Variable communication bandwidth for conference call initiation

A method for establishing a conference call so that the conference call is fully established upon all parties to the conference call being ready to fully participate in the conference call, and the conference call is established on a switching system having a plurality of switch nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a limited telecommunication bandwidth conference call with a set of the plurality of switch nodes that are each connected to a one of telecommunication terminals designated to participate in the conference call by an initiating one of the plurality switch nodes that interconnects to an initiating telecommunication terminal;
• receiving a first message by the initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes from each of the set of the plurality of switch nodes when each of the set of the plurality of switch nodes is ready to fully participate in the conference call;
• and
• adjusting the telecommunication bandwidth of the conference call to allow full participation in the conference call by all telecommunication terminals by transmission of a second message to each of the set of the plurality of switch nodes for changing the telecommunication bandwidth by the initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes after all of the set of the plurality of switch nodes have transmitted the first message.

A method for initiating a three-way conference call, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing a first call with a first telecommunication terminal on hold by a second telecommunication terminal;
• setting up a second call to a third telecommunication terminal by the second telecommunication terminal;
• reducing communication bandwidth of the second call and establishing a conference call from the first and second calls by the second telecommunication terminal upon the third telecommunication terminal being unable to participate fully in the conference call;
• increasing the communication bandwidth to the third telecommunication terminal to allow full participation upon receipt of a first message from the third telecommunication terminal requesting full participation.

A method for initiating a three-way conference call and the conference call is established on a switching system having a plurality of switch nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing a first call between a first telecommunication terminal and a second telecommunication terminal on hold by an initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes to which the second telecommunication terminal is connected;
• setting up a second call to a destination one of the plurality of switch nodes connected to a third telecommunication terminal by the initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes;
• reducing communication bandwidth of the second call and establishing a conference call from the first and second calls by the initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes upon the third telecommunication terminal being unable to participate fully in the conference call;
• increasing the communication bandwidth to the destination one of the plurality of switch nodes to allow full participation upon receipt of a first message from the destination one of the plurality of switch nodes that the third telecommunication terminal is requesting full participation.

An apparatus for establishing a conference call so that the conference call is fully established upon all parties to the conference call being ready to fully participate in the conference call, comprising:

• means in an initiating telecommunication terminal for establishing a limited telecommunication bandwidth conference call to all designated telecommunication terminals;
• means in the initiating telecommunication terminal for receiving a first message from each of the designated telecommunication terminals when each of the designated telecommunication terminals is ready to fully participate in the conference call;
• and
• means in the initiating telecommunication terminal for adjusting the telecommunication bandwidth of the conference call to allow full participation in the conference call by all telecommunication terminals by transmission of a second message to each of the designated telecommunication terminals for changing the telecommunication bandwidth after all of the designated telecommunication terminals have transmitted the first message.

An apparatus for establishing a conference call so that the conference call is fully established upon all parties to the conference call being ready to fully participate in the conference call, and the conference call is established on a switching system having a plurality of switch nodes, comprising:

• means in an initiating one of the plurality switch nodes for establishing a limited telecommunication bandwidth conference call with a set of the plurality of switch nodes that are each connected to a one of telecommunication terminals designated to participate in the conference call that interconnects to the initiating telecommunication terminal;
• means in the initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes for receiving a first message from each of the set of the plurality of switch nodes when each of the set of the plurality of switch nodes is ready to fully participate in the conference call;
• and
• means in the initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes for adjusting the telecommunication bandwidth of the conference call to allow full participation in the conference call by all telecommunication terminals by transmission of a second message to each of the set of the plurality of switch nodes for changing the telecommunication bandwidth after all of the set of the plurality of switch nodes have transmitted the first message.

An apparatus for initiating a three-way conference call, comprising:

• means in a second telecommunication terminal for placing a first call with a first telecommunication terminal on hold;
• means in the second telecommunication terminal for setting up a second call to a third telecommunication terminal;
• means in the second telecommunication terminal for reducing communication bandwidth of the second call and establishing a conference call from the first and second calls upon the third telecommunication terminal being unable to participate fully in the conference call;
• means in the second telecommunication terminal for increasing the communication bandwidth to the third telecommunication terminal to allow full participation upon receipt of a first message from the third telecommunication terminal requesting full participation.

An apparatus for initiating a three-way conference call and the conference call is established on a switching system having a plurality of switch nodes, comprising:

• means in an initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes to which a second telecommunication terminal is connected for placing a first call between a first telecommunication terminal and the second telecommunication terminal on hold;
• means for setting up a second call to a destination one of the plurality of switch nodes connected to a third telecommunication terminal;
• means in an initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes for reducing communication bandwidth of the second call and establishing a conference call from the first and second calls upon the third telecommunication terminal being unable to participate fully in the conference call;
• means in an initiating one of the plurality of switch nodes for increasing the communication bandwidth to the destination one of the plurality of switch nodes to allow full participation upon receipt of a first message from the destination one of the plurality of switch nodes that the third telecommunication terminal is requesting full participation.