Patent ID: 7317919

Claim:
In a computing device that has access to contact information identifying recipient communication devices, a method for initiating a call between a wireless communication device and one or more recipient communication devices, the method comprising: storing the contact information on the computing device; receiving user input at the computing device that identifies the one or more recipient communication devices to be connected in the call from the contact information, wherein the user input identifies a type of call to be initiated between the wireless communication device and the one or more recipient communication devices; in response to the user input, generating calling instructions from the stored contact information that initiate the call between the wireless communication device that is separate from the computing device and the one or more recipient communication devices, wherein the calling instructions are used by at least the wireless communication device to make the call; initiating transmission of the calling instructions via a server to the wireless communication device, wherein the calling instructions cause the wireless communication device to automatically call the one or more recipient communication devices upon receiving the calling instructions and wherein the server initiates separate outbound calls to at least one of the recipient communication devices and bridges the separate outbound calls together with the wireless communication device; and wherein the calling instructions are transmitted in an SMS message or an SIP message.