Method and apparatus for managing conference calls

• US 9,615,146 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karnalkar, Anup D., Wallis, R. Tyler, Robbins, William S., Steele, Susan S., Ryan, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, KEVIN S
• Application Number:
  US12/275,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20100128641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,056 Days
• Field of Search: 709204
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to retrieve from an address book a communication identifier for each of a plurality of participants, determine from the address book a conferencing type for each of the plurality of participants, and initiate according to the conference type and the communication identifier of each participant a Voice over Internet Protocol conference call directed to communication devices of the plurality of participants. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a communication device including a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores executable instructions, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising;

presenting a graphical user interface comprising

a communication log that identifies a group of parties, wherein the communication log comprises a plurality of call logs including a dialed calls log and a received calls log, and

a selectable option for indicating selection of a plurality of parties to engage in a communication session;

receiving a signal indicating the selection of a plurality of parties to engage in the communication session based on user input responsive to the presentation of the selectable option via the graphical user interface;

receiving a selection of a group of participants from the group of parties based on user input responsive to the presentation of the communication log via the graphical user interface;

retrieving from an address book a communication device identifier for each of a plurality of communication devices of the group of participants and a conferencing type associated with each of the communication devices, wherein the address book is distinct from the communication log;

presenting a list of the group of participants and respective capabilities of the communication devices, whereby each participant is associated with a conferencing type indicating whether the participant can participate in video conferencing or audio-only conferencing, wherein the list includes a plurality of distinct conferencing types, wherein the list is distinct from the address book and from the communication log, wherein a first set of the group of participants is associated with video conferencing and a second set of the group of participants is associated with audio-only conferencing;

presenting via the graphical user interface a plurality of selectable communication options comprising audio-only, video-only and audio-video hybrid;

receiving a selection of one of the communication options comprising a target communication option, based on user input via the graphical user interface responsive to the presenting of the communication options, the selection thereby specifying the target communication option prior to initiation of the communication session;

in accordance with the target communication option being the audio-video hybrid, contacting the first set of the group of participants on a video channel and the second set of the group of participants on a voice channel; and

initiating the communication session according to the target communication option and the conferencing types associated with the respective sets of the group of participants,

wherein in accordance with the target communication option being the audio-video hybrid, an audio-video session is initiated using an IP multimedia subsystem, the IP multimedia subsystem being configured to facilitate services of circuit-switched and packet-switched systems;

wherein in accordance with the target communication option being audio-only, the communication session is initiated with the first set of the group of participants and with the second set of the group of participants as an audio-only communication session using the voice channel, and

wherein in accordance with the target communication option being video-only, the communication session is initiated with only the first set of the group of participants as a video-only communication session using the video channel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

recording a calendar event for the participants; and

detecting the calendar event,

wherein the retrieving further comprises retrieving from the address book the communication device identifier of each of the participants responsive to detecting the calendar event.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the address book is stored in the memory.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

retrieving presence information for each of the group of participants; and

identifying from the presence information a communication device for communicating with each of the group of participants.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a video camera for presenting video information via the video channel, wherein the graphical user interface is presented without utilizing presence information associated with the group of participants.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device corresponds to a tablet with a touch-sensitive display.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a base unit is communicatively coupled to the tablet by way of a cordless phone protocol and a wireless data protocol.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the base unit is communicatively coupled to a voice communication system and to a data communication system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the base unit provides voice over internet protocol and data communication services to the tablet.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the cordless phone protocol corresponds to a digital enhanced cordless telecommunications protocol, and wherein the wireless data protocol corresponds to a wireless fidelity protocol or a Bluetooth protocol.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device initiates the communication session over an internet protocol multimedia subsystem network.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions, wherein a processing system including a processor, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising:

presenting, at a first communication device, a graphical user interface comprising

a communication log identifying parties, wherein the communication log comprises a plurality of call logs including a dialed calls log and a received calls log, and

a selectable option for indicating selection of a plurality of parties to engage in a communication session;

obtaining, at a first communication device based on user input at the first communication device responsive to the presenting of the communication log, a selection of a group of participants for a communication session;

obtaining, at the first communication device based on user input at the first communication device responsive to the presenting of the selectable option, a signal indicating the selection of a plurality of parties to engage in the communication session;

determining from an address book a communication device identifier and a conferencing type for each participant, wherein the conferencing type indicates whether the participant can participate in video conferencing or audio-only conferencing, wherein the address book is distinct from the communication log, the group of participants being associated with a plurality of distinct conferencing types, wherein a first set of the group of participants is associated with video conferencing and a second set of the group of participants is associated with audio-only conferencing;

