System and method for providing caller identification for a TDM conference call

1. A method performed by a conference server for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a host to set up a conference call that utilizes a time division multiplex (TDM) telecommunication switching system;

receiving host configuration parameters associated with providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call;

providing the host with a calling number for enabling callers participating in the conference call to call in;

receiving a call and caller ID information associated with a caller calling the calling number;

connecting the call to the conference call;

providing the caller ID information to the host based on the host configuration parameters;

receiving the caller ID information and a calling name associated with the caller ID information from a class 5 telephone switch, and

providing the caller ID information and the calling name to the host based on the host configuration parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the host configuration parameters associated with providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call include notifying the host with the caller ID information via SMS to a host-specified phone number.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the host configuration parameters associated with providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call include notifying the host with the caller ID information via an email to a host-specified email address.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the host configuration parameters associated with providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call include notifying the host with the caller ID information via a webpage.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the host configuration parameters associated with providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call include notifying the host with the caller ID information by routing the caller ID information to a host conference telephone device for displaying the caller ID on a display of the host conference telephone device.

6. A method performed by a conference server for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a host to set up a conference call that utilizes a time division multiplex (TDM) telecommunication switching system;

receiving host configuration parameters associated with providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call;

providing the host with a calling number for enabling callers participating in the conference call to call in;

receiving a call and caller ID information associated with a caller calling the calling number;

connecting the call to the conference call;

providing the caller ID information to the host based on the host configuration parameters;

querying a calling name database to retrieve a calling name associated with the caller ID information; and

providing the caller ID information and the calling name to the host based on the host configuration parameters.

7. A method performed by a conference server for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a host to set up a conference call that utilizes a time division multiplex (TDM) telecommunication switching system;

receiving host configuration parameters associated with providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call;

providing the host with a calling number for enabling callers participating in the conference call to call in;

receiving a call and caller ID information associated with a caller calling the calling number;

connecting the call to the conference call;

providing the caller ID information to the host based on the host configuration parameters;

querying a host-provided list to retrieve a calling name associated with the caller ID information; and

providing the caller ID information and the calling name to the host based on the host configuration parameters.

8. A method performed by a conference server for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a host to set up a conference call that utilizes a time division multiplex (TDM) telecommunication switching system;

receiving host configuration parameters associated with providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call;

providing the host with a calling number for enabling callers participating in the conference call to call in;

receiving a call and caller ID information associated with a caller calling the calling number;

connecting the call to the conference call;

providing the caller ID information to the host based on the host configuration parameters;

determining whether the caller ID information is included in a host-provided list of expected caller IDs; and

responsive to a determination that the caller ID information is not included on the host-provided list of expected caller IDs, notifying the host that the caller ID information is not on the host-provided list.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the host configuration parameters are received via a webpage.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the host configuration parameters are received using an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

11. A conference server for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference, the conference server comprising:

a memory component for storing computer executable instructions;

a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions;

a TDM conference call module for setting up the TDM conference call and for receiving host configuration parameters for providing a host with caller ID information of callers participating in the TDM conference call;

a communication interface for receiving a caller ID associated with an incoming call to the TDM conference call;

a conference bridge for connecting the incoming call to the TDM conference call;

a caller ID module for providing the caller ID associated with the incoming call to the host based on the host configuration parameters; and

a data storage unit for storing a host-provided list of caller IDs associated with expected participants of the TDM conference call, and wherein the caller ID module queries the host-provided list for determining whether the caller ID associated with the incoming call to the TDM conference call is on the host-provided list of caller IDs and notifies the host of an unexpected caller ID in response to the caller ID associated with the incoming call to the TDM conference call not being on the host-provided list.

12. The conference server of claim 11 , further comprising an interactive voice response (IVR) module for receiving, via a telephone device, the host configuration parameters.

13. The conference server of claim 11 , further comprising a web interface module for receiving the host configuration parameters from a web server.

14. The conference server of claim 11 , further comprising a web interface module for receiving the host configuration parameters from a web server and for displaying the caller ID associated with the incoming call to the TDM conference call on a webpage.

15. The conference server of claim 11 , further comprising a data storage unit for storing the host configuration parameters.

16. A conference server for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference, the conference server comprising:

a memory component for storing computer executable instructions;

a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions;

a TDM conference call module for setting up the TDM conference call and for receiving host configuration parameters for providing a host with caller ID information of callers participating in the TDM conference call;

a communication interface for receiving a caller ID associated with an incoming call to the TDM conference call;

a conference bridge for connecting the incoming call to the TDM conference call;

a caller ID module for providing the caller ID associated with the incoming call to the host based on the host configuration parameters; and

a data storage unit for storing a host-provided list of calling names associated with expected participants of the TDM conference call, and wherein the caller ID module queries the host-provided list for determining a calling name associated with the caller ID of the incoming call to the TDM conference call for providing the caller ID and the calling name to the host.

17. A conference server for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference, the conference server comprising:

a memory component for storing computer executable instructions;

a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions;

a TDM conference call module for setting up the TDM conference call and for receiving host configuration parameters for providing a host with caller ID information of callers participating in the TDM conference call;

a communication interface for receiving a caller ID associated with an incoming call to the TDM conference call;

a conference bridge for connecting the incoming call to the TDM conference call;

a caller ID module for providing the caller ID associated with the incoming call to the host based on the host configuration parameters, the caller ID module configured to query a calling name database to retrieve a calling name associated with the caller ID of the incoming call to the TDM conference call and provide the caller ID and the calling name to the host.

18. A telecommunication system utilizing time division multiplex (TDM) technology for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference call, the telecommunication system comprising:

a Class 5 telephone switch and a conference server; the Class 5 telephone switch comprising:

a memory component for storing computer executable instructions for providing caller identification information for the TDM conference call;

a data storage unit for storing configuration data for sending caller ID information to the conference server associated with the TDM conference call; and

a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions for routing a call and the caller ID information to the conference server;

and wherein the conference server comprises:

a TDM conference call module for setting up the TDM conference call and for receiving host configuration parameters for providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the TDM conference call;

a communication interface for receiving, from the Class 5 telephone switch, a caller ID associated with an incoming call to the TDM conference call;

a conference bridge for connecting the incoming call to the TDM conference call; and

a caller ID module for providing the caller ID associated with the incoming call to the host based on the host configuration parameters.