Method and system for establishing a teleconference over a telephony network

• US 7,277,697 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aawaaz Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kirusa Inc.
• Inventors: Kuwadekar, Sanjeev, Desai, Adesh, Sodhi, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US10/852,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20050014490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 455/416, 455/415, 379/205.01, 379/202.01, 379/202.1, 709/204, 370260-261, 370/257, 704/246, 704/251, 715/751
• US Class Current: 455/416
• 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 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• 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 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects

Abstract

A teleconference system and method in which an initiator of a teleconference sends a request or instructions to the teleconference server. The teleconference server communicates with the intended participants using basic communication tools that are generally compatible regardless of the network that the participant is subscribed to. The teleconference server stores the information, creates and sends a teleconference notification message to the intended participant that she has been invited to a teleconference. The notification message includes a unique access address associated with the teleconference, at which the participant can access to join the teleconference at the prescribed time. Different unique access addresses are associated with different teleconferences.

Claims

1. A method for an initiator to establish a teleconference and sending a notification to a plurality of participants comprising the steps:

said initiator contacting the teleconference server to establish the teleconference with the plurality of participants;

said teleconference server performing mode conversion at notification, wherein text is converted to voice when the mode of input by the initiator is text and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is voice, and wherein voice is converted to text when the mode of input at the initiator'"'"'s device is voice and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is text;

said teleconference server associating said teleconference with a unique access address and associating said unique access address with a notification message;

performing presence management to determine if said participant is present with a particular participant device, wherein the teleconference server sends the notification message to the plurality of participant devices when said presence management determines that said participant'"'"'s devices are present with the respective participants;

said plurality of participants accessing said unique access address to participate in said teleconference, wherein the unique access number used by each participant for participating in the conference is the unique access address of said teleconference;

said teleconference server identifying the unique access address used by each participant; and

said teleconference server routing each participant to the teleconference corresponding to the unique access address identified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said unique access address comprises at least one of a phone number and a web address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification message is sent within at least one of a text message, a voice message and an electronic mail when said participant device is present with said participant, wherein the presence of the participant device with the participant is determined by presence management.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the participants access the unique access address using a different device used to receive the notification message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the initiator contacts the teleconference server over a communication network subscribed by the initiator, and the teleconference server sends the notification message to the plurality of participants over at least one different network subscribed by at least one of the participants.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein more than one teleconference are established by the teleconference server, and wherein a different unique access address is associated with a different teleconference.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of said teleconference server identifying the unique access address comprises the steps of:

teleconference server determining a dialed access phone number with a dialed number identification service (DNIS); and

teleconference server determining a teleconference associated with said dialed access phone number.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of said plurality of participants accessing said unique access address comprises the steps of authenticating each participant.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of the initiator designating a device address for each participant to which the notification message, and the step of authenticating each participant includes the step of determining the respective participant'"'"'s device address.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the initiator has an initiator cellular device and at least one of the participants has a participant cellular device, and wherein the initiator contacts said teleconference server using the initiator cellular device, and said at least one of the participants accesses the unique access address to participate in the teleconference using the participant cellular device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification message is sent via text messaging to the participant cellular device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification message contains a unique access phone number associated with said teleconference, said unique access phone number is not visible to the participant, but is associated with a menu prompt, and wherein the unique access phone number is dialed on selection of a specified button on said menu prompt.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein participants communicate with the server via a plurality of modes of input, including text inputs, voice commands, dual tone multi frequency inputs via a phone handset, and web based interface.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the teleconference initiator provides notification redundancy by sending notifications to a plurality of devices of an intended participant, if the intended participant has a plurality of devices.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein once the participant joins the teleconference, or after the teleconference has concluded, a cancellation message is sent to all the participant devices that earlier received the notification message, in order to avoid the inconvenience of attempting to access a teleconference that has already concluded.

22. The method of claim 5, wherein said initiator may speak the name of a participant and the teleconference server identifies the participant'"'"'s contact information using a voice recognition unit.

12. A system for establishing a teleconference requested by an initiator with respect to between a plurality of participants, comprising:

a teleconference server;

a communication network for teleconferencing initiated by said initiator with respect to said plurality of participants;

said teleconference server receiving the initiator request and associating said teleconference with a unique access address, and associating said unique access address with a notification message wherein the unique access address used by each participant to participate in the conference is the unique access address of said teleconference;

said teleconference server determining if said participant is present with a particular participant device, wherein the presence of the participant with the participant device is determined by presence management and sending the notification message to the plurality of those participants devices when the participant'"'"'s devices are present with the respective participants;

said teleconference server performing mode conversion at notification, wherein text is converted to voice when the mode of input by the initiator is text and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is voice, and wherein voice is converted to text when the mode of input at the initiator'"'"'s device is voice and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is text;

said teleconference server providing access by the plurality of participants using said unique access address to participate in said teleconference,

said teleconference server identifying the unique access address used by each participant; and

said teleconference server routing each participant to the teleconference corresponding to the unique access address identified.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said network comprises at least one of a cellular network, a wide area network, a telephony network, an IP network and a data network.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the teleconference may be established using a web interface, and the interface is used to send notification messages to the participants.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein the notification message sent to participants is a voice message, and wherein a voice menu is offered to said participant on receiving said voice notification and a voice response or dual tone multi frequency responses can be used to interact with the voice menu.

