Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STORAGE AND USE OF SUBSTITUTE DIAL-IN NUMBERS FOR MOBILE
CONFERENCING APPLICATION
Field
[001] The disclosed embodiments are directed to systems and methods for
facilitating
a conference call. The embodiments are directed to enabling access to
teleconference sessions for
users.
Background
[002] Conference calling (or "teleconferencing") enables users to conduct a
meeting at
the same time, without having to come together in the same physical location.
Typically,
potential users who will participate in the teleconference will receive a dial-
in number that
allows the users to join the conference. After dialing the conference-call
dial-in number, the
users may be required to enter an access code and/or a pass code. Upon
validation of these codes,
the users will be connected to the call. The users can then all speak to one
another.
[003] Teleconferences can be useful for "road warriors" - those employees who
are
constantly traveling on behalf of their company and connect with their fellow
employees or
clients using their mobile device. Invitations to participate in a
teleconference can come via
electronic mail to their phones, and a reminder of the teleconference can be
scheduled to pop up
on the user's phone when the teleconference is about to begin. On some phones,
a button reading
"Join Now" or "Dial Now" may be displayed to the user. By extracting the dial-
in number, the
phone can facilitate joining the teleconference by automatically dialing the
dial-in number and/or
the pass code when the user presses the button.
[004] A problem arises when a teleconference provider does not provide an
appropriate dial-in number. For example, this can happen when users travel
abroad with their
mobile devices, but are required or requested to participate in a
teleconference. An electronic
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mail message can arrive requesting their attendance in the teleconference, but
the message only
provides a dial-in number that is local to the device's home country or the
home country of the
sender of the mail message. Calling that number while overseas could subject
the user to high
- overage fees, roaming charges, and exorbitant per-minute charges. For
example, a user who
normally lives in Canada, but currently is in Brazil on business, may not want
to participate in a
teleconference by dialing a Canadian telephone number by pressing the "Join
Now" button,
because of the high long-distance and roaming fees that would likely result
from calling a
Canadian number while in Brazil.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[005] Fig. 1 shows, in block diagram form, an example system utilizing a
mobile
conferencing system.
[006] Fig. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating a mobile device in accordance
with an
example embodiment.
[007] Fig. 3 is a block diagram depicting an example mobile conferencing
system for
connecting to a teleconference and displaying relevant information
[008] Fig. 4 shows an example user interface for displaying output and
receiving
input.
[009] Fig. 5 is an example of a communication for initiating a teleconference
between
users.
[010] Fig. 6A is an example of a portion of a method for creating a mapping
between
a dial-in number and an alternate dial-in number.
[011] Fig. 6B is an example of a portion of a method for choosing one of a
dial-in
number or an associated dial-in number and dialing the chosen number.
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[012] Fig. 6C is an example of a portion of a method for replacing a dial-in
number in
a communication.
[013] Fig. 7 is an example of a mapping storing replacement dial-in numbers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[014] Reference will now be made in detail to disclosed embodiments, examples
of
which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the
same reference
numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like
parts.
[015] The example embodiments permit a user's mobile device to, in part,
automatically determine the proper dial-in number (or "conference call phone
number") to dial
when the mobile device receives an indication that it should dial into a
teleconference, even
when the mobile device has not received the proper access information for the
teleconference.
[016] Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which shows, in block diagram form, an
example system utilizing a mobile conferencing system, generally designated
100, for the control
and management of communications. System 100, in some embodiments, includes an
enterprise
network 105, which in some embodiments includes a local area network (LAN). In
some
embodiments, enterprise network 105 can be an enterprise or business system.
In some
embodiments, enterprise network 105 includes more than one network and is
located in multiple
geographic areas. In some embodiments, enterprise network 105 can be the
Internet.
[017] Enterprise network 105 can be coupled, often through a firewall 110, to
a wide
area network (WAN) 115, such as the Internet. Enterprise network 105 can also
be coupled to a
public switched telephone network (PSTN) 128 via direct inward dialing (DID)
trunks or
primary rate interface (PRI) trunks.
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[018] Enterprise network 105 can also communicate with a public land mobile
network (PLMN) 120, which is also referred to as a wireless wide area network
(WWAN) or, in
some cases, a cellular network. The coupling with PLMN 120 is via a relay 125,
as known in the
- art.
[019] In some embodiments, enterprise network 105 provides a wireless local
area
network (WLAN), not shown, featuring wireless access points, such as wireless
access point
125a. In some embodiments, other WLANs can exist outside enterprise network
105. For
example, a WLAN coupled to WAN 115 can be accessed via wireless access point
125b. WAN
115 is coupled to one or more mobile devices, for example mobile device 140.
Additionally,
WAN 115 can be coupled to one or more desktop or laptop computers 142 (one
shown).
[020] System 100 can include a number of enterprise-associated mobile devices,
for
example, mobile devices 130, 135, 136, and 140. Mobile devices 130, 135, 136,
and 140 can
include devices equipped for cellular communication through PLMN 120, mobile
devices
equipped for Wi-Fi communications over one of the WLANs via wireless access
points 125a or
125b, or dual-mode devices capable of both cellular and WLAN communications.
Wireless
access points 125a or 125b can be configured to WLANs that operate in
accordance with one of
the IEEE 802.11 specifications.
[021] Mobile devices 130, 135, 136, and 140 can be, for example, cellular
phones,
smartphones, tablets, netbooks, and a PDA (personal digital assistant) enabled
for wireless
communication. Moreover, mobile devices 130, 135, 136, and 140 can communicate
with other
components using voice communications or data communications (such as
accessing content
from a website). Mobile devices 130, 135, 136, and 140 include devices
equipped for cellular
communication through PLMN 120, devices equipped for Wi-Fi communications via
wireless
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access points 125a or 125b, or dual-mode devices capable of both cellular and
WLAN
communications. Mobile devices 130, 135, 136, and 140 are described in detail
below in Fig. 2.
