Abstract:
A method and system for transmitting caller identification information during a conference call is disclosed. When a caller enters into a phone conference, the endpoint device he is using can subscribe to a notification service provided by the conference server. Thereafter, the conference server sends out a message with the phone number (or other indication) of the active endpoint device. Each time another endpoint device in conference call becomes the active device (e.g., someone using that endpoint device begins speaking), the conference server senses this and sends a new message to the endpoint devices indicating this change.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    This disclosure generally relates to telephones, and more particularly to conference calling systems. 
         [0003]    2. Background Art 
         [0004]    Caller ID was invented in the late 1960s for use with Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). As is known in the art, when a telephone rings, Caller ID allows a user to see the phone number of the person who is calling. In such a system, between the first and second ring, a sequence of characters (typically encoded, such as by an FSK technique or other modulation method) is sent from the originating phone to the receiving phone. The receiving phone decodes the incoming signal and displays the dialing phone number on a display located on the handset of the phone. 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  depicts such a conversation. Phone  102  is used to call phone  104  over network  110 . Before the user of phone  104  picks up the receiver, he can view the caller ID information on phone  104 . A display on phone  102  may show the number that was dialed. Network  110  may be any type of phone network, such as POTS, cellular, satellite, VOIP, or a combination of networks. 
         [0006]    While the above-described system works, there are drawbacks to the above-described system. For example, the system described above only works in situations where one person directly calls another person. Thus, it does not work in conference call type situations where there may be more than two parties in a call. It is desirable to have a system and method that fixes these and other shortcomings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Implementations will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, where like designations denote like elements, and: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a phone call of the prior art; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  depicts several devices contacting a conference server; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart depicting the operation of an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments of particular implementations of a method and system for transmitting caller information and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the claims in any way. Rather, the following descriptions are intended to provide convenient illustrations for implementing various embodiments of a method and system for transmitting caller identification information. As will become apparent, changes may be made in the function and/or arrangement of any of the elements described in the disclosed exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. 
         [0012]    Embodiments provide for a method and system for helping a user to identify a speaker during a conference call. On a typical conference call system, there are several ways to join a conference call: a) participants in the conference call each dial a pre-determined, centralized number; b) a conference server dials out to each participant at a pre-scheduled time; and c) started with a two-way call with a third person added later. It should be understood that there may be other ways in which a conference call can be initiated and the present invention is not limited by the manner in which the conference call is initiated. 
         [0013]    Such a situation is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Endpoint device  202 , endpoint device  204 , and endpoint device  206  are used to dial into a conference call. Endpoint devices may be any device used to place a phone call, including an analog telephone; a VOIP telephone; a computer with a headset, camera, or microphone; a cell phone; and the like. Participants to the conference call will use their particular endpoint device to call a conference server  210 . On such a system, the number being displayed on each endpoint device&#39;s display would be the phone number being called or the number calling in, which is typically the phone number of conference server  210 , which may not be the phone number of the person speaking. The participants would thus have no knowledge of the active speaker in the conference. It should be understood that endpoint devices  202 ,  204 , and  206  may not be directly connected to conference server  210 , but are coupled via a network, such as a telephone network or the Internet. It should also be understood that there may be one or more intermediate gateways between endpoint devices  202 ,  204 , or  206  and conference server  210 . For example, endpoint device  202  may be a cell phone and the cell phone uses a gateway to access conference server  210 . It should also be understood that an endpoint device may serve as conference server  210 . 
         [0014]    In the current art, conference server  210  may have the ability to detect which endpoint device is active in a conference call. This can be done by a variety of different methods. For example, the conference server can detect which endpoint device is producing the loudest signal. Unfortunately, this data is typically not accessible to the participants of the call unless the participant accesses a specific website. However, this solution required the participants to have access to the Internet, have knowledge of the specific website address, and have the capability to read http formatted messages. 
         [0015]    An embodiment of the present invention uses a messaging system to transmit caller information from the conference server to the endpoint devices. In one exemplary embodiment, Session Initiation Protocol (“SIP”) messages are used to transmit identification information from the conference server to the phones of the participants. SIP SUBSCRIBE and NOTIFY messages can be used to indicate active speaker indication information from the conference server to the endpoint devices. 
         [0016]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , the steps undertaken in an exemplary embodiment that uses SIP messages are illustrated. At step  302 , a conference server connects with an endpoint device for a conference call. As discussed above, this typically occurs by a participant dialing the phone number of the conference server, but it may occur in a variety of other ways (such as the conference serving dialing to the endpoint device). At step  304 , the endpoint device is notified that it is in a conference call. This can be done in a variety of different manners. For example, a user can manually input that information at the endpoint device by inputting a predetermined key sequence. Alternatively, the endpoint device may determine it is on a conference call by sensing the number called (or the incoming number, if the conference server dialed the endpoint device). A variety of other different methods, either currently known or developed in the future may also be used to make this determination. 
         [0017]    At step  306 , the endpoint device sends a SUBSCRIBE message to the conference server. The SUBSCRIBE message requests that the conference server begin sending messages to this particular endpoint device when necessary. After receiving the SUBSCRIBE message, the conference server sends a NOTIFY message to the endpoint device (step  308 ). The NOTIFY message has an XML body that contains the identification information of the active endpoint device. This identification information may be a phone number, a pre-programmed name, or other custom text. The pre-programmed name or custom text may be entered by a conference participant in any manner currently known or developed in the future. For example, the conference server may sense the phone number of the endpoint device in question using traditional caller ID techniques. The conference server may access a database to associate a phone number with a contact. A conference server may enter in a name or other custom text either using a keypad on the endpoint device, through a web interface, or through other similar means. A conference server may have such information stored in a database based on previous phone calls. Many other techniques may be used to determine the custom text to be displayed. 
         [0018]    When the active endpoint device changes (i.e., someone at another endpoint device begins speaking), the conference server sends a new NOTIFY message to each of the endpoint devices that earlier sent a SUBSCRIBE message (step  310 ). When the endpoint device receives the NOTIFY message, it modifies the display to show the identification information of the new active endpoint device (step  312 ). These steps may be repeated during the duration of the call, changing the display each time the active endpoint device changes. At the conclusion of the conference call, a SUBSCRIBE message with an “Expires: 0” header is sent to the conference server, signifying the end of the service (step  314 ). 
         [0019]    The above described method is merely exemplary. It should be understood that an embodiment of the invention may use a different messaging system instead of SIP to transmit the information, including messaging systems that currently exist and messaging systems that may be created in the future. 
         [0020]    The implementations listed here, and many others, will become readily apparent from this disclosure. From this, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand the versatility with which this disclosure may be applied. Implementations of embodiments of the present invention may be constructed of a wide variety of components, including as described above. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily be able to select appropriate components and manufacture these products from the disclosures provided herein. 
         [0021]    It will be understood that implementations are not limited to the specific components disclosed herein, as virtually any components consistent with the intended operation of a method and/or system implementation for a phone system may be utilized. Accordingly, for example, although particular component examples may be disclosed, such components may comprise any shape, size, style, type, model, version, class, grade, measurement, concentration, material, weight, quantity, and/or the like consistent with the intended operation of a method and/or system implementation of embodiments of the present invention may be used. 
         [0022]    In places where the description above refers to particular implementations of a caller identification system, it should be readily apparent that a number of modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and that these implementations may be applied to other systems. The presently disclosed implementations are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.