Patent · US Active

Dial up telephone conferencing system controlled by an online computer network

US7522542B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
140References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 10, 2003
Grant dateApr 21, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 28, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M2242/16
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a telephone conferencing system, a digital communication network such as the Internet is used to establish and control the telephone connections between multiple conferees with the telephone network being the means of exchanging verbal information. Each conferee may have a computer connected to the digital network, and each has an independent telephone instrument connected to the public switched telephone network. An in-charge conferee utilizes his computer containing appropriate software to initiate the conference and to control the participation of the conferees. The in-charge conferee sends digital control signals to a switch interface controlling a telephone switch as a gateway to the telephone network using SS7 control signals. These SS7 control signals include the commands by which the conferee telephones are rung up, brought on line, or dropped from the conference. The switch provides telephone status information back over the digital network, and the in-charge conferee, as well as other conferees provided with appropriate software, display this status information on their PC monitors.

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