WO2005088951A1

WO2005088951A1 - Method, device and software for setting up a conference call

Info

Publication number: WO2005088951A1
Application number: PCT/FI2004/050028
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tarmo Hyttinen
Original assignee: Nokia Corporation
Priority date: 2004-03-16
Filing date: 2004-03-16
Publication date: 2005-09-22
Also published as: TW200537844A

Abstract

The invention concerns method, apparatus and software for establishing a conference call including multiple participants, especially by a mobile device. A user device for setting up a conference connection, comprises means for requesting a conference connection to be set up (101), means for contacting automatically participants (311) of a list of participants chosen to take part on a conference connection to be set up (102), means for receiving and presenting a status of the connection, means for putting established connections on hold (automatically), and means for setting up a requested conference connection automatically (103), if connection is established to any participant, after last participant on the list is called to.

Description

Method, device and software for setting up a conference call

The invention concerns method, apparatus and software for establishing a conference call including multiple participants. Conference calls are kind of group calls, or connections, which combine many participants to a mutual connection. Conference calls are used, when it is desired to have many participants on line, communicating with one another, simultaneously.

When someone wants to set up a conference call, first the participants are to be identified. Especially the phone numbers of participants should be known in order to set up a meeting via their telephones. First the creator of the connection, from whom the conference call originates, calls to first participant. When the first participant answers, the call is put on hold. Then the creator of the conference call calls to second participant. After the second participant answers, the call is again put on hold. This way all chosen participants are called to, and put on hold after they have answered. If some participant does not answer, that participant can be called again later on, or simply be left out from the conference call connection. After last participant is called to, all participants are connected together to a single, mutual conference call.

After a conference call connection is set up, all participants of the connection can hear each other. Any individual participant can break up a connection concerning his own participation, i.e. drop out from the group connection. The creator of a conference call can break up any individual connection concerning any participant of the conference call. In other words the creator administrates the connection and can at any time decide to end the connection regarding one, some or all of the par- ticipants. Further it is typical for conference calls that individual participants can include further participants to a created connection. Typically there is a predefined maximum number of participants that one party can call to. The party calling to another parties can thus be the creator or a participant of a connection. The net, which is used for setting up the connection, defines the maximum number of par- ticipants, which can be called to by one party.

Setting up a conference call by calling to all participants one -by-one is cumbersome and time-consuming. The setting up can be made a bit easier by calling to a service number of an operator and ordering a conference call set up as a service subject to charge. The operator will then make calls to participants and finally con- nect participants to the requested conference call. The originator of the conference call thus does not have to make all the calls. However this service is operator- specific, so its functioning and details will depend on respective operator. Further service from the operator may not always be available. Additionally operator ser- vices are generally always subject to charge. Further the inconvenient setting up is simply transferred to operator instead of doing it oneself.

The objective of the present invention is to enhance setting up of a conference call, and make the setting up easy and fast. Further objective of the present invention is to make setting up of a conference call comfortable and convenient for user. The objectives are gained by implementing in a user device an automated function for setting up a conference call. Further objectives are gained by calling to all chosen participants and connecting participants to a conference call automatically as a response to a request by a user.

The invention is characterized in what is said in the characterizing parts of the in- dependent claims. Further embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

A user device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises means for requesting a conference connection to be set up by the user device receiving the request. The requested connection is set up automatically by the user device as a response to receiving the request for a conference connection. The user device comprises means for contacting automatically participants of a list of participants chosen to take part on a conference connection to be set up. A user requesting the conference connection inputs the list of participants. Participants of a list can be collected from contact data stored in a phonebook of the device, or from data stored as a group in the device. In addition or instead the data concerning participants can be input manually. This way also participants not stored in the memory of the device can be attached to the list of participants.

