IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,575,792
Granted Patent B2
US 11,575,792 · App. 17/243,186 · Granted Feb 7, 2023

Conference service number system

Inventors: Walter F. C. Anderson (Santa Cruz, CA); Vi Dinh Chau (Seattle, WA)
Assignee: Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
H04M3/563H04M3/493
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,575,792
App. No.
17/243,186
Granted
Feb 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A conference service number system enables the reconfiguration of an existing telephone number as a service number usable for selectively routing calls to each of a client endpoint and a dedicated conference software instance. A conferencing system implements separate conferencing software instances for individual operators for whom unique telephone numbers, are assigned. A telephony system facilitates calls to and from telephone numbers and implements a menu system (e.g. an interactive voice response (IVR) menu) for presenting a caller with options to either route a call to a specific telephone number to the subject operator (e.g., to a client device of that operator) or to a conferencing software instance implemented specifically for that operator. The call is accordingly routed to either a device of the operator or to the conferencing software instance based on the selection by the caller.

Claims (46)

1. A method, comprising:

configuring a conferencing service of a software platform to connect calls to a telephone number assigned to a user of the software platform to an instance of conferencing software associated with the user;

receiving a call to the telephone number from a calling device over a telephony service of the software platform;

presenting in-call options for selection at the calling device responsive to the call, wherein a first in-call option is to route the call to a client device associated with the user over the telephony service and a second in-call option is to route the call to the instance of conferencing software over the conferencing service; and

routing the call to the instance of conferencing software responsive to a selection of the second in-call option at the calling device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein routing the call to the instance of conferencing software responsive to the selection of the second in-call option at the calling device comprises:

signaling a conference identifier associated with the user to a server implementing the instance of conferencing software to cause a channel to open between the calling device and the instance of conferencing software.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the in-call options are presented in an interactive voice response menu.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein separate instances of conferencing software are assigned to different users associated with a customer of the software platform.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

routing the call to the client device responsive to a selection of the first in-call option at the calling device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the call is a first call, the method further comprising:

responsive to detecting a disconnection of the calling device from the first call, receiving a second call to the telephone number from the calling device; and

responsive to determining that the selection of the second in-call option was received from the calling device as part of the first call, presenting an in-call option prompting the calling device to reconnect to the instance of conferencing software.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instance of conferencing software is a first instance of conferencing software, wherein the in-call options include a third in-call option to route the call to a second instance of conferencing software associated with a second user of the software platform, and wherein the method further comprises:

routing the call to the second instance of conferencing software responsive to a selection of the third in-call option at the calling device.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

configure a conferencing service of a software platform to connect calls to a telephone number assigned to a user of the software platform to an instance of conferencing software associated with the user;

receive a call to the telephone number from a calling device over a telephony service of the software platform;

present in-call options for selection at the calling device responsive to the call, wherein a first in-call option is to route the call to a client device associated with the user over the telephony service and a second in-call option is to route the call to the instance of conferencing software over the conferencing service; and

route the call to the instance of conferencing software responsive to a selection of the second in-call option at the calling device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions to route the call to the instance of conferencing software responsive to the selection of the second in-call option at the calling device include instructions to:

signal a conference identifier associated with the user to a server implementing the instance of conferencing software.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions include instructions to:

automatically route the call to the instance of conferencing software instead of presenting the in-call options for selection at the calling device responsive to a determination that the user is participating in a conference implemented by the instance of conferencing software or is scheduled to participate in the conference implemented by the instance of conferencing software.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions include instructions to:

route the call to the client device responsive to a selection of the first in-call option at the calling device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the call is a first call, and wherein the instructions include instructions to:

responsive to a disconnection of the calling device from the first call, receive a second call to the number from the calling device; and

responsive to a determination that the selection of the one of the in-call options was received from the calling device as part of the first call, present an in-call option prompting the calling device to reconnect to the instance of conferencing software.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instance of conferencing software is a first instance of conferencing software, wherein the in-call options include an in-call option to route the call to a second instance of conferencing software associated with a second user of the software platform, and wherein the instructions include instructions to:

route the call to the second instance of conferencing software responsive to a selection of the in-call option at the calling device.

14. A system, comprising:

a conferencing system configured to connect calls to a telephone number assigned to a user of a software platform to an instance of conferencing software associated with the user; and

a telephony system configured to:

receive a call to the telephone number from a calling device;

present in-call options for selection at the calling device responsive to the call, wherein a first in-call option is to route the call to a client device associated with the user using the telephony system and a second in-call option is to route the call to the instance of conferencing software using the conferencing system; and

route the call to the instance of conferencing software based on a selection of the second in-call option at the calling device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the telephony system implements an interactive voice response menu which presents the first in-call option and the second in-call option for selection at the calling device in response to the call, and wherein the telephony system is configured to route the call to the client device based on a selection of the first in-call option at the calling device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instance of conferencing software is a first instance of conferencing software, wherein the interactive voice response menu further presents a third in-call option for selection at the calling device in response to the call, and wherein the telephony system is configured to route the call to a second instance of conferencing software associated with a second user of the software platform.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the call is a first call, and wherein the telephony system is further configured to detect a disconnection of the calling device from the first call, receive a second call to the telephone number from the calling device, and present an in-call option prompting the calling device to reconnect to the instance of conferencing software.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein, to route the call to the instance of conferencing software, the telephony system is configured to signal a conference identifier associated with the user to the conferencing system.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the conferencing system is configured to open a channel between the calling device and the instance of conferencing software based on the conference identifier.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein separate instances of conferencing software are assigned to different users associated with a customer of the software platform.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 7, 2025
From: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 069839/0593 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2021
From: ANDERSON, WALTER F. C.; CHAU, VI DINH
To: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 056073/0808 →