[022] Mobile devices 130, 135, 136, and 140 also include one or more
radio
- transceivers and associated processing hardware and software to enable
wireless communications
with PLMN 120, and/or one of the WLANs via wireless access points 125a or
125b. In various
embodiments, PLMN 120 and mobile devices 130, 135, 136, and 140 are configured
to operate
in compliance with any one or more of a number of wireless protocols,
including GSM, GPRS,
CDMA, EDGE, UMTS, EvD0, HSPA, or a variety of others. It will be appreciated
that mobile
devices 130, 135, 136, and 140 can roam within PLMN 120 and across PLMNs, in
known
manner, as their user moves. In some instances, dual-mode mobile devices 130,
135, 136, and
140 and/or enterprise network 105 are configured to facilitate roaming between
PLMN 120 and a
wireless access points 125a or 125b, and are thus capable of seamlessly
transferring sessions
(such as voice calls) from a coupling with the cellular interface of dual-mode
device (i.e., 130,
135, 136, and 140) to a WLAN interface of the dual-mode device, and vice
versa.
[023] In some embodiments, each mobile device possesses the ability to act as
a
mobile bridge. For example, mobile device 130 can act as a mobile bridge with
mobile device
136. Generally, a conference call hosted using a mobile bridge will have a
maximum of 3
participants. User controls at the mobile-bridge level include adding
additional participants,
muting the device user, un-muting the device user, and exiting the conference
call. Additionally,
the moderator can have additional controls not available to other conference
users. For example,
muting a particular conference participant. The particular user and moderator
controls associated
with the mobile bridge can vary depending on the type of mobile bridge used.
Additionally, the
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particular user and moderator controls available can vary depending on whether
the conference is
an audio conference, a video conference, or a combination thereof.
[024] Enterprise network 105 typically includes a number of networked servers,
computers, and other devices. For example, enterprise network 105 can couple
one or more
desktop or laptop computers 143 (one shown). The coupling can be wired or
wireless in some
embodiments. Enterprise network 105 can also couple to one or more digital
telephone phones
160.
[025] Relay 125 serves to route messages received over PLMN 120 from mobile
device 130 to corresponding enterprise network 105. Relay 125 also pushes
messages from
enterprise network 105 to mobile device 130 via PLMN 120.
[026] Enterprise network 105 also includes an enterprise server 150. Together
with
relay 125, enterprise server 150 functions to redirect or relay incoming e-
mail messages
addressed to a user's e-mail address through enterprise network 105 to mobile
device 130 and to
relay incoming e-mail messages composed and sent via mobile device 130 out to
the intended
recipients within WAN 115 or elsewhere. Enterprise server 150 and relay 125
together facilitate
a "push" e-mail service for mobile device 130, enabling the user to send and
receive e-mail
messages using mobile device 130 as though the user were coupled to an e-mail
client within
enterprise network 105 using the user's enterprise-related e-mail address, for
example on
computer 143.
[027] As is typical in many enterprises, enterprise network 105 includes a
Private
Branch eXchange (although in various embodiments the PBX can be a standard PBX
or an IP-
PBX, for simplicity the description below uses the term PBX to refer to both)
127 having a
coupling with PSTN 128 for routing incoming and outgoing voice calls for the
enterprise. PBX
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127 is coupled to PSTN 128 via DID trunks or PRI trunks, for example. PBX 127
can use ISDN
signaling protocols for setting up and tearing down circuit-switched couplings
through PSTN
128 and related signaling and communications. In some embodiments, PBX 127 can
be coupled
to one or more conventional analog telephones 129. PBX 127 is also coupled to
enterprise
network 105 and, through it, to telephone terminal devices, such as digital
telephone sets 160,
softphones operating on computers 143, etc. Within the enterprise, each
individual can have an
associated extension number, sometimes referred to as a PNP (private numbering
plan), or direct
dial phone number. Calls outgoing from PBX 127 to PSTN 128 or incoming from
PSTN 128 to
PBX 127 are typically circuit-switched calls. Within the enterprise, for
example, between PBX
127 and terminal devices, voice calls are often packet-switched calls, for
example Voice-over-IP
(VoIP) calls.
[028] System 100 includes one or more conference bridges 132. Conference
bridge
132 can be part of enterprise network 105. Additionally, in some embodiments,
conference
bridge 132 can be accessed via WAN 115 or PSTN 128. Additionally, in some
embodiments,
conference bridge 132 can be accessed via foreign PSTN 128B, through dial-in
numbers that are
local to foreign PSTN 128B. Foreign PSTN 128B represents the Public Switched
Telephone
Network in a foreign country. Foreign PSTN 128B is connected to PSTN 128
through any of a
variety of international access channels (or "international links"), including
but not limited to
geosynchronous satellites, submarine cables, low-earth orbit satellites, and
any other system that
enables international and/or intercontinental communications (not shown).
There can be different
dial-in numbers for each country to access the same conference bridge, to
enable a foreign phone
129 (and other similar devices) to participate in the conference. Foreign
phone 129 would
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typically connect through foreign PSTN 128B, using one of these different dial-
in numbers, to
conference bridge 132 through the aforementioned international links (not
shown).
[029] Enterprise network 105 can further include a Service Management Platform
= (SMP) 165 for performing some aspects of messaging or session control,
like call control and
advanced call processing features. Service Management Platform (SMP) can have
one or more
processors and at least one memory for storing program instructions. The
processor(s) can be a
single or multiple microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or
digital signal
processors (DSPs) capable of executing particular sets of instructions.
