Method and apparatus for providing bridgeless conferencing services
View Patent ↗A system and method for making a VoIP-based and other types of group calls includes a user interface adapted for use by a group call administrator via the Internet, a database manager connected to the user interface, and a database connected to the database manager. In one embodiment, the group call administrator identifier and one or more group call invitee identifiers is a telephone number. The server responds to a group call request by initiating a first group call connection and initiating at least one or more second group call connections to join a group call administrator and at least one group call invitee. A method includes using call information from a database to initiate conference call connections and an administrator call connection to facilitate a conference call in which the administrators call connections and the participants connections are joined to allow communications between the participants and the administrator.
1. A method of establishing a conference call between an administrator and a group of users selected by the administrator as a participant in the conference call, wherein the administrator and users are remote from a central location, comprising:
receiving identifiers at a central location; wherein the identifiers are associated with the group of users;
accessing a database using the identifiers and obtaining information about at least one participant of the selected group of users;
initiating plural conference call connections from the central location to the participants based on information obtained from the database;
initiating an administrator conference call connection from the central location to the administrator; and
connecting the plural conference call connections to thereby allow communications between the participants and connecting the administrator's conference call connection at the central location, to thereby allow communications between the participants and the administrator:
wherein the information obtained from the database includes the type of connection termination, device type, or device capabilities for at least one of the participants, and,
determining an estimated cost of the conference call based on the type of connection termination; and, providing the estimated cost of the conference call to the administrator.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inviting the at least one participant in to the conference call using information accessed from the database.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving a response at the central location, from at least one participant, to the invitation; wherein the response includes participant preference information associated with the at least one participant; and,
updating the database with the participant preference information received from the at least one participant.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the group of users comprises a connection value; and, at least two of the plural conference call connections are initiated in a sequence based on the connection value.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the connection value is based on one or more factors selected from the group consisting of age, seniority, position, wage, management level, organization, user preference and administrator preference.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accessing a plurality of conference call settings associated with at least one of the participants, wherein the settings are selected from the group consisting of connection termination types, media type, voice mail detection, call hunting, disconnection retry, retry period and connection sequence.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining if one of the plural conference call connections is a connection to a voice messaging device; and,
disconnecting the connection to the voice messaging device.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of determining if one of the plural conference call connections is a connection to a voice messaging device comprises:
receiving audio from the one of the plural conference call connections at the central location; and,
determining if the audio contains words or sound associated with voice messaging greetings.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of determining if one of the plural conference call connections is a connection to a voice messaging device comprises:
prompting the participant associated with one of the plural conference call connections for a predetermined response, and
determining if a response is received.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a disconnection of one of the participants associated with one of the plural conference call connections;
detecting call control messages from the conference call connection of the disconnected participant;
determining if the disconnection is inadvertent or intentional based on the call control messages; and,
re-establishing the conference call connection to the disconnected participant if the disconnection was inadvertent.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a disconnection of one of the participants associated with one of the plural conference call connections and re-establishing the conference call based on a determination that the disconnection was inadvertent.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information at least comprises contact information for the at least one participant.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises termination instructions associated with the at least one participant.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises user preferences.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the user preferences are determined from prior user activity.
16. The method of claim 15 , where in the prior user activity is related to prior VoIP use of the user.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the user preferences are established by the at least one participant.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the database is accessed by the central location.