geographic location information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor is a part of a location-based conference-data-session router, wherein the location-based conference-data-session router further comprises a network interface, and wherein the location-based conference-data-session router is associated with a device identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the conference-data-session system component comprises:

transmitting the geographic location information to a route database in communication with the location-based conference-data-session router; and

receiving, by the location-based conference-data-session router, data identifying the conference-data-session system component.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a query for the geographic location information and the user information; and

transmitting the query, by way of the peer-to-peer data session, to the mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the communication comprising the geographic location of the mobile communication device comprises receiving, by way of the peer-to-peer data session and using the voice over internet protocol, audio user input indicating the geographic location of the mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the communication including the geographic location of the mobile communication device comprises receiving global positioning system data generated by a global positioning system device associated with the mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the communication comprises receiving the communication comprising the geographic location information from the mobile communication device by way of the peer-to-peer data session without interposition of a data server, and wherein receiving the user information directly from the mobile communication device comprises receiving the user information from the mobile communication device by way of the peer-to-peer data session without interposition of the data server.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in a location-sensitive conference-data-session system, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by way of a peer-to-peer data session between the location-sensitive conference-data-session system and a mobile communication device, and directly from the mobile communication device, a communication comprising

geographic location information that indicates a geographic location of the mobile communication device, and

user information comprising data that identifies the mobile communication device;

identifying, using the geographic location information received, a conference-data-session system component to which to connect the communication; and

initiating, using the geographic location information and the user-information received, establishment of a second data session, to use voice over internet protocol, between the mobile communication device and a conference-data-session system component identified.