A user device according to an embodiment comprises means for receiving and presenting a status of the connection. The status data identifies, whether or not the requested connection has been established. It also gives some indication of a reason, why the connection was not established. A user device has means for putting established connections on hold, while contacting other participants on the list. A user device according to an embodiment of the present invention has means for setting up a requested conference connection automatically, if connection is established to any participant, after last participant on the list is called to.

A user device for setting up a conference connection according to an embodiment of the present invention is a mobile device. According to one embodiment the con- nection is an audio connection established between participants by calling them, i.e. through an established phone connection. According to another embodiment of the present invention a videoconference is set up for example through a multimedia connection.

A method for setting up a conference connection according to an embodiment of the present invention starts as a response to receiving a request for setting up a conference connection. A device receiving a request contacts to participants of a list of participants chosen to take a part on a conference connection to be set up. After a participant is contacted, the device setting up a conference connection receives a status of the connection defining whether the connection was established or not. A device puts established connections on hold, while contacting other participants on the list. After the last participant on the list is contacted, if connection is established to any participant, the requesting device sets up the requested conference connection automatically.

According to embodiment software for setting up a conference connection com- prises software means for receiving a request to set up a conference connection, and software means for contacting automatically to participants of a list of participants chosen to take part on a conference connection to be set up. Further the software according to an embodiment has software means for putting an established connection on hold automatically, software means for receiving and pre- senting a status of the connection, and software means for setting up a requested conference connection automatically, if the connection is established to any participant, after last participant on the list is called to.

By embodiments of the present invention a conference connection is set up easily and fast by a user device. Especially convenient for the user is an embodiment al- lowing to input the participants from the phonebook of the device. This makes the selection fast and eliminates errors in writing. Another embodiment allows to define participants by inputting a group predefined in the device. This embodiment is fast to establish, since input of the participants requires minimum user input. Specifically this embodiment is useful when same people of a certain group are con- nected continuously, and assembly of the group remains steady and permanent. The present invention is implemented in a user device, hence it is independent of operator services.

The invention is described in more detail with the accompanying figures, in which

Fig. 1 presents a method according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 presents a method according to an embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 3 presents an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 presents one method according to the present invention for setting up a conference call. In phase 101 a conference call is requested. The request is typically issued by a user of a device and input to the user device. Next, in phase 102 participants of the requested conference call are chosen. Participants are generally chosen by the user requesting the conference call. According to an embodiment a user can choose participants from a phonebook of the user device. A user can simply indicate participants form the phonebook storing contact info, such as names and phone numbers. This is easy and convenient for users. Further possi- ble mistakes during manual input are avoided by using already stored contact information. According to another embodiment the participants can be indicated to be a group predefined in the user device. This is a fast way to get an already defined group input as participants. According to third embodiment participants are input manually by the user. This has the advantage that participants can be cho- sen outside the user device, i.e. it is not assumed that their contact info is already stored in the user device setting up a conference call.

According to an embodiment of the invention phase 101 for requesting a conference call and phase 102 for choosing participants can be implemented as a single part having a request including the chosen participants. This is fast and advanta- geous way for example when a predefined group is wanted to participate on conference call to be set up. Alternatively, or with the previously mentioned embodiment, after the request for setting up a conference call in phase 101 is issued (with or without participants), participants are requested by the user device as a response to receiving the request. An interface for choosing participants is pre- sented to the user. The user may add participants for example from the phonebook of the device. The participants fed in with the request can be modified or deleted, or new ones can be added. Further the user may add participants manually. After participants are chosen in phase 102, the requested conference call is set up in phase 103. The user device typically compiles a list of participants. Term list is used to describe that participants are listed, or put one behind another in order to handle each of those sequentially. The list can be implemented in form of stack, linked list, part list or any other appropriate data structure. The device goes through the list in the phase 103. Basically device forms a connection, i.e. calls to first participant. When the participant answers, he receives a message, for example a recorded voice message, asking the participant to wait for an incoming conference call. The device establishing the conference call puts the answered call, i.e. established connection, on hold and calls to a next participant on the list. There are situations, when the connection is not established. These are dealt separately in the requesting device. After the last participant on the list is contacted, the requested conference call is created in phase 104. All reached participants are connected to one, single conference call.

