Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CONFERENCE MEMBER IDENTIFICATION FOR A TELEPHONE SYSTEM
Background
The present invention concerns telephone systems and pertains
5 particularly to facilitating identification of members of a telephonic conference.
The use of telephone conferencing allows several individuals to
engage in conversation over the telephone lines. However, during a
telephone conference. as members are added, sometimes it can be difficult
for members of the telephone conference to keep track of who is taking part
10 in the conference. In addition, once a telephone conference is set up, if two members of the conference desire to have a private consultation, it is
generally necessary for both of them to disconnect from the conference in
order to establish a separate connection for private consultation.
15 Summary of the In~vention
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention,
various telephone features are implemented for use during a conference call.
In order to implement the features, an identity of each party to the conference
call is stored. For example, an identity and directory number of each party to
20 the conference call is stored within a database within a telephone system.
An identity of a second party to the conference call is displayed on a
display of a first telephone used by a first party to the conference call. If the
display on the first telephone is large enough, all the parties in the conference
can be displayed. Alternatively, the first telephone displays only one party to
2~ the conference at a time. A scroll feature is used to scroll through all the
parties to the conference.
Various features are implemented between parties to the conference
call. For example, a private consultation may be conducted between the first
party and the second party. In response to the first party depressing a
30 consultation feature button on the first telephone, the first party and the
second party are temporarily disconnected from the conference call, and are
temporarily connected to each other in a point-to-point call. In response to
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the first party again depressing the consultation feature button on the first
telephone, the first party and the second party are disconnected from the
point-to-point call and reconnected to the conference call.
Also, a callback feature between the first party and the second party
5 may be implemented. In response to the first party depressing a callback
feature button on the first telephone, a caliback between the first party and
the second party is executed upon completion of the conference call and the
first telephone being idle and a second telephone for the second party being
idle.
Additionally, a message waiting feature may be implemented. In
response to the first party depressing a message-waiting feature button on
the first telephone, the telephone system indicates to the second party that
there is a message waiting from the first party.
Further, a save re-dial feature can be implemented. In response to the
first party depressing a save re-dial feature button on the first telephone, thetelephone system stores the directory number of the second party in a re-dial
memory of the first telephone.
The various embodiments of the present invention allows for the
implementation of versatile features for use by parties to a conference call.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 shows a telephone system with the ability to provide
conferencing of telephones in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 2 shows a block diagram which illustrates the set-up of a
conference.
Figure 3 shows data stored in a database for the conference illustrated
in Figure 2 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
Invenbon.
Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7 and Figure 8 show the
information exhibited on a display as a user scrolls through members of a
telephone conference in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
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present invention.
Figure 9 and Figure 10 show the information exhibited on displays as a
user engages in a private consultation during a telephone conference in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Figure 1 shows a telephone system 20 which is capable of providing
connections for a telephone conference in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention. Telephone system 20 is, for example, a
10 public or private network telecommunication system.
Connected to telephone system 20, whether directly or indirectly
through other switches, are a telephone 31, a telephone 36, a telephone 41
and a telephone 46. While Figure 1 shows only telephones 31, 36, 41 and
46, these are representative of any number of telephones which may be
15 directly or indirectly connected to telephone system 20. While each of
telephones 31, 36, 41 and 46 may have a variety of features and
configurations, when utilized according to embodiments of the present
invention, at least one of telephones 31, 36, 41 and 46 will have a display.
For example, telephone 31 includes a display 32. In addition,
20 telephone 31 has a feature button 33, a feature button 34 and a feature
button 35. Teiephone 36 includes a display 37. In addition, telephone 36 has
a feature button 38, a feature button 39 and a feature button 40. Telephone
41 includes a display 42. In addition, telephone 41 has a feature button 43, a
feature button 44 and a feature button 45. Telephone 46 includes a display
25 47. In addition, telephone 46 has a feature button 48, a feature button 49 and
a feature button 50. Displays 32, 37, 42 and 47 are, for example, light
emitting diode (LED) displays. Alternatively, displays 32, 37, 42 and 47 rnay
be liquid crystal diode (LCD) displays or another type of display. While the
description herein describes the use of feature buttons, the invention also
30 may be implemented, for example, using the buttons (digits) on the keypad or
by some other data entry method on a telephone. All such data entry is
herein collectively referred to as pressing buttons.
. .
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~ elephone system 20 includes, for exampie, a line card 25. Line card
25 serves as an interface between a device handler 21 and telephones 31,
36, 41 and 46. Device handler 21 receives, through line card 25, input from
telephones 31, 36, 41 and 46. The input, for example, is information from
5 telephone keypad digits, feature buttons and, so on. Information to process
calls, activate features and etc., received by device handler 21 are forwarded
to a CPU 22 to be processed. Device handler 21 also forwards information to
telephones 31, 36,41 and 46 for display by displays 32, 37, 42 and 47,
respectively.
CPU 22 processes input from device handler 21 to create connections
between telephones and to activate and deactivate features such as callback
and message waiting. In some embodiments of the present invention, CPU
22 can perform the functionality of Device handler 21 so that device handler
21 is not necessary.
