US 5,373,549 AGranted

Multi-level conference management and notification

AssigneeAT&T Corp.

InventorsBruce M. Bales, Robert L. Crumpley, Donald D. Gallagher, Stephen M. Thieler

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Abstract

A multi-level conference in which an originator of a telephone conference of the multi-level conference controls the parties that can be added to that conference and can terminate any party at any time. Further, if two existing telephone conferences are combined together to form the multi-level conference, the party that originated the combining of these two conference calls can control not only the parties on its conference call but can disconnect all of the parties on the second conference call. In addition, the control of the conference resides in the telephone terminals being utilized by the participants, rather than in a centralized service computer. Information concerning the conference and control of the conference is communicated between the telephone terminals utilizing the standard telecommunication communication control channel and does not require the establishment of a separate data call to a centralized service computer. In addition, the telephone terminals display the names and telephone numbers of parties on the multi-level conference and identifies parties controlling the individual conferences. In addition, when two conferences are combined together, each originator of a conference maintains control over their subconference and can independently separate that subconference from the other conference in a multi-level conference.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An apparatus for establishing and controlling a multi-level telecommunication conference between a plurality of telecommunication terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system, comprising:

means, in a first telecommunication terminal, for establishing a first telecommunication conference among a first subset of the telecommunication terminals including the first telecommunication terminal, via the telecommunication switching system and for controlling removal of any one of the telecommunication terminals from the first telecommunication conference;
means, in a second telecommunication terminal, for establishing a second telecommunication conference among a second subset of the telecommunication terminals including the second telecommunication terminal, via the telecommunication switching system, and for controlling removal of any one of the telecommunication terminals from the second telecommunication conference;
means, in the first telecommunication terminal, by communicating with the second telecommunication terminal, for forming a multi-level telecommunication conference to combine the second telecommunication conference and the first telecommunication conference via the telecommunication switching system;
means, in the first telecommunication terminal, for notifying each of the first subset of the telecommunication terminals of identities of users of the other ones of the first subset of the telecommunication terminals;
means, in the second telecommunication terminal, for notifying each of the second subset of the telecommunication terminals of identities of users of the other ones of the second subset of the telecommunication terminals;
the notifying means, in the second telecommunication terminal, further notifying the first telecommunication terminal of the identities of users of the second telecommunication conference;
and
the notifying means, in first telecommunication terminal, further notifying the other ones of the first subset of the telecommunication terminals of the identities of users of the second telecommunication conference.

5 more elements

A method for establishing and controlling a multi-level telecommunication conference between a plurality of telecommunication terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing, by a first telecommunication terminal, a first telecommunication conference among a first subset of the telecommunication terminals including the first telecommunication terminal, via the telecommunication switching system, and controlling removal of any one of the telecommunication terminals of the first subset of the telecommunication terminals;
establishing, by a second telecommunication terminal, a second telecommunication conference among a second subset of the telecommunication terminals including the second telecommunication terminal, via the telecommunication switching system, and controlling removal of any one of the telecommunication terminals of the second subset of the telecommunication terminals;
forming, by the first telecommunication terminal, by communicating with the second telecommunication terminal, a multi-level telecommunication conference to combine the second telecommunication conference and the first telecommunication conference via the telecommunication switching system;
notifying, by the first telecommunication terminal, each of the first subset of the telecommunication terminals of identities of users of the other ones of the first subset of the telecommunication terminals;
notifying, by the second telecommunication terminal, each of the second subset of the telecommunication terminals of identities of users of the other ones of the second subset of the telecommunication terminals;
the notifying step, by the second telecommunication terminal, further notifies the first telecommunication terminal of the identities of users of the second telecommunication conference;
and
the notifying step, by the first telecommunication terminal, further notifies the other ones of the first subset of the telecommunication terminals of the identities of users of the second telecommunication conference.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/996,348Filed 23 Dec 1992
Granted: 13 Dec 1994
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04N 7/152
Conference systems: multipoint control units therefor
H04M 3/56
Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers: arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e.…
H04M 3/564
User guidance or feature selection: whereby the feature is a sub-conference
H04M 3/567
Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities: multimedia conference systems