IP conference call waiting

• US 6,816,469 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kung, Fen-Chung, Walker, Hopeton, Wang, Spencer
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, CHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US09/475,142
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 370/399, 370/260-263, 379/215.01, 379/142.07, 379/93.035, 379/88.13, 379/207.01, 379/202.01, 379/205.01, 379/93.35, 709/204, 709/227-231
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1315 Call waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

An Internet Protocol Telephony Network and public switched telephone network that allows one or more call waiting callers to dynamically join in an existing and to establish a multiple-party conference call including the call waiting call. A call waiting call may also be added to an existing conference call.

Claims

1. In a telephony network, a method for establishing a conference call, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first call between a first party and a second party;

receiving a first request from a third party to provide a call waiting call between the third party and the first party;

receiving a second request from the first party to establish the call waiting call between the third party and the first party;

placing the second party on hold in response to the second request;

establishing the call waiting call between the third party and the first party in response to the second request; and

converting the first call and the call waiting call into a conference call such that the conference call includes the first party, the second party, and the third party,

wherein the step of placing the second party on hold includes requesting the second party to stop sending data to the first party,

wherein the step of converting includes polling at least one network conference server configured to provide multiparty conference calls in order to locate a conference server with available conferencing resources and providing said conference call via said located conference server by directing data packets associated with the first party, the second party, and the third party to said located conference server whereby said located conference server multiplexes said data packets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one of voice data and video data.