Patent · US Expired

System and method of responding to an incoming call while conferencing

US6628768B1 · kind B1 · utility

32Cited by
3References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 16, 2000
Grant dateSep 30, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 16, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q3/72
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for responding to an incoming call on one of a plurality of external telephone lines when a conference call is in progress on that external telephone line includes the following. First, caller identification information is received relating to the incoming call. Then the plurality of handsets involved in the conference call are notified that an incoming call has been received. Should it be desired to answer that incoming telephone call via a callback, a pre-recorded message is transmitted to the caller of the incoming call requesting the caller hang up and the incoming telephone call is terminated. The caller of the incoming call is then called back on a unused external telephone line using the previously received caller identification information relating to that incoming call. Finally, one of the plurality of handsets involved in the conference call is connected to the caller of the incoming call.

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