Computer-readable
instructions can be stored on a tangible non-transitory computer-readable
medium, such as a
flexible disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM (compact disk-read only memory), and MO
(magneto-
optical), a DVD-ROM (digital versatile disk-read only memory), a DVD RAM
(digital versatile
disk-random access memory), or a semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the
methods can be
implemented in hardware components or combinations of hardware and software
such as, for
example, ASICs, special purpose computers, or general purpose computers. SMP
165 is
configured to couple different conference systems to create a heterogeneous
conference, for
example, a single teleconference, where participants can be joined to the
conference via a mobile
bridge and an intermediate conference server.
[030] Mobile conferencing system 300 can include one or more processors (not
shown), a memory (not shown), and a data interface (not shown). The
processor(s) can be a
single or multiple microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or
digital signal
processors (DSPs) capable of executing particular sets of instructions.
Computer-readable
instructions can be stored on a tangible non-transitory computer-readable
medium, such as a
flexible disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM (compact disk-read only memory), and MO
(magneto-
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optical), a DVD-ROM (digital versatile disk-read only memory), a DVD RAM
(digital versatile
disk-random access memory), or a semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the
methods can be
implemented in hardware components or combinations of hardware and software
such as, for
= example, ASICs, special purpose computers, or general purpose computers.
Mobile conferencing
system 300 can be implemented on a mobile device, a single computer,
distributed across a
plurality of computers, or some combination thereof.
[031] Reference is now made to Fig. 2 which illustrates in detail mobile
device 130 in
which example embodiments can be applied. Note that while Fig. 2 is described
in reference to
mobile device 130, it also applies to mobile devices 135, 136, and 140. Mobile
device 130 is a
two-way communication device having data and voice communication capabilities,
and the
capability to communicate with other computer systems, for example, via the
Internet.
Depending on the functionality provided by mobile device 130, in various
embodiments mobile
device 130 can be a handheld device, a multiple-mode communication device
configured for
both data and voice communication, a smartphone, a mobile telephone, a tablet,
or a PDA
(personal digital assistant) enabled for wireless communication.
[032] Mobile device 130 includes a rigid case (not shown) housing the
components of
mobile device 130. The internal components of mobile device 130 can, for
example, be
constructed on a printed circuit board (PCB). The description of mobile device
130 herein
mentions a number of specific components and subsystems. Although these
components and
subsystems can be realized as discrete elements, the functions of the
components and subsystems
can also be realized by integrating, combining, or packaging one or more
elements in any
suitable fashion.
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[033] Mobile device 130 includes a controller comprising at least one
processor 240
(such as a microprocessor), which controls the overall operation of mobile
device 130. Processor
240 interacts with device subsystems such as a communication systems 211 for
exchanging radio
frequency signals with the wireless network (for example WAN 115 and/or PLMN
120) to
perform communication functions. Processor 240 interacts with additional
device subsystems
including a display 204 such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen or any
other appropriate
display, input devices 206 such as a keyboard, control buttons, a trackball, a
trackpad, a
trackwheel/thumbwheel/scroll wheel, or the like, persistent memory 244, random
access memory
(RAM) 246, read only memory (ROM) 248, auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystems
250, data
port 252 such as a conventional serial data port or a Universal Serial Bus
(USB) data port,
speaker 256, microphone 258, short-range communication subsystem 262 (which
can employ
any appropriate wireless (for example, RF or BLUETOOTH), optical, or other
short range
communications technology), and other device subsystems generally designated
as 264. Some of
the subsystems shown in Fig. 2 perform communication-related functions,
whereas other
subsystems can provide "resident" or on-device functions.
[034] Display 204 can be realized as a touch-screen display in some
embodiments.
The touch-screen display can be constructed using a touch-sensitive input
surface coupled to an
electronic controller and which overlays the visible element of display 204.
The touch-sensitive
overlay and the electronic controller provide a touch-sensitive input device
and processor 240
interacts with the touch-sensitive overlay via the electronic controller. In
other embodiments,
display 204 can be implemented as a non-touch-screen display, in that input
can be delivered to
the device using a pointing or navigational tool, a trackball, a trackpad, a
keyboard, a
trackwheel/thumbwheel/scroll wheel, or the like.
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[035] Communication systems 211 includes one or more communication systems for
communicating with wireless WAN 115 and wireless access points 125a and 125b
within the
wireless network. The particular design of communication systems 211 depends
on the wireless
= network in which mobile device 130 is intended to operate. Mobile device
130 can send and
receive communication signals over the wireless network after any required
network registration
or activation procedures have been completed.
[036] Processor 240 operates under stored program control and executes
software
modules 221 stored in memory such as persistent memory 244 or ROM 248.
Processor 240 can
execute code means or instructions. ROM 248 can contain data, program
instructions or both.
Persistent memory 244 can contain data, program instructions, or both. In some
embodiments,
persistent memory 244 is rewritable under control of processor 240, and can be
realized using
any appropriate persistent memory technology, including EEPROM, EAROM, FLASH,
or the
like. As illustrated in Fig. 2, software modules 221 can include operating
system software 223.
Additionally, software modules 221 can include software applications 225 and
data 227.
[037] In some embodiments, persistent memory 244 stores user-profile
information,
including, one or more conference dial-in numbers. Persistent memory 244 can
additionally store
identifiers related to particular conferences. Persistent memory 244 can also
store information
relating to various people, for example, name of a user, a user's identifier
(user name, email
address, or any other identifier), place of employment, work phone number,
home address, etc.
Additionally, persistent 244 memory can additionally store conference details
parsed from one or
more calendar events. Conference details can include, for example, conference
subject
information, conference dial-in number, date/time of call, and addressee
information In some
embodiments, persistent memory 244 can store a look up table that mobile
conferencing system
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300 can reference to determine what user controls are associated with a
particular conference
dial-in number.
[038] Software modules 221, for example, mobile conferencing system 300, or
parts
= thereof can be temporarily loaded into volatile memory such as RAM 246.
RAM 246 is used for
storing runtime data variables and other types of data or information. In some
embodiments,
different assignment of functions to the types of memory could also be used.
