Patent ID: 6917675
Filing Date: 2005-07-12
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A method for providing a conference call involving at least three subscribers employed in a network having at least one call agent and a plurality of residential gateways (RGs), wherein at least a first and a second one of said RGs have an existing call there between, comprising: a) one of the RGs participating in the existing call requesting a conference call to add another RG to the existing call, said another RG lacking resources to support the conference call; b) said call agent, responsive to said lack of resources, identifying an under-utilized RG which is not participating in the existing call; c) said call agent directing the under-utilized RG to serve as a residential conference mixer (RCM) and identifying the number of conference participants, including said another RG voice coders/decoders (CODECS) required and source and destination addresses to the under-utilized RG; d) said call agent directing the RGs participating in the existing call to route voice traffic to the under-utilized RG; e) RGs participating in the existing call, responsive to step (d), directing voice traffic of the requested conference call to the under-utilized RG; and f) said call agent directing the under-utilized RG to mix incoming voice traffic and rebroadcast mixed traffic to the RGs.