presenting, at the first communication device, a plurality of selectable communication options via the graphical user interface, the communication options comprising audio-only conferencing, video-only conferencing and audio-video hybrid conferencing;

receiving a selection of one of the communication options comprising a target communication option, based on user input responsive to the presenting of the communication options, the selection thereby specifying the target communication option prior to initiation of the communication session;

in accordance with the target communication option being the audio-video hybrid, contacting the first set of the group of participants on a video channel and the second set of the group of participants on a voice channel; and

initiating the communication session, according to the target communication option and the conferencing types associated with the respective sets of the group of participants,

wherein in accordance with the target communication option being the audio-video hybrid, an audio-video session is initiated using an IP multimedia subsystem, the IP multimedia subsystem being configured to facilitate services of circuit-switched and packet-switched systems;

wherein in accordance with the target communication option being audio-only, the communication session is initiated with the first set of the group of participants and with the second set of the group of participants as an audio-only communication session using the voice channel,

wherein in accordance with the target communication option being video-only, the communication session is initiated with only the first set of the group of participants as a video-only communication session using the video channel.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the audio-only conferencing operates according to a voice over internet protocol, and wherein the communication device identifier corresponds to an E.164 number or a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

recording a calendar event with the participants;

detecting the calendar event; and

retrieving from the address book the communication device identifier for each participant responsive to detecting the calendar event.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

retrieving presence information for each participant;

identifying from the presence information a communication device for communicating with each participant; and

retrieving from the address book the communication device identifier for each participant according to the communication device identified.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the selection is obtained without providing presence information at the first communication device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first communication device is a cordless phone, and wherein the operations further comprise communicating with the communication devices of the participants that utilize the audio-only conferencing by way of a base unit, and wherein the cordless phone and the base unit communicate according to a cordless phone protocol.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the cordless phone protocol corresponds to a digital enhanced cordless telecommunications protocol.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the communication session is established over a communication system comprising an internet protocol multimedia subsystem network.

20. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processing system including a processor of a first communication device, a conferencing type for communication devices for each of a plurality of participants, wherein the conferencing type indicates whether the participant can participate in video conferencing or audio-only conferencing;

presenting, by the processing system, a graphical user interface comprising

a communication log identifying the participants, wherein the communication log comprises a plurality of call logs including a dialed calls log and a received calls log, and

a selectable option for indicating selection of a plurality of target participants to engage in a communication session;

receiving, by the processing system based on user input at the first communication device responsive to the presenting of the communication log, a selection from the communication log of the target participants from among the participants;

receiving, by the processing system based on user input at the first communication device responsive to the presenting of the selectable option, a signal indicating the selection of a plurality of target participants to engage in the communication session;

determining, by the processing system, a communication device identifier for each target participant from an address book, wherein the address book is distinct from the communication log;

presenting, by the processing system, a list of the target participants and the conferencing type for each of the target participants, wherein the list includes a plurality of distinct conferencing types, wherein the list is distinct from the address book and from the communication log, wherein a first set of the target participants is associated with video conferencing and a second set of the target participants is associated with audio-only conferencing;

presenting, by the processing system, via the graphical user interface a plurality of selectable communication options comprising audio-only, video-only and audio-video hybrid;

receiving, by the processing system, a selection of one of the communication options comprising a target conferencing type, based on user input responsive to the presenting of the communication options, the selection thereby specifying the target conferencing type prior to initiation of the communication session;

in accordance with the target conferencing type being the audio-video hybrid, contacting, by the processing system, the first set of the target participants on a video channel and the second set of the target participants on a voice channel; and

initiating, by the processing system, the communication session, according to the target conferencing type and the communication device identifiers associated with the respective sets of the target participants,

wherein in accordance with the target conferencing type being the audio-video hybrid, an audio-video session is initiated using an IP multimedia subsystem, the IP multimedia subsystem being configured to facilitate services of circuit-switched and packet-switched systems;

wherein in accordance with the target conferencing type being audio-only, the communication session is initiated with the first set of the target participants and the second set of the target participants as an audio-only communication session using the voice channel, and

wherein in accordance with the target conferencing type being video-only, the communication session is initiated with only the first set of the target participants as a video-only communication session using the video channel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the method operates from a wireline phone or a mobile phone, and wherein the audio-only conferencing operates according to a voice over internet protocol.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising:

recording, by the processing system, a calendar event with the participants;

detecting, by the processing system, the calendar event; and

retrieving, by the processing system, from the address book a communication device identifier of each participant responsive to detecting the calendar event.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the conferencing type is determined from an address book accessible by the first communication device.