Automatic Reconstitution of Telecommunications Sessions
A telecommunications feature is disclosed that enables a person to disconnect from a telecommunications session (e.g., a telephone call, a chat session, a video conference, etc.) and to be automatically reconnected at a later time. For example, Fred might be required to participate in his project group's weekly conference call, but as a practical matter Fred really only need to participate at the beginning and end of the meeting. After the conference call begins and Fred learns that the meeting will end at 4:00 PM, Fred uses the present invention to program his telephone to disconnect from the conference call now and to automatically reconnect to the conference call at 3:45 PM. This gives Fred the opportunity to get some work done and yet not miss the end of the conference call.
1 . A method comprising:
(1) establishing a first bi-directional communications session between a first telecommunications terminal and a second telecommunications terminal;
(2) receiving at said first telecommunications terminal a reconnection parameter for a reconnection test;
(3) terminating said first bi-directional communications session between said first telecommunications terminal and said second telecommunications terminal; and
(4) establishing a second bi-directional communications session between said first telecommunications terminal and a third telecommunications terminal when said first telecommunications terminal determines that said reconnection test is satisfied;
wherein said reconnection test comprises comparing said reconnection parameter to a time-varying parameter.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said first telecommunications terminal from a user of said first telecommunications terminal.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said first telecommunications terminal from said second telecommunications terminal.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein said reconnection parameter is a calendrical time.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein said reconnection parameter is a specification of an event.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein said second telecommunications terminal and said third telecommunications terminal are the same.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein said second telecommunications terminal and said third telecommunications terminal are different.
8 . A method comprising:
(1) establishing a bi-directional communications session among a first telecommunications terminal, a second telecommunications terminal, and a third telecommunications terminal;
(2) receiving at said first telecommunications terminal a reconnection parameter for a reconnection test;
(3) disconnecting said first telecommunications terminal from said bi-directional communications session, wherein said first telecommunications terminal and said second telecommunications terminal continue with said bi-directional communications session; and
(4) reconnecting said first telecommunications terminal to said bi-directional communications session when said first telecommunications terminal determines that said reconnection test is satisfied;
wherein said reconnection test comprises comparing said reconnection parameter to a time-varying parameter.
9 . The method of claim 8 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said first telecommunications terminal from a user of said first telecommunications terminal.
10 . The method of claim 8 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said first telecommunications terminal from said second telecommunications terminal.
11 . The method of claim 8 wherein said reconnection parameter is a calendrical time.
12 . The method of claim 8 wherein said reconnection parameter is a specification of an event.
13 . A method comprising:
(1) establishing a bi-directional communications session among a first telecommunications terminal, a second telecommunications terminal, and a third telecommunications terminal;
(2) receiving at said first telecommunications terminal a reconnection parameter for a reconnection test;
(3) disconnecting said third telecommunications terminal from said bi-directional communications session, wherein said first telecommunications terminal and said second telecommunications terminal continue with said bi-directional communications session; and
(4) connecting a fourth telecommunications terminal to said bi-directional communications session when said first telecommunications terminal determines that said reconnection test is satisfied;
wherein said reconnection test comprises comparing said reconnection parameter to a time-varying parameter.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said first telecommunications terminal from a user of said first telecommunications terminal.
15 . The method of claim 13 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said first telecommunications terminal from said third telecommunications terminal.
16 . The method of claim 13 wherein said reconnection parameter is a calendrical time.
17 . The method of claim 13 wherein said reconnection parameter is a specification of an event.
18 . The method of claim 13 wherein said third telecommunications terminal and said fourth telecommunications terminal are the same.
19 . The method of claim 13 wherein said third telecommunications terminal and said fourth telecommunications terminal are different.
20 . A method comprising:
(1) establishing a bi-directional communications session between a first telecommunications terminal and a second telecommunications terminal through a switch;
(2) receiving at said switch a reconnection parameter for a reconnection test;
(3) terminating said bi-directional communications session between said first telecommunications terminal and said second telecommunications terminal; and
(4) establishing a second bi-directional communications session between said first telecommunications terminal and a third telecommunications terminal when said switch determines that said reconnection test is satisfied;
wherein said reconnection test comprises comparing said reconnection parameter to a time-varying parameter.
21 . The method of claim 20 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said switch from said first telecommunications terminal.
22 . The method of claim 20 wherein said reconnection parameter is a calendrical time.
23 . The method of claim 20 wherein said reconnection parameter is a specification of an event.
24 . The method of claim 20 wherein said second telecommunications terminal and said third telecommunications terminal are the same.
25 . The method of claim 20 wherein said second telecommunications terminal and said third telecommunications terminal are different.
26 . A method comprising:
(1) establishing a bi-directional communications session through a switch, wherein said bi-directional communications session is among a first telecommunications terminal, a second telecommunications terminal, and a third telecommunications terminal;
(2) receiving at said switch a reconnection parameter for a reconnection test;
(3) disconnecting said first telecommunications terminal from said bi-directional communications session; and
(4) connecting a fourth telecommunications terminal to said bi-directional communications session when said switch determines that said reconnection test is satisfied;
wherein said reconnection test comprises comparing said reconnection parameter to a time-varying parameter.
27 . The method of claim 26 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said switch from said first telecommunications terminal.
28 . The method of claim 26 wherein said reconnection parameter is received at said switch from said second telecommunications terminal.
29 . The method of claim 26 wherein said reconnection parameter is a calendrical time.
30 . The method of claim 26 wherein said reconnection parameter is a specification of an event.
31 . The method of claim 26 wherein said first telecommunications terminal and said fourth telecommunications terminal are the same.
32 . The method of claim 26 wherein said first telecommunications terminal and said fourth telecommunications terminal are different.