The conference call is more generally a conference connection. The conference call is an example of an audio conference, which is typically established through a phone call connection. The conference connection can be a videoconference transmitting video-formatted data between participants. The videoconference can be established through a multimedia connection. Multimedia connections can be used to transmit voice, text, picture, moving picture and/or video information. Typi- cally data to be transmitted in connection is kept rather small in size and simple in form, in order to avoid overloading the connecting net. However ways to transmit information and the forms of transmittable information are being developed and enhanced. The present invention is not limited by connections, ways to transmit data or format of data, but also the enhanced future ways are usable within the scope of the present invention, as defined in the independent claims.

A method for automatically setting up a conference connection is discussed in more detail with the fig. 2. Fig. 2 is one example of a method for setting up a conference connection automatically. The method described with fig. 2 is implemented in a user device. The embodiment of fig. 2 presents especially ways for dealing with situations, in which the connection could not be established, or the established connection is rejected by a participant. Before the method of fig. 2, the request for setting up a conference connection is received and participants are indicated. In phase 201 it is checked, whether there are participants on the list of participants. If all participants are already contacted, there are no further participants. Thus execution goes to phase 223 for checking if any participant was reached. If no one was reached at phase 223, no conference connection can be established and the execution ends at phase 224. If there are participants reached, i.e. calls on hold, the conference call, or more generally the conference connection is connected at phase 221.

If there are participants not yet contacted in the list in phase 201, the next partici- pant is contacted in phase 202. Usually next participant is contacted by calling to participant in phase 202. Other means and different ways for contacting participants and establishing connections between those can be used as well. In phase 203 it is checked, if the network is busy. If the network is busy, calls do not reach a receiver and connections cannot be established. If network is busy in phase 203, it is checked in phase 204 is the participant, who was attempted to be contacted, first on the list. If the participant is found to be the first in the list at phase 204, this is entered to log file in phase 205. The log file is also used for informing the user about the situation that no conference connection could be set up, because the network was busy. Since it is no use to proceed further if the network is busy when contacting the first participant, the proceeding ends in phase 206. If the participant contacted was not first, the phase 204 continues to phase 201.

In phase 207 it is checked, if the call made to participant was diverted. If the contacting call is diverted, i.e. forwarded to another number or address, the information about the diverted call is entered to log file in phase 208. The corresponding information can be presented to user. According to an embodiment it is possible to indicate the participants through the phonebook of the device. There can be stored e.g. different home-, work- and mobile numbers for one person. According to one embodiment a call diverted between these numbers is allowable as long as the final number receiving the call is pre-stored in the device making the call. For ex- ample if work number is diverted to known mobile number, this connection is established according to invention. Typically other, and specially unknown numbers are not allowed to be used through a divert call, since there is no way to identify a receiver or receiving device. The receiver, being for example voice mailbox, answering machine or some switching centre, would be useless to contact. In the presented embodiment the execution proceeds to phase 201 and calls to a next participant on the list in phase 202, if there are found to be any in phase 201.

In phase 209 it is checked, if the participant attempted to be contacted, is out of network. The device is out of network, if it is switched off or for some other reason not found from the network. This situation, when detected, leads to entering to the log file that the device was not reached in phase 210. After this execution proceeds to phase 201. If device exists in the network, execution proceeds to phase 211, in which it is found out, if the number reached is unknown. Number is unknown for example if a routing has failed. If unknown number is detected in phase 211 , execution proceeds via phase 211 to phase 201. The participant is typically identified by a telephone number. Connections can alternatively be made to cer- tain identifiers or addresses of participant's devices, instead of their telephone numbers. If identifier of the participant is found in phase 211 , i.e. number called is not unknown, the execution proceeds to phase 212.

