Method, apparatus and system for initiating conference call using calendar events
View Patent ↗An email client method and server that allow a conference organizer to schedule a conference (e.g., conference call) using a calendar feature found in today's email applications. When the email client is installed to work with the user's email application, an option becomes available to allow access to a conferencing scheduling feature. The server is adapted to receive an incoming conference request via a data message (e.g., email message) and coordinate acceptances to the request. At the time of the conference, the server retrieves a list of conference participants/attendees and their contact information. The server determines whether or not each participant/attendee is a server participant. If the participant/attendee is a server participant, the server will initiate the conference by calling the multiple contact numbers associated with the participant/attendee. Otherwise, the server will call one contact number associated with the participant/attendee.
1. A computer implemented method of initiating a conference call via a server that assists with scheduling the conference call, said method comprising:
receiving a conference request from an inviter's communication device, the request comprising conference settings including at least a scheduled time for the conference call;
sending at least one invitation message based on the conference request;
receiving responses to the at least one invitation message to determine conference participants;
automatically synchronizing the conference settings and a personal conference group based on communication with the inviter's communication device, wherein the personal conference group is created by the inviter's communication device based on communication between the inviter's communication device and the server, and wherein the personal conference group is synchronized based on inviter's change of the conference settings;
and
initiating at least one conference call to each conference participant based on each participant's contact information associated with the personal conference group.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conference request is received via a data message, the data message being an email message generated by a calendar function of the email application of the inviter's communication device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of connecting together calls to conference participants that have been answered to form the conference call.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether more than one call should be made to a respective conference participant; and
if it is determined that more than one call should be made to the respective conference participant, initiating more than one telephone call to the respective conference participant based on the respective participant's contact information.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether more than one call should be made to a respective conference participant; and
if it is determined that more than one call should be made to the respective conference participant, simultaneously initiating more than one telephone call to the respective conference participant based on the respective participant's contact information.
6. A computer implemented method of initiating a conference call via a user device that can participate on the conference call, said method comprising:
displaying a first scheduling option for requesting the conference call;
in response to a selection of the first scheduling option, displaying a second scheduling option for setting when the conference call will occur and for selecting desired participants of the conference call, said second scheduling option comprising a third scheduling option for scheduling the conference call;
in response to a selection of the third scheduling option, sending a conference request comprising conference settings including a start time of the conference call and a set of participants for the conference call; and
automatically synchronizing the conference settings and a personal conference group based on communication with a server, wherein the personal conference group is created by the user device based on communication between the user device and the server, and wherein the personal conference group is synchronized based on inviter's change of the conference settings.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the conference request is received via a data message, the data message being generated by a calendar function of an email application of the user device.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first scheduling option is a menu option for setting an appointment on the email application and the second scheduling option is a new conference appointment screen allowing a user to supply a date and time when the conference call will occur, set the type of conference call, and email addresses of desired participants of the conference call.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the new conference appointment screen also contains an area for a text message associated with the conference call.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the type of conference call comprises a get me conference wherein the server initiates the conference by calling participants that have agreed to participate on the conference call.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the personal conference group comprises participants of the conference call and their respective contact information.
12. A telecommunications system that assists with scheduling a conference call, the telecommunication system comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a database comprising a plurality of user profiles, each user profile being associated with a respective telephone number of the system; and
a processor connected to said storage medium and being configured to initiate the conference call by:
receiving a conference request from an inviter's communication device, the request comprising conference settings including at least a scheduled time for the conference and a type of conference,
sending at least one invitation message based on the conference request,
receiving responses to the at least one invitation message to determine accepted conference participants, and
automatically synchronizing the conference settings and a personal conference group based on communication with the inviter's communication device, wherein the personal conference group is created by the inviter's communication device based on communication between the inviter's communication device and the server, and wherein the personal conference group is synchronized based on inviter's change of the conference settings.
13. The telecommunications system of claim 12 , wherein said processor is further configured to:
determine if the type of conference requires the processor to call accepted participants; and
if it is determined that the type of conference requires the processor to call accepted participants, at the scheduled time, said processor retrieves contact information for each accepted conference participant and initiates at least one telephone call to each accepted conference participant based on the accepted participant's respective contact information.
14. The telecommunications system of claim 13 , wherein the processor determines whether more than one call should be made to an accepted conference participant, and if it is determined that more than one call should be made to an accepted conference participant, the processor initiates more than one telephone call to the accepted conference participant based on the accepted conference participant's respective contact information.
15. The telecommunications system of claim 12 , wherein the personal conference group comprises participants of the conference call and their respective contact information.