[039]
Software applications 225 can further include a range of applications,
including,
for example, an application related to mobile conferencing system 300, an e-
mail messaging
application, an address book, a calendar application, a dialer application, a
notepad application,
an Internet browser application, a voice communication (i.e., telephony)
application, a mapping
application, or a media player application, or any combination thereof. Each
of software
applications 225 can include layout information defining the placement of
particular fields and
graphic elements (for example, text fields, input fields, icons, etc.) in the
user interface (L e.,
display 204) according to the application.
[040] In some embodiments, auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystems 250
comprise an
external communication link or interface, for example, an Ethernet connection.
In some
embodiments, auxiliary I/O subsystems 250 can further comprise one or more
input devices,
including a pointing or navigational tool, or one or more output devices,
including a mechanical
transducer such as a vibrator for providing vibratory notifications in
response to various events
on mobile device 130 (for example, receipt of an electronic message or
incoming phone call), or
for other purposes such as haptic feedback (touch feedback).
[041] In some embodiments, mobile device 130 also includes one or more
removable
memory modules 230 (typically comprising FLASH memory) and one or more memory
module
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interfaces 232. Among possible functions of removable memory module 230 is to
store
information to augment interoperability between device control system 400 and
different types of
conference hosting systems. For example, memory modules 230 can contain one or
more
- command translation programs. Another possible function of removable
memory module 230 is
to store information used to identify or authenticate a user or the user's
account to wireless
network (for example WAN 115 and/or PLMN 120). For example, in conjunction
with certain
types of wireless networks, including GSM and successor networks, removable
memory module
230 is referred to as a Subscriber Identity Module or SIM. Memory module 230
is inserted in or
coupled to memory module interface 232 of mobile device 130 in order to
operate in conjunction
with the wireless network.
[042] Mobile device 130 stores data 227 in persistent memory 244. In various
embodiments, data 227 includes service data comprising information required by
mobile device
130 to establish and maintain communication with the wireless network (for
example WAN 115
and/or PLMN 120). Data 227 can also include, for example, scheduling and
connection
information for connecting to a scheduled call. Data 227 can include device
control system data
used by mobile device 130 for various tasks. For example, to automatically
dial a conference, to
identify user controls associated with a particular conference hosting system,
to classify a call
type parameter, to execute user controls (for example, add participants to a
conference call, etc.),
to provide moderator control over a conference call to mobile device 130 when
mobile device
130 acts as a moderator device, to provide one or more controls to a user of
mobile device 130
when participating in a conference call, to provide conference details to the
calendaring
application, to provide conference details to the dialer application, etc.
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_
[043] Mobile device 130 also includes a battery 238 which furnishes energy for
operating mobile device 130. Battery 238 can be coupled to the electrical
circuitry of mobile
device 130 through a battery interface 236, which can manage such functions as
charging battery
- 238 from an external power source (not shown) and the distribution of
energy to various loads
within or coupled to mobile device 130. Short-range communication subsystem
262 is an
additional optional component which provides for communication between mobile
device 130
and different systems or devices, which need not necessarily be similar
devices. For example,
short-range communication subsystem 262 can include an infrared device and
associated circuits
and components, or a wireless bus protocol compliant communication mechanism
such as a
BLUETOOTH communication module to provide for communication with similarly-
enabled
systems and devices.
[044] A predetermined set of applications that control basic device
operations,
including data and possibly voice communication applications can be installed
on mobile device
130 during or after manufacture. Additional applications and/or upgrades to
operating system
software 223 or software applications 225 can also be loaded onto mobile
device 130 through the
wireless network (for example WAN 115 and/or PLMN 120), auxiliary I/O
subsystem 250, data
port 252, short-range communication subsystem 262, or other suitable subsystem
such as 264.
The downloaded programs or code modules can be permanently installed, for
example, written
into the program memory (for example persistent memory 244), or written into
and executed
from RAM 246 for execution by processor 240 at runtime.
[045] Mobile device 130 can provide three principal modes of communication: a
data
communication mode, a voice communication mode, and a video communication
mode. In the
data communication mode, a received data signal such as a text message, an e-
mail message,
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Web page download, or an image file are processed by communication systems 211
and input to
processor 240 for further processing. For example, a downloaded Web page can
be further
processed by a browser application, or an e-mail message can be processed by
an e-mail message
= messaging application and output to display 204. A user of mobile device
130 can also compose
data items, such as e-mail messages, for example, using the input devices in
conjunction with
display 204. These composed items can be transmitted through communication
systems 211 over
the wireless network (for example WAN 115 and/or PLMN 120). In the voice
communication
mode, mobile device 130 provides telephony functions and operates as a typical
cellular phone.
In the video communication mode, mobile device 130 provides video telephony
functions and
operates as a video teleconference term. In the video communication mode,
mobile device 130
utilizes one or more cameras (not shown) to capture video of video
teleconference. Additionally,
in some embodiments, mobile device 130 utilizes the one or more cameras to
capture video. The
video can be stored as one or more video data files in persistent memory 244,
RAM 248,
memory module 230, or any other data storage medium.
[046] Referring back to Fig. 1, collectively SMP 165, conference bridge 132,
and PBX
127 is referred to as the enterprise communications platform, generally
designated 180. It will be
appreciated that enterprise communications platform 180 and, in particular,
SMP 165, is
implemented on one or more servers having suitable communications interfaces
for coupling to
and communicating with PBX 127, conference bridge 132 and DID/PRI trunks.
Although SMP
165 can be implemented on a stand-alone server, it will be appreciated that it
can be
implemented into an existing control agent/server as a logical software
component.
