Method and apparatus for providing conference call announcement using SIP signalling in a communication system

A system, comprising a conference server (14) functioning as a signalling node for enabling a conference call and also including a group server (15) for holding and making accessible group documents indicating members of a group, wherein the conference server (14), upon receiving a communication prefatory to a call setup communication (E1a E2a E3a E4a) and including either a group document or a reference to a group document, provides a call setup communication (E1a E3a E4a) including either the group document or the reference to a group document.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor in a caller terminal (12) in setting up a conference call for a voice call or messaging session to a callee terminal (16), the caller terminal (12) subscribed to a component of a communication network including a conference server (14) functioning as a signaling node for the conference call, the communication system (15) using session initiation protocol (SIP) signalling for call set up, with said computer program code comprising:
• computer program code for causing the computer processor of the caller terminal (12) to perform a step (E1a E2a E3a E4a) in which the caller terminal (12) provides according to SIP signalling a call setup communication to the callee terminal (16) either via the conference server (14) or directly;
• the computer program code characterized in that in the step (E1a E2a E3a E4a) in which the caller terminal (12) signals to the callee terminal (16) the call setup communication, the caller terminal (12) includes in the call setup communication an indication that the call being set up is a conference call and also includes in the call setup communication either a group document indicating possible participants in the conference call or a reference to the group document.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor in a conference server (14) in communication with a caller terminal (12) setting up a conference call for a voice call or messaging session to a callee terminal (16), the caller terminal (12) subscribed to a component of a communication network including the conference server (14), the conference server (14) functioning as a signaling node for the conference call, the communication system (15) using session initiation protocol (SIP) signalling for call set up, with said computer program code comprising:
• computer program code for causing the computer processor of the conference server (14) to perform a step (E1a E3a E4a) in which the conference server (14) provides according to SIP signalling a call setup communication to the callee terminal (16);
• the computer program code characterized in that in the step (E1a E3a E4a) in which the conference server (14) signals to the callee terminal (16) the call setup communication, the conference server (14) includes in the call setup communication an indication that the call being set up is a conference call and also includes in the call setup communication either a group document indicating possible participants in the conference call or a reference to the group document.