Method and apparatus for group calling in an IP-based communication system
View Patent ↗Method and system for group calling in an IP-based communication system includes receiving an administrator identifier, receiving one or more invitee identifiers, initiating a first connection from a central location and initiating at least one or more second connections from the central location to join an administrator and at least one invitee. The administrator identifier and one or more invitee identifiers can be a telephone number or other identifiers associated with the communication system. To establish the group call, the administrator identifier and one or more invitee identifiers are received from the administrator. The first connection initiation is to the administrator and the second or more connection initiations are to the at least one invitee. System for making a group call includes a user interface adapted for use by the administrator, a database manager, a database, a load balancer and a group calling pool adapted for SIP-based group call setup.
1. A method of managing a VoIP-based group call comprising:
establishing the VoIP-based group call between an administrator and two or more invitees, wherein each of the administrator and the two or more invitees are connected to the VoIP-based group call;
receiving a control feature request that includes at least one of a modification, initiation or termination of a group call feature to the established VoIP-based group call;
executing upon the control feature request; and,
continuing the group call with at least the administrator and two or more invitees incorporating the modification, initiation or termination of the group call feature;
wherein the control feature request is executed upon by a central location; wherein the VoIP-based group call is initiated by the central location.
2. A method for managing a VoIP-based group call comprising:
receiving a group call administrator identifier;
receiving one or more group call invitee identifiers;
initiating a first group call connection from a central location and
initiating at least one or more second group call connections from the central location to join a group call administrator and at the least one group call invitee;
receiving a control feature request from the administrator, subsequent to the establishment of the first and second group call connections, wherein the control feature request includes a modification, initiation or termination of a VoIP group call feature;
executing upon the control feature request; and,
continuing the group call with at least the administrator and one or more invitees incorporating the modification, initiation or termination of the VoIP group call feature.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the invitee identifiers are selected from the group consisting of VoIP contact name, VoIP invitee telephone number, VoIP instant messaging identifier and VoIP subscriber telephone number.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the control feature request is executed upon by a central location.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the central location is VoIP service provider equipment.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the VoIP-based group call is initiated by the central location.
7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the group call feature is selected from the group consisting of muting, unmuting, adding one or more additional invitees to the group call, removing one or more invitees from the group call, and reconnecting one of the one or more invitees.
8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising displaying the group call feature with a graphical icon.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the control feature request is initiated by manipulating the graphical icon.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising displaying a plurality of group call features to the administrator, each of the plurality of group call features represented by a respective plurality of graphical icons.
11. A computer readable non-transitory medium storing a software program that, when executed by a computer and being initiated in response to a communication request placed via an interface of a VoIP service subscriber, causes the computer to perform an operation of VoIP-based group call comprising:
receiving a group call administrator identifier;
receiving one or more group call invitee identifiers;
initiating a first group call connection from a central location and initiating at least one or more second group call connections from the central location to join a group call administrator and at the least one group call invitee;
receiving a control feature request from the administrator, subsequent to the establishment of the first and second group call connections, wherein the control feature request includes a modification, initiation or termination of a VoIP group call feature;
executing upon the control feature request; and,
continuing the group call with at least the administrator and one or more invitees incorporating the modification, initiation or termination of the VoIP group call feature.