[047] Mobile device 130 includes mobile conferencing system 300 and is in
communication with enterprise network 105. In some example embodiments, mobile
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conferencing system 300 also operates on mobile devices 135, 136, and 140,
computers 142 and
143, digital phone 160, or any variation thereof In some embodiments, mobile
conferencing
system 300 is in communication with and operates as part of a conference call
program installed
= on mobile devices 130, 135, 136, and 140, and other servers on enterprise
network 105, for
example, SMP 165. Additionally, in some embodiments, mobile conferencing
system 300 is
integral to the conference call program. Mobile conferencing system 300
interfaces with a
calendaring application (not shown) and a dialer application (not shown). The
calendaring and
dialer application operate, at least in part, on mobile device 130. In some
embodiments, mobile
conferencing system 300 is integral to one or both of the calendaring
application and the dialer
application.
[048] Fig. 3 is a block diagram depicting example mobile conferencing system
300.
As illustrated, mobile conferencing system 300 includes an acquisition module
310, a
classification module 320, a control module 330, and a data storage module
340. It is appreciated
that one or more of these modules can be deleted, modified, or combined
together with other
modules.
[049] Acquisition module 310 interfaces with a calendaring application to
parse
information from a calendar event scheduled within a calendaring application.
In some
embodiments, acquisition module 310 can be automatically executed when a user
accepts a
calendar invitation, the user receives a calendar invitation, the user enters
a new calendar event,
the user updates an existing calendar event, or the like. In some embodiments,
acquisition
module 310 can also be automatically executed when parsing a calendar
invitation, calendar
event, a communication (as will be described later with reference to Fig. 5),
or the like. Calendar
invitations include, for example, invitations to participate in a
teleconference. Acquisition
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module 310 is configured to automatically parse the calendar event for
conference details
including, for example, dialing details, subject matter information,
conference scheduling
information, and calendar invitation addressee information. Dialing details
include conference
dial-in phone number, participant passcode, extension, moderator passcode,
etc. Conference
scheduling information includes the date and time of the conference.
Acquisition module 310 can
be coupled to classification module 320, control module 330, and data storage
module 340.
[050] Classification module 320, analyzes the parsed information to
determine if
conference call details are present in the parsed information. For example,
classification module
can be configured to analyze the parsed information for keywords and phrases
like
"teleconference," "conference," "phone conference," "John Doe has invited you
to join the
conference," etc. Additionally, classification module 320 can be further
configured to analyze
the parsed information for conference dial-in phone numbers, extensions to the
conference dial-
in numbers, conference passcodes, and moderator passcodes. Classification
module 320 makes a
determination based on the analyzed information whether the parsed information
contains
conference call details. For example, classification module 320 can be
configured to match
phone numbers parsed from the calendar event against numbers stored in data
storage module
340 to determine if the phone numbers are dial-in numbers.
[051] Additionally, in some embodiments, classification module 320 can be
configured to analyze the number of addressees on the calendar invitation that
created the
calendar event. Classification module 320 is also configured to analyze
information directly
dialed by the user of mobile device 300 for conference dial-in numbers,
extensions to the
conference dial-in numbers, conference passcodes, and moderator passcodes.
Classification
module 320 makes a determination based on the analyzed information whether the
direct dial in
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information contains conference call details. If classification module 320
determines conference
details are present, mobile conferencing system 300 sets a call type parameter
associated with the
calendar event as being a "conference call." Additionally, classification
module 320 then stores
. the conference details, using for example, data storage module 340. If no
conference details are
present, mobile conferencing system 300 stops processing the parsed
information. Classification
module 320 can be coupled to acquisition module 310, control module 330, and
data storage
module 340. Additionally, in some embodiments, Classification module 320 is
able to determine
the appropriate number to dial in order to join the teleconference, based on
any of the current
geographic location of the device, the home country or home network of the
device, user-set
preferences (in some embodiments, including a typical location of the mobile
device), carrier-set
preferences, teleconference provider-set preferences, past actions, current
mobile network, past
mobile network(s), current home mobile network (as determined by, e.g. the
carrier associated
with the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)), or the like.
[052] Control module 330 monitors the calendaring application for
the arrival of the
date/time associated with the calendar event. In some embodiments, control
module 330 is
configured to provide at a predetermined time (for example, 15 minutes prior
to conference) the
conference details to the calendaring application. The mobile device prompts
the user at the
predetermined time to enter the conference at the scheduled conference time.
The prompt can be
an audio prompt, or a visual prompt (for example, a "join now" or "dial now"
button), or both,
all of which requesting an input to accept or decline joining the conference
at the scheduled time.
Additionally, the prompt can display information from the conference details,
for example, the
conference subject information and conference dial-in number. When the join
now button is
selected, a join conference command is generated by control module 330, the
dialer application,
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the calendaring application, or some combination thereof In some embodiments,
the join
conference command can also be generated via a voice command. In some
embodiments, the
mobile device can automatically join the conference without a specific prompt
to the user.
. [053] Control module 330 is configured to provide the stored
conference details to a
dialer application along with the call type parameter. For example, control
module 330 can
provide a stored conference dial-in number, participant passcode, moderator
passcode, or some
combination thereof, to the dialer application. The dialer application can
then use the received
conference details to automatically dial into the conference or establish a
new conference. In
some embodiments, the dialer application is configured to dial into a
conference using voice
commands, specifically a calling name, from the user. In particular, the
dialer application can be
configured to use the conference subject information as the calling name.
[054] In some embodiments, the dialer application is executed by the actuation
of a
"join now" button on a prompt provided by the calendaring application. The
dialer application is
separate from mobile conferencing system 300. Additionally, in some
embodiments (not shown),
the dialer application can be part of mobile conference system 300 (for
example, control module
330).
[055] The dialer application, in some embodiments, generates an active call
graphical
user interface for the duration of the conference call. Mobile device 300 is
configured to display
conference details on the active call graphical user interface. For example,
active call window
graphical user interface can display the subject information of the
teleconference and the
conference dial in number.
