Abstract:
A method and apparatus exchange information within a predefined group of telecommunication terminals with each of the group being utilized by a user by forming a voice message by one of the group; communicating the voice message to the remainder of the group via instant message communication; and converting the instant message communication to a voice conferencing communication that includes all members of the group that remained part of the instant message communication.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to communication and messaging systems. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Due to increased Internet bandwidth to the home, environmental considerations, and economic factors, more and more people are starting to work at home rather than to go into a more traditional work place. This trend cuts across a variety of industries and governmental entities. Whereas, working at home does allow the individual to avoid commuting and to have a larger and quieter work space, an individual who works at home does not have the group experience. In a more traditional office environment where a number of people sit in close proximity, an individual having a question can simply voice the question in a short voice expression and get an immediate response from the group. An individual working at home can set up a conference call to all of the individuals in the group who are remote and ask the same question, but this is a time consuming process. 
     The other alternative that can be utilized is to send an instant message to the group. The disadvantaged of the instant message is that it requires the individual to type the question and then for people to respond with a written answer. It is well known that for short questions most people prefer to hear the question and respond vocally. 
     SUMMARY 
     A method and apparatus exchange information within a predefined group of telecommunication terminals with each of the group being utilized by a user by forming a voice message by one of the group; communicating the voice message to the remainder of the group via instant message communication; and converting the instant message communication to a voice conferencing communication that includes all members of the group that remained part of the instant message communication. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  illustrates, in block diagram form, an embodiment of system; and 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate, in flowchart form, operations performed by communication terminals in one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In one embodiment, an individual wishing to ask a question of a predefined group transmits an instant message that utilizes a voice message rather than a text message. Each individual of the group can then respond to the instant message or chose to drop off of a session created by the instant message. The responses from the individuals of the group are transmitted to all members of the group who are still active on the session. At a later point, any active individual of the group can convert the instant message session into a voice conference call. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment. Public switched telephone network  101  interconnects communication devices such as telephone  112  to enterprise switching system  102 . Enterprise switching system  102  provides voice and other types of media communication capabilities for communication terminal  114 , telephone  116  and TTY terminal  117 . One skilled in the art would realize that there could be a plurality of each of these types of devices. Enterprise switching system  102  thus allows a telephone such as telephone  116  to place a call to a telephone connected to the public switched telephone network  101 . 
     Further, enterprise switching system  102  not only allows a communication terminal such as communication terminal  114  to place voice calls, but also access to IM messages via enterprise IM system  106 . In addition, a communication terminal such as communication terminal  114  may also gain access to the switching network  104 . 
     Further, communication terminals  103 ,  106 , and  118  are interconnected via switching network  104  to enterprise switching system  102 . In addition, enterprise wireless system  121  also provides wireless service normally within a geographic location of an entity. 
     Enterprise IM system  106  provides a secure IM communication means for users within an entity. Communication terminals  103 ,  109 , and  114  may be geographically dispersed even though they are considered as being part of the enterprise entity. 
     A user assigned to enterprise switching system  102  may be present on cellular system  119 , public switched telephone network  101 , enterprise IM system  106 , and enterprise wireless system  121 . Presence server  107  may be used to receive information concerning on which IM system the user is present, and this information may be stored in presence information database  108 . The operations of these systems with respect to user&#39;s presence is detailed in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2004/0141594 which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     To understand the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , consider the following example. Communication terminals  103 ,  109 ,  114 , and  118  are in a predefined group. Assume that the user of communication terminal  114  has a question which they wish to pose to the other users of the group. The user activates the voice message operation by actuation of one or more keys or curser selections on communication terminal  114 . The user then records a short message. After the message is recorded, communication terminal  114  sends this voice message to communication terminals  103 ,  109 , and  118 . Advantageously, the message may be sent in an invite message of the session initiation protocol (SIP). SIP is defined in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC) 3261 “SIP: Session Initiation Protocol”, June, 2002. The short voice message is included in proprietary fields of the invite message. 
     Whether the message is actually outputted on communication terminals  103 ,  109 , or  118  depends if these terminals are present on network  104 , the user has not specified that they wish not to receive such messages at the present time, or the communication terminal is currently performing operations during which it is unadvisable to play a message. One such operation would be if the user of the communication terminal was engaged in an active voice call. 
     Assume for the example that the user of communication terminal  118  does not wish to respond or be part of any answers concerning the questions it has received. The user terminates the session created by the invite message by striking a particular key, cursor selection, or voice command. Communication terminal  118  then terminates the session, and the proper messages are transmitted back to the other communication terminals of the group. 