25. The method of claim 12, wherein said teleconference server comprises of a plurality of servers interconnected via a communication network for participants to access the teleconference globally and wherein a participant residing in another country receiver a notification message from the initiator, and said participant can join the teleconference at the prescribed time via a locally located server.

14. A computer readable medium for encoding a computer program to establish a teleconference requested by an initiator with respect to a plurality of participants, comprising:

a first program module for receiving said request for the teleconference from the initiator;

a second program module for associating said teleconference with a unique access address, and associating said unique access address with a notification message;

a third program module for determining if said participant is present with a particular participant device, wherein the presence of the participant with the participant device is determined by presence management and sending the notification message to the plurality of participants, when said participant is present with a particular participant device;

a fourth program module performing mode conversion at notification, wherein text is converted to voice when the mode of input by the initiator is text and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is voice, and wherein voice is converted to text when the mode of input at the initiator'"'"'s device is voice and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is text;

a fifth program module for sending the said notification message to the said plurality of participants;

a sixth program module for providing access to said the plurality of participants using said unique access address to participate in said teleconference wherein the unique access address used by each participant for participating in the conference is the unique access address of said teleconference;

a seventh program module for identifying the unique access address used by each participant; and

an eighth program module routing each participant to the teleconference corresponding to the unique address identified.

15. A method for an initiator to establish a teleconference and sending notification to a plurality of participants comprising the steps:

said initiator contacting the teleconference server to establish the teleconference with the plurality of participants;

said teleconference server performing mode conversion at notification, wherein text is converted to voice when the mode of input by the initiator is text and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is voice, and wherein voice is converted to text when the mode of input at the initiator'"'"'s device is voice and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is text;

said teleconference server associating said teleconference with a different unique access address for each participant and associating each said unique access address with a notification message, wherein different unique access addresses are assigned for different participants of the same teleconference;

performing presence management to determine if said participant is present with a particular participant device wherein the teleconference server sends the notification message to the plurality of participant devices when said presence management determines that said participant'"'"'s devices are present with the respective participants;

said plurality of participants accessing said unique access address to participate in said teleconference;

said teleconference server identifying the unique access address used by each participant; and

said teleconference server routing each participant to the teleconference corresponding to the unique access address identified.

16. A system for establishing a teleconference requested by an initiator with respect to between a plurality of participants, comprising:

a teleconference server receiving the initiator request and associating said teleconference with a different unique access address for each participant and associating each said unique access address with a notification message, wherein different unique access addresses are assigned for different participants of the same teleconference;

said teleconference server determining if said participant is present with a particular participant device, wherein the presence of the participant with the participant device is determined by presence management and sending the notification message to the plurality of those participants devices when the participant'"'"'s devices are present with the respective participants;

said teleconference server performing mode conversion at notification, wherein text is converted to voice when the mode of input by the initiator is text and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is voice, and wherein voice is converted to text when the mode of input at the initiator'"'"'s device is voice and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is text;

said teleconference server providing access by said plurality of participants using the participant'"'"'s unique access address to participate in said teleconference,

said teleconference server identifying the unique access address used by each participant; and

said teleconference server routing each participant to the teleconference corresponding to the unique access address identified.

17. A computer readable medium for encoding a computer program to establish a teleconference requested by an initiator with respect to a plurality of participants, comprising of:

a first program module for receiving said request for the teleconference from the initiator;

a second program module for associating said teleconference with a different unique access address for each participant and associating each said unique access address with a notification message, wherein different unique access addresses are assigned for different participants of the same teleconference;

a third program module for determining if said participant is present with a particular participant device, wherein the presence of the participant with the participant device is determined by presence management and sending the notification message to the plurality of participants, when said participant is present with a particular participant device;

a fourth program module performing mode conversion at notification, wherein text is converted to voice when the mode of input by the initiator is text and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is voice, and wherein voice is converted to text when the mode of input at the initiator'"'"'s device is voice and the mode of reception at the participant'"'"'s device is text;

a fifth program module for sending said notification message to the plurality of participants;

a sixth program module for providing access to the plurality of participants using their unique access addresses to participate in said teleconference;

a seventh program module identifying the unique access address used by each participant; and

an eighth program module routing each participants to the teleconference corresponding to the unique address identified.