A switching matrix 26, responsive to CPU 22, implements voice/data
connections between telephones for two-party connections. In addition, a
conference bridge 24 is used to make connections (talk paths) between a
group of telephones, where a group is three or more telephones.
A database 23 is used to store information on each telephone. This
20 information includes, for example, the directory number and a name
associated with the directory number. In addition, for current call
connections, database 23 holds information about the connection. This
includes, for example, an indication of a type of call as well as a listing of the
parties to a conference call.
A conference can be set up on telephone system 20 in one of a
number of standard ways. For example, a user of telephone 31 goes off hook
and dials the directory number of telephone 36. For example the user of
telephone 31 is Michael Smith at directory number 73733 and the user of
telephone 31 is Lee Jones at directory number 73700. When Lee Jones
answers telephone 36, switching matrix 26 establishes a two party connection
between telephone 31 and telephone 36. CPU 22 stores in database 23 a
record of the type of connection (e.g., 2 way) and a listing of the parties to the
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connection (Michael Smith at directory number 73733 and Lee Jones at
directory number 73700).
To add an additional party, the user of telephone 31 (Michael Smith)
presses a FLASH button (e.g., feature button 33) which temporarily places
5 Lee Jones on hold. Michael Smith then dials the directory number of
telephone 41. For example, the user of telephone 41 is Carol Burns at
directory number 73855. When Carol Burns answers telephone 41,
switching matrix 26 establishes a two party connection between telephone 31
and telephone 41. When the user of telephone 31 (Michael Smith) presses a
10 CONFER~NCE button (e.g., feature button 34), switching matrix 26 and
conference bridge 24 are used to establish a conference between telephone
31, telephone 36 and telephone 41. CPU 22 stores in database 23 a record
of the type of connection (e.g., conference) and a listing of the parties to theconnection (Michael Smith at directory number 73733, Lee Jones at directory
15 number 73855 and Carol Burns at directory number 73855).
To add another party, the user of telephone 31 (Michael Smith)
presses the FLASH button (e.g., feature button 33) which temporarily places
Lee Jones and Carol Burns on hold. Michael Smith then dials the directory
number of telephone 46. For example, the user of telephone 46 is Robert
20 Jackson at directory number 73800. ~A/hen Robert Jackson answers
telephone 46, switching matrix 26 establishes a two party connection between
telephone 31 and telephone 46. When the user of telephone 31 (Michael
Smith) presses the CONFERENCE button (e.g., feature button 34), switching
matrix 26 and conference bridge 24 are used to establish a conference
25 between telephone 31, telephone 36, telephone 41 and telephone 46. CPU
22 stores in database 23 a record of the type of connection (e.g., conference)
and a listing of the parties to the connection (Michael Smith at directory
number 73733, Lee Jones at directory number 73855, Carol Burns at
directory number 73855 and Robert Jackson at di~ectory number 73800). In
30 Figure 1, conference bridge 24 is shown providing connection for the four-way conference described above.
Figure 2 is a block diagram which shows a conference member 51
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(Michael Smith at directory number 73733), a conference member 52 (Lee
Jones at directory number 73855), a conference member 53 (Carol Burns at
directory number 73855) and a conference member 54 (Robert Jackson at
directory number 73300) connected together by a conference 55.
Figure 3 shows four entries 60 in database 23 for the four-way
conference between Michael Smith at directory number 73733, Lee Jones at
directory number 73855, Carol Burns at directory number 73855 and Robert
Jackson at directory number 73800. Each entry includes a directory number
and a party for the directory number. When constructing entries 60 for the
10 conference call, CPU 22 accesses, for each telephone connected in the
conference, the directory number and the party from a section of database 60
which lists directory number and party for each telephone connected to
telephone system 20.
Once a conference has been established, the preferred embodiment
15 present invention allows each member of the conference to track who is in theconference and to facilitate party members to contact one another during and
after the conference.
For example, parties to the conference, and/or associated directory
numbers for each of the parties to the conference may be displayed on one or
more of dlsplay 32 for telephone 31, display 37 for telephone 36l display 42
for telephone 41 and display 47 for telephone 46. If the displays are large
enough, all the parties in the conference can be displayed on each of displays
32, 37, 42 and 47. Alternatively, the parties within a conference may be
accessed/displayed by a scroll feature on the telephone.
For example in Figure 4, display 32 is shown to include two display
lines. Once the conference has been established, the user of telephone 31
(Michael Smith) can scroll through a list of the conference parties by
depressing a button (e.g., a conference button, scroll forward button, keypad
digit, etc.). For example, when Michael Smith depresses conference button
34, the name and directory of a party to the conference is displayed. For
example, when Michael Smith is the first member to the conference, the
name and directory number for Michael Smith is displayed, as shown in
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Figure 5. In an alternative embodiment, each telephone does not display a
party and directony number for itself
The user of telephone 31 (Michael Smith) can scroll through a list of
the other conference parties by depressing the appropriate button (e.g., a
conference button, scroll forward button, ~eypad digit, etc.) on telephone 31.