     The users of communication terminals  103  and  109  do respond and may do so simply by speaking their response when the communication terminals are capable of recognizing the onset of voice. Also, in another embodiment, the users of the communication terminals will strike a key to indicate that they are going to record a message. When the message is recorded, it is transmitted to communication terminal  114  and the other communication terminals who are still active on the session. Assume for the sake of the example, that communication terminal  103  transmits a remark or response and the user of communication terminal  109  decides not to respond but to remain part of the session. The response from communication terminal  103  may advantageously be transmitted again in another invite message to communication terminals  114  and  109 . The communication terminals  103 ,  109 , and  114  can continue to transmit back and forth these recorded messages or any of the communication terminals can convert the session into an actual voice call by transmitting a re-invite message requesting that a RTP stream be established using standard SIP protocol to communicate the conference call that is now established between communication terminals  103 ,  109 , and  114 . 
     In the previous example, if communication terminal  114  determines that the user of say communication terminal  118  is not present on communication terminal  118  but rather is present on cellular telephone  116 , the initial message will be transmitted to cellular telephone  116 . Similarly, if a user present on enterprise wireless system  121  as determined by presence server  107 , the messages will be transferred to the user on enterprise wireless system  121 . Further, it is possible for a user to be utilizing TTY terminal  117  in which case, enterprise switching system  102  will translate the voice message to the text protocol of a TTY terminal. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate, in flowchart form, operations performed by communication terminals in one embodiment. After being started in block  201 , decision block  202  determines if the user of the terminal has indicated that they want to transmit an audio question. If the answer is yes, block  203  records the message, and block  204  forms and transmits an invite message with the recorded message in proprietary fields. 
     After execution of block  204 , decision block  206  determines if a response had been received back to the audio question. If the answer is yes, block  207  plays the response before transferring control back to decision block  301  of  FIG. 3 . 
     If the answer in decision block  206  is no, decision block  208  determines if the user of the terminal wishes to transfer to voice communication via a conference call by establishing a RTP stream. If the answer is yes, block  209  forms and transmits a re-invite message for a RTP stream before transferring control back to decision block  206 . 
     If the answer in decision block  208  is no, decision block  211  determines if a re-invite message has been received as part of the session to establish a RTP stream so that a conference call can take place. If the answer is yes, block  212  performs normal processing in response to the re-invite message before transferring control back to decision block  206 . 
     If the answer in decision block  211  is no, decision block  213  determines if the session that was established by the transmission of the audio question has been terminated. If the answer is no, control is transferred back to decision block  206 . If the answer is yes in decision block  213 , block  214  performs normal processing before transferring control back to decision block  202 . 
     Returning to decision block  202 , if the answer in decision block  202  is no, control is transferred decision block  301 . The latter decision block determines if an audio question has been received in an invite message. If the answer is no, control is returned to decision block  202  of  FIG. 2 . If the answer is yes in decision block  301 , control is transferred to decision block  303 . 
     Decision block  303  determines if the user wants to respond and if the audio question is coming from the proper group. The user may indicate they want to respond to the audio question by a keystroke or voice command. Also, the user may predefine that the audio question is to be refused when the user is actively engaged in a voice call. Further, the user can define situations under which no response will be given to the audio question using a software agent executing rules predefined by the user or by presence rules entered into a presence server such as presence server  107 . If the answer is no in decision block  303 , control is transferred to decision block  307 . 
     If the answer is yes in decision block  303 , block  304  records a message and block  306  forms and transmits an invite message with the recorded message before returning control to decision block  302 . 
     If the answer is no in either decision block  302  or  303 , decision block  307  determines if the session has been terminated. If the answer is yes, block  308  processes this normally before returning control back to decision block  202  of  FIG. 2 . 
     If the answer in decision block  307  is yes, block  309  determines if the user of the terminal wishes to change the session to an RTP stream so as to establish a voice conference call. If the answer is yes, block  311  forms and transmits a re-invite message for a RTP stream before returning control back to decision block  302 . 
     If the answer in decision block  309  is no, decision block  312  determines whether a re-invite message has been received to establish a RTP stream. If the answer is yes, block  313  performs normal processing before transferring control back to decision block  302 . If the answer in decision block  312  is no, control is transferred back to decision block  302 . 
     When the operations of a control computer, telecommunication terminal or server are implemented in software, it should be noted that the software can be stored on any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with any computer related system or method. In the context of this document, a computer-readable medium is an electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical device or means that can contain or store a computer program for use by or in connection with a computer related system or method. The control computer, telecommunication terminal or server can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “computer-readable medium” can be any means that can store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. For example, the computer-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection (electronic) having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (electronic), a read-only memory (ROM) (electronic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory) (electronic), an optical fiber (optical), and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM) (optical). Note that the computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, for instance, via optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted or otherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. 
     In an alternative embodiment, where a control computer, telecommunication terminal or server is implemented in hardware, control computer, telecommunication terminal or server can be implemented with any or a combination of the following technologies, which are each well known in the art: a discrete logic circuit(s) having logic gates for implementing logic functions upon data signals, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having appropriate combinational logic gates, a programmable gate array(s) (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. 
     Of course, various changes and modifications to the illustrative embodiment described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the following claims except in so far as limited by the prior art.