Collaboration conference linking in a telecommunications network

• US 9,716,860 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Broadworth, Andrew James, Ellison, Gregory Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Zenati, Amal
• Application Number:
  US13/971,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20130335513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1409
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5045 Selection of bridge/multipoint control unit network arrangements for computer conference optimisation H04L12/1827
• 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 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for linking a plurality of conferences that are occurring on separate conference bridges. In one embodiment, the network is configured to determine when two or more related conferences are occurring on separate conference bridges. Related conferences may be any two conferences that share the same attribute. For example, two conferences may be initiated on separate conference bridges under the same account number for a user of the system. When the related conferences are detected, the network links the two conferences through the network such that participants in both conferences may now interact as if in a single collaboration conference. The linking allows the network to combine related conferences without the need to disconnect anyone conference from a conference bridge.

Claims

1. A telecommunications network comprising:

a plurality of conference bridges; and

at least one routing device configured to;

detect on-going related conferences having a common account number and hosted on at least two of the plurality of conference bridges, the related conferences comprising a first conference hosted on a first conference bridge with at least one first conference participant and a second conference hosted on a second conference bridge with at least one second conference participant; and

link the first conference and the second conference, wherein linking the first conference and the second conference comprises establishing the first conference as a participant of the second conference.

2. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the at least one routing device is further configured to:

transmit a dial-out command to the first conference bridge, the dial-out command comprising an indication of the second conference hosted on the second conference bridge and an instruction to connect to the second conference bridge.

3. The telecommunications network of claim 2 wherein the at least one routing device is further configured to:

receive a connection request from the first conference bridge in response to the dial-out command configured to connect the first conference as a second conference participant on the second conference.

4. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the first conference and the second conference are related by a user'"'"'s account number that is utilized to establish the first conference and the second conference.

5. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the first conference comprises an audio portion of a conference and the second conference comprises an interactive portion of a conference.

6. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the first conference bridge and the second conference bridge are geographically separated.

7. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the at least one routing device is further configured to:

receive information associated with the first conference and the second conference, wherein the information comprises at least a user account number used to establish the first conference and the second conference; and

stored the received information in a database.

8. The telecommunications network of claim 7 wherein the at least one routing device is further configured to:

access the information in the database associated with the first conference and the second conference to determine if the first conference and the second conference are related.

9. A method for managing one or more collaboration conferences in a telecommunications network comprising:

monitoring a plurality of collaboration conferences hosted on a plurality of conference bridges;

detecting at least two on-going related conferences having a common account number and hosted on at least two separate conference bridges of the plurality of conference bridges, the at least two related conferences comprising a first conference hosted on a first conference bridge with at least one first conference participant and a second conference hosted on a second conference bridge with at least one second conference participant; and

linking the first conference and the second conference, wherein linking the first conference and the second conference comprises establishing the first conference as a participant of the second conference.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

transmitting a dial-out command to the first conference bridge over the telecommunications network from a routing device, the dial-out command comprising an identifier that is associated with the second conference hosted on the second conference bridge.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving, from the first conference bridge, a request to connect to the second conference hosted on the second conference bridge; and

connecting the first conference to as a participant of the second conference on the second conference bridge.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving information associated with the first conference and the second conference, wherein the information comprises at least a user account number used to establish the first conference and the second conference; and

storing the received information in a database.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the monitoring operation comprises:

accessing the stored information in the database associated with the first conference and the second conference to determine if the first conference and the second conference are related.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first conference and the second conference are related by a user'"'"'s account number that is utilized to establish the first conference and the second conference.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the first conference comprises an audio portion of a conference and the second conference comprises an interactive portion of a conference.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the first conference bridge and the second conference bridge are geographically separated.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the first conference bridge suffers a malfunction prior to linking of the first conference and the second conference, wherein the malfunction operates to create the second conference on the second conference bridge with the at least one second conference participant.