US 5,475,747 AGranted

Telephone terminal controlled conference inspection

AssigneeAT&T Corp.

InventorsBruce M. Bales, Ted M. Fidder, Donald D. Gallagher, Stephen M. Thieler

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A telephone terminal storing conferee identification information received from other telephone terminals on a conference call and responding to actuation of an inspect button to display the identification information of each conferee. As each new telephone terminal is added to the conference call, the new telephone terminal transmits its conferee identification information to the telephone terminals already on the conference call, and those telephone terminals automatically display the identification information of the new conferee. Also, the coordinator of the conference call is so designated when the coordinator's identification information is displayed on one of the telephone terminals.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method for identifying conferees of a telecommunication conference having a plurality of telephone terminals with only one of the telephone terminals controlling the conference, comprising the steps of:

entering the conference by each telephone terminal;
sending an identification by each telephone terminal upon entering the conference to the controlling telephone terminal;
transmitting by the controlling telephone terminal the identification received from each telephone terminal as each enters the conference to telephone terminals already on the conference;
storing the transmitted identification of each telephone terminal as each enters the conference by the telephone terminals already on the conference;
transmitting identifications of the telephone terminals already on the conference to each telephone terminal as each enters the conference;
storing the identification received from each telephone terminal as each enters the conference by the controlling telephone terminal;
storing by each of the telephone terminals as each enters the conference the identifications of telephone terminals already on the conference received from the controlling telephone terminal;
and
displaying the stored identifications by each telephone terminal in response to an act of a user of the telephone terminal.

6 more elements

A conference system for identifying conferees of a telecommunication conference having a plurality of telephone terminals with only one of the telephone terminals controlling the conference, comprising:

means for entering the conference by each telephone terminal;
means for sending an identification by each telephone terminal upon entering the conference to the controlling telephone terminal;
means for transmitting by the controlling telephone terminal the identification received from each telephone terminal as each enters the conference to telephone terminals already on the conference;
means in each of the telephone terminals already on the conference for storing the transmitted identification of each telephone terminal as each enters the conference;
means for transmitting identifications of the telephone terminals already on the conference to each telephone terminal as each enters the conference;
means for storing the identification received from each telephone terminal as each enters the conference by the controlling telephone terminal;
means for storing by each telephone terminal as each enters the conference the identifications of the telephone terminals already on the conference received from the controlling telephone terminal;
and
means for displaying the stored identifications by each telephone terminal in response to an act of a user of the telephone terminal.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/360,530Filed 21 Dec 1994 · continuation
Priority: 23 Dec 1992
Granted: 12 Dec 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04M 3/56
Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers: arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e.…
H04M 2201/38
Electronic components, circuits, software, systems or apparatus used in telephone systems: displays
H04M 2203/5054
Related to audio conference: meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
H04M
Telephonic communication