Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for on-demand teleconferencing

US6181786A · kind A · utility

72Cited by
21References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 3, 1999
Grant dateJan 30, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 3, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M2207/12
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An on-demand teleconferencing system and method for setting up an on-demand conference call in a telecommunications system having the Advanced Information Network (AIN) architecture with system signaling the number 7 (SS7) and a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). A subscriber is assigned an on-demand conference call number. When that number is dialed into the PSTN, it is identified by the PSTN that the dialed number requires handling by the SS7. The SS7 links the dialed number to a conference allocation and control system (CACS) which is connected to a plurality of scalable bridge servers. The CACS selects bridge servers available to handle the conference call and based upon a selection criteria such as a peak load sets up the on-demand conference call in one of the selected bridge servers.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.