Local exchange subscriber line conferencing method
View Patent ↗A local conferencing exchange subscriber line conferencing method using a series of input signals from the phone of a subscriber, such as a dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) sequence of key inputs starting with a star key input, to initiate the conference by enabling a termination attempt trigger. The conference is set up in a bridge and the phone of the subscriber is connected to the bridge. All subsequent callers to the subscriber's phone number at the local exchange carrier are routed and connected to the conference at the bridge. When the conference call ends, the subscriber's phone is returned to normal service.
1. A conferencing method for a conference call in a telecommunications system comprising:
receiving, in a local central office switch, a series of input signals from a phone of a subscriber when the subscriber requests the conference call, the phone serviced by the local central office switch and the phone having a phone number,
communicating between the local central office switch and a conferencing system that the subscriber is requesting the conference call in response to said receiving,
enabling a termination attempt trigger in the local central office switch for the phone in response to said communicating,
connecting the phone of the subscriber to a selected bridge in the conferencing system for the conference call in response to said communicating,
receiving calls to the phone number in the local central office switch from subsequent callers after enabling the termination attempt trigger,
routing each subsequent caller based on the enabled termination attempt trigger to the selected bridge,
connecting each subsequent caller to the conference call in the selected bridge in response to said routing,
returning the phone of the subscriber to normal service when the conference call ends by disabling the termination attempt trigger.
2. The conferencing method of claim 1 wherein the series of input signals is a DTMF sequence of key inputs starting with a “*” (star) key input.
3. The conferencing method of claim 1 further comprising:
triggering a dialed number trigger in the local central office switch for the phone in response to said receiving of the series of input signals, said communicating occurring in response to the triggering of the dialed number trigger.
4. The conferencing method of claim 1 wherein communicating between the local central office switch and the conferencing system occurs through Signaling System No. 7 of the telecommunications system.
5. The conferencing method of claim 1 wherein said communicating comprises sending to the conferencing system at least the phone number of the phone of the subscriber.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
validating the sent phone number based on a conference profile for the subscriber stored in the conferencing system,
setting up the conference call for the subscriber according to the conference profile in response to said validating.
7. The conferencing method of claim 1 wherein routing comprises:
playing an announcement to each subsequent caller when received at the local central office switch, the announcement requesting each subsequent caller to input at least one DTMF caller entered digit,
inputting the at least one caller entered digit in response to said playing,
validating the at least one caller entered digit in response to the aforesaid inputting,
said connecting each subsequent caller to the conference call in the selected bridge occurring in response to said validating.
8. The conferencing method of claim 1 wherein returning comprises:
delivering a call disconnect signal received in the local central office switch from the phone of the subscriber to the selected bridge in the conferencing system,
disconnecting the subscriber and all subsequent callers connected to the conference call in the selected bridge in response to said delivering,
sending an instruction from the conferencing system to the local central office switch instructing that the termination attempt trigger be disabled in response to said delivering.
9. A conferencing method for a conference call in a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system at least having a switch, a conferencing system and Signaling System No. 7, the method comprising:
receiving, in the switch, a predetermined series of input signals from a phone of a subscriber when the subscriber requests the conference call, the phone serviced by the switch and the phone having a phone number,
triggering a dialed number trigger in the switch for the phone in response to receiving the series of input signals,
communicating transactional capabilities application part (TCAP) messages between the switch and the conferencing system via Signaling System No. 7 to provide the conference call in response to said triggering,
enabling a termination attempt trigger in the switch for the phone in response to a TCAP message requesting enabling received by the switch during said communicating,
connecting the phone of the subscriber to a selected bridge in the conferencing system for the conference call in response to a TCAP message received by the switch during said communicating, the aforesaid TCAP message containing an identity of the selected bridge,
receiving calls in the switch to the phone number through the telecommunication system from subsequent callers after enabling the termination attempt trigger,
routing each subsequent caller from the switch based on the enabled termination attempt trigger to the identified selected bridge,
connecting each subsequent caller to the conference call in the selected bridge in response to said routing,
returning the phone of the subscriber to normal service when the conference call ends by disabling the termination attempt trigger in response to a TCAP message received in the switch requesting disabling during said communicating.
10. The conferencing method of claim 9 further comprising:
receiving a lock command in the conferencing system from the phone of the subscriber signaling, during the conference call, that future subsequent callers are not to be connected to the conference call,
sending a TCAP message from the conferencing system to the switch in response to receiving the lock command,
disabling the termination attempt trigger in the switch in response to sending the aforesaid TCAP message so as to lock the conference call to future subsequent callers to the phone number of the subscriber,
denying future subsequent callers connection to the conference call when the conference is locked.
11. The conferencing method of claim 10 further comprising:
receiving an unlock command from the phone of the subscriber signaling, when the conference call is locked, that the conference call is to be unlocked,
sending a TCAP message from the conferencing system to the switch in response to receiving the unlock signals,
re-enabling the termination attempt trigger in the switch in response to sending the aforesaid TCAP message so as to unlock the conference call to future subsequent callers,
connecting the future subsequent callers to the conference call when the conference call is unlocked.
12. A conferencing method for a conference call in a telecommunications system comprising:
receiving a series of input signals from a phone of a subscriber whereby the subscriber requests the conference call, the phone serviced by a local central office switch and the phone having a phone number,
connecting the phone of the subscriber to a selected bridge in the conferencing system for the conference call,
receiving calls to the phone number in the local central office switch from subsequent callers,
routing each subsequent caller to the conference call in the selected bridge, and
returning the phone of the subscriber to normal service when the conference call ends.
13. The conferencing method of claim 12 wherein the series of input signals is a DTMF sequence of key inputs starting with a “*” (star) key input.
14. The conferencing method of claim 12 further comprising:
triggering a dialed number trigger in the local central office switch for the phone in response to the receiving of the series of input signals.
15. The conferencing method of claim 12 wherein communicating between the local central office switch and the conferencing system occurs through Signaling System No. 7 of the telecommunications system.
16. The conferencing method of claim 12 wherein connecting the phone of the subscriber to a selected bridge comprises sending to the conferencing system at least the phone number of the phone of the subscriber.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
validating the sent phone number based on a conference profile for the subscriber stored in the conferencing system,
setting up the conference call for the subscriber according to the conference profile in response to the validating.
18. The conferencing method of claim 12 wherein routing comprises:
playing an announcement to each subsequent caller when received at the local central office switch, the announcement requesting each subsequent caller to input at least one DTMF caller entered digit,
inputting the at least one caller entered digit in response to the playing,
validating the at least one caller entered digit.
19. The conferencing method of claim 12 wherein returning comprises:
delivering a call disconnect signal received in the local central office switch from the phone of the subscriber to the selected bridge in the conferencing system, thereby disconnecting the subscriber and all subsequent callers connected to the conference call in the selected bridge.