In phase 212 it is tested, if the line is busy. This is the case if reached participant talks another call, or if the device to be reached is not available. If line is busy in phase 212, this information is entered to log file in phase 213. After this execution can be proceeded according to phase 201. In this embodiment execution goes to an alternative, non-compulsory phase 214, where it is checked, if the reached participant is last on the list of participants. If the participant is found to be last in phase 214, the execution is here proceeded according to phase 201. When par- ticipant is found to be last in phase 214, it is also possible to proceed straight to phase 223 and connect a conference call according to phase 221 , if any participants were reached. If the participant is not last, he is put in the last place of the list in phase 215 in order to try to contact him again during this ongoing set up. After this the execution goes to phase 201. Phases 214-215 are introduced to make another attempt to contact participant not available at the moment.

Next in phase 216 it is checked if the call, or more generally a contact attempt, is answered by a receiving participant. If call is not answered in phase 216, the information about this is entered to log file in phase 217. After phase 217 it is possible to continue straight from phase 201, or situate the participant not answering last on the list according to phases 214-215, as described in previous, in order to try to contact him again later. If the call is answered in phase 216, in phase 218 it is detected, whether the call is rejected by the participant, who answered the call in phase 216. If the participant answering the call rejects it, this is entered in log file according to phase 219 and the execution continues to phase 201. If the call is not rejected in phase 218, participant answers the phone and stays on line. Typically there is sent a textual, voice or some other kind of message to participant in order to inform about the incoming conference connection and asking to wait for it. In phase 220 it is checked, whether there are still participants on the list. If the participant called to was the last on the list, i.e. no other participants on the list, the requested conference call is connected according to 221. If there are participants on the list in phase 220, the call established is put on hold in phase 222 and the execution proceeds according to phase 202.

The log file entered during the execution, such as presented in embodiment of fig. 2, is used for informing the user of a device forming connections. These reasons for not being able to reach a participant or establish a connection are according to an embodiment presented in a user interface. Typically the execution is presented in a user interface in real time so that it states name or number of the participant, who is called to at the moment. If the participant is reached and put on hold, this is stated on the user interface. Also, if there was some error, this is stated beside the participant identifier, with the aid of the log file compiled. This way the user requesting the conference connection gets knowledge of the current status of the setting up process. If network is busy, when the first participant on the list is reached, thus first participant on the list cannot be reached because of this, the user is advised to try again later. It is no use to proceed further, because most cer- tainly no one can be reached, if the network is busy. According to embodiments of the present invention information entered to log file is presented to user with possible further information about the situation, such as proposals for proceeding further or correcting the situation.

A device according to an embodiment of the invention is presented in fig. 3. De- vice 300 is a user device for setting up a conference connection. According to an embodiment a user device 300 is a mobile station. The device 300 includes antenna 301 , duplexer 302, a receiving branch 303 and a transmitter branch 305 for establishing connections to another devices. A loudspeaker 304 is used for reproducing sounds. A microphone 306 is used for inputting voice data. Control unit 307 handles all operations in the device 300 and controls all other blocks and components of the device 300. Device 300 has a keyboard 308 as an example of a data inputting means. Visual data is presented in a display 309. Memory unit 310 stores fixed data needed for operation and functioning of the device 300 and user - specific data stored and defined by the user. A software component 311 is used for executing steps according to embodiments of the present invention. Software 311 is executed as a response to a request for setting up a conference connection. Software 311 communicates through a control unit 307 with other components needed for execution, such as presenting data in display 309, receiving data from keyboard 308, fetching data from memory 310 and contacting participants through transmitting- and receiving branches 305, 303 and antenna 301. Execution is performed by a microprocessor located in a control unit 307.

