Patent ID: 7580374
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system for setting-up a future audio conference between a host party and at least one participant party, said system comprising: a call control engine for receiving a future audio conference request from the host party, the future audio conference request being received in the control engine from at least one of a land-line telephone via a telephone call, a wireless device via a wireless transmission, and a computer via a web interface configured to receive a confirmation screen whereby a user can make corrections related to the future audio conference request, wherein the future audio conference request includes a meeting host phone number, wherein the call control engine is configured to reject the future audio conference request in response to a passing of the future audio conference, and wherein the call control engine is configured to reject the future audio conference request in response to the future audio conference request submitted by a user establishing the future audio conference lacking at least one additional future audio conference call party number for at least one participant party; a conference call database having a plurality of entries, wherein audio conference information associated with the future audio conference request is stored on one of entries; a call facility for making audio connections, according to the future audio conference request, to the host party and the at least one participant party, said call facility first attempting an audio connection to the host party and making an audio connection to the at least one participant party after the host party has answered the audio connection, the call facility including a common channel signaling system (CCSS); a call bridging facility for bridging the audio connections between the host party and the at least one participant; and a timer facility having one or more timers for being set when the future audio conference request is created by the host party, wherein upon expiration of a pre-determined timer setting, indicating that a conference call is to be placed, the call control engine retrieves the future audio conference request information from the conference call database, the future audio conference request information including an entry for the conference call and a timer, the expiration of which indicating that the conference call is to be placed thereby enabling the call facility to begin placing audio connections, wherein the call control engine sets up the future audio conference upon at least one of the expiration of the timers in the timer facility, and a polling of the conference call database to determine whether it is time to retrieve the future audio conference request information and set up the future audio conference, wherein, if the host is unavailable the call control engine disconnects and at least one of removes the audio conference information associated with the future audio conference request from the conference call database, and retries the host before canceling the conference call, wherein if one or more participant parties are unavailable for initial audio connection, then said call facility automatically re-attempts audio connection to said one or more participant parties unavailable for initial audio connection a predetermined number of times before dropping said one or more participant parties unavailable for initial audio connection, wherein the call control engine provides the host party with a meeting confirmation number associated with the future audio conference request, the call control engine changing or canceling the future audio conference request in response to receiving the meeting confirmation number with a request to change or cancel the future audio conference request, and wherein the information associated with the future audio conference request is removed from the conference call database in response to the bridging facility bridging the audio connections between the host party and the at least one participant.