[056] Also in Fig. 3, data storage module 340 can also include a database, one
or more
computer files in a directory structure, or any other appropriate data storage
mechanism such as a
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memory. Data storage module 340 stores, for example, conference details from
one or more
calendar events, user profile information, information relating to various
people, and controls
specific to different types of conference hosting systems and an associated
controls lookup table.
' Parsed information can include, for example, conference dialing details,
subject matter
information, conference scheduling information, and calendar invitation
addressee information.
User profile information can include, for example, one or more conference dial-
in numbers.
Information relating to various people can include, for example, name, place
of employment,
work phone number, home address, etc. Data storage module 340 can include
controls specific to
particular types of conference hosting systems. Additionally, data storage
module 340 can
include a controls lookup table, which mobile conferencing system 300 can use
to determine
what type of conference controls are available based on the conference dial in
number. In some
example embodiments, data storage module 340 is distributed across one or more
network
servers. Data storage module 340 can communicate with acquisition module 310,
classification
module 320, and control module 330. Data storage module 340 can also store
information
pertaining to alternate teleconference dial-in numbers, teleconference dial-in
number
preferences, the current or home locations for the device, or the like.
[057] Each of modules 310, 320, 330, and 340 can be software programs stored
in a
RAM, a ROM, a PROM, a FPROM, or other dynamic storage devices, or persistent
memory for
storing information and instructions.
[058] Fig. 4 shows an example user interface 400 for displaying output and
receiving
input. User interface 400 is used to display information on a device, such as
mobile device 130,
and to receive input on mobile device 130 as well. User interface 400 is
ideally displayed on
Display 204, implemented as a touch-screen device. A user could either touch
the screen to
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interact with the device (using a stylus, finger, or other implement) or press
buttons to interact
with the device (such as a trackball, trackpad, or keyboard). In some
embodiments, user interface
400 can be displayed on Display 204, implemented as a non-touch-screen device,
such that users
= would need to use said buttons to interact with the device.
[059] User interface 400 shows Background 402. In the example of user
interface 400,
an electronic mail message was being displayed on user interface 400 as
Background 402 when
pop-up reminder interface 403, being activated and displayed by a calendar
application (as
previously described with respect to Fig. 3), is displayed as an overlay of
the electronic mail
message. However, in some embodiments, pop-up reminder interface 403 can
display in such a
way as to completely cover Background 402. In other embodiments, pop-up
reminder interface
403 can display in such a way as to minimize the coverage of Background 402.
[060] In any case, pop-up reminder interface 403 displays information about an
upcoming teleconference that the device is apprised of. This information, for
example, could be
from communication 500 (as will be later described with reference to Fig. 5).
[061] In some embodiments, pop-up reminder interface 403 displays Conference
Information 404. This information includes, for example, the name/title of the
teleconference, the
date and time of the conference, and optionally the location or dial-in
numbers for the
conference. Buttons 406, 408, 410, 411, and 412 are displayed to enable access
and modification
of the conference details. Button 406 enables a user to display (or "Open")
the details for the
conference. In some embodiments, the details, as will be made further clear in
Fig. 5 below,
comprise users requested or required to join the conference, the date and time
of the conference,
what will be discussed during the conference, dial-in numbers and/or access
codes for accessing
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the conference, websites for accessing the conference on a computer,
information about other
dial-in numbers or methods, or the like.
[062] Button 408 is displayed to enable the user to join the conference. When
this
' button is actuated, the device will, in some embodiments, dial a phone
number stored in the
communication (as explained later with reference to Figs. 5 and 6C) along with
any necessary
access codes. In some embodiments, this button will, as will be explained
later with reference to
Figs. 6A and 6B, be used to determine alternate dial-in numbers for dialing
into the conference,
and then dial into the conference.
[063] Button 410 enables a user to dismiss the pop-up reminder interface 403.
This
will prevent pop-up reminder interface 403 from appearing again. In some
embodiments, the
user is prompted at a later time, such as at the beginning of the conference.
[064] Button 412 enables a user to snooze - or delay - pop-up reminder
interface 403
for a certain amount of time. This would enable pop-up reminder interface 403
to appear at a
different time, reminding the user again that the conference is about to begin
and prompting him
to join. In example user interface 400, this amount of time is set to 5
minutes, but, in other
embodiments, any amount of time can be used as a delay.
[065] Referring to Fig. 5, a communication 500 is shown. Communication 500, in
some embodiments, is implemented as an electronic mail message. In some
embodiments,
communication 500 can be implemented as a Short Messaging Service (SMS)
message, a
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message, a message on an instant messaging
system
(such as BLACKBERRY MESSENGER or GOOGLE TALK), a calendar event, a meeting
invite, or the like. Communication 500 includes, in some embodiments,
Conference Information
502, which includes the sender of communication 500, the recipients of
communication 500, the
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subject of the teleconference referenced in communication 500, the start and
end times for the
teleconference, or the like. Communication 500 also, in some embodiments,
includes meeting
number 504A and meeting password 504B. Meeting number 504A is used to identify
the unique
' conference that will be held between these individuals. That is,
because teleconference providers
regularly conduct multiple teleconferences using the same system at the same
time, a code is
needed to uniquely identify each teleconference. Additionally, to promote a
more secure
teleconferencing platform, users can be required to enter meeting password
504B in order to
participate in a teleconference. This enables sensitive company conversations
to take place
during the teleconference, because only those authorized to listen in on the
meeting will be able
to join the teleconference. On a typical teleconference system, a user would
enter meeting
number 504A followed by meeting password 504B; if both are verified by the
system, the user
will be granted access to the teleconference. This enables both unique
teleconferencing
capabilities as well as secure teleconferencing. However, neither meeting
password 504B nor
meeting number 504A are required in all embodiments; in some embodiments, all
that is
required to join a conference is dialing a dial-in number.
