Method and apparatus for controlling conference calls

A method of establishing and controlling a conference and subconferences so as to reduce telecommunication costs by a conference manager, comprising the steps of:

• adding a first telecommunication terminal into the conference on a local switch directly controlled by the conference manager in response to an incoming telecommunication call upon the first telecommunication terminal being located with the local switch;
• adding a first remote telecommunication terminal geographically located with a first remote switch into the conference on the local switch by the conference manager in response to a second incoming telecommunication call from the first remote telecommunication terminal upon the first remote telecommunication terminal being the only remote telecommunication terminal geographically located with the first remote switch in the conference;
• requesting by the conference manager that a first remote conference manager on the first remote switch form a first subconference on the first remote switch with the first remote telecommunication terminal and a second remote telecommunication terminal and extend the first subconference to the conference in response to a third incoming telecommunication call from the second remote telecommunication terminal upon the second remote telecommunication terminal being geographically located with the first remote switch;
• adding a third remote telecommunication terminal located with a second remote switch into the conference on the local switch by the conference manager in response to a fourth incoming telecommunication call from the third remote telecommunication terminal upon the third remote telecommunication terminal being the only remote telecommunication terminal geographically located with the second remote switch in the conference;
• requesting by the conference manager that a second remote conference manager on the second remote switch form a second subconference on the second remote switch with the third remote telecommunication terminal and a fourth remote telecommunication terminal and extend the second subconference to the conference in response to a fifth incoming telecommunication call from the fourth remote telecommunication terminal upon the fifth remote telecommunication terminal being geographically located with the second remote switch;
• and
• requesting by the conference manager that the first and second remote conference managers extend the second subconference to the first subconference in response to a determination by conference manager that communication cost will be lowered.

A method of pre-arranging a conference for a plurality of telecommunication terminals so as to reduce telecommunication costs by a conference arranger wherein each of the plurality of telecommunication terminals is associated with a data terminal, comprising the steps of:

• receiving from a data terminal associated with one of the plurality of telecommunication terminals a request to arrange a conference wherein the request includes the identity of data terminals to be contacted and a approximate time for the conference;
• contacting the identified data terminals to determine a time for the conference using the approximate time and identity of each of the telecommunication terminals associated with the identified data terminals to determine a time of the conference;
• determining assignments of the plurality of telecommunication terminals to the conference and subconferences and interconnection of subconferences to minimize telecommunication cost;
• communicating to a conference manager controlling the conference the time of the conference and identity of ones of the plurality of telecommunication terminals to be directly connected to the conference;
• and
• communicating to each conference manager controlling each subconference the identity of each of a set of the plurality of telecommunication terminals assigned to each subconference and the time of the conference.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for establishing and controlling a conference and subconferences for a plurality of telecommunication terminals so as to reduce telecommunication costs by a conference manager, comprising computer-executable instructions configured for:

• establishing the conference on a local switch by the conference manager;
• adding each telecommunication terminal into the conference upon each telecommunication terminal requesting addition and being geographically located with the local switch;
• adding each telecommunication terminal into the conference by the conference manager upon each telecommunication terminal requesting addition and being geographically remote from the local switch but being the only telecommunication terminal in its geographically location;
• requesting by the conference manager that each remote conference manager establish a subconference between each first set of telecommunication terminals in the conference and geographically located with each remote conference manager and extend each of subconferences to the conference;
• adding each telecommunication terminal requesting addition and being geographically remote from the local switch into a subconference geographically located with each telecommunication terminal;
• and
• requesting by the conference manager that a first and second remote conference manager extend a first subconference controlled by the first remote conference manager to the second subconference controlled by the second remote conference manager.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for pre-arranging a conference for a plurality of telecommunication terminals so as to reduce telecommunication costs by a conference arranger wherein each of the plurality of telecommunication terminals is associated with a data terminal, comprising computer-executable instructions configured for:

• receiving from a data terminal associated with one of the plurality of telecommunication terminals a request to arrange a conference wherein the request includes the identity of data terminals to be contacted and a approximate time for the conference;
• contacting the identified data terminals to determine a time for the conference using the approximate time and identity of each of the telecommunication terminals associated with the identified data terminals to determine a time of the conference;
• determining assignments of the plurality of telecommunication terminals to the conference and subconferences and interconnection of subconferences to minimize telecommunication cost;
• communicating to a conference manager controlling the conference the time of the conference and identity of ones of the plurality of telecommunication terminals to be directly connected to the conference;
• and
• communicating to each conference manager controlling each subconference the identity of each of a set of the plurality of telecommunication terminals assigned to each subconference and the time of the conference.