Method for authomatically setting up and/or controlling a telecommunication conference

• US 20070097886A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Schmidt, Holger, Schwagmann, Norbert, Schmidt, Andreas, Benthin, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A conference condition file is used to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met, which indicates a condition regarding a participant'"'"'s setup of and/or participation in the telecommunication conference. If at least one condition is met then the conference is set up or the participant is added to the conference.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method for automatically setting up and/or controlling a telecommunication conference with a plurality of participants, where an electronic conference condition file stores at least one user-defined conference condition for setting up the telecommunication conference and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference, the method comprising the steps of:

using the conference condition file to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met; and

if at least one stored conference condition is met, then setting up the telecommunication conference and/or adding the participant(s) to the telecommunication conference.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method is used in an Internet-based landline telecommunication conference, or in a cell-based mobile radio telecommunication conference.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method is used in a UMTS mobile radio telecommunication conference.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method is used in a Push-to-Talk over Cellular mobile radio telecommunication conference of a type selected from the group consisting of an ad-hoc mobile radio telecommunication conference, a prearranged mobile radio telecommunication conference, and a chat mobile radio telecommunication conference.

20. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the conference condition file is stored in a participant terminal belonging to a participant.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting status information about the telecommunication conference to a participant terminal; and

performing the check by the participant terminal using the received status information.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the step of transmitting status information about the telecommunication conference to a participant terminal when a prescribed event occurs.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the step of transmitting status information about the telecommunication conference to a participant terminal when a change of status in the telecommunication conference occurs.

24. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the step of storing the conference condition file in a telecommunication conference server device.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

performing a check for a plurality of telecommunication conference requests received from the telecommunication conference server device to determine whether the telecommunication conference requests meet the conference condition; and

if the telecommunication conference requests do meet the conference condition, then setting up the telecommunication conference and/or adding the participant or participants to the telecommunication conference.

26. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the conference condition taken into account is one or more of the following conference conditions:

a minimum number and/or a maximum number of participants with an interest in taking part in the telecommunication conference;

an identity of participants with an interest in taking part in the telecommunication conference;

a time at which a telecommunication conference is set up;

a time at which a telecommunication conference is terminated;

a duration of a telecommunication conference;

the content of a telecommunication conference; and

the proportion of time spent talking and/or the frequency with which a participant authorized to speak changes.

27. A telecommunication conference terminal, comprising:

a telecommunication conference unit which is set up to communicate with other telecommunication conference terminals and/or with a telecommunication conference server device in a telecommunication conference;

a memory for storing an electronic conference condition file, which contains at least one user-defined conference condition for setting up the telecommunication conference and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference;

a telecommunication conference checking unit which is coupled to the memory and which is set up to use the conference condition file to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met; and

a telecommunication conference message generator unit which is set up such that if the telecommunication conference message generator unit receives from the telecommunication conference checking unit a piece of information indicating that at least one stored conference condition is met, then the telecommunication conference message generator unit generates a conference setup request message, which is used to request that a telecommunication conference be set up, or a conference joining message, which is used to notify that the telecommunication conference terminal is joining the telecommunication conference.

28. A telecommunication conference server device comprising:

a telecommunication conference unit which is set up to communicate with telecommunication conference terminals and/or with one or more other telecommunication conference server devices in a telecommunication conference;

a memory for storing an electronic conference condition file which contains at least one user-defined conference condition for setting up the telecommunication conference and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference;

a telecommunication conference checking unit which is coupled to the memory and which is set up to use the conference condition file to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met; and

a telecommunication conference setup/control unit which is set up such that if at least one stored conference condition is met, then the telecommunication conference setup/control unit sets up the telecommunication conference and/or adds a participant or a plurality of participants to the telecommunication conference.

29. A computer program having a program code for performing the method for automatically setting up and/or controlling a telecommunication conference with a plurality of participants, where an electronic conference condition file stores at least one user-defined conference condition for setting up the telecommunication conference and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference, comprising the steps of:

using the conference condition file to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met; and

if at least one stored conference condition is met, then setting up the telecommunication conference and/or adding the participant(s) to the telecommunication conference,

when the computer program runs on a computer.

30. A telecommunication conference terminal, comprising:

a telecommunication conference means for communicating with other telecommunication conference terminals and/or with a telecommunication conference server means in a telecommunication conference;

a memory means for storing an electronic conference condition file, which contains at least one user-defined conference condition for setting up the telecommunication conference and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference;

a telecommunication conference checking means, which is coupled to the memory, for using the conference condition file to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met; and

a telecommunication conference message generating means, which if the telecommunication conference message generating means receives from the telecommunication conference checking means a piece of information indicating that at least one stored conference condition is met, for generating a conference setup request message, which is used to request that a telecommunication conference be set up, or a conference joining message, which is used to notify that the telecommunication conference terminal is joining the telecommunication conference.

31. A telecommunication conference server device comprising:

a telecommunication conference means for communicating with telecommunication conference terminals and/or with one or more other telecommunication conference server means in a telecommunication conference;

a memory means for storing an electronic conference condition file which contains at least one user-defined conference condition for setting up the telecommunication conference and/or for participation by one or more participants in the telecommunication conference;

a telecommunication conference checking means, which is coupled to the memory, for using the conference condition file to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met; and

a telecommunication conference setup/control means, which if at least one stored conference condition is met, for setting up the telecommunication conference and/or adding a participant or a plurality of participants to the telecommunication conference.