[066] Communication 500, in some embodiments, contains webaccess information
506. Webaccess information 506 contains, in some embodiments, a Uniform
Resource Locator
(URL) (or other network link - for example, a URL for a proprietary
teleconferencing system, an
H.323 address, a "callto" URL, or the like) and information on how to use that
link to access the
teleconference from a personal computer. In some embodiments, meeting number
504A and
meeting password 504B would be a portion of the URL so that, when clicked or
otherwise
accessed by a user, the device would automatically join the conference.
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[067] Communication 500, in some embodiments, also contains information on
dial-in
numbers that can be used to access the conference. At least one toll-free
number 508A can be
included with communication 500; these types of numbers typically do not cost
the calling party
for making the call (though carrier charges, cellphone minutes, and other
charges may apply).
However, these numbers are not available from all telephone systems. For
example, "800
numbers" in the U.S. and Canada may not be accessible outside of those two
countries. If these
numbers are accessible outside of the U.S. and Canada, they may not be free to
the dialing party.
Additionally, some 800 numbers are not accessible from payphones. Thus,
Communication 500
can, in some embodiments, include at least one Toll number 508B. Toll numbers
508B typically
could be accessed from any phone, though at a potential cost (usually a per-
minute fee in
addition to any connection fee) to the dialing party.
[068] In some embodiments, both toll-free number 508A and toll number 508B are
located in the same country. Thus, it may be expensive for a user located in
another country to
dial into the teleconference given only toll-free number 508A and toll number
508B, because of
international long-distance charges. Communication 500, in some embodiments,
contains links
508C. Links 508C, in some embodiments, contain a link to a list of global call-
in numbers. The
numbers on the list enable users in different countries to call local numbers
that will cost less
than would an international call of a similar length. These numbers enable
access to the same
teleconference provider that users in other countries are able to access
through any of toll-free
number 508A or toll number 508B. This could be accomplished, for example,
using foreign
PSTN 128B that has a connection to conference bridge 132 (see Fig. 1).
[069]
In some embodiments, Link 508C contains a link to a list of dialing
restrictions.
That is, countries may have different restrictions on how toll-free numbers
(even local toll-free
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numbers) may be dialed. For example, some toll-free numbers may only be dialed
from home
phones (and not from payphones or mobile phones, for example). Information in
this list may be
useful to a user trying to dial a toll-free number from another country.
[070] In some embodiments, the information contained in communication 500 -
that
is, information including at least Meeting Number 504A, Meeting Password 504B,
webaccess
information 506, toll-free number 508A, toll number 508B, Link 508C, or access
string 510 - can
be parsed by mobile device 130 (as will later be described with reference to
Figs. 6A and 6B) in
order to choose and dial the proper number for accessing a teleconference.
[071] Moving to Fig. 6A, a method 600A is disclosed for storing information
concerning teleconference dial-in information. In block 601, method steps are
represented by
which conference details are acquired. These details are acquired from, for
example,
communication 500 as in Fig. 5, but can realistically be acquired from any
type of
communication, including manual entry, Short Messaging Service (SMS) messages,
Multimedia
Messaging Service (MMS) messages, or the like. In some embodiments, these
details comprise
dial-in numbers, teleconference provider information, or the like. In some
embodiments, these
details are stored in the mobile device 130 or in enterprise server 150, for
example in a database
or in memory.
[072] Block 603 represents another step in method 600A. Block 603 represents
steps
that occur in acquiring edits to the stored conference details acquired in
block 601. In some
embodiments, these edits are acquired by any of accessing a file local to
mobile device 130,
accessing a file located on a remote system, sending a request to a remote
system, accessing or
sending a request to a system such as the BlackBerry Enterprise Server or
other groupware-
provisioning system that provides information to mobile devices, receiving
entry on the device,
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accessing a file included in communication 500, accessing information in
communication 500, or
the like. The process represented by block 603 can be manual, in that a user
must manually
request and/or find and enter a different dial-in number. However, in some
embodiments, the
' process is automatic. An example of an automatic process would involve
determining the
device's home location, based in part on information stored in the phone. This
information could,
in some embodiments, include information on the SIM/RUIM card or the phone
itself (such as
carrier identification, the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI),
the Integrated Circuit
Card Identifier (ICCID), the Mobile Country Code (MCC), or the like). The
automatic process,
in some embodiments, could then determine that this information does not match
the current
physical location of the phone (determined e.g. by triangulation, Global
Positioning Satellite
systems, Assisted GPS (aGPS), the MCC of the current serving network, or the
like) and
determine that another number is required, based on "attributes" such as the
above-mentioned
determinations of location, home network or current network of the device, or
the like. The
different dial-in number is also known as a "replacement conference call phone
number."
[073] Once the edits are acquired in block 603, the method can begin executing
steps
represented by block 605. Block 605 represents storing a "mapping" (i.e., a
"relationship" or
"association") between the edits acquired in the steps in block 603 and the
dial-in information
received in the steps in block 601. This has the effect of associating the two
numbers together for
later use. This association can be accomplished in any method known in the
prior art, comprising
at least one of: storage in a relational database, storage in a flat database,
storage in a hierarchical
database, storage in an object-oriented database, storage on mobile device 130
(including, for
example, storage in Memory Module 130, Data 227, or RAM 246), storage on a
remote device,
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or the like. In some embodiments, this mapping may be implemented as will be
later described
with respect to Fig. 7.
[074] At some point after the steps in Fig. 6A are executed, the steps
represented by
' Fig. 6B can be executed. In Fig. 6B, a method 600B is represented for
choosing one of a dial-in
number or an associated dial-in number and dialing the chosen number.