Thus when Michael Smith depresses conference button 34, the name and
directory number for Lee ~ones is displayed, as shown in Figure 6. When
Michael Smith again depresses conference button 34, the name and directory
number for Carol Burns is displayed, as shown in Figure 7. When Michael
Smith depresses conference button 34 another time, the name and directory
number for Robert Jackson is displayed, as shown in Figure 8. When
Michael Smith depresses conference button 34 another time, the conference
party first displayed is displayed again.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, CPU 22 of
telephone system 20 is responsible to control the contents of displays 32, 37,
42 and 47. When a user of one of telephones 31, 36, 41 or 46 is scrolling
through parties of a conference, the depression of the appropriate button
(e.g., a conference button, scroll forward button, keypad digit, etc.) is detected
by device handler 21 and a message forwarded by device handler 21 to CPU
22. CPU 22 accesses database 23 to obtain from entries 60 (shown in Figure
3) the next entry of entries 60 and forwards the entry through device handler
21 to the appropriate display.
The tracking of parties to a conference in database 23 allows for the
implementation of various features. For example, in the preferred
embodiment of the present invention, telephone system 20 allows conference
members to conduct private consultations during the conference. After
privately consulting, the members can rejoin the conference. Additionally, the
initiator of the consultation can toggle between the conference and the party
with whom the private consultation is held.
Another feature implemented in the preferred embodiment is callback.
In this case, a party to the conference selects another telephone user in the
conference and selects a feature button which indicates to telephone system
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20 that this party is to be automatically called back. Telephone system 20 will
automatically execute the callback after both the initiator and the other
member have disconnected from the conference, and have gone idle.
Also in the preferred embodiment message waiting is implemented. In
5 this case, a party to the conference selects another telephone user in the
conference and selects a feature button which directs telephone system 20 to
leave a message waiting indication against a conference member. This can
be done without the initiator leaving the conference. The conference member
with the message waiting can, when it is convenient, call back the party that
left the message waiting. The callback is performed, for example, after the
conference is completed.
Also in the preferred embodiment a save re-dial feature is
implemented. In this case, a party to the conference selects another
telephone user in the conference and selects a feature button which directs
telephone system 20 to save the number of the selected conference member
for re-dial. This allows the telephone user that initiated the save number
re-dial, when it is convenient, to catl back the party with the saved directory
number. The callback is performed, for example, after the conference is
completed.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, CPU 22 of
telephone system 20 is responsible to oversee the implementation of each of
the above-described features. For example, in order to implement any of the
features, a member of a conference, as described above, selects a party.
This is performed, for example, by scrolling through parties of a conference
by depressing of the appropriate button (e.g., a conference button, scrotl
forward button, keypad digit, etc.). This is detected by device handler 21 and
a message forwarded by device handler 21 to CPU 22. CPU 22 accesses
database 23 to obtain from entries 60 (shown in Figure 3) the next entry of
entries 60 and forwards the entry through device handler 21 to the
appropriate display.
When a feature button--for example indicating a private consultation,
callback, message waiting, save re-dial or some other feature-- is selected,
.
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this is detected by device handler 21 and a message forwarded by device
handler 21 to CPU 22. CPU 22 then performs the feature.
For example, when the feature is private consultation, CPU 22 will,
during the private consultation, disconnect the two parties from conference
bridge 24 and direct switching matrix 24 to execution a two-party connection.
During the private consultation, CPU 22 sends a message to the display of
both parties indicating that a private consultation is taking place.
For example, Figure 9 illustrates the contents of display 47 of
telephone 46, when the telephone user, Robert Jackson, has selected a
private consultation feature button 50 after scrolling through the conference
members so that conference member Carol Burns was displayed on display
47. Once feature button 50is selected, display 47 indicates that a private
consultation is being held with Carol Burns. During the private consultation
CPU 22 will display on display 42 of telephone 41 the name of Robert
Jackson and a message indicating the presence of a private consultation, as
illustrated by Figure 10. The private consultation is concluded by Robert
Jackson again, for example, by selecting private consultation feature button
50 or by selecting the conference feature button. CPU 22 will then cause
switching matrix 26 to re-connect the two parties to conference bridge 24.
When the feature is callback, CPU 22 will, in response to the selection
of the appropriate feature button, access database 60 for the directory
number of the party currently displayed in the telephone display of the
initiator. Upon completion of the conference, CPU 22 will, when both
telephones are idle, execute the callback.
When the feature is message waiting, CPU 22 will, in response to the
selection of the appropriate feature button, forward a message waiting signal
to the party currently displayed in the telephone display of the initiator. The
message waiting signal is, for example, turning on a message waiting
light/LED.
When the feature is save re-dial, CPU 22 will, in response to the
selection of the appropriate feature button, access database 60 for the
directory number of the party currently displayed in the telephone display of
.
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the initiator. This directory number is stored in the re-diai memory for the
telephone of the initiator.