A user device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention can differ from the one presented in fig. 3. Additionally or alternatively there can be different kind of means for establishing a connection, such as fixed means or wireless means for establishing shorter connections, e.g. Bluetooth. A device 300 can include more sophisticated means for reproducing sounds, such as Media Player (MP) or Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). For inputting data there can be for example a mouse, a touch screen, a stylus or a pen. Additionally many devices include video or camera components, which enable picture and video data to be produced, modified and used for established connections. A memory 310 typically includes different kind of areas having volatile and non-volatile areas, reading and writing areas, fixed areas for device use only, such as set up block, and areas allocated for user. There can be two or more separate memories in the device 300. The user device according to embodiments of the invention can be a mobile station, any mobile device, or any user device being capable of establishing a conference connection.

Claims

1. A user device for setting up a conference connection, characterized in that it comprises - means for requesting a conference connection to be set up by the user de- vice receiving a request (101 ), - means for contacting automatically participants (311) of a list of participants chosen to take part on the conference connection requested to be set up (102), - means for receiving and presenting a status of the connection, - means for putting established connections on hold (automatically), - means for setting up a requested conference connection automatically (103), if connection is established to any participant after last participant on the list is contacted.

2. A user device according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises means for defining participants for the list of participants (102) from at least one of following: data stored in a phonebook of the device, data defined as a group in the device, and manually input data.

3. A user device according to claims 1-2, characterized in that it comprises means for sending an information message about the conference connection to be established (305, 302, 301) to the participant, to whom the connection is established, before putting the established connection on hold.

4. A user device according to claims 1-3, characterized in that it comprises means for handling situations, where no connection was established (203, 207, 209, 211 , 212) or the connection was rejected by the participant contacted (218).

5. A user device according to claims 1-4, characterized in that it comprises means for ending the setting up of the requested conference connection, if connection is not established to any participant of the list (223, 224), or if the network is busy when the first participant on the list is contacted (203, 204, 206).

6. A user device according to claims 1-5, characterized in that the conference connection is an audio conference and the established connection is a phone call connection.

7. A user device according to claims 1 -5, characterized in that the conference connection is a videoconference and the established connection is a multimedia connection.

8. A user device according to claims 1-7, characterized in that the user device is a mobile station (300).

9. A method for setting up a conference connection, characterized in that as a response for requesting a conference connection to be set up (101), a user device receiving a request, - contacts participants of a list of participants chosen to take a part on the conference connection requested to be set up, - receives a status of the connection, - puts established connection on hold, while contacting other participants on the list, - after the last participant on the list is contacted, if connection is established to any participant, the user device sets up the requested conference connection automatically (103).

10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a step of defining the participants for the list of participants (102) from at least one of following: data stored in a phonebook of the device, data defined as a group in the device, and manually input data.

11. A method according to claims 9-10, characterized in that it comprises a step of sending an information message about the conference call to be set up to the participant, with which the connection is established, before putting the established connection on hold.

12. A method according to claims 9-11 , characterized in that it comprises a step of handling situations, where no connection was established (203, 207, 209, 211 , 212) or the connection was rejected by the participant contacted (218).

13. A method according to claims 9-12, characterized in that it comprises a step of ending the setting up of the requested conference connection, if connection is not established to any participant of the list (223, 224), or if the network is busy when the first participant on the list is contacted (203, 204, 206).

14. A method according to claims 9-13, characterized in that the conference connection is an audio conference established by setting up a phone call connections.

15. A method according to claims 9-13, characterized in that the conference connection is a videoconference established by setting up a multimedia connec- tions.

16. A software for setting up a conference connection, characterized in that it comprises - software means for receiving a request to set up a conference connection (101 ), - software means for (31 1 , 307, 305, 302, 301 ) contacting automatically participants of a list of participants chosen to take part on a conference connection requested, - software means for putting established connections on hold (automatically), - software means for receiving (301 , 302, 303, 307) and presenting (309) a status of the connection, - software means for setting up (311 , 307) the requested conference connection automatically (103), if the connection is established to any participant, after the last participant on the list is contacted.