Beginning with block
612, steps are undertaken by which a user receives a conference communication,
such as
communication 500. Receipt of communication 500 can be done using any of
Communications
Subsystems 211, Other Device Subsystems 264, Short-Range Communication
Subsystems 262,
or the like. Moving to block 614, the method will then extract the dial-in
information (such as the
number to call and/or the access code) from the received communication. In
some embodiments,
extracting this information is performed by parsing the received
communication; the method will
know in advance that each communication follows a particular template for its
information, and
will parse the communication appropriately. In other embodiments, a smarter
system is used to
parse the received communication to determine the relevant information. For
example, the
method could look for the phrase "call me at" or "number to dial" and
determine that the digits
following that phrase constitute the number that a user should call. These
methods are known in
the art. In some embodiments, the dial-in information extracted in block 614
comprises a name
of or other information about the teleconference provider. For example, the
method may extract
the term "WebEx," "Teleconference Providers, Inc.," or "www.Teleconferences-R-
Us.com"
from the communication received in block 612. In some embodiments, the name of
or other
information about the teleconference provider signifies the entity that runs
the teleconference
referenced in the communication.
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[075] Method 600B can then proceed to block 616, to execute steps that will
compare
the extracted dial-in information to pre-stored phone numbers. In some
embodiments, these pre-
stored phone numbers are created based on the acquired edits (as previously
described with
* respect to at least blocks 603 and 605 of Fig. 6A). If a mapping exists
between the dial-in
information extracted in block 614 and one of the pre-stored phone numbers,
then the method
will continue to block 619. In block 619, steps will be executed to add or
replace a phone number
in the communication or to otherwise associate the pre-stored number (or
"replacement number")
with the communication, teleconference, or meeting. In some embodiments, the
steps in block
619 will set the pre-stored number to be a "preferred" number for that
particular teleconference
dial-in number, for example, while in the particular location that the device
is currently in.
[076] If no mapping is determined to exist in block 618, the method moves to
block
620. In block 620, an original extracted phone number will be set as
"preferred" because no
mapping was found in the steps in block 618.
[077] In any event, method 600B can eventually continue to block 622. In block
622,
steps are performed by which the device receives a "Join Now" command. This
command, in
some embodiments, comes from a user that is using the device, when the user
depresses a button
(such as the "Enter" key or a trackpad) while a Join Now button is
highlighted, touches an on-
screen button (e.g., "Join Now") on a touch-screen display on the device, or
from the device
automatically attempting to join the conference at a specified time. Once the
Join Now command
is received, method 600B will continue to block 624.
[078] In block 624, the device will determine which number is the preferred
number,
as set either by block 619 or block 620. The device will then dial that
preferred number. In
dialing that preferred number, the device can optionally dial any required
access codes as well.
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The device can then join the conference without further user interaction, and
the user will be able
to interact with his colleagues or clients.
[079] Fig. 6C represents a method 600C for replacing a dial-in number in a
communication. In some embodiments, method 600C is performed using a server,
such as the
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) or other groupware-provisioning system that
provides
information to mobile devices. In some embodiments, the server may be
implemented as
enterprise server 150. In some embodiments, the steps in method 600C are
performed before a
communication is sent to a mobile device. For example, this can happen when
the server receives
a communication, such as an email, directed to a mobile device. After steps in
method 600C are
used to process and possibly modify the communication, the server can send the
communication
to the mobile device. Similar to Fig. 6B, steps in method 600C can be used to
store a mapping
between conference details and preferred dial-in numbers, and choosing the
appropriate number
to dial.
[080] Beginning with block 632, steps are undertaken by which, for example, a
server
receives a conference communication, such as communication 500. Moving to
block 634,
method 600C can then extract dial-in information. As mentioned above with
respect to Fig. 6B,
the dial-in information in some embodiments, comprises dial-in numbers, access
codes, the
provider of the teleconference system, or the like. Method 600C can then
proceed to block 636,
to execute steps for comparing the extracted dial-in information to pre-stored
phone numbers, as
previously described with respect to block 616 in Fig. 6B. Moving to block
638, steps are
undertaken in method 600C by which it is determined whether a mapping exists
between the
dial-in information extracted in block 634 and one of the pre-stored phone
numbers. Steps
associated with block 638 can be performed substantially as described above
with respect to
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block 618. So, if it is determined that a mapping does exist, method 600C can
proceed to block
639, where steps are executed to replace a phone number in the communication.
In some
embodiments, the steps in block 639 can occur based on determining where the
mobile device is
. likely to be located. In some embodiments, the likely location of the
mobile device can be
determined by the server executing the steps in method 600C, based on location
history, a
current network, a user preference, a calendar event, or the like.
[081] Whether a mapping is determined to exist in block 638 or not, method
600C
proceed to block 640, where the communication is then sent on to the mobile
device to which it
was addressed.
[082] Fig. 7 represents an example mapping 700 storing at least replacement
dial-in
phone numbers. As mentioned previously with respect to Figs. 6B and 6C,
mapping 700 in some
embodiments stores information mapped to preferred dial-in numbers. Mapping
700 is
implemented as a table in Fig. 7, but as mentioned with respect to Fig. 6A,
block 605, mapping
700, in some embodiments, can be implemented as a relational database, a flat
database, a
hierarchical database, an object-oriented database, storage on mobile device
130 (including, for
example, storage in Memory Module 130, Data 227, or RAM 246), storage on a
remote device,
or the like.
[083] Mapping 700, in some embodiments, contains columns 701 and 702. Column
701 represents "keys" in mapping 700. In some embodiments, keys stored in
column 701, such
as keys 701A, 701B, and 701C, comprise data from received communications, such
as
communication 500 in Fig. 5. As described earlier with respect to Figs. 6B and
6C, the data from
received communications stored in keys 701A, 701B, and 701C comprises, in some
embodiments, data that is searched for in received communications. In some
embodiments, the
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data contained in keys under column 700A is associated with or "mapped" to
data contained in
column 702. Column 702, in some embodiments, contains data on preferred
numbers. These
preferred numbers, in some embodiments, comprise replacement dial-in numbers
as previously
= mentioned with respect to Figs. 6A-6C.
[084] Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from
consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed
herein.
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