Patent · US Active

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) location based conferencing

US7626951B2 · kind B2 · utility

113Cited by
436References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 15, 2006
Grant dateDec 1, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 27, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W4/029
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device uses its location to narrow down known and unknown potential VoIP third parties meeting the user's criteria, based on their physical proximity to the initial caller and other pre-determined characteristics, to join in a phone conference. A VoIP soft switch includes conference bridges that eliminate the conventional requirement that they dial digits for a direct link with another specific VoIP communications device. Instead, location information relating to the initial VoIP user is passed to the VoIP conference bridge, either from the user's VoIP communication device or from their respective location server. The location information is then compared by the VoIP soft switch against other VoIP devices to find potential VoIP users within a defined geographic region surrounding the initial VoIP user. Those VoIP users matching the criteria are sent an Invite message to join the conference, which they may or may not accept.

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