Patent ID: 8917590

Claim:
A method, comprising steps of: providing control of a conference bridge to a first terminal by a Media Resource Function (MRF) controller during an ongoing conference call using the conference bridge; receiving by the MRF controller a request from the first terminal to transfer control of the conference bridge to a second terminal; upon receiving an acceptance of control of the conference bridge from the second terminal prior to the first terminal severing control of the conference bridge, transferring by the MRF controller control of the conference bridge to the second terminal; and continuing the ongoing conference call through the conference bridge until no terminal has control of the conference bridge, wherein each terminal is an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) enabled terminal; and either of: generating, by the first terminal while in control of the conference bridge in the ongoing conference call, in response to a trigger an alert to a user of the first terminal to transfer control of the conference bridge; or automatically offering by the first terminal while having control of the conference bridge, an option to accept or reject control of the conference bridge to a preconfigured hierarchy of alternate terminals, in response to a trigger, and if a first of the alternate terminals rejects or does not accept within a predetermined time the control of the conference bridge, providing the option to accept or reject control of the conference bridge to an alternate terminal one level lower in hierarchy, one terminal at a time, until a terminal in the hierarchy accepts control of the conference bridge or no terminal has control of the conference bridge.