Granted Patent B2

US 6,940,960 · App. 10/376,161 · Granted Sep 6, 2005

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A method for managing participants permitted to remain on a conference call comprising the steps of:

terminating incoming calls at a conference bridge;

storing a record for each call entering the conference call, each record including identification of the caller and a corresponding port number of the conference bridge assigned to the call;

maintaining a list at the conference bridge of all callers currently connected to the conference call;

upon receiving a list request at the conference bridge from an administrative host of the conference call, communicating the list of current conference call participants to the host;

upon receipt of a disconnect request at the conference bridge from the host identifying a first record associated with a first conference call participant to be disconnected, determining from the first record a corresponding first port number;

disconnecting the call associated with the first port number.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of inserting the telephone number of the caller associated with the first record onto a banned number list associated with the conference call.

3. A method for managing participants permitted to remain on a conference call comprising the steps of:

terminating incoming calls at a conference bridge;

storing a record for each call entering the conference call, each record including identification of the caller and a corresponding port number of the conference bridge assigned to the call;

maintaining a list at the conference bridge of all callers currently connected to the conference call;

upon receiving a list request at the conference bridge from an administrative host of the conference call, communicating the list of current conference call participants to the host;

preventing any additional callers from joining the conference call upon receipt of a predetermined command at the conference bridge from the administrative host.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the preventing step prevents any additional callers from joining the conference call regardless of any previous authorizations that may have been granted to a caller to enter the conference call.

5. A method for managing participants permitted to remain on a conference call comprising the steps of;

terminating incoming calls at a conference bridge;

storing a record for each call entering the conference call, each record including identification of the caller and a corresponding port number of the conference bridge assigned to the call;

maintaining a list at the conference bridge of all callers currently connected to the conference call;

upon receiving a list request at the conference bridge from an administrative host of the conference call, communicating the list of current conference call participants to the host;

storing a banned number list containing telephone numbers that are not to be allowed to join the conference call, and denying access to the conference call if the telephone number of the caller is on the banned number list.

6. A conference bridge that facilitates the managing of participants permitted to remain on a conference call comprising:

means for terminating incoming calls at a conference bridge;

means for storing a record for each call entering the conference call, each record including identification of the caller and a corresponding port number of the conference bridge assigned to the call;

means for maintaining a list at the conference bridge of all callers currently connected to the conference call;

means for communicating the list of current conference call participants to the host upon receipt of a list request at the conference bridge from an administrative host of the conference call;

means for determining a first port number contained in a first record upon receipt of a disconnect request at the conference bridge from the host, the disconnect request identifying the first record associated with a first conference call participant to be disconnected;

means for disconnecting the call associated with the first port number.

7. The conference bridge according to claim 6 further comprising means for inserting the telephone number of the caller associated with the first record onto a banned number list associated with the conference call.

8. A conference bridge that facilitates the managing of participants permitted to remain on a conference call comprising:

means for terminating incoming calls at a conference bridge;

means for storing a record for each call entering the conference call, each record including identification of the caller and a corresponding port number of the conference bridge assigned to the call;

means for maintaining a list at the conference bridge of all callers currently connected to the conference call;

means for communicating the list of current conference call participants to the host upon receipt of a list request at the conference bridge from an administrative host of the conference call;

means for preventing any additional callers from joining the conference call upon receipt of a predetermined command at the conference bridge from the administrative host.

9. The conference bridge according to claim 8 wherein the means for preventing prevents any additional callers from joining the conference call regardless of any previous authorizations that may have been granted to a caller to enter the conference call.

10. A conference bridge that facilitates the managing of participants permitted to remain on a conference call comprising:

means for terminating incoming calls at a conference bridge;

means for storing a record for each call entering the conference call, each record including identification of the caller and a corresponding port number of the conference bridge assigned to the call;

means for maintaining a list at the conference bridge of all callers currently connected to the conference call;

means for communicating the list of current conference call participants to the host upon receipt of a list request at the conference bridge from an administrative host of the conference call;

means for storing a banned number list containing telephone numbers that are not to be allowed to join the conference call, and means for denying access to the conference call if the telephone number of the caller is on the banned number list.

Assignments (10)