Patent ID: 8358762

Claim:
A method for initiating a conference call, the method comprising: receiving a conference call request message from an initiating user at a conference call system that comprises at least one processor, the conference call request message specifying a plurality of other users; determining, using the at least one processor, an availability of the other users to receive conference call invitations; sending the conference call invitations to the other users that are available, the conference call invitations including a plurality of conference call participation options for the other users to select; receiving responses to the conference call invitations from one or more of the other users that are available, the responses indicating whether the responding users accept the conference call invitations and indicating the conference call participation options selected by the responding users that accept the conference call invitations; sending, when receiving a response to a conference call invitation from a user, updated conference call invitations to the responding users, the updated conference call invitations including the conference call participation options selected by the responding users and a link selectable by a non-participating user to join the conference call; displaying, to the responding users, the updated conference call invitations including the conference call participation options selected by the responding users; initiating the conference call between the initiating user and the responding users that accept the conference call invitations in accordance with the selected conference call participation options; monitoring the availability of one or more of the other users determined to be unavailable; and enabling interaction with a conference call invitation by the one or more of the other users determined to be unavailable upon their monitored availability changing from unavailable to available, wherein the conference call participation options indicate a level of participation activeness of the responding users.