US 2010/0061538 A1 · Methods and Systems for Calling Conference Participants to Establish a Conference Call

Abstract

A conference call system comprising at least a gateway, a conference reservation agent and a multiport conference unit, can establish conference calls by calling conference call participants at a phone number specified by the conference call participants. When a user initiates a conference, an identifier is assigned to the conference and a URL referencing this identifier is transmitted to each conference participant. Upon clicking the URL, conference participants are presented with a web-form within which the participants can entered a preferred phone number and further join the conference. The multiport conference unit receives each participant phone number and calls the participants at that phone number. Upon establishing a telecommunication connection with each participant, the multiport conference unit bridges the multiple call legs to establish the conference call.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for generating a conference call bridge by calling conference participants using at least one multiport conference unit, the method comprising:

receiving, by a gateway device of a conference call system comprising at least one multiport conference unit, from each of a plurality of conference participants, call information comprising a phone number specified by each conference participant;
calling from the at least one multiport conference unit to each conference participant at the phone number specified by each conference participant;
and
establishing, by the multiport conference unit, a conference call bridge responsive to receiving at least two call acceptance acknowledgements from at least two conference participants, the conference call bridge comprising a communication connection between the conference call bridge and communication devices of the at least two conference participants.

1 more element

A method for responding to a request to initiate a conference call, the method comprising:

receiving, by a conference call system comprising a gateway device and at least one multiport conference unit, a request from a user to initiate a conference;
generating, by the conference call system, a uniform resource locator (URL) comprising a conference identifier representing a conference generated responsive to receiving the request;
transmitting, by the gateway, the URL to a plurality of conference participants identified by the user;
receiving, by the gateway device, a notification indicating at least one conference participant selected the URL;
and
requesting, by the gateway device responsive to receiving the notification, a phone number from the at least one conference participant, the phone number used by the at least one multiport conference unit to call the at least one conference participant to establish a conference call bridge.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and Systems for Calling Conference Participants to Establish a Conference Call

Life of this patent

Methods and Systems for Calling Conference Participants to